Death’s Gambit: Afterlife

Death’s Gambit: Afterlife is a 2D action-platformer with RPG elements, set in a dark fantasy world where you play as a servant of Death. The game features fast-paced combat, exploration, and a rich narrative as you battle through hordes of enemies and uncover the secrets of the afterlife. With its Metroidvania-style progression and challenging gameplay, it offers a rewarding experience for fans of the genre.

Death’s Gambit: Afterlife: A Definitive Retrospective

Introduction: The Gambit Paid Off

In the crowded arena of 2D action RPGs, where Dark Souls-like brutality meets Metroidvania exploration, few titles have undergone as transformative a journey as Death’s Gambit. What began in 2018 as a promising but flawed indie effort – a pixel-art fusion of punishing combat, intricate world-building, and philosophical themes about life and death – evolved into something far more compelling with the 2021 release of Death’s Gambit: Afterlife. This wasn’t merely a patch or DLC; it was a radical reimagining, a “whole new game” as one critic astutely observed, doubling the content, overhauling core mechanics, and refining the experience based on passionate community feedback. This exhaustive review dissects the complete Death’s Gambit experience, from its ambitious origins to its current status as a cult favorite, examining whether the Afterlife truly redeemed the gambit.

Development History & Context: From Terminus to Triumph

Death’s Gambit emerged from the creative crucible of White Rabbit Studios, primarily founded by Jean Canellas and Alex Kubodera. Its genesis lies in a 2013 prototype named “Terminus” while Canellas was still a student at the University of Southern California. Kubodera soon joined, providing the distinctive pixel-art aesthetic that would become the game’s visual signature. The initial vision, clearly inspired by the burgeoning popularity of challenging 2D action games, was ambitious: a side-scrolling action RPG blending the meticulous combat of Dark Souls with the interconnected exploration of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, and the epic scale of Shadow of the Colossus.

The technological constraints of using GameMaker Studio were significant, yet the small, dedicated team (eventually swelling to 177 credited individuals) leveraged its capabilities to build a complex world. The game’s development trajectory was marked by key milestones: the announcement of Adult Swim Games as publisher in February 2015 provided crucial exposure and resources, leading to showcases at events like PAX East 2014 and E3 2015. This publisher support was vital for an indie team aiming to compete in the Soulslike space.

The 2018 release landscape was saturated with demanding action RPGs (Hollow Knight had just released to acclaim, Dark Souls III DLC was fresh). While Death’s Gambit garnered attention for its unique premise (protagonist Sorun as an agent of Death) and striking art direction, it launched with significant technical and mechanical issues. Criticisms centered on “clunky” combat (IGN), “stiff controls” (Mygamer.com), and a lack of a functional map (GameFAQs user review), hindering its potential. The core team, however, demonstrated remarkable commitment. The free Death’s Gambit: Afterlife update/expansion in September 2021 (later released on PS4 and Xbox One) was a direct response to player feedback. It represented a fundamental shift – not just adding content (10 new levels, 30+ weapons, 5 new bosses, 100+ abilities) but fundamentally redesigning core systems like movement, combat responsiveness, level structure, and progression to create the experience the original vision demanded.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive: The Weight of Immortality and Regret

Death’s Gambit presents a deceptively simple premise layered with profound melancholy and existential weight. The narrative centers on Sorun, a young warrior from the fiefdom of Vados. On the brink of death after a catastrophic battle during a “Great Expedition” sent by kingdoms vying for immortality, Sorun encounters Death himself, voiced with compelling gravitas by Matthew Mercer. Death offers a Faustian bargain: immortality for Sorun until he destroys the “Source” of immortality hidden within the lost citadel of Caer Siorai. Sorun accepts, driven by the unresolved trauma of his mother’s disappearance on a similar expedition when he was a child.

The core thematic exploration revolves around the true cost of immortality. The Immortals, guardians of the Source, aren’t merely powerful foes; they are tragic figures warped by their eternity. As Sorun progresses, he learns the horrifying truth: immortality is a curse. It erodes identity, fuels despair, and inevitably transforms individuals into monstrous husks – the very abominations Sorun is tasked with destroying. This theme is most brutally realized in the revelation that Endless, the seemingly ultimate Immortal protecting the Source, is Sorun’s mother. She sacrificed her mortal life to achieve immortality, becoming a guardian, only to lose her sense of self entirely. Her final moments, apologizing for leaving Sorun and urging him to “live,” are devastating, contrasting sharply with the cosmic horror surrounding the Source.

Key antagonists embody different facets of immortality’s corruption. Thalamus, an eldritch entity feeding on despair and guilt, represents the nihilistic endgame – a being whose power grows from the suffering immortality perpetuates. The Crimson Court cult worshipping Thalamus highlights how the promise of endless life breeds fanatical devotion and monstrous rituals. Even Death, while seemingly Sorun’s ally, operates with cold cosmic logic, viewing mortality as a necessary cycle, forcing Sorun to confront whether destroying the Source truly serves life or merely enforces Death’s order.

The narrative structure, non-linear like its exploration, unfolds through environmental storytelling, cryptic NPC dialogues (some voiced, many silent), and the profound impact of boss encounters. The “Afterlife” expansion deepens this, particularly through expanded NPC interactions and new endings that explore themes of regret and acceptance most directly. The “true ending” involves rejecting both Death’s contract and the Source’s corruption, symbolized by Sorun choosing his own mortality and the bittersweet freedom of his mother’s soul finally moving on, contrasting sharply with the endless, regret-fueled cycle implied by New Game+.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems: Refined Brutality

The core gameplay loop of Death’s Gambit – and its most significant point of evolution in Afterlife – is a demanding fusion of precision combat and meticulous exploration, firmly rooted in the Soulslike tradition.

Core Combat: From Clunky to Crisp

• Combat Fundamentals: Combat revolves around managing Health, Stamina, and Essence (currency/XP). Players lock onto enemies, parry, dodge, block, and attack with weight and consequence. Landing hits depletes the enemy’s “Gauge,” filling a Soul Meter that allows for powerful finishing blows. This system, while solid in concept, suffered in the original release due to sluggish animations, unresponsive controls, and imprecise hit detection (“clunky” – IGN, “lacking… responsiveness” – Everything.Explained.Today).
• Afterlife Overhaul: The expansion addressed these flaws decisively:
  • Movement Revolution: The addition of Double Jump, Airdash, and Ground Pound/Crash Down completely transformed traversal and combat flow. These weren’t just traversal tools; they became integral evasive maneuvers and offensive options, making combat significantly more fluid and dynamic (“fast, and fun” – WayTooManyGames).
  • Refined Controls & Responsiveness: Character movement and actions felt far tighter and more immediate. Parrying was now highly rewarding, triggering a devastating “super powerful counterattack” (WayTooManyGames), incentivizing precise timing over simple blocking or dodging. The replacement of the kick with a slick slide (WayTooManyGames) provided essential repositioning.
  • Weapon & Ability System: Players choose from 7 classes at start (Soldier, Rogue, etc.), dictating initial weapon proficiency (Swords, Daggers, Bows, Scythes, Halberds, etc.). Each weapon type has unique abilities (30+ originally, over 100+ with Afterlife) mapped to a hotbar. Afterlife introduced a robust dual-skill tree system, allowing players to mix and match weapon trees after unlocking a second weapon type, dramatically increasing build diversity and encouraging experimentation (“hybrid class” – WayTooManyGames). Weapon upgrades at save points (using scrap) and the ability to repair gear further deepened customization.
  • Boss Battles: The core appeal. Fights are spectacles of scale and pattern recognition. Bosses like the galaxy mage Amulvaro, the sniper Origa, and the colossal Endless demand unique strategies. Afterlife rebalanced many original bosses (e.g., Forgotten Gaien, Ione) and introduced formidable new ones (e.g., Thalamus). The Heroic Mode, allowing immediate, significantly harder rematches with new abilities after a boss’s defeat, extended the challenge (“40 bosses” total – DreadCentral). Bosses also now grant new movement abilities upon defeat, directly linking progression to exploration.

Exploration & Progression: Metroidvania Realized

• Original Limitations: The 2018 release was criticized for a lack of a functional map and restrictive level design that offered little incentive for thorough exploration, feeling more like interconnected zones than a cohesive, explorable world (“lack of exploring incentives” – GGTalks).
• Afterlife Transformation:
  • Expanded & Redesigned World: The game world nearly doubled in size (from 11 to 21 areas – DreadCentral), introducing entirely new zones like the Garde Tum ruins (the sci-fi facility mentioned in discussions) and redesigning existing areas to integrate the new movement abilities organically. Exploration felt genuinely rewarding.
  • The Map: A fully integrated, if sometimes criticized for being vague (“didn’t find it particularly useful or detailed” – GameFAQs user), map was a crucial QoL addition.
  • Non-Linearity: Players could tackle bosses and areas in a more flexible order, though certain abilities were required for specific paths.
  • Resource Management: Plumes (healing items) were scarce and precious, used strategically at save points to restore health or sacrificed for a significant temporary damage boost (up to 2x), adding another layer of risk/reward.

Systems & Polish

• UI/UX: While vastly improved, the UI (inventory management, map interaction) still drew criticism for being “clunky” and “ugly” (WayTooManyGames) in some reviews. Fast travel was limited to a horse underground path for most of the game.
• Difficulty: The game is relentlessly challenging, praised by some as a “fierce game that will push you to your limits” (GameFAQs user), criticized by others for being potentially “stressful” and lacking difficulty options. Heroic Mode cranked this to 11.

World-Building, Art & Sound: Bleak Beauty and Evocative Atmosphere

Death’s Gambit creates a visually distinct and thematically resonant world, largely thanks to the art direction of Alex Kubodera.

Setting & Atmosphere

The planet Siradon is a tapestry of diverse, often desolate biographies. From the Obsidian Vale‘s volcanic wastes and the Witch Woods‘ eerie, overgrown forests, to the Sanguine City‘s gothic architecture and the alien, submerged ruins of Y’lnoth, each location has a unique identity. Crucially, the Afterlife expansion fleshed out the world significantly, particularly the enigmatic Garde Tum ruins – a stark, sci-fi facility filled with advanced technology and eldritch horrors. This juxtaposition of medieval fantasy and Lovecraftian sci-fi (“aliens came to earth to trick people” – Steam Discussion) is jarring yet fascinating, hinting at ancient, incomprehensible forces at play (“like the ultimate basement dwellers” – Steam Discussion). The world feels ancient, decaying, and steeped in tragedy, perfectly mirroring the game’s core themes.

Visual Design

The pixel art aesthetic is a standout feature. It blends rich detail with expressive character designs and breathtaking environmental art. Sprites, while sometimes criticized for being “minuscule” (GameFAQs user), are meticulously animated, especially for the towering bosses and the charismatic Death. The color palette shifts dramatically: vibrant hues in some areas contrast sharply with oppressive blacks and greys in others, deliberately creating moments of visual strain to enhance tension (“screen is almost pitch black” – GameFAQs user). This visual style draws clear inspiration from games like Castlevania: SotN and Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, but establishes its own identity through sheer scale and character.

Sound Design

• Music: The evocative score, composed by Kyle Hnedak, is a masterclass in atmosphere. Over 2 hours of music range from melancholic piano melodies to intense, driving orchestral pieces during boss battles. Tracks like those in the Obsidian Vale or Witch Woods create a powerful sense of place, even evoking Xenoblade Chronicles vibes in one review (GameFAQs user). The music is integral to the game’s emotional weight.
• Voice Acting & Sound Effects: Matthew Mercer’s performance as Death is a revelation. He balances cosmic menace with sardonic wit and surprising moments of empathy (“his frequent taunts after losing are demoralizing… but the game is rough enough as is, chill out a little man!” – GameFAQs user). Other voice acting, while less extensive, is solid. Sound effects for clanging steel, magic blasts, and the grotesque cries of monsters are impactful and satisfying, providing crucial audio feedback during combat.

Reception & Legacy: From Flawed Debut to Cult Classic

The original Death’s Gambit (2018) received a mixed-to-average critical reception, reflected in a Metascore of 71-72% depending on platform. Reviews praised its ambition, art direction, boss fights, and voice acting (especially Death), but consistently criticized the combat responsiveness, lack of a map, UI issues, and sometimes punishing difficulty. IGN called it “a very blunt attempt” that “falls short of its promise.” PC Gamer enjoyed the story but disliked the stamina system.

The release of Death’s Gambit: Afterlife in 2021 marked a critical and player-perceived renaissance. Reviews were significantly more positive, with the PC version achieving a Metascore of 81%. Critics lauded the comprehensive overhaul:
* Gameplay Improvements: Near-universal praise for the refined movement, combat responsiveness, and redesigned levels.
* Expanded Content: The doubling of the world size, new bosses, weapons, and abilities were seen as substantial value.
* QoL Enhancements: The addition of the map and general polish were appreciated.
* Build Diversity: The dual-skill trees were highlighted significantly.

WayTooMany Games declared it a “massive improvement… a phenomenal effort” and awarded a 9/10. Noisy Pixel stated it “is the product of a dedicated team that wants to provide the best action experience possible” and awarded a 9/10. On platforms like Steam, the Afterlife version holds a “Very Positive” rating (81/100 Player Score on Steambase) based on thousands of reviews, a stark contrast to the mixed reception of the base game. Player feedback specifically highlights the redemption for those who bounced off the original (“If you didn’t like Death’s Gambit when it initially released, go back. Go back now” – DreadCentral).

Legacy: Death’s Gambit: Afterlife solidified its place as a respected entry in the Soulslike/Metroidvania hybrid genre. It’s not the genre leader like Hollow Knight or Dead Cells, but it carved out a niche for itself through its unique premise (agent of Death), striking art, complex themes, and the developer’s admirable commitment to refinement through community feedback. It demonstrated how a flawed but ambitious indie title could be elevated through dedicated post-launch support into a highly recommended experience. Its legacy is one of resilience and redemption, proving that a second chance can transform a promising but troubled debut into a genuinely great game.

Conclusion: The Final Verdict – A Worthy Gambit

Death’s Gambit: Afterlife stands as a testament to the power of iterative development and developer dedication. What began as an ambitious but flawed experiment in blending Soulslike combat with Metroidvania exploration evolved, through the crucible of player feedback and the transformative Afterlife update, into a complete and compelling experience.

The narrative, centered on Sorun’s tragic quest and the cosmic horror surrounding immortality, remains its emotional core. Matthew Mercer’s Death is a standout performance, and the story’s themes of loss, regret, and the nature of existence resonate deeply. The gameplay, once hampered by sluggish controls and restrictive design, now boasts fluid movement, deeply satisfying combat with robust build variety, and spectacular boss encounters. The world, expanded and redesigned in Afterlife, is a visually stunning and atmospheric journey through diverse locales, seamlessly blending fantasy with unsettling sci-fi elements underpinned by an evocative score.

While minor criticisms – such as the occasionally cumbersome UI and the game’s unrelenting difficulty – persist, they are vastly outweighed by the significant improvements and the sheer amount of high-quality content. The Afterlife update didn’t just fix the original; it reimagined it, creating a game that is not only more polished but also larger, deeper, and more rewarding.

Ultimately, Death’s Gambit: Afterlife earns its place in video game history as a passionately crafted, challenging, and ultimately rewarding adventure. It successfully delivers on the promise of its core concept: the brutal, beautiful, and bittersweet journey of a warrior bound to Death, facing the horrors of eternity. For fans of demanding 2D action RPGs, it is not just worth playing; it is a definitive version of a flawed gem that, through the Afterlife, achieved its brilliant potential. The gambit, in the end, paid off magnificently.