Afterdream Review
A Dream Like No Other
With greater emphasis being placed on photorealistic first-person horrors, games such as Afterdream from developer Jesse Makkonen prove that there is still plenty of compelling psychological horror potential in 2D side scrollers. Afterdream begins with the most nightmarish of scenarios, divulging one's vulnerabilities in a therapy session. As our protagonist attempts to process her father's passing, she begins experiencing nightmarish, lucid dreams in which the line between reality and fantasy becomes blurred.
In routine psychological horror fashion, the brunt of Afterdream's gameplay is spent navigating a ghostly dream world filled with quirky ghosts, haunting symbolism, and logic puzzles. The puzzles themselves are both clever and fitting for the world in which they are found, and while they may give momentary pause, they never become a detriment to the game's superb narrative pacing.
The most distinctive element of Afterdream's gameplay is a magical camera. The camera allows the player to scan environments and impose objects into the protagonist's reality. In one instance, I found a door with no handle, trapping me in an apartment. A quick camera scan made a handle appear, seemingly from the void. Later on, as I was waiting for an elevator, SOMETHING attempted to break through a nearby door. Defenseless, I used my camera to summon boards to barricade the door, keeping the entity at bay while I safely waited for the elevator.
Likewise, Afterdream's surreal world strikes a complementary balance of psychological and quirky horror. One moment, I encountered a ghost chastising me for not knowing where his hat was; the next, I was an unwilling participant in an occult ritual surrounded by shrouded figures. For only a two to three-hour experience, Afterdream serves as a strong exemplar of horror, balancing a haunting atmosphere with a heart-wrenching narrative in an equally unique world.
Learn more about Afterdream by visiting the official website. Afterdream is available for PC (Steam, Epic Games Store, GoG), PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One.
DEVELOPED BY:
Jesse Makkonen, Clickteam
PUBLISHED BY:
Gamera Games, Feardemic Games
*This review was originally published in Issue #1 of Fearzine Magazine which was distributed in June 2024.
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