A beautiful new trailer from Piccolo Studio and Private Division premiered during 2022 Game Awards. We haven’t heard a lot about this game before now, but the surreal After Us trailer was so compelling that we’re already hyped.
While a young woman walks through a world that appears dark and full of debris, we soon discover that she is likely not human herself. If the glowing aura and the greenery popping up under her feet didn’t give it away, it becomes apparent when she comes across people sitting and standing. They dwarf her in comparison, and most of them are dead or dying. From there we can guess she’s in a post-apocalyptic world, moving through the wreckage of society.
The woman is Gaia, and she is the Spirit of Life itself. She will move through crumbling cities and destroyed forests. Each environment demonstrates the relationship between humans and nature and will give Gaia different challenges to overcome. As she navigates the destruction, she will spread life in the form of plants and light.
When she comes across the remains of the last of the beloved creatures, she is able to look at their final fate before setting their souls free. Their remains will be covered in lush greenery, but their spirits will return to her ark with the hope of bringing life back to Earth. She will have to avoid creatures called Devourers that are still roaming the destruction. These creatures are, for example, the last whales killed or the last eagle killed. That makes the puppy she sets free even more upsetting. Imagine, the last doggo.
The upcoming adventure game is about hope and life prevailing after destruction. Lately, we could all do with a little hope. While the game will demonstrate vast destruction on Earth, Gaia will be able to see what caused this destruction. The main antagonists being called Devourers is very fitting because it is the runaway effects of human greed and consumption that dominoes into this world.
From the creators of Arise: A Simple Story comes a story of reviving the world just in time for our collective anxiety over climate disaster has reached an all-time high. What if we could reverse the damage done to the world? What if the end doesn’t have to be the end? It sounds lovely.
After Us is coming to PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X|S hopefully in Spring 2023!
