Afterimage

Afterimage leans on hand-drawn art and methodical side-scrolling combat, so it is aimed at players who like exploring a dense world and learning enemy patterns. By our assessment, its strongest draw is the visual finish, which gives the whole game a carefully painted look that stands out in the metroidvania crowd. The trade-off is that this sort of game can become sprawling and demanding, with backtracking, map reading, and boss timing doing a lot of the work. In practice it asks for attention to routes and upgrades, then rewards that patience with new paths and a steady sense of movement through a large world. Compared with lighter action-platformers, it is more elaborate and more serious about progression. Afterimage is a good pick for players who want exploration first and do not mind learning the map slowly.