After Us is an action-adventure video game developed by Piccolo Studio and published by Private Division in 2023. Players control a spirit who brings peace to the extinct animals on a dead version of Earth.
Players control a forest spirit named Gaia who rescues the ghosts of the last animals that went extinct on a dystopian version of Earth. Each of the eight areas where Gaia can find a spirit is an open world connected to the others. To reach the ghosts, Gaia must jump and fly, as in platform games. Rescued ghosts can be sent to a central area, where Gaia can visit and pet them. Players must fight Devourers, the ghosts of humans who ravaged the planet. To do this, players can use a boomerang-like attack. The story is told wordlessly.[2]
OnMetacritic, the Windows and PlayStation 5 versions of After Us received mixed reviews,[5][6] and the Xbox Series X/S version received positive reviews.[7] Though they enjoyed the visuals, IGN said the game "[leans] heavily on unwieldy platforming and mind-numbing combat".[2]IGN and Game Informer found the themes heavy-handed;[2][8] however, IGN liked how players could bring some life back to the dead world,[2] and Game Informer praised the game's emotional depth.[8] Both Game Informer and GameSpot praised the environmental storytelling.[9][8] Praising its gameplay, visuals, and message, Shacknews said it "make[s] for a satisfying puzzle-platformer overall".[10]Eurogamer called it "a Game with a Message but not necessarily anything to say".[3]
