After Us

About

After Us tasks you with navigating a desolate, dreamlike Earth as Gaia, a guardian spirit tasked with reviving extinct animals. You jump across floating landmasses and solve environmental puzzles to recover lost souls, each tied to a specific creature’s tragic end. The world is split into distinct biomes, each with its own hazards and visual style, while oil-soaked predators force you to balance exploration with survival. The gameplay loops around platforming challenges and quiet moments of restoration, punctuated by tense chases. The game stands out for its emotional core and striking art direction. Developed by the team behind Arise: A Simple Story, it leans into melancholy storytelling without heavy dialogue, letting visuals and sparse sound design convey its message. Its haunting beauty and reflective pacing have drawn comparisons to Journey, though its Metacritic score of 82 suggests a more niche appeal. The revival mechanics and Devourer encounters add variety, even if the formula grows familiar by the final act.

Storyline

Play as Gaia, the Spirit of Life, and navigate stunning platforming environments in an abstract world to salvage the souls of extinct animals. Revive these creatures after learning their final fate: the last whale harpooned, the final eagle caged, the last deer hunted down, and more, while you survive encounters with dangerous, oil-covered Devourers that roam the wasteland in search of remaining life. In this emotional journey from the creators of the critically acclaimed Arise: A Simple Story, you alone can restore life to the planet.