Wonder at new gameplay of Afterimage, a beautiful hand drawn Metroidvania style RPG

An all-new trailer for Afterimage, a beautifully hand-drawn 2D side-scrolling Metroidvania style action RPG, just debuted at the Future Games Show Powered by Mana. The latest, never before seen gameplay revealed new areas, weapons and more of the reactive combat that brings this expertly crafted world alive.

Afterimage sees you exploring and fighting your way through Engardin. This mythical land is full of magical locations and creatures, with each area bringing all new threats and mechanics to master. The core side-scrolling action will evolve and change, as you move through the 15 different regions that make up a semi-open world. Leaving you free to see where the wind takes you and what you might find. 

As well as the freedom to explore the world however you want, your character's progression is wide open - there are over 10 character abilities, and a range of unique weapons featuring special attacks and various upgrade paths, as well as magic to combine and experiment with - where you go and what you find is entirely up to you. 

The handcrafted world of Engardin is filled with wonders to explore, full of magical forests, ruins, towns, ancient metropolises, labyrinths, volcanoes and canyons, seas, and more. There's also a tower that rises waaay up into the clouds but we'll leave it to you to discover more about that. Exploring all this is as much a part of the narrative as a means to progress, with stories to uncover that link each location and ultimately uncover a concealed history. There are allies and friends to meet, and characters with past histories and agendas to uncover.  

While you're piecing everything together you'll also discover a menagerie of wild creatures and spirits populating this land. Some are friendly, some huge, but many are there to attack you, with corrupted creatures lying in wait for an unprepared traveller. Like the world, there's a lot to discover here, with over 150 different types of enemies to take on and numerous unique bosses. These change between areas, helping to create location-specific gameplay and combat as you move around the world. 

If you want to find out more then follow Afterimage on Twitter for the latest updates, or check out the website. And don't forget to wishlist the game on Steam 

If you’re looking for more excellent games from today's Future Games Show, have a look at our official Steam page.

Leon Hurley
Managing editor for guides

I'm GamesRadar's Managing Editor for guides, which means I run GamesRadar's guides and tips content. I also write reviews, previews and features, largely about horror, action adventure, FPS and open world games. I previously worked on Kotaku, and the Official PlayStation Magazine and website. 

Read more
Screenshots of Possessor(s) gameplay
Smash Bros meets Metroidvania in Possessor(s), Heart Machine's new side-scrolling opus
A giant crocodile from South of Midnight breaking out of a Big in 2025 frame
South of Midnight's gothic folk tale could be Xbox's ace up the sleeve for 2025
Blades of Fire
Metroid Dread dev channels that Castlevania: Lords of Shadow energy in a new action game with "almost infinite" ways to build your own weapon
Standing below the imposing Monolith in Empyreal with a glaive equipped, this is a piece of key art from the game
This looter slasher mashes up Remnant 2 with shades of Final Fantasy 14 and lashings of special moves, all in an action-packed Steam Next Fest demo
A screenshot shows a teardrop-shaped protagonist smiling.
The Metroidvania gods have spoken and answered my prayers with this horror game that looks like Majora's Mask if it let you play as an onion-headed freak
Beyond the Ice Palace 2 screenshots showing whip attacks
And you thought Hollow Knight: Silksong is late – 37 years in the making, this retro Metroidvania has a whip-smart Steam Next Fest demo that's as Castlevania as it gets
Latest in Games
A misty, forested mountainside in Prologue: Go Wayback!
PUBG creator's wilderness survival game actually draws inspiration from an unexpected place - a whole raft of zombie games like DayZ, Project Zomboid, and Left 4 Dead
The Blood of Dawnwalker: A screenshot of the vampire Brencis holding up a crown during the trailer for the upcoming game.
The Witcher 3 devs created a Jekyll & Hyde-style character for their new vampire RPG "because nobody yet has done that"
Balatro screenshot showing an assortment of card packs
Balatro creator initially considered a Steam release in part to help "get a game developer job somewhere," and after 5 million sales I'd say he found one
InZOI screenshot
The Sims rival InZoi has 300 people hanging out in each of its in-game cities and they all "interact with each other in real-time"
The Witcher 4 screenshot with Ciri using sword and sorcery to fight an ancient monster
The Witcher 4 devs explain how Ciri's fighting style will differ from Geralt's: "He's nimble, but he feels like a block...she's liquid"
Challenging The Manacle in Balatro, which limits hand size by -1 and playing two Jacks
From "I stopped working on the project entirely" to "we are so back," Balatro creator says the roguelike's development was always about passion and taking breaks was essential
Latest in News
Daredevil recap: The Defenders
Marvel fans are discussing which of the Netflix series characters would have survived the Blip
A misty, forested mountainside in Prologue: Go Wayback!
PUBG creator's wilderness survival game actually draws inspiration from an unexpected place - a whole raft of zombie games like DayZ, Project Zomboid, and Left 4 Dead
The Blood of Dawnwalker: A screenshot of the vampire Brencis holding up a crown during the trailer for the upcoming game.
The Witcher 3 devs created a Jekyll & Hyde-style character for their new vampire RPG "because nobody yet has done that"
Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock in Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil fans are wondering if Born Again season 2 will set up a darker comic book arc for Matt Murdock
Theo James as Hal in Osgood Perkins' The Monkey
It might only be March, but Stephen King adaptation The Monkey is now the highest grossing horror movie of 2025
Balatro screenshot showing an assortment of card packs
Balatro creator initially considered a Steam release in part to help "get a game developer job somewhere," and after 5 million sales I'd say he found one