After Us

After Us has a wordless story that doesn't effectively communicate its environmentalist themes and platforming that frustrates with unreliable controls, but it does look fantastic.

After Us is a decent 3D platformer that captures and holds your attention with the surrealist nature of its world design and compelling environmental storytelling.

After Us combines stunning vistas of environmental decay with a dreamlike flow to its light platforming challenges. Despite some missteps, such as ill-fitting combat, exploring and affecting its world is a gratifying process that comes with a wave of emotional ups and downs.

After Us poses some well-tread but timely questions about our impact on the world and its living things. However, optional discoveries throughout the game suggest that Piccolo is trying to present a slightly more ambivalent take on the subject. Some of that is best left for the player to discover for themselves. I recommend After Us strongly as a piece of visual artistry. It’s less successful as an interactive experience, but none of its problems are so glaring that it should dissuade someone from discovering its striking and haunting world.

With lofty ambitions and some great elements, After Us lets itself down in as many ways as it triumphs. Gorgeous art direction and an admirable anti-pollution message aren't enough to make up for tedious combat, performance issues, and open-ended level design that plays things a little too loose. If you're itching for an experience like this, there are better options out there, at the very least until After Us' performance issues are addressed. There's the core of an incredible experience here, but it's just not ready yet.

After Us serves as a compelling reminder of the far-reaching consequences of environmental neglect. While there are stories to glean through memories, the game is primarily a tactile experience, emphasizing parkour and puzzle-solving over delivering a strong narrative. The game has approachable puzzles and straightforward controls that should be easy for most to pick up. Its engaging gameplay mechanics, stark visuals, and poignant message make for a satisfying puzzle-platformer overall.

Published by Private Division, Piccolo’s platformer set in a post-human world is a solid offering and another reminder that indie games can provide well-rounded, memorable experiences. After Us can be completed in about 10 hours, 20 for thorough explorers, and nearly every minute of it will be enjoyable. The visuals are impressive, the gameplay is fun, the levels are varied, and though the story is rather simplistic and a bit vague, it serves its purpose. After Us probably won’t rise to the top for many people, but it definitely won't sink to the bottom either.

From our perspective, After Us is a bold and imperfect, yet profoundly meaningful creation. It’s not a game for everyone, but it stands as one of those rare experiences capable of leaving a lasting impression—particularly on those attuned to environmental themes and open to quiet introspection. What resonated most with us wasn’t the variety of gameplay—which, inevitably, begins to feel repetitive over time—but its remarkable ability to stir deep emotions through visual and auditory language, all without a single spoken word. It is a world meant to be wandered, not conquered. There are no missions to accomplish, no victories to secure. The game’s true aim is to prompt reflection, to inspire understanding, and to make us feel the weight of irreversible loss and the delicate hope of redemption. Its symbolism is never arbitrary. Every element—be it the animal spirits, the Devourers, the crumbling architecture, or the sudden resurgence of vegetation—serves a distinct narrative purpose. Even the absence of a HUD, the bold use of color, and Gaia’s slow, meditative movements are all part of a carefully considered vision: to transform the video game into a medium of expression rather than mere entertainment. While we cannot ignore its weaknesses—particularly the sections where repetition becomes apparent and the lack of dynamic gameplay may cause detachment, especially among players less inclined toward contemplation—we can only conclude that After Us is a work that urges us to look ahead, mindful of the missteps of humanity’s past. Its true purpose is to cultivate emotional and intellectual awareness—an awareness essential to imagining and building a better future. In my view, After Us strikes emotional chords that few games even attempt to reach. It’s a title that takes risks—and, in the long run, succeeds in them. For that alone, it deserves attention and praise. It’s not a game that aims to please everyone, but it has the power to move deeply those willing to be carried away by its visual language and its silent emotions.

After Us stands as a thought-provoking testament to human responsibility, but it leaves untouched the broader canvas of nature's relentless force. Recognizing both sides of this environmental equation would have offered a more comprehensive perspective on the intricate dance between humanity and the natural world, underscoring the urgent need for responsible stewardship of our planet. The gameplay is serviceable and the game's length won't leave anyone asking for more, but the real showstopper is its gorgeous visuals and ambiance.

After Us is a beautiful game with a strong story, but unfortunately it also includes some not great action elements and platforming. It doesn't spoil the overall experience too much, though.