What Fearlock does is simply represent Dr. If you can make it past the uninspiring controls, Afterfall does offer a fairly original and interesting game mechanic that helps augment the gameplay in a positive fashion called “Fearlock”. And as soon as I could - I abandoned melee combat altogether and began blasting my way through the remainder of my adventure.
In the end I found that as long as I attacked, blocked, then rolled out of the way, I was ok. There are even some random quick time events and finishing moves thrown in to spice it up, but again they didn’t always work the way they were intended to. Perhaps quite foolishly, I kept hoping throughout my exploits that the hand-to-hand combat would expand, but all I ever got was a shallow fighting experience with combos that originated from stiff animations. Axes, pipes, and other melee weapons help you diagnose and administer monsters with a prescription of pain – and sure there are ranged weapons available, but they take some time to show up in the game, and by that then you have already suffered through enough of Afterfall’s coma-inducing combat. Combat was equally oppressive, especially given that the bulk of your arsenal is of the hand-to-hand variety. Tokaj was a chore I could have done without, especially when navigating environments and fending off multiple attackers.īut it didn’t stop there. Put simply, the controls in Afterfall are clumsy, guiding Dr. While the game does well to show off its graphical chops, it’s the controls–not the freakish mutants–which is the scariest aspect. Of course, all the pretty graphics in the world won’t mask a games mediocrity when its controls fall short, and sadly that is the case with Afterall. Playing as Tokaj, you’re eventually tasked with finding out whom or what is causing the inhabitants to start losing their minds. The lack of fresh air, exposure to sunlight, and pretty much all the things we as humans grew to love about our existence are gone - and to top it off the residents of Glory Shelter, your stomping grounds, are starting to become afflicted by a disorder known as Confinement Syndrome. You see, despite life being extremely dangerous now, it’s also extremely boring. Albert Tokaj, a psychiatrist and pharmacologist working in one of the many shelters set up by the Polish government in the aftermath of World War III. Bloodthirsty mutants, heartless mercenaries, and other horrible monsters wait in the dark depths beneath the surface. As the world decays, so too does humanity.
Humans are forced to protect themselves from rampant radiation found on the earth’s surface by taking shelter in sun-deprived cities and bunkers deep underground. The year is 2032 and nuclear war has ravaged the planet. Issues with control, pacing, terrible (often laughable) voice acting and translation put a damper on the overall experience, but those who are willing to stick with Afterall: InSanity despite its shortcomings can expect to enjoy a solid indie gaming experience with some cool and original game mechanics sprinkled throughout.Īfterfall takes place quite literally after the fall (get it?) of humanity as we know it.
#AFTERFALL INSANITY FEARLOCK FULL#
In 2008, Nicolas Games saw it and decided to legitimize the project, turning it into a full retail release.Īlthough Afterfall probably won’t be winning any awards or topping sales charts any time soon, the game does admirably well given its humble beginnings. The game started off as an indie project by Polish fans working under the name Intoxicate Studios, looking to create a post-apocalyptic shooter. franchises with a dash of Fallout and maybe even some Metro 2033 sprinkled in, but if you’re not familiar with it, you’re not alone.
Afterfall: Insanity is a survival horror game in a similar vein of the Resident Evil and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.