From Orchid of Redemption, who made Dream of the Star Haven, comes their newest title, After Light Fades. Much like their naming scheme, Orchid of Redemption specializes in complexity. After Light Fades is a puzzle game where players must lead the character through a gate to advance to the next level. Levels are laid out in one dioramic room with a square grid. All of the elements of the puzzle lay inside the room, so there’s no crazy meta Nonary Game business. The puzzles in After Light Fades are difficult enough without including some grand overarching puzzle…
Within the first hour, I was stumped. I left my ability to play games out of the critique, lest we run into another run of headlines featuring a journalist who can’t play video games. But after a while, it was hard to tell if I was getting dumber, or the game was getting harder.
The Twist
The goal isn’t hard to figure out: get the key to the lock and pass through the gate. What seemed to trip me up a lot of times was how precise I had to be. The worlds introduce something new frequently. Then it tests the player with a room that left little margin for error. Fortunately, there is an undo button for retrying, and a total level reset button that costs nothing. There’s no time limits, and no additional side content to discourage using resets. So, we’re ultimately left with a complex game that highly encourages trial and error.
I’m not sure I agree about going this direction. After all, the game did not get easier, especially with the strange mechanics like the statues added in. You can haul the statue around anywhere, and it leaves a shadow. The shadow can bring certain things down, and only down, if players can wedge said thing onto the path. I’m all for a challenge, but it seemed like Orchid of Redemption wanted to start off high, and finish even higher.
The Ambience
After Light Fades strikes a balance between difficult puzzles, and relaxing atmosphere. To make the game feel cozy, the aesthetics and music add a blanket of serenity. Vibrant plants of deep color, still waters with bold hue, and clouds of clear white. The hub worlds have various biome themes. The accompaniment of flutes and synths invite players to stop and think. The heavenly choir from time to time was nice even though it felt foreboding.
This is a game about mastering mechanics. Once I figured that out, I was able to see how creative the game is. Between controlling multiple characters, spiders reflecting your moves, fires burning down objects, I found a unique game that simply wanted to do more than provide simple block puzzles. It becomes a game about the journey instead of the destination.
The Make-Up
The story is about Alice going on a healing journey to let go of the lover she lost. In order to do that, she travels to the seven worlds which represent memories they shared. In a way the puzzles reflect something from Alice’s relationship with her love. This kind of storytelling through gameplay is done well. It’s especially interesting when that ability is forgotten and a new one is used in the next world.
If having over a hundred levels isn’t enough, there’s a level editor that can be accessed at any point, no unlocking needed. Creating and sharing with others gives players a chance to express what they’ve come to learn through the story. Or it’s a great way to make impossible puzzles to make others suffer. The possibilities are out there.
Conclusion
After Light Fades was a nice reminder to slow down and blow up the rocks. Its unique take on puzzles, extensive level selection, and care-free approach invites everyone willing to be challenged. The beautiful graphics help players stay longer. But rest assured, it is challenging. The difficulty arises quickly within the first few levels. I spent an hour on one puzzle in the first world, and it didn’t get better once I knew what I was doing. I’ll say it, “It’s the Dark Souls of puzzle games,”.
