Chinese developer Aurogon Shanghai, known for the Guijan franchise, has revealed a short first look at its upcoming 2D metroidvania adventure, Afterimage. The game features hand-drawn environments and characters. In keeping with its genre, Afterimage features a mix of action-heavy combat and platforming.
No story details have yet been revealed, with this first batch of information focused instead on art style and gameplay. As protagonist Renee, players will adventure across the land of Engardin. Renee will boast a fluid moveset, being able to jump, slide, dash, and climb across varied environments. Specifically, Afterimage will feature 15 different biomes, ranging from natural landscapes like volcanoes to the ruins of a lost civilisation; a staple of the metroidvania genre.
Secret paths and other such detours will naturally be abundant. New abilities and other collectables will be found somewhere off the beaten path. Among the hidden things to collect will be the lore of Engardin. Aurogon Shanghai made note of the various friendly NPCs in the game’s world, conversations with whom may reveal more about the mythical land’s history and status quo.
Moving on to gameplay, the Chinese developer was more forthcoming with details. Alongside the aforementioned traversal abilities, Renee will have plentiful options for combat. The heroine can equip two primary weapons and one secondary at a time, easily switching between the three. Aurogon Shanghai claims that Afterimage will allow players to tailor their fighting style as they prefer, possibly suggesting a variety of weapons to find. No exact number was given there, but the developer did mention there being over 150 foes to face, as well as new gameplay mechanics in each of the 15 areas.
Aurogon Shanghai also released a small gameplay clip. In it, Renee runs across the landscape, showing off her dash and two different moves with the same weapon against a pair of enemies. The clip ends with the heroine and her unidentified floating companion reaching some sort of gate, activating it as the camera pans to a blood moon. See below:
Afterimage is aiming for a late 2022 release and will be coming to Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Xbox One.
