Afterlove EP | Xbox Review
To grieve is to be human. No matter how much we try to avoid it, it sneaks up on all of us at some point. It’s not a linear process, and what takes a few days for one person could take years for another. Pikselnesia’s Afterlove EP portrays this emotion excellently and respectfully. I haven’t seen grief tackled this way in video games before, and it’s refreshing.
What Is Grief if Not Love Persevering?
Taking place in Jakarta, Indonesia, Afterlove EP follows a young man named Rama. He’s the singer/guitarist for a band named Sigmund Feud (brilliant band name, by the way) and is struggling to cope with the death of his girlfriend Cinta. It seems like his friends and bandmates have moved on from this tragedy, but he’s still haunted by her loss. He even hears her voice in his head every day, all day. It’s seemingly impossible for him to move on, but the band has a gig in a month’s time and they need him to be present for it.
What follows is the journey Rama goes on to heal and process his emotions. It’s sensitively and realistically handled. Certain areas will trigger memories of Cinta, and his conversations with friends will either soothe or trigger him along his grieving journey. As someone who has gone on her own long healing process after loss, I really appreciated how it was handled in this game. It was a breath of fresh air, and it had me tearing up at several points. It hit me hard, in the best way.
It Lingers With Us
The gameplay of Afterlove EP is mostly of the visual novel nature, but there are some exploration and rhythm game segments sprinkled in as well. This keeps the experience from becoming stale, and they’re fun additions that shape your individual experience. You choose who to hang out with every day for the month, ranging from your therapist to a model. You can even embark on new flirtations if you so choose. This helps to avoid monotony and makes your own journey unique. Of course, you’ll hear Cinta’s opinions in your head, making things even more complicated for Rama.
I also really enjoyed the rhythm game sections as well. When Rama is rehearsing with Sigmund Feud, you’re thrown into these segments. It’s as simple as pressing or holding the corresponding face button when it reaches a central icon, but the difficulty of the songs increases as the game goes along. At the end of my six hour experience, I was having to concentrate pretty hard on keeping the button layout prominent in my mind.
Life Is Still Beautiful
Afterlove EP looks like a comic book come to life. I adored the graphics and felt they added to the atmosphere and themes of the game. They’re bright and colorful, even though Rama is still struggling. They show that life continues on, no matter what happens to us personally. The music is excellent, and I loved hearing the new songs Rama would play with either Sigmund Feud or by himself. The sole voice acting of Cinta is excellent and really immerses you in his state of mind as he goes along with his days.
The Final Verdict
Afterlove EP is a truly special game. It handles grief realistically and respectfully, and portrays the life of a young man over a month’s time. The blend of visual novel, exploration, and rhythm game segments are refreshing and I looked forward to what each in-game day held. I found myself relating to Rama as he faced his grief, and had tears in my eyes at several points. This is truly a gem of a game, and I highly recommend you play it, even if you don’t usually play games such as this.
To hear Scott talk more about Afterlove EP, be sure to listen to the April 3, 2025 episode of The Gaming Outsider podcast around the 1:06:48 time stamp.
This review is based on an Xbox copy of Afterlove EP provided by Double Jump Communications for coverage purposes. It is also available on PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam, GOG, and Humble Store.
Afterlove EP
$19.99
Pros
- Handles Grief Realistically and Respectfully
- Blends Gameplay Genres Expertly
- Your Journey Is Your Own
Cons
- None
