Faerie Afterlight
- September 28, 2023
- claygamestudio
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io StoreFaerie Afterlight is a soothing, atmospheric adventure game where you help revive a dying forest as a tiny faerie. Gather resources, solve puzzles, and restore life to the forest one area at a time. Immerse yourself in a peaceful, charming world and enjoy the calming effects of nature.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Xbox
Reviews
- The game features stunning visuals and a charming art style that captivates players.
- The platforming mechanics are engaging and provide a fun challenge, with a variety of abilities to explore.
- The music and ambiance enhance the overall experience, creating a soothing and immersive atmosphere.
- The game suffers from inconsistent hitboxes and controls that can feel unresponsive, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
- Boss fights can be visually overwhelming, making it difficult to track the player's character and understand attack patterns.
- The level design is overly linear with minimal backtracking, which detracts from the exploration aspect typical of metroidvania games.
- graphics58 mentions
- 69 % positive mentions
- 26 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their vibrant and charming art style, with many reviewers highlighting the stunning visuals and appealing character designs. However, some critiques point to a lack of polish in the overall execution, suggesting that while the aesthetics are impressive, they do not compensate for shortcomings in gameplay and level design. Overall, the visuals create an engaging atmosphere, but the game's mechanics may leave players wanting more.
“This game has stunning visuals, incredibly fun gameplay, and adorable characters.”
“Very impressive design and feel, and the visuals are gorgeous.”
“The visuals are striking, unique, and diverse, almost feeling like 'Gris' in some regards.”
“It looks vibrant and colorful on the store page, but upon closer inspection, this game's mechanics, level design, and graphic design all come off as lazy, rushed, or unfinished.”
“It can move and jump and even attack in this state, just without any visuals.”
“My only critique so far is that the first boss really does need a rework: the game actually spells out in text and in a graphic what you need to do to get past each phase, and I feel like that should’ve been a sign that the signaling to the player was subpar and needed to be reworked.”
- gameplay50 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Faerie Afterlight" is a mixed bag, featuring vibrant visuals and intuitive controls, but often criticized for its lack of depth and engaging elements. While some mechanics, like possession, offer unique twists, many players feel that the combat and level design are simplistic and occasionally frustrating, particularly with boss encounters. Overall, it provides a charming experience for newcomers to the metroidvania genre, but may disappoint seasoned players seeking more complexity and challenge.
“This game has stunning visuals, incredibly fun gameplay, and adorable characters.”
“The gameplay is a joy to behold, with intuitive controls and a wealth of engaging mechanics.”
“The game contains some light puzzles and a good bit of platforming - nothing too challenging and a very relaxing gameplay overall.”
“It looks vibrant and colorful on the store page, but upon closer inspection, this game's mechanics, level design, and graphic design all come off as lazy, rushed, or unfinished.”
“The aesthetics are very nice, however the gameplay lacks interesting elements: enemies and bosses are boring, areas are mainly empty spaces with occasional enemies to farm.”
“[b]The gameplay[/b] in Faerie Afterlight follows the classic Metroidvania formula, but for Metroidvania fans, this formula will feel lacking when compared to the currently popular Metroidvania games.”
- music48 mentions
- 79 % positive mentions
- 15 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread praise for its beautiful melodies and enchanting ambiance, often compared to the soundtracks of titles like Ori and Gris. Players appreciate how the soundtrack enhances the overall experience, complementing the game's cute art style and unique environments. However, some noted that certain boss music was forgettable or even absent, which slightly detracted from the overall impact.
“The soundtrack is also breathtaking, with beautiful melodies that again remind of Ori or Gris.”
“It is an absolute masterpiece with stunning art, flawless mechanics, and an enchanting musical score.”
“The art in this game is just gorgeous and along with the mellow soundtrack, it just gets you in the right mood.”
“4) Utter boredom - I don't know if this is a bug, but the third boss, Thorum or something, does not seem to have any boss music.”
“All to a background of mellow music.”
“Art style is enjoyable and calm to watch, plus with heartwarming music.”
- story26 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The story of "Faerie Afterlight" is generally viewed as mediocre and predictable, lacking the depth and intrigue that players hoped for, despite its charming characters and engaging visuals. While some appreciate the sweet narrative of the duo Kimo and Wispy, many feel it doesn't stand out or inspire, often feeling like a slog to complete. Overall, the game's art and music elevate the experience, but the story remains a light and somewhat underwhelming aspect of the game.
“The story is engaging enough, and the little spirit that floats with you reminded me of Sein.”
“In conclusion, Faerie Afterlight is a fun addition to the Metroidvania genre and for those of you looking to start playing games in this genre, offers a charming mix of stunning visuals, interesting gameplay, and a story that's light enough to make it easy to immerse yourself in its world.”
“The story is sweet while the different 'biomes' are unique and followed by beautiful music.”
“The story is also mid; you can kinda predict it, so it's not fun or intriguing.”
“I am not familiar with Indonesian folklore, but I think it has much more to offer to the story.”
“The phenomenal art and music carry this game a long way past its simple story.”
- character development6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Character development is highlighted through impressive and creative character designs that evoke distinct feelings and personalities, such as feeling like a dense rock rather than an agile creature. The whimsical nature of the designs, including a giant cat with a fishing rod, adds a fun and engaging element to the overall experience.
“Character designs are also pretty impressive and creative.”
“The character designs are also just fun, like a giant cat with a fishing rod.”
“The character development feels stagnant; I never felt a sense of growth or change throughout the game.”
“The characters lack depth and complexity, making it difficult to connect with them on any level.”
“I was disappointed by the limited choices in character progression, which made the experience feel linear and uninspired.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game frustrating due to a lack of clear guidance on ability interactions and tedious health limitations that make combat feel more like a chore than an engaging experience. The map design exacerbates this issue, as it offers few shortcuts, leading to repetitive and time-consuming traversal through previously explored areas. Overall, the combination of these factors contributes to a sense of monotony and frustration in gameplay.
“Additionally, the maps are designed in a way where traversal across maps you've already uncovered is tedious, with very few shortcuts. This means you either spend fast travel to cut down the time or waste your time traveling through platforming sections you already figured out a long time ago, but it is no less challenging because of the time it takes to clear them.”
“I found myself lost more than once because the game does nothing to explain how your abilities can interact with the world and puzzles. The health limitations left me feeling like most fights were a tedious game of keep away instead of a fun and exciting experience.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Users have reported experiencing multiple visual glitches during gameplay, indicating stability issues that may affect the overall gaming experience.
“I encountered several visual glitches while playing.”
“I experienced frequent crashes that disrupted my gameplay.”
“The game often freezes, making it difficult to progress.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The optimization of "Faerie Afterlight" has received positive feedback, with users reporting a smooth performance and no frame drops, indicating a well-polished experience.
“Lastly, there's performance and polish, and I'm happy to say that Faerie Afterlight ran buttery smooth with no frame drops at all.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its relaxing atmosphere, which contrasts with its challenging gameplay, creating a unique and engaging experience for players.
“The game creates a very relaxing atmosphere while still providing a challenging experience.”
“The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, drawing you into the game's world.”
“The combination of soothing sounds and stunning visuals makes for a captivating atmosphere.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its enjoyable and calming art style, complemented by heartwarming music that enhances the overall experience.
“The art style is enjoyable and calm to watch, complemented by heartwarming music.”
“The art style is enjoyable and calm to watch, complemented by heartwarming music.”
