After Us presents itself as a captivating blend of post-apocalyptic restoration, reminiscent of Terra Nil, and engaging story-driven 3D platforming akin to Psychonauts. However, in reality, the game often feels directionless, relying heavily on clumsy platforming and repetitive combat to fill the gaps between brief, emotional encounters with various forest spirits that must be restored before reaching the end. This style of light, wordless storytelling could be forgiven if the platforming mechanics were solid enough to carry the experience. Unfortunately, in this case, they are frustratingly inconsistent.

The premise of After Us is simple: you assume the role of Gaia, an immensely powerful forest spirit, or the Spirit of Life, if you want to be more poetic about it. However, Gaia's abilities are not always executed smoothly. At times, her standard platforming movements can feel slippery, leading to accidental air dashes or a complete lack of responsiveness when attempting to glide. These issues have resulted in countless unnecessary deaths, which can be quite frustrating.

The most intriguing aspect of playing as Gaia is her ability to utilize the "heart of the forest" to restore life to the Earth, one plant or animal at a time. With a quick tap of the left trigger, Gaia can throw the heart, providing a satisfying haptic feedback. However, this ability is mostly underutilized, serving primarily as lackluster combat mechanics or infrequent moments when distant switches need to be activated. The latter becomes particularly aggravating because Gaia automatically targets objects at her altitude, requiring unnecessary extra jumps to reach the desired targets.

Moving between the game's eight visually and mechanically distinct areas, I found myself frequently navigating the open world and its connecting corridors. Additionally, by holding down the left trigger and releasing it, Gaia can unleash the heart of the forest in a radius around her, transforming nearby surfaces into vibrant grass and flowers. Although visually appealing, this effect is temporary, fading back into the Earth after a few seconds. The true purpose of this power is revealed when encountering the eight forest spirits, allowing Gaia to permanently restore them to the Ark, a central hub resembling a petting zoo for the ghostly animals collected during the journey. While it's amusing to pet a ghost dog, I couldn't help but wish for the presence of living animals instead.

In essence, that covers the essential aspects of Gaia and the thin narrative presented in After Us. The game's open world connects these forest spirits through distinct areas, and players will find themselves traversing between them, aided by a convenient fast-travel system. This allows for exploration and immersion at one's leisure.