After the End — the magical Korean indie game
The puzzle adventure game created in the spirit of Journey
After the End: Forsaken Destiny is the latest adventure mobile game released by Nexon last week. The preview of the game was shown at the Korean game expo, G-Star, in Busan last year, and the game garnered a lot of interest at the show. The game features a story about a son and his dad embarking on the parallel journey throughout breathtaking environments, separated by time, making the game an incredible experience to play. Both the music and the graphics of the game have been likened to another indie game, Journey, which was released on the Playstation store in 2012 with amazing reviews.
Players will adventure across an expansive storyline spanning 12 episodes. Throughout each episode, players will encounter diverse puzzles which will become more difficult as new gameplay mechanics are introduced. Equipped with 360-degree camera and independent character movement controls, players will guide their character through evolving landscapes including both platform and sound puzzles, and a number of challenging tests required to unlock collectibles along the way. Pulling a series of lever in the correct pattern will turn platforms into a path, and using the correct order of musical notes will unlock gates and doors throughout the levels.
The music of the game is an incredible experience with its haunting orchestral background music and breathtaking visual cinematography. The game reminds me of my experience of playing Journey, the indie game release on Playstation in 2012. As you slowly travel through the areas, the music changes and the accompanying visuals become more darker, with the puzzles becoming more difficult. As the game goes on, players discover a breathtaking, ancient world rendered with shades of natural light, while slowly unfolding the mysterious story as each area is completed.
The game costs around $4 on the Google Play and App Store, making this game the only Nexon game to be not Free to Play. Previously, all Nexon games were free to play with in-game purchases as their business model. However, After the End is the first game that they are using as a test business model, and the sales of this game may dictate future indie studio investments and business models, and so far the game is receiving a good number of downloads and positive reviews!
The game is available in English as well as most other languages, so if you would like to play, After the End: Forsaken Destiny can be downloaded on the App Store for iPhone and iPad and on Google Play for Android devices.
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