Afterimage

Afterimage PC is a hand-drawn 2D Metroidvania and action RPG from Aurogon Shanghai, published by Maximum Entertainment. Steam currently lists the game under its original name, Afterimage; no rebrand or replacement PC edition has superseded it. Its main appeal is the combination of a vast interconnected world, fast side-scrolling combat, ability-gated exploration, and unusually broad character customization.

You play as Renee, an amnesiac survivor searching for her lost mentor in Engardin, a fantasy world damaged by the cataclysm known as The Razing. The story uses ruined settlements, NPC quests, environmental discoveries, and multiple endings to build its setting rather than relying only on a linear sequence of missions.

Exploring Engardin Through Combat and Discovery

Afterimage follows the classic Metroidvania progression loop: explore a dangerous region, defeat enemies and bosses, obtain new abilities, then return to earlier areas to reach blocked paths, shortcuts, treasures, and optional encounters. The map is nonlinear, so progression often depends on recognizing a route you cannot yet complete rather than following a single marked objective.

Renee moves through Engardin with jumps, evasive movement, combat techniques, and traversal abilities that gradually expand her reach. The game is built around side-scrolling exploration, but its world is much broader than a sequence of isolated stages. Large zones connect through vertical routes, hidden passages, environmental hazards, and fast-travel points.

Combat is quick and aggressive. Enemies can be attacked with equipped weapons, sub-weapons, and special techniques, while bosses demand attention to spacing, attack timing, and movement. Defeat carries a familiar risk-and-recovery rhythm: falling in battle sends Renee back to a save point, while the experience left behind can be recovered if she reaches the location again.

The scale is one of Afterimage's defining traits. The storefront describes more than 170 enemy varieties, around 30 boss encounters, and more than 50 NPCs with their own roles and side quests. Those numbers matter because the game is designed for players who enjoy searching every branch rather than moving directly from one major objective to the next.

Weapon Classes, Talent Points, and Afterimages

Renee can collect more than 200 pieces of equipment across weapons, sub-weapons, armor, and accessories. The game includes six main weapon classes, each with its own attack feel and weapon-specific skills. Switching equipment changes more than damage values: it can alter range, rhythm, crowd control, and the way Renee handles individual enemy types.

Leveling and exploration provide Talent Points, which are spent on a large upgrade tree. Some nodes improve core attributes, while others unlock or enhance techniques associated with particular weapon classes. This creates room for builds focused on a preferred weapon style, defensive bonuses, offensive scaling, or a mixture of direct stat improvements and active combat skills.

Equipment adds another layer of experimentation. Armor and accessories can modify defensive performance or provide useful effects, while sub-weapons give Renee additional tools beyond her primary attacks. The result is a light but meaningful RPG build system inside a handcrafted exploration game, not a pure action platformer with a fixed moveset.

Afterimages are special abilities and benefits tied to exploration and combat. Some help Renee reach new areas or bypass obstacles; others improve how she approaches fights. Their importance becomes clearer as the map fills with ability-gated routes, optional rooms, and shortcuts that reward returning with the correct traversal tool.

Story Structure, Endings, and Optional Modes

Renee's search for Aros, her missing mentor, is the narrative starting point, but Afterimage gradually expands into a larger conflict involving Engardin's divine order, surviving human settlements, and the forces that threaten the remaining world. The setting combines fantasy mythology with a ruined-world structure, giving each region a distinct visual and thematic identity.

The game includes multiple endings influenced by Renee's actions and discoveries. This makes side quests and optional exploration more consequential than simple completionist decoration. Players who want to see the broader story should expect to revisit areas, investigate NPCs, and pay attention to objectives that are easy to overlook in a large nonlinear map.

A free content update adds Trial of Soul, an extra challenge mode with selectable characters and specialized combat scenarios. Renee, 42, and Karsa can be used in this mode after it is unlocked, with limited and rebalanced equipment intended for boss challenges and build experimentation. Trial of Soul is separate from the main story route and gives experienced players a more focused combat loop.

The current Steam catalog also offers a Deluxe Edition. It includes the full game, a digital artbook, and a digital soundtrack. The separate paid add-ons listed for PC are the artbook and soundtrack; they are presentation extras rather than gameplay expansions. The Trial of Soul update is the important gameplay addition to understand when comparing editions.

Who Should Play Afterimage on PC?

Afterimage is a strong fit for players who want a large exploratory Metroidvania with RPG progression, varied weapons, optional objectives, and a substantial amount of map discovery. It rewards curiosity more than speedrunning. The best moments come from connecting a newly acquired ability to a previously mysterious route, then finding the reward hidden beyond it.

It is less suitable for players who need constant direction, a tightly paced campaign, or a small map with minimal backtracking. Engardin can be deliberately opaque, and the game expects players to track unfinished routes, remember suspicious obstacles, and investigate side content without a perfectly guided quest flow.

The combat also favors experimentation over committing to one permanent class. Players who enjoy changing weapons, testing talent-tree branches, and adjusting equipment for difficult encounters will get more from the system than those who prefer a single highly polished moveset with little inventory management.

For a more concentrated version of dark 2D exploration and boss-focused progression, gothic Metroidvania combat in Blasphemous 2 is a useful comparison. Afterimage is generally more expansive and RPG-driven, while Blasphemous 2 places greater emphasis on weapon identity, atmosphere, and deliberate encounter design.

PC Features, Controls, and Localization

The Steam edition is listed as single-player with full controller support, Steam Achievements, Steam Cloud, Steam Trading Cards, and Family Sharing. There is no co-op, split-screen mode, or online multiplayer campaign. This is a solo adventure built around personal exploration, character growth, and repeated boss attempts.

Controller players are the clearest target for the PC control scheme, especially during platforming and weapon switching. Official updates also added controller-related localization and addressed input behavior, while options include controls for camera shake and controller vibration.

Steam lists 11 interface and subtitle languages: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, and Brazilian Portuguese. Full audio is available in English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese. The broader subtitle coverage makes the story more accessible than the voice selection alone might suggest.

Players looking for a different hand-drawn PC Metroidvania can compare its open-ended route finding with precision exploration and boss mastery in Hollow Knight. The two games share ability-gated traversal and solitary world discovery, but Afterimage adds more conventional leveling, equipment, weapon classes, and talent-tree investment.

Afterimage FAQ

Is Afterimage still the current PC storefront name?

Yes. Steam and the official game site currently identify the PC game as Afterimage. There is no verified Steam, Epic, or GOG rebrand replacing that name, although the PC catalog also presents a Deluxe Edition.

What does the Afterimage Deluxe Edition include?

The Deluxe Edition includes the full game, a digital artbook, and a digital soundtrack. The listed standalone PC add-ons are the artbook and soundtrack, not story chapters or additional campaign regions.

Does Afterimage have co-op or multiplayer?

No. The PC version is a single-player game. Trial of Soul adds selectable characters and focused challenges, but it does not turn the game into a multiplayer experience.

What is Trial of Soul in Afterimage?

Trial of Soul is an additional combat mode unlocked through the game. It uses limited and rebalanced equipment for boss and boss-combination challenges, and it allows Renee, 42, and Karsa to be selected after the mode becomes available.

How many weapon types are in Afterimage?

Afterimage features six classes of main weapon, supported by sub-weapons, armor, accessories, and weapon-specific talent-tree skills. The equipment system is designed to let players switch combat styles instead of locking Renee into one class.

Is Afterimage a good choice for players who dislike backtracking?

Probably not. Its central structure depends on nonlinear exploration, ability-gated routes, revisiting earlier areas, and uncovering optional secrets. Players who enjoy mapping connections and returning with new abilities will find that structure rewarding; players who prefer a direct route may find Engardin overly sprawling.