Fading Afternoon
- September 14, 2023
- yeo
- 4h median play time
Get on SteamIn "Fading Afternoon," players step into the shoes of Seiji Maruyama, a Japanese yakuza member who has just been released from prison. The game features a complex beat 'em up combat system, mini-games, and a city to explore, with multiple endings that depend on the choices made throughout the game. As Seiji, players must navigate the world of organized crime while confronting existential questions about the meaning of their actions.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game is a beautifully crafted piece of art with stunning graphics, immersive storytelling, and a captivating soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- The combat system is fluid and engaging, allowing for a variety of flashy combos and strategic maneuvers that make battles enjoyable.
- Fading Afternoon offers a unique and thought-provoking narrative that explores themes of mortality and choices, encouraging multiple playthroughs to uncover different story paths.
- The controls and user interface are poorly designed, leading to confusion and frustration, especially with the lack of clear instructions and button mapping.
- The gameplay can feel repetitive, with some players finding the combat and exploration mechanics lacking depth and variety over time.
- Many players have reported bugs and glitches that can disrupt the experience, including issues with game progression and unexpected crashes.
- story89 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story in the game is praised for its depth and complexity, featuring a unique, open-ended narrative with multiple branching paths and endings that encourage exploration and replayability. Players appreciate the melancholic and introspective themes, as well as the integration of time management mechanics that impact story progression. However, some reviewers note that the lack of clear guidance and occasional bugs can hinder the storytelling experience, making it challenging to fully engage with the narrative on initial playthroughs.
“The story is open-ended, and just when you think you have seen all the endings, you get hit with another twist.”
“Fading Afternoon is an absolute must-play if you enjoy branching stories where choices affect everything, with extremely immersive gameplay and cozy beat 'em up action.”
“The structure of this game is most similar to the 'Way of the Samurai' games, as it is a relatively short game that is meant to be played multiple times, exploring different paths and storylines each time.”
“In simpler terms, it feels like a combat/monopoly simulator with consequences, and less like a coherent story with characters — case in point, on one of my runs, I did not focus on attacking specific factions and basically no story ended up occurring, despite Seiji spending every day fighting and capturing districts.”
“I think the game is too strict and its time mechanics and unclear mission structure makes it too difficult to truly explore multiple playthroughs to see all of the cool story content.”
“There are many bugs that prevent story progression, gameplay gets repetitive, and although there are many areas to explore, exploration does not feel rewarding.”
- gameplay49 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Fading Afternoon" is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its depth and engaging combat mechanics, while others criticize its repetitive nature and lack of clear instructions. The game features a unique blend of exploration and storytelling, but the mechanics can be poorly communicated, leading to a steep learning curve. Despite its flaws, many find the gameplay rewarding once mastered, enhanced by a strong narrative and an impressive soundtrack.
“Really enjoy the gameplay; there are a lot of story branches, you can do so much, and the music is a banger.”
“Fading Afternoon is an absolute must-play if you enjoy branching stories where choices affect everything, extremely immersive gameplay, deep rich mechanics that allow limitless creative freedom, and cozy beat 'em up action.”
“The combat also feels very fun, and the more you fight, the more you better understand how to manipulate the mechanics in your favor.”
“The mechanics are vaguely explained and poorly communicated; the combat will kick your ass, and I had to restart like three times to get accustomed to the gameplay loop.”
“There are many bugs that prevent story progression, gameplay gets repetitive, and although there are many areas to explore, exploration does not feel rewarding.”
“This game is not as enjoyable as the other dev made (Friends of Ringo Ishikawa); it's buggy enough, and gameplay is just a loop doing the same thing again and again until you figure out how to trigger an event.”
- music36 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its atmospheric and jazzy soundtrack, which enhances the overall experience and complements the game's themes and visuals. While some players noted frustration with repetitive tracks, many found the music to be catchy, relaxing, and a significant asset to the gameplay, creating a vibe that encourages exploration. Overall, the soundtrack is considered one of the game's strongest features, with many players expressing a desire for an official release.
“The soundtrack is catchy and relaxing.”
“A game that's more about wandering and thinking, quiet moments of solitude, all staged inside a beautiful, meticulously crafted world with a smooth, jazzy soundtrack.”
“The music is such a vibe.”
“Music: the same saxophone song keeps playing, and I got frustrated with it.”
“That one song keeps playing.”
“The music also sets an incredibly sombre tone, and is mostly jazzy instrumental tunes.”
- graphics15 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming pixel art style and nostalgic 16-bit aesthetics, which effectively complement the engaging gameplay and atmospheric music. Reviewers highlight the visuals as both beautiful and detailed, creating an immersive experience that enhances the storytelling and overall enjoyment. While some find the graphics simple, they are generally considered a strong point that adds to the game's appeal, especially for fans of retro-inspired art.
“Amazing combat with really nice pixel graphics and animations.”
“The visuals of the game are amazing, the music is atmospheric, and the animations are very satisfying.”
“I'm really proud and happy to finally play this after following the updates for so many months, the simplistic and elegant combat system with a fine pixel art style and superb music selection results in a wonderful experience.”
“Overall, I was left with a negative taste for this game despite all the things it does right with its fluid hand-to-hand combat and the aesthetic of a Showa era Yakuza on his last legs, as well as the slice of life stuff which was incredibly detailed.”
“Nice storytelling and innovative gameplay combined with 16-bit era graphics.”
“It feels like playing John Wick with Nintendo graphics.”
- atmosphere11 mentions
- 91 % positive mentions
- 9 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its moody and immersive qualities, enhanced by stunning visuals and a captivating soundtrack. Players appreciate the blend of beat 'em up combat with existential themes, creating a compelling environment that encourages exploration and emotional engagement. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
“Great atmosphere, visuals, soundtrack, etc.”
“Moody, atmospheric and existential.”
“The atmosphere this game builds is amazing.”
- replayability7 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
"Fading Afternoon" boasts high replayability due to its engaging, multi-ending story and diverse branching paths, ensuring that each playthrough offers a unique experience. Players appreciate the combination of satisfying combat and layered character development, making it a standout title in the brawler genre. Its short length is seen as a positive, encouraging multiple runs without diminishing the overall experience.
“The replayability is incredible, and after playing a dozen runs, I still get completely different stories each time.”
“It is very replayable; has an engaging, multiple-ending story; satisfactory and cool-looking beat 'em up combat; and layers upon layers to its characters and world.”
“Strong story, replayability, and silky smooth combat make Fading Afternoon my favorite brawler to date.”
“Fading Afternoon is a beat 'em up focused on replayability, time management, and small yet surprising details.”
“I think the replayability value is low.”
“The game lacks enough variety to keep me coming back for more.”
- stability6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
As of March 2024, "Fading Afternoon" is reported to be largely stable, with a 99% bug-free state, particularly performing well on the Steam Deck. However, some users still encounter glitches that can detract from the gameplay experience, making it frustrating at times, especially during combat and event triggers. Overall, while the game shows promise, further bug fixes could enhance its enjoyment.
“As of March 2024, Fading Afternoon is in a 99% bug-free state.”
“Oh, and it runs great on Steam Deck.”
“This game is not as enjoyable as the other dev made (Friends of Ringo Ishikawa); it's buggy enough, and the gameplay is just a loop doing the same thing again and again until you figure out how to trigger an event.”
“Fun indie game - with some more bug fixes it could become really fun... so far, there are some glitches that make fights less enjoyable.”
“This game is infuriatingly buggy.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of these games is characterized by their melancholic and introspective storytelling, encouraging players to reflect on the unfolding events and their feelings. While the narratives may resonate deeply with older audiences, younger players might struggle to fully appreciate the subtleties of the emotional experience. Additionally, impactful moments, such as intense confrontations and powerful endings, contribute to a strong emotional engagement.
“I'm not telling you that you shouldn't play these games because they have violence or drug use, but these games get very melancholic and introspective, and give you a lot of time to sit back and think about the events that unfold and the feelings those events evoke. I don't think a young teenager or kid will quite have the same appreciation for those more subtle and laid-back approaches to emotional storytelling.”
“The guy was waiting for me with a gun - it didn't help him... the ending was absolutely badass, very emotional, I totally loved it.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and repetitive, as the constant need to repeat tasks due to the main character's inevitable death detracts from the overall enjoyment.
“Your main character is dying, and he will keep dying, whether you are enjoying the game or not, forcing you to repeat the same tedious tasks over and over.”
“The grinding feels endless and monotonous, making it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
“I find myself stuck in a loop of repetitive tasks that drain the fun out of the experience.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, while players report some odd bugs related to turf leaders and clipping issues, the game's performance is generally satisfactory.
“The game runs smoothly with minimal lag, making for an enjoyable experience overall.”
“I appreciate the frequent updates that address performance issues and enhance optimization.”
“The optimization has significantly improved load times, allowing for a more seamless gameplay experience.”
“There are still some weird bugs with turf leaders and clipping through set pieces, but for the most part, I am satisfied with the game's performance.”
