| After Us | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Piccolo Studio |
| Publisher(s) | Private Division |
| Engine | Unreal Engine [1] |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release |
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| Genre(s) | Action-adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
After Us is an action-adventure video game developed by Piccolo Studio and published by Private Division in 2023. Players control a spirit who brings peace to the extinct animals on a dead version of Earth.
Players control a forest spirit named Gaia who rescues the ghosts of the last animals that went extinct on a dystopian version of Earth. Each of the eight areas where Gaia can find a spirit is an open world connected to the others. To reach the ghosts, Gaia must jump and fly, as in platform games. Rescued ghosts can be sent to a central area, where Gaia can visit and pet them. Players must fight Devourers, the ghosts of humans who ravaged the planet. To do this, players can use a boomerang-like attack. The story is told wordlessly. [2]
Developer Piccolo Studio are based on Barcelona, Spain. [3] Private Division released it for Windows, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S on May 23, 2023. [4]
On Metacritic, the Windows and PlayStation 5 versions of After Us received mixed reviews, [5] [6] and the Xbox Series X/S version received positive reviews. [7] Though they enjoyed the visuals, IGN said the game "[leans] heavily on unwieldy platforming and mind-numbing combat". [2] IGN and Game Informer found the themes heavy-handed; [2] [8] however, IGN liked how players could bring some life back to the dead world, [2] and Game Informer praised the game's emotional depth. [8] Both Game Informer and GameSpot praised the environmental storytelling. [9] [8] Praising its gameplay, visuals, and message, Shacknews said it "make[s] for a satisfying puzzle-platformer overall". [10] Eurogamer called it "a Game with a Message but not necessarily anything to say". [3]