What Comes After Review
What Comes After
Developer: Rolling Glory Jam
Publisher: Flynn’s Arcade
Website: http://www.flynnsarcades.com/
Genre: Adventure, Education, Communication, Lifestyle
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Age Rating: PEGI 3
Release Date: 01/04/21
Price: £3.99
A code was provided for review purposes.
From the creators of Coffee Talk comes What Comes After, swapping coffee for ghosts, this heart-warming tale captured me from the get-go. But, is it a game you should dive into? Let me tell you.
Spoopy but not Spoopy
I’m going to call What Comes After more of an experience than a game due to its nature and length, but we will talk more about that a little later.
What Comes After is a beautiful experience featuring Vivi, a girl on a journey to find herself. After falling asleep on her train ride home, Vivi finds herself on what can only be described as a ghost train on its way to the other side. Giving her an insight into ‘what comes after’, Vivi will talk to many souls about their life, loves, regrets and their death.
It sounds incredibly morbid and scary but it’s completely the opposite. I found it to be such an eye-opener and it is incredibly relatable, certainly to aspects in my life. I love a game that will have a lasting impression on me long after I’ve finished with it and that’s certainly what I experienced with What Comes After.
The Train Ride of your Life
What Comes After has a more relaxed approach to its gameplay, virtually requiring no input at all. If I had to choose a genre for it, I would have to say it’s more of a virtual novel than anything else. All the game sees you doing is making your way through a crowded ghost train, speaking to each of the spirits to get their stories and ultimately, finding meaning in Vivi’s life.
As little as you are required to actually do, I physically couldn’t put my Nintendo Switch down. Each spirit Vivi spoke to was inspiring and I just couldn’t wait to hear the next story. Though, it does get pretty emotional – coming across the spirit of a newborn baby was quite a kick in the gut. But, it’s turned into such a beautiful experience.
You won’t only encounter human spirits on this ghost train. Oh no. You will also encounter pets and animals and also plants and trees, which is actually something we often forget is a living thing. I know I certainly do. As someone who is incredibly fond of dogs (and has always had pet dogs), coming across dogs that didn’t understand why their owners had left them was heart-breaking. But, this was the wonderful thing about What Comes After – helping spirits to move on.
It’s something we all wish we could do, isn’t it?
Breath-Taking
I’ve got to say, What Comes After looks absolutely stunning. Perhaps one of the best looking games I’ve come across on the Nintendo Switch so far. That beautiful vibrant, chibi art-style that I unquestionably love. Although you’re only wandering through the same train, each carriage you enter looks great, with distinguishing features that separate it from the last.
Short-Lived
Sadly, where What Comes Next falters is its length. I had completed it within a single play-through, lasting no longer than a couple of hours. Even that is being generous. That’s why I would call this more of an experience than a game, and boy, it’s an amazing one. I just wished I had longer with it, I felt as if it were over before it truly began. Though, I guess the same could be said about life and death.
I just feel like so much more could have been done with this to make it a fuller experience, even if it was just a case of adding more spirits to talk to. Or even adding a small chapter at the end of what came after for Vivi. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved the experience. But, I was left wanting more.
Summary
Overall, What Comes After was a delight to experience and will go down as one of my favourites of all time. It’s an experience that I won’t be forgetting anytime soon. I related to it in so many ways. I just wish it was a little longer, as I was left feeling a little glum when I realised how quick it was over.
Rapid Reviews Rating
You can purchase What Comes After from the Nintendo eShop here.
You can find and read our reviews on OpenCritic.
