Afterlove EP

Afterlove's difficult development shines through in minor glitches but that can't take away from its uncompromising, uncomfortable, and cathartic look at friendship and grief.

From the creator of Coffee Talk and What Comes After, comes a slice-of-life adventure set in modern Jakarta about love, loss and finding your own way forward. Step into the shoes of Rama, a young musician struggling to move on with life after the death of his girlfriend, Cinta. Switch version reviewed. Review copy provided by company for testing purposes.

Afterlove EP tells a powerful story about loss and grief, with excellent writing and a gorgeous world to explore at your leisure.

Considering the real-life tragedy surrounding the development of Afterlove EP, it would have been easy to forgive developer Pikselnesia for not moving forward with work on the title. To its credit, it's powered forward and delivered a poignant, prescient experience worth your time.

Afterlove EP definitely fits with the cosy set: slow tempo, heartwarming narrative, and sad story (yes). The themes of grief, mental health and their impacts on our lives are explored in a way that feels gentle, much like Fahmi’s earlier releases. There were a few wrinkles as things unfolded, and the dating sim aspect was unexpected, but still there’s easygoing fun to be had. If you’re looking for a light touch on serious issues, this one could be worth a play, and a replay. If you want a heavy-hitting game to wreck you emotionally, you might want to hit ‘skip’.

Despite these issues, the power of Afterlove EP‘s story manages to shine through. It is an incredibly touching slice-of-life story that explores the forms and layers of grief with the variety and depth perfect for a video game.

Afterlove EP lacks meaningful gameplay, and its bugs can range from inconvenient to apocalyptic, so it says a lot that it's still worth recommending it to anyone who likes smaller, story-driven games. Make no mistake, the aforementioned issues do drag down the overall experience, but at the end of the day, Afterlove EP is more than the sum of its parts. Its music, charming characters, nuanced portrayal of grief, and beautiful manga-inspired art design are all worth the price of admission. If developer Pikselnesia can hammer out its more troubling bugs, then Afterlove EP has a chance to become ...

Afterlove EP is a decent visual novel with some dating sim elements, but pacing issues keep it from being great. It runs perfectly on Steam Deck.

A muddled, but complex exploration of grief and loss.

There is only one thing truly certain about life, and that is death. One day we will pass on from this world, and we cannot know the day it will come for us. Accompanying death is grief – grief from the ones who love us and care about us. Grief does shatter you, remoulding you, and changing you. Sometimes that change is small and other times it is so significant, those around you do not recognise the person you have become. Afterlove EP is a game that explores grief following the death of a loved one, and how it can grip you.

With a strong storyline and fun gameplay, AfterLove EP beautifully and masterfully handles the deep topic of grief.

A well-wrought but draining and frustrating study of grief, recovery and rock music at the heart of Jakarta.