After Us, the latest adventure game developed by Piccolo Studio, invites players to embark on a journey as Gaia, a small nymph on a mission to save and revive the souls of extinct animals. Set in a world devastated by human actions, After Us offers players a poignant environmental narrative where players strive to breathe life back into a planet
Throughout the journey, After Us players must confront perilous adversaries known as Devourers, cloaked in oil and posing a grave threat to the surviving ecosystems. These formidable foes possess unique abilities that facilitate exploration, evasion of traps, and the ability to cleanse the world of its engulfing oil, but the message they deliver is perhaps the most daunting element of these beings. In a recent interview with Game ZXC, Co-Game Directors Alexis Corominas and Jordi Ministral shed light on the inspiration behind the game, the distinctive features of its world and gameplay, and the profound messages it conveys.
Inspirations for After Us
The inspiration for After Us arose from the concept of "legacy"—specifically, the legacy that humanity leaves behind for future generations. Corominas and Ministral wanted to explore the environmental issues of today and imagine a future where the world is barren and lifeless due to human negligence. They tied this idea to the role of Gaia, a personification of nature present in various cultures. Here, Gaia as a small nymph symbolizes hope and determination amidst the desolation, with Corominas adding,
“ We started thinking about legacy: what are we leaving to our children? Then, we decided to look even further ahead: what is the legacy we humans are leaving behind? To next generations? To the far future? We then linked that idea with the environmental topics of today and ended up with the contrast of a dead world, once humans have wasted everything, and a small nymph striving to rekindle life.”
After Us aims to deliver a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant journey that invites players to reflect on the current state of the planet and the actions necessary to shape a better future. By presenting the world as a character and emphasizing the interconnectedness of all life forms, Piccolo Studio has designed a world to encourage players to become conscious stewards of the environment.
Gaia’s character design in After Us is reflective of the natural themes found throughout the game, as well. According to Ministral, Gaia’s character was inspired by lore surrounding the universal deity of the same name. In various cultures, Gaia is typically a female entity and symbolizes all life and nature. Ministral explained they designed Gaia to look “anthropomorphic, but not entirely human, with a touch of nature.” The character wears a dress that looks bark-like with light glowing hair. Like the natural world, she doesn’t speak verbally but rather sings in order to discover spirits. The character has the ability to create a “burst of life,” which spreads vegetation near her.
Landscape as a Character in After Us
In After Us, players are able to explore the various environments that are dark, dilapidated landscapes filled with dangerous creatures. According to Corominas, the developers strived to create a “dead museum feeling” in the game, where the only living thing is the main character.
“This dead world is full of symbolism, describing our relationship with nature. Mainly, it is a relation of exploitation, we take everything from nature but don’t give back enough. We wanted this to be very obvious in the world of After Us and to show it bluntly to players."
Throughout the ever-changing landscapes, players can grow vegetation and free extinct animal spirits with their special abilities. Ministral stated that the developers wanted players to have power and freedom both in terms of travel and their special abilities. This gameplay design falls in line with the overall theme of After Us, displaying the power of each individual to create or destroy. “You bring back life to the world because you want to, not because the game forces you to,” Ministral said.
According to Corominas, all the breathtaking landscapes in the After Us were designed to serve as prominent characters in their own right. Corominas explained the world’s symbols showcase the destructive relationship between humans and nature, examining humanity's exploitative actions. The developers intentionally positioned the camera at a distance, allowing players to witness the vastness and bleakness of the devastated world.
The art direction in After Us further enhances the portrayal of the world as a character. The visual design showcases a combination of natural elements and remnants of human civilization, creating a hauntingly beautiful and melancholic atmosphere. The use of color, lighting, and environmental details effectively conveys the narrative's emotional depth and reinforces the game's themes, which Corominas emphasized,
“It hits you constantly with epic, symbolic landscapes in which you are that tiny speckle of hope thriving to progress. That contrast was central in the development of the look and feel of the game. It is a contrast of light, color, and size. The world is huge and Gaia feels small, vulnerable, but determined. Everything was built for the big picture rather than the detail.”
After Us is available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.