Stellar production values and a massive world to explore; this is certainly one of the most impressive Metroidvanias ever made from an objective standpoint.
What I really appreciated about Afterimage, though, was just how freeform the progression is. Most games in this genre only pretend to be open; you might have a few branching paths earlier in the game, but ultimately you're railroaded into an intended progression. Not so here. If anything, you're only afforded more freedom as the game goes on. This has its drawbacks, of course -- it can often feel like you're aimlessly wandering around without making meaningful progress -- but I think it's worth it for how satisfying it is when everything comes together. The combat and platforming are nothing too special, but I nonetheless greatly enjoyed my time in Afterimage's world.
Also, I actually thought the plot was kinda cool (even if it culminates in fighting a generic JRPG villain), but apparently the English translation is pretty bad so I played it in Japanese.
What I really appreciated about Afterimage, though, was just how freeform the progression is. Most games in this genre only pretend to be open; you might have a few branching paths earlier in the game, but ultimately you're railroaded into an intended progression. Not so here. If anything, you're only afforded more freedom as the game goes on. This has its drawbacks, of course -- it can often feel like you're aimlessly wandering around without making meaningful progress -- but I think it's worth it for how satisfying it is when everything comes together. The combat and platforming are nothing too special, but I nonetheless greatly enjoyed my time in Afterimage's world.
Also, I actually thought the plot was kinda cool (even if it culminates in fighting a generic JRPG villain), but apparently the English translation is pretty bad so I played it in Japanese.