Another arty indie game, going deep. The protagonist's suicidal ideation caught my attention, as someone who lives with this, so I had to check it out.
I love that I can pick up and play What Comes After in an hour. Of course, "playing" is a strong word for this largely narrative experience; this is visual fiction. And I'm cool with that.
You play Vivi (double life?), who falls asleep on a commuter train and wakes up on the night train, which transports souls to the afterlife. Turns out that Vivi was pondering death so often (suicidal ideation and depression are heavily implied), her living body is able to slip onto the train of the dead. From here, gameplay is talking. To all the ghosts. Animal souls included.
I'd like to say that the many dead folks have great wisdom to give to the living, but I overall found the advice to be things I've heard before, and not particularly touching. Be good to your family. Appreciate every moment. Forgive others. Forgive yourself. Love yourself, while you're at it. And don't forget to let go.
This isn't to say I didn't enjoy What Comes After. The brevity of the story helped with that. I found the dining experience very moving, when food and tea trigger Vivi's memories of love, connection, and friendship. This moment helps Vivi want to return to life. She's given the option to stay on the train and essentially die; but as gamers, we are not given that option. She chooses life. I understand why.
The largest push toward living is when Vivi is given a direct purpose to fulfill once she returns to the living. It's a simple, cute purpose, and it works here. Still, I feel like this game doesn't really offer great options for the deeply depressed. Perhaps I'm just a bit older and have read and seen more, but it all feels a bit surface level for me. Or maybe I'm expecting too much from a game, when really I need a therapist.
That said, yes, having a purpose is a great way to want to stay alive. Even if that purpose is playing Atari games. I haven't posted any Atari reviews for too long, and while I haven't put down the joystick, I've felt terribly apathetic about it all. Reviewing Atari games feels pointless, at times. That, and I got holed up in the psych ward, and then distracted with designing a new cover for my older novel.
So: more Atari games to come. I certainly have enough carts. Also, I will be posting a link to my novel, once it's up, and will go into more detail about the whole freakout and blackout and mental ward business that has diverted my attention.
If you're looking for a game, look elsewhere. But if you're looking for a laid back emotional narrative, as I was, you may enjoy What Comes After. And if you really need help, put down the game and call 988 already. I did, once. They were very professional and knew how to deal with me.
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