Afterlove EP comes to us as the final project of Mohammad Fahmi, creator of the much-loved visual novel Coffee Talk, who passed away in March of 2022. In a recent interview with Nintendo Life, Ivor Dwitomo of game studio Pikselnesia (set up by Fahmi specifically for this project) explained how the team created Afterlove EP based on game documents Fahmi left them, using an outline of the script. We should congratulate the studio for putting in the work to bring Fahmi’s last creation to life.
Primarily a visual novel like its predecessor Coffee Talk, Afterlove EP also incorporates rhythm game mechanics and the ability to free-roam within the world to a certain extent. The broader scope of the story suits this new approach well.
In Afterlove EP, we take the role of Rama, a young musician living in Jakarta, Indonesia. We watch as he practices with his band and hangs out with his girlfriend, Cinta. Within the first few moments of the game, we realise that Cinta is sick, and unfortunately, she soon succumbs to her illness, leaving Rama alone. The game picks up one year later, with Rama isolating himself during the intervening period and having no contact with his bandmates and friends. He makes the decision to call the band with the intention of getting them back together to play the new music he has been working on.
However, all is not as simple as it seems. We soon learn that Cinta is not quite gone, appearing as a voice in Rama’s head and conversing with him, though nobody else can hear her. The developers make an excellent creative choice because while the game is predominantly text-based, Cinta is fully voiced, making her distinct from the rest of Rama’s reality and somehow more real than anything else within it. Shortly afterward, we meet Tasya and Adit, the other two members of the group “Sigmund Feud.” Rama learns they might be willing to reunite the band, and anticipating this, Tasya has already booked them a gig. The rest of the game takes place in the month between that moment and the date of the performance.
At this point, Afterlove EP introduces a calendar system much akin to (dare I say it) the later Persona titles. Rama has several apps on his mobile, and this helps us navigate his life. He receives messages from friends and acquaintances; more importantly, you can bring up the map here, which divides the city into different environments. The game splits each day into two parts, morning and night, and the map shows different characters’ availability and their locations in each time period, allowing you to fast travel to relevant destinations easily.
You have minimal options for how you spend the day, though. At a certain point in the game, you get the option to busk for money in different locations, and you also find spots where you can access memories of Rama’s life with Cinta. Other than that, you spend most of your time with a select group of people, including the members of Sigmund Feud, a therapist named Dr. Santi, and your three love interests. (Afterlove EP has a dating-sim element.)
With so much of the game depending on its visuals, I cannot stress enough the importance of Soyatu‘s artistic and visual work. They successfully depict a vibrant Jakarta, with small shops, cafes, and landmarks giving the game a definite sense of place. It’s an invitation for those unfamiliar with the city to experience what it may be like living there as we become more familiar with it over time. This is so effective that I found myself looking up the names of the dishes the characters ate at food stalls and restaurants. Soyatu has a definite eye for costume design reflecting the attitude of the wearer, such as Adit’s casual appearance, Tasya’s cool indie-chic look, or Rama’s own ramshackle vibe. The latter speaks to his ongoing grief, and several characters comment on this, making the art design part of the storytelling. Characters’ faces have a simplistic anime style, and this introduces some similarity between them, reducing the potential for subtle expression. This is a shame, as such distinctions are of crucial importance in a visual novel that relies on these cues to draw our interest.
Pikselnesia introduce the rhythm game aspect early on, in the initial chapter featuring Cinta’s illness. They skillfully and poignantly use it to connect us with Rama’s plight in a way I’ve not seen before, resulting in an immediate emotional connection with the doomed couple. I hoped this might be the case throughout, but subsequent appearances of the minigame failed to have the same impact. It feels quite basic for experiences of its type, relying on a single line of inputs coming in from the left and right, which don’t always coordinate with the music. What’s more, although Afterlove EP grades your individual inputs (with “good,” “perfect,” etc.), it is not clear what real impact your failure or success in the songs has, although I played it on normal and rarely missed a note. Still, I would prefer a more immediate sense of how this mechanic operates.
The musical soul of Afterlove EP rests in the writing. Pikselnesia set the characters’ places in the narrative well, with each arc as a note in the murmuring song that is Rama’s Jakarta. Adit is laid back and seemingly thoughtless at first, and Tasya is disciplined and always thinks about progression. Your potential partners have even more depth to them, playing out through your daily encounters. Satria, the music store clerk, comes across as comically egotistical but encourages Rama to express himself. Regina, a model and Adit’s girlfriend, seems abrupt verging on rude, but softens as you spend time with her. Mira, Regina’s agent and a poet, works too hard and sometimes finds her confidence shaking. The game is full of clever and engaging dialogue, and on many occasions, I found myself openly laughing at one of Tasya’s sarcastic remarks or Regina’s barbed quips.
Too often, abrasive story beats threw me off course, like a mistimed chord interrupting a symphony. In particular, the idea of Rama continuously speaking to Cinta is fascinating at first, as are his companions’ reactions to his frequent pausing and odd comments. As this continues, it begins to feel awkward before becoming actively oppressive. The changing tone may be in tune with Afterlove EP’s exploration of loss and death, but it comes across as wrong in a game that otherwise wants to evoke the cosy life-sim vibes of other titles. Having the disembodied voice of your deceased partner with you on dates is offputting and kills the romance deader than disco. How bad this is depends on your interpretation of events. At best, she is a literal ghost and you spend time making her watch you sweet-talk your new love interests. At worst, Rama is using Cinta’s memory to aid him in his conquests, making her affirmations of his behaviour even stranger.
I am also not fond of the frequent hostile reactions from characters Rama deals with, especially Adit and Tasya. Seemingly innocent conversations are regularly derailed by snide remarks or vitriolic character assassinations that can become wearisome. When a date seems like it is building to a crescendo, something happens that sends it stumbling into the pits. It’s all very circular too. We learn the chorus, and then we repeat it over and over until the game ends.
I suspect that some may find this more appealing than I, especially as there is much to like here. Whenever I triggered a memory of Cinta, accompanied by comic-book animations, I found them charming, especially as Rama and Cinta reflect on those moments together. Other wonderful experiences await, such as coming to know Mira’s love of literature and exploring her insecurities, getting Regina to open up about her interests, and taking part in Satria’s life outside of the music shop. It’s a shame that, like Rama, these aspects play their own music but don’t work as well in an ensemble.
I found other elements of the gameplay to be weak as well. When making dialogue choices, the game presents options that frequently seem nearly identical, shattering the illusion of control that visual novels benefit from. For the busking side-activity, Afterlove EP chooses not to use the rhythm minigame but encourages you to select lyrics, accompanied by dreary music. Needless to say, I did not engage with it frequently.
The music itself, performed by the Indonesian group L’alphalpha, forms a key part of the experience, filling Afterlove EP with a familiar indie sound. The music captures the soulful moods of Rama’s more introspective songs but also delivers music to jump around to in classic indie-rock fashion. While no particular tracks stand out as especially memorable, the overall quality is high and supports the sense that Rama is on his way up in the alternative music scene.
By Afterlove EP’s closing moments, I was happy to take the needle from the vinyl and put the record back in its sleeve. I will file it away in the collection, an imperfect album, with some standout tracks that make the filler worthwhile.
