Afterlove EP review

Published by Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed on in Gaming
Tags: afterlove ep review afterlove ep gameplay indie game review grief in video games mental health games indie rockstar game visual novel with rhythm game jakarta city recreation game about grief creativity and mental health gaming about bereavement game developer s personal connection authenticity in gaming emotional manipulation in games
AI Analysis

"Afterlove EP" is a visually striking and aurally captivating game that tackles grief, bereavement, and the complexities of mental health. While its writing and recreation of 21st-century Jakarta are laudable, the player's experience is marred by the difficulty of being Rama's long-suffering friend. The game's narrative device, where the deceased girlfriend serves as both a guiding light and a source of anguish, can be frustrating to navigate. The developer's personal connection to the game's themes, stemming from the loss of their creative director, adds a layer of authenticity but also raises questions about exploitation and emotional manipulation.

Key Points

  • The portrayal of mental health and grief in games is it effective in raising awareness or does it perpetuate negative stereotypes?
  • How do visual novels with narrative elements impact the player's emotional investment in the story, particularly when dealing with heavy themes like loss and self-destruction?
  • Can games be a therapeutic outlet for processing personal losses, or do they risk exploiting players' emotions for entertainment value?

Original Article

Among the bravest risks a game can take is making you play an arsehole. Afterlove EP's Rama isn't an arsehole, but he's getting there. He's a grieving indie rockstar who has fallen into self-neglect and hermitude - a gloom-sodden, guitar-cradling burden on friends who believe in and care for him, despite it all. As the player of this visual novel with a pinch of rhythm game, you are essentially one of those long-suffering friends. Your job is to help Rama escape his own labyrinth of bereavement, self-pity and tortured creativity. Your ally and enemy in this is Cinta, Rama's dead girlfriend, who is now a persistent voice in his head. She's his better self, sometimes, and at others, the voice of anguish and fear dragging him deeper into purgatory.

I like Afterlove EP's deft writing, and enjoy its splendid and specific recreation of 21st century Jakarta. I also feel for developers Pikselnesia, who have made a game about grief while processing the loss of their own creative director, Coffee Talk creator Mohammad Fahmi. But I do not much like being Rama's friend, at this particular moment in his life. And by extension, I did not enjoy a lot of Afterlove EP, much as I admire it.

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Source: Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed

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