Afterparty

The narrative of Afterparty is widely praised for its imaginative premise, humor, and thematic depth, with many critics highlighting its unique take on Hell as a party-filled underworld. Reviewers like IGN and Eurogamer Italy commend the game’s blend of dark comedy and social critique, noting how it uses absurd scenarios to explore themes of friendship, mortality, and personal growth. The dynamic between protagonists Milo and Lola is frequently lauded for its relatability and emotional resonance, with GameGrin and USgamer pointing to their witty dialogue and character-driven interactions as standout elements. Additionally, the game’s branching narrative and multiple endings, emphasized by COGconnected and Nintendo Life, add replayability and a sense of agency, while IGN Italia draws comparisons to Dante’s Inferno through its allegorical approach to adult struggles. The balance of lightheartedness and introspection, as noted by God is a Geek and Hardcore Gamer, further enriches the story’s appeal. However, several critics argue that Afterparty’s narrative falls short in execution, with issues like unresolved plot threads and underdeveloped character arcs. Xbox Achievements and Game Revolution criticize the lack of satisfying conclusions, particularly regarding the mystery of Milo and Lola’s deaths in Hell, which they describe as “unresolved” and “anticlimactic.” DualShockers and Digital Trends point to a disjointed structure, with rushed character development and emotional beats that feel unearned. The game’s focus on dialogue over plot complexity, noted by TheXboxHub, is seen as a double-edged sword—while it highlights character dynamics, it sometimes sacrifices narrative cohesion. GameSpot and PC Invasion also mention underdeveloped themes, such as moral dilemmas and existential reflections, which fail to fully resonate despite their potential. Overall, the critical reception of Afterparty’s story is mixed but leans toward appreciation for its creativity and humor, tempered by frustrations over narrative shortcomings. While GamingTrend and Nintendo Life acknowledge that the game’s “interesting” ending and engaging dialogue save it from being a complete failure, others like Xbox Achievements and Game Revolution feel it squanders its potential. The consensus seems to be that Afterparty succeeds as a quirky, character-driven experience with strong thematic ideas but struggles to deliver a cohesive or emotionally impactful story. Despite these flaws, the game’s unique tone and focus on friendship—highlighted by GamesRadar+ and Stevivor—keep it memorable, even if its ambitions don’t fully align with its execution.

The gameplay of Afterparty is praised for its unique narrative-driven approach and creative mechanics, particularly the drinking system that influences dialogue and character interactions. Critics like IGN Italia and God is a Geek highlight the drinking mechanic as a standout feature, allowing players to adopt different personas (e.g., pirate or mobster) and shape interactions in novel ways. The game’s focus on branching choices and conversational flow is also noted as engaging, with Nintendo Enthusiast appreciating the encouragement of multiple playthroughs through varied decision-making. Additionally, PC Gamer and Xbox Tavern commend the mini-games like beer pong and rhythm-based challenges for adding levity and fitting the party vibe, while Shacknews emphasizes the choose-your-own-adventure style that prioritizes player agency in storytelling. However, the gameplay is frequently criticized for its repetitive structure, lack of challenge, and underdeveloped mechanics. Many reviewers, including Screen Rant and GameGrin, point to slow movement, frame rate issues, and a drinking mechanic that feels superficial or ineffective. Digital Trends and Switch Player describe the experience as tedious, with excessive backtracking and simple mini-games offering little consequence. The linear progression and minimal exploration—contrasted with the more dynamic Oxenfree—are highlighted by The Indie Game Website, while GamingTrend and Xbox Achievements criticize the lack of meaningful choices and repetitive tasks that undermine engagement. Even positive aspects like dialogue-driven interactions are seen as flawed, with DualShockers noting that decisions often have minimal impact on the narrative. Overall, critics largely agree that Afterparty is a polarizing title, balancing creative storytelling with gameplay shortcomings. While its unique drinking mechanic and narrative focus earn praise from outlets like IGN Italia and God is a Geek, the repetitive structure, lack of challenge, and underdeveloped systems are consistent criticisms across platforms. The game’s emphasis on dialogue and branching choices appeals to fans of story-driven experiences, but its minimal gameplay mechanics and linear design frustrate those seeking depth or interactivity. As Nintendo Life and COGconnected note, the experience is enjoyable for its charm and humor but ultimately feels undercooked, leaving players divided between appreciating its ambition and critiquing its execution.

The graphics and visual design of Afterparty are widely praised for their vibrant, imaginative, and thematically unique aesthetic. Critics consistently highlight its neon-lit, surreal environments that contrast with traditional depictions of Hell, creating a lighthearted yet absurd atmosphere. COGconnected emphasizes the "vibrant, club-like environment" with creative social media integration, while Cultured Vultures notes the Gorillaz-inspired neon art style and distinct island settings. Destructoid applauds the "surreal environments" blending urban and hellish elements, and DualShockers calls the "attractive neon nightlife aesthetic" a standout feature despite technical flaws. The game’s color palette—neon purples, pinks, greens, and red hues—is frequently celebrated for its originality, with GamePro Germany noting its "slightly outdated but charming" style reminiscent of Night School Studio’s previous work. Critics like Nintendo Life and Eurogamer Italy praise the "vibrant, eye-popping" visuals and "quicky, satirical take on hell," while IGN highlights varied bar districts that evoke a post-bar 2 AM cityscape. The art direction is seen as a strong pillar of the game’s identity, blending whimsy with dark humor. However, several critics point to technical limitations that detract from the visual experience. DualShockers and Game Revolution note "slowdowns," "graphical glitches," and "frame rate drops" across platforms, while GamingTrend criticizes choppy framerates and blurry textures on Nintendo Switch. PC Gamer mentions character levitation and animation stuttering, and Shacknews highlights issues like "character clipping" and awkward camera angles. Some reviewers, such as New Game Network, criticize repetitive demon designs and underdeveloped open-world hubs, while IGN Italia notes the 2.5D style feels less illustrative than Night School’s Oxenfree. Additionally, Gameblog.fr points to "empty and repetitive" areas, and GamesRadar+ mentions quiet, underdeveloped environments that clash with the game’s lively party vibe. These technical flaws, though not universally severe, are seen as significant enough to impact immersion and enjoyment. Overall, critics agree that Afterparty’s visual design is a standout strength, characterized by its bold neon aesthetics, creative world-building, and thematic originality. While technical issues vary across platforms, the game’s art style is consistently described as charming, memorable, and thematically cohesive. The consensus leans toward admiration for its ability to reimagine Hell as a vibrant, party-centric space, with many praising its "unique color palette" (GameGrin) and "distinctive infernal environments" (Jeuxvideo.com). However, the technical shortcomings—particularly on Switch and PC—serve as a reminder that the game’s visual ambition occasionally outpaces its execution. Despite these flaws, the art direction remains a defining feature, with critics like Xbox Tavern calling it "some of the best visuals in recent games," underscoring its impact on the overall experience.

The sound design and music of Afterparty received largely positive feedback, with many critics praising its energetic and immersive atmosphere. GamePro Germany highlighted the soundtrack’s blend of electro beats and 90s-style hip-hop, noting its potential for chart success, while Game Revolution celebrated its lively EDM tracks that perfectly match the game’s party vibe. Everyeye.it and GameGrin emphasized the club-like energy of scntfc’s electronic compositions, with the former calling it “immersive” and the latter praising its synth-driven aesthetic that complements the hellish nightlife setting. IGN noted the soundtrack’s emotional range, blending upbeat EDM with somber dirges to enhance the game’s tone, while New Game Network called it a standout element, lauding its energetic club bangers and intensity. These reviews collectively underscore the music as a defining strength, effectively amplifying the game’s chaotic, party-centric identity. However, several critics pointed out significant flaws in sound design and voice acting that detracted from the experience. DualShockers criticized uneven voice direction, poor sound mixing, and unnatural dialogue overlaps, which undermined comedic timing and immersion. GameSpew echoed similar concerns, noting awkward pauses and overlapping dialogue, while Xbox Achievements highlighted audio bugs like characters talking over each other and cut-off lines. TheSixthAxis pointed out the lack of ambient noise in non-conversational scenes, creating an eerie but inconsistent atmosphere for Hell’s setting. PC Gamer also found diegetic music underwhelming, as it intentionally avoided interfering with dialogue but failed to engage players. These technical issues, particularly in voice acting and sound mixing, created friction between the game’s ambitious audio design and its execution. Despite mixed reactions, the overall consensus leans toward appreciation for Afterparty’s soundtrack as a core strength, even if its sound design had notable flaws. While critics like GamePro Germany, IGN, and New Game Network praised the music’s energy and atmosphere, others such as DualShockers and Xbox Achievements emphasized persistent technical issues that impacted immersion. The game’s audio identity remains polarizing: some found scntfc’s electronic tracks exhilarating and thematically fitting, while others felt they lacked memorability or were overshadowed by voice acting problems. Ultimately, the music’s ability to elevate the party vibe and complement the narrative outweighs its shortcomings for many reviewers, though the technical inconsistencies in sound design remain a point of contention.

The voice acting in Afterparty is overwhelmingly praised by critics, with many highlighting its sharp dialogue, natural delivery, and standout performances from key cast members. Reviewers consistently commend Janina Gavankar (Lola) and Khoi Dao (Milo) for their chemistry and ability to embody the characters’ awkward, socially anxious personalities, with Nintendo Life noting their “natural delivery, including pauses and cadence that mimic real-life dialogue.” Dave Fennoy’s portrayal of Lucifer/Satan is frequently singled out as a highlight, with PlayStation Universe and PC Gamer praising his work for adding humor and emotional depth. Ashly Burch’s performance as Sam and Erin Yvette’s role as Wormhorn also receive acclaim, with IGN and GameSpot emphasizing how their voices enhance the game’s comedic and dramatic moments. The ensemble cast is described as “sharp,” “lively,” and “convincing” by outlets like GameGrin and Everyeye.it, with many noting that the dialogue feels authentic and immersive, even when tackling absurd or satirical scenarios. While the majority of reviews celebrate the voice acting, a few critics point to technical or stylistic issues. DualShockers criticizes “mismatched character voices,” “isolated recording quality,” and “inconsistent integration with the game’s environment,” suggesting some performances feel disconnected from the game’s atmosphere. Similarly, Xbox Achievements mentions “audio bugs” that occasionally disrupt the experience, though these issues are not widespread. Additionally, some reviewers note that while the voice acting is strong, it doesn’t fully compensate for flaws in writing or gameplay mechanics—GameGrin and GameSpot acknowledge that “flawed writing” sometimes undermines the dialogue’s impact. However, these criticisms are relatively minor compared to the overall praise, with most agreeing that the vocal performances remain a standout element despite occasional technical hiccups. The consensus among critics is overwhelmingly positive, with nearly all reviewers highlighting the voice acting as a major strength of Afterparty. Outlets like COGconnected, Destructoid, and IGN emphasize how the cast’s work elevates the game’s humor, character dynamics, and storytelling, creating memorable interactions that resonate with players. Even critics who mention minor flaws acknowledge that the voice acting is “superb” (Digital Trends), “phenomenal” (Everyeye.it), or “exceptional” (TheXboxHub). The combination of talented performers, natural dialogue, and strong character development ensures that the voice acting not only meets but often exceeds expectations, making it one of the game’s most praised aspects. While no review is entirely without critique, the overwhelming majority agree that Afterparty’s voice work is a key factor in its success, blending humor, emotion, and authenticity to create an engaging experience.

The technical performance of Afterparty across platforms shows a mix of strengths and weaknesses, with some positives noted despite persistent issues. On PS4, reviewers like PlayStation Universe acknowledged minor frame rate drops and clipping errors but emphasized that these were overshadowed by the game’s strong writing and humor. For Nintendo Switch, while GamingTrend called it “poor,” others like Nintendo Enthusiast noted that slowdowns during transitions and driving sequences were infrequent enough to not ruin the experience, and Nintendo Life highlighted that the game remained playable despite frame rate drops below 20 FPS. On PC, GameCrate described technical performance as “acceptable” with no major crashes, while IGN and PC Gamer noted minor glitches like animation stuttering or dialogue clipping that didn’t significantly impact immersion. For Xbox One, Generación Xbox praised stable frame rates despite long load times, and TheXboxHub suggested many bugs were fixable via patches, though some critics like GamesRadar+ criticized persistent issues like infinite loading screens. However, the technical flaws across platforms were more pronounced and impactful. On PS4, multiple critics, including DualShockers (crashes and a critical drink menu glitch) and Game Revolution (frequent slowdowns and crashes), highlighted severe performance issues that detracted from immersion. The Nintendo Switch version faced significant challenges, with Nintendo Life noting frame rates dropping below 20 FPS frequently and GamingAge citing framerate drops and long load times as carryovers from earlier releases. On PC, GameGrin and GameSpew criticized stuttering and persistent glitches like a character’s hand stuck in the air, while Wccftech mentioned frame rate crashes requiring reloads. For Xbox One, GamesRadar+ and New Game Network pointed to frame rate drops, dialogue loops, and game-breaking bugs that disrupted progression, though Windows Central noted these were often manageable. These issues collectively underscored the game’s technical instability across all platforms. Overall, critics agreed that Afterparty suffered from notable technical shortcomings, but the severity varied by platform. The PS4 and Switch versions faced the most criticism for crashes, frame rate inconsistencies, and glitches, while PC and Xbox One had more manageable issues despite occasional hiccups. While some reviewers like IGN and PC Gamer acknowledged minor flaws that didn’t derail the experience, others such as DualShockers and GamesRadar+ emphasized that technical problems significantly undermined immersion. Despite these challenges, many critics noted that the game’s engaging content—such as its writing and humor—helped mitigate some of the technical issues, suggesting a mixed but ultimately forgiving reception for its performance across platforms. The consensus was that while patches could address many flaws, Afterparty’s technical execution remained a notable drawback.

The majority of critics highlight positive aspects of Afterparty’s replay value, emphasizing its branching narratives, multiple endings, and choice-driven mechanics. Nintendo Life and IGN praise the game’s "branching narratives," "multiple endings," and "drink system that alters dialogue options," which encourage players to revisit the story for varied experiences. TheSixthAxis notes that "multiple story paths and mission choices" prompt players to return to explore inaccessible content, while Eurogamer Italy and GameGrin commend the game’s minigames (like Beer Pong) and dialogue-driven variability. Critics like COGconnected and GamesRadar+ also acknowledge the charm of exploring different outcomes through "dialogue choices" and "drink mechanics," with some, such as God is a Geek, finding the concise runtime ("around five hours") rewarding for repeat playthroughs without feeling excessive. These elements collectively suggest that Afterparty offers enough variety to entice players back, particularly those interested in narrative experimentation. However, several critics point out significant limitations that temper the game’s replayability. Metro GameCentral and GamingTrend criticize the "short runtime" (5-6 hours) and "lack of significant incentives for multiple playthroughs," with GameCrate and GameGrin noting that "shallow mechanics" and "repetitive structure" diminish long-term appeal. Gameblog.fr and PC Invasion highlight a "linear narrative" and "minimal branching choices," while GamingTrend and GameGrin argue that the game’s "thin illusion of choice" and "repetitive gameplay" make repeated sessions less engaging. Additionally, critics like Xbox Achievements and TheXboxHub mention that the game’s "short 6-hour duration" and "limited impact of dialogue choices" reduce its potential for extended replayability, despite some positive aspects. These critiques underscore a tension between the game’s design intent and its execution in sustaining player interest over multiple playthroughs. Overall, the consensus among critics is mixed but leans toward moderate replay value. While many praise Afterparty’s narrative experimentation, dialogue mechanics, and multiple endings as engaging hooks for repeat play (as noted by Nintendo Life, IGN, and Eurogamer Italy), others argue that its brevity, lack of depth, and underdeveloped systems limit its longevity. Critics like COGconnected and TheSixthAxis acknowledge the game’s "encouragement for multiple playthroughs," but GameCrate and GamingTrend emphasize that its "shallow mechanics" and "repetitive structure" make it less compelling beyond a single run. Despite these contradictions, the game appears to strike a balance between accessibility and variety, appealing to completionists and narrative-driven players while falling short of offering substantial long-term engagement for others. The divide reflects a broader debate about whether Afterparty’s strengths in choice and humor outweigh its structural limitations.