Fading Afternoon

About

In "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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

90%

Audience ScoreBased on 378 reviews

story48 positive mentions

stability8 negative mentions

Fading Afternoon offers a unique and immersive experience, blending deep storytelling with engaging combat mechanics that feel fluid and satisfying.
The game features a rich atmosphere and beautiful pixel art, capturing the essence of a melancholic Yakuza narrative that resonates with players.
With multiple endings and choices that significantly impact the story, Fading Afternoon encourages replayability and exploration of its various paths.

The control scheme is overly complicated and unintuitive, leading to frustration during gameplay, especially for new players.
Many players find the lack of clear guidance and direction in the game confusing, making it difficult to understand objectives and progress the story.
Repetitive combat and the time management mechanics can detract from the overall experience, as players may feel pressured to rush through the game.

story
172 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
70%
2%
The story in "Fading Afternoon" is characterized by its nihilistic tone and intricate, branching narratives that allow players to shape their own experiences through choices and relationships. While the game features a unique blend of introspective storytelling and engaging gameplay, some players find the lack of clear direction and time constraints can hinder exploration and narrative progression. Overall, the game is praised for its depth, replayability, and the emotional weight of its storytelling, making it a compelling experience for those willing to navigate its complexities.
- “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 story is intriguing, with a great plot and dialogue that keeps you engaged throughout the gameplay.”
- “It's fascinating to see seemingly random dialogues and events merging into actual plot lines, even though I have no idea how to pursue half of them yet - the game doesn't tell you what to do exactly, you have to pay attention and figure out things on your own.”
- “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.”
gameplay
96 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
64%
10%
The gameplay of "Fading Afternoon" is a mixed bag, featuring a blend of engaging combat mechanics and a unique narrative structure that prioritizes emotional storytelling over traditional gameplay prompts. While some players appreciate the depth and satisfaction of the combat system, others find the mechanics poorly communicated and the gameplay loop repetitive, often requiring multiple attempts to fully grasp. Overall, the game is praised for its artistic approach and immersive world, though it may not appeal to everyone due to its learning curve and occasional bugs.
- “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.”
- “This is a game about emotions, told slowly, with methodical gameplay you can become addicted to.”
- “The attention to detail, the world, the gameplay mechanics, it's all amazing.”
- “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.”
music
65 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
55%
5%
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric and chill qualities, featuring a smooth, jazzy soundtrack that enhances the overall experience and complements the game's exploration elements. Many players express a desire for an official soundtrack release, highlighting its role as one of the game's strongest assets. While some note repetitive tracks, the majority find the music engaging and integral to the game's vibe, making it a standout feature.
- “The soundtrack deserves to be on Spotify, and I think many people would buy it if it was sold separately on the game's store page.”
- “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.”
- “This is the best game soundtrack I've heard in a long time, and it eases the pain of the game's repetitious mechanics.”
- “Got banned because I said it is dumb not to have sound/music volume control for the game.”
- “Music: the same saxophone song keeps playing, and I got frustrated with it.”
- “That one song keeps playing.”
graphics
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
43%
11%
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their stunning pixel art style and detailed animations, evoking a nostalgic 16-bit aesthetic reminiscent of classic titles. Reviewers highlight the game's atmospheric visuals and engaging art direction, which complement its innovative gameplay and storytelling. Overall, the combination of beautiful artwork and a captivating soundtrack makes the game visually appealing and worth experiencing.
- “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.”
- “It's worth playing this game just to stare at the artwork and listen to the music, but the core gameplay is also very engaging.”
- “Nice storytelling and innovative gameplay combined with 16-bit era graphics.”
- “It feels like playing John Wick with Nintendo graphics.”
- “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 aesthetic of a Showa era Yakuza on his last legs as well as the slice of life stuff which was incredibly detailed.”
atmosphere
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
91%
9%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its moody, existential tone, stunning visuals, and masterful soundtrack, creating an immersive experience reminiscent of both beat 'em up and slice-of-life genres. Players appreciate the satisfying animations and the rewarding nature of the story sequences, which evolve naturally despite a learning curve. Overall, the atmosphere is considered one of the game's standout features, enhancing both gameplay and emotional engagement.
- “The atmosphere this game builds is amazing.”
- “Playing this game makes me wonder what will be next and I crave anything with this beat 'em up style RPG that has breathtaking atmosphere and a masterful soundtrack.”
- “The visuals of the game are amazing, the music is atmospheric, and the animations are very satisfying.”
replayability
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
29%
14%
"Fading Afternoon" boasts exceptional replayability, with players experiencing diverse stories and outcomes across multiple runs. Its engaging narrative, multiple endings, and intricate character development, combined with satisfying combat mechanics, contribute to its high replay value, making it a standout title in the beat 'em up genre. The game's design encourages exploration of various branching paths, ensuring that each playthrough feels fresh and rewarding.
- “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.”
- “Fading Afternoon is a beat 'em up focused on replayability, time management, and small yet surprising details.”
- “Strong story, replayability, and silky smooth combat make Fading Afternoon my favorite brawler to date.”
stability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
As of March 2024, "Fading Afternoon" is reported to be in a largely stable state, with a 99% bug-free rating, although some users still encounter glitches that can detract from gameplay, particularly during fights. While it runs well on the Steam Deck and has a compelling story, the repetitive gameplay and occasional bugs have led to mixed feelings among players. Overall, with further bug fixes, it has the potential to become a more enjoyable experience.
- “As of March 2024, Fading Afternoon is in a 99% bug-free state.”
- “Oh, and it runs great on Steam Deck.”
- “This game is infuriatingly buggy.”
- “Fun indie game - with some more bug fixes it could become real fun... so far some glitches that make fights less fun might happen.”
- “Gg, buggy but good story, losing sanity trying to get different ending.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of these games is characterized by a melancholic and introspective tone, encouraging players to reflect on the unfolding events and their feelings. While the storytelling is subtle and laid-back, it may resonate more with older audiences, as younger players might not fully appreciate the depth of the emotional experiences. The impactful endings are often described as both intense and deeply moving.
- “These games get very melancholic and introspective, giving 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 fully appreciate the 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 and very emotional. I totally loved it.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, as the constant need to repeat tasks is driven by the main character's inevitable death, detracting from overall enjoyment.
- “Your main character is dying, and he will keep dying, whether you are enjoying the game or not, forcing you, once again, to repeat the same tedious things 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.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, while players report some persistent bugs related to turf leaders and clipping issues, the general consensus is that the game's performance is satisfactory.
- “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.”