Info about Fading Afternoon:

Official game description:
  
You play as Seiji Maruyama, a middle-aged yakuza recently released from prison. Old tropes are here but you can choose to not follow them. The question is — does anything really matter that much now?  
The game features:  
\- Multi-endings;  
\- Complex beat'em up action;  
\- Mini-games;  
\- City to explore.

Release date: 14 Sep, 2023

Categories: Beat 'em up, Open-World Exploration, Single-player Story, Multiple Endings, Life Simulation, Character Management, Mini-game Collection


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Engaging & Fluid Combat (weight 0.68): The combat system is highly praised for its engaging, fluid, and diverse mechanics, offering a satisfying experience with various combos and animations. Players find it enjoyable and well-designed, allowing for creative expression.
- Artistic & Aesthetic Masterpiece (weight 0.52): The game is lauded for its artistic merit, including beautiful pixel art, captivating atmosphere, and a well-executed theme. Reviewers consider it a masterpiece with a touching and immersive narrative, enhanced by its visual and auditory presentation.
- Deep Mechanics & Replayability (weight 0.48): The game offers significant depth and replayability through its numerous mechanics, non-linear design, and multiple endings. Players appreciate the vast amount of content and the unique experiences each playthrough provides, encouraging experimentation.
- Varied & Deep Storylines (weight 0.33): The story is highly praised for its variability, emotional depth, and numerous branching paths and endings. Each playthrough offers new discoveries and a rich narrative that keeps players invested and provides a deeper understanding of the characters.
- High Immersion & Freedom (weight 0.27): The game offers high player freedom and deep immersion into the protagonist's life and the game world. Various activities and meticulous details enhance the role-playing experience, allowing players to truly inhabit the character and explore the environment.
- Immersive Atmosphere & Music (weight 0.23): The game excels in creating a strong, immersive atmosphere through its detailed locations, fitting music, and subtle environmental elements. These details contribute significantly to the overall ambiance and player immersion.
- Yakuza Film-like Tone (weight 0.21): The game successfully evokes the melancholic and brutal tone of classic Yakuza films, offering a thought-provoking narrative with themes of brotherhood, betrayal, and life's impermanence. It provides a unique and impactful emotional experience.
- Improved Over Predecessors (weight 0.2): The game is considered a significant improvement over the developer's previous titles, particularly 'Friends of Ringo Ishikawa,' offering more gameplay options, refined mechanics, and a richer experience. It is often hailed as the developer's best work to date.
- Developer Responsiveness (weight 0.09): The developer is commended for their diligent efforts in fixing bugs and their overall commitment to improving the game. This responsiveness is appreciated by the community, especially given it's a solo developer.
- Diverse Side Activities (weight 0.08): The game offers a wide array of engaging side activities and mini-games, such as billiards, karaoke, fishing, and gambling. These activities contribute to the game's depth and provide additional ways for players to interact with the world.
- Few Bugs & Good Localization (weight 0.08): The game generally has few or no significant bugs, and its localization efforts, particularly in Chinese and Spanish, are well-received. This indicates a polished experience for many players.

Common complaints:
- Poor Guidance & Clarity (weight 0.96): Players consistently report a lack of clear guidance, tutorials, and mission objectives, making it difficult to understand how to progress the main story, manage time, or explore different plot lines. This leads to confusion, aimless wandering, and a sense of wasted effort.
- Prevalent Game Bugs (weight 0.84): The game is plagued by numerous bugs, including those that prevent story progression, cause game crashes, lead to loss of in-game currency, or trap the player in specific locations. Many of these issues have persisted since launch, significantly impacting the player experience.
- Protagonist Health Decay (weight 0.7): The protagonist's health constantly decreases due to illness, often leading to death before plot completion and forcing restarts. This mechanic, combined with limited recovery options, creates a sense of urgency and frustration, making it difficult to explore or enjoy the game at a leisurely pace.
- Clunky & Confusing Controls (weight 0.69): The game's controls are frequently described as clunky, inconvenient, and confusing, especially when using a keyboard or gamepad. This impacts combat effectiveness and overall player comfort, contributing to frustration during gameplay.
- Unskippable Cutscenes (weight 0.57): The game features unskippable and sudden cutscenes that can interrupt gameplay or introduce timed missions without clear indication. This design choice can be disruptive and contribute to player frustration.
- Restrictive Save System (weight 0.56): The game's lack of a manual save system and single auto-save slot forces players to restart frequently, leading to repetitive early game content and frustration when mistakes or bad choices ruin progress or endings. This design choice makes the game feel unforgiving and tedious.
- Strict Time Constraints (weight 0.32): Strict time constraints, often linked to the protagonist's health decay, limit what players can accomplish in each in-game day. This forces a constant rush, prevents exploration of all content, and contributes to a feeling of being overwhelmed.
- Repetitive & Unfair Combat (weight 0.19): The combat system is criticized for being repetitive, lacking depth, and having limited options, especially in early stages. Specific encounters are deemed unfairly difficult due to enemy types and limited evasion, leading to frustration.
- Kato Gameplay Issues (weight 0.08): Playing as the character Kato is less enjoyable due to a limited moveset that makes combat against certain enemy types more drawn out and difficult. Additionally, the process of managing subordinates and territory information is overly complex.
- Frustrating Bottle Throwers (weight 0.07): Enemies who throw bottles are a significant source of frustration due to their auto-aiming, missile-like attacks and the difficulty of avoiding them in certain level designs. This specific enemy type is consistently highlighted as annoying.
- Overly Prescriptive Design (weight 0.06): The game's design feels overly prescriptive, punishing players for not adhering to the developer's intended 'correct' way of playing. This creates a sense of being forced into specific optimal schedules rather than allowing player freedom.
- Inferior to Prior Game (weight 0.06): Some players express disappointment that the game does not live up to the quality or feeling of the developer's previous title, 'The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa,' citing less freedom and a less impressive overall experience.

Gameplay feedback:
- Deep Combat System (weight 0.4): The combat system is deep and strategic, featuring a variety of moves, counter-attacks, and weapon usage. The protagonist starts with a vast arsenal of skills, allowing for diverse combat approaches, including instant kills and disarming enemies.
- Multiple Endings & Replayability (weight 0.39): The game features multiple endings and story branches, encouraging replayability. Players cannot experience all content in a single playthrough and must restart to explore different choices, as there is no manual save and only one save slot.
- Decreasing Health Mechanic (weight 0.35): The protagonist suffers from a terminal illness, causing their maximum HP to constantly decrease, creating a sense of urgency and a race against time. This mechanic is central to the game's design and narrative, emphasizing the character's limited lifespan.
- Life Simulation & Management (weight 0.35): The game incorporates life simulation elements, requiring players to manage daily schedules, money, and time. Players can engage in various activities like exploring locations, interacting with gangs, recruiting subordinates, and managing turf, adding depth beyond combat.
- Money Carry-Over Mechanic (weight 0.07): A unique mechanic allows players to carry over money to subsequent playthroughs by entrusting it to an NPC. This encourages strategic financial management across multiple runs.
- Genre Blend & Comparisons (weight 0.07): The game is described as a mix of genres, drawing comparisons to 'Samurai Way' and 'Shenmue'. It combines walking and fighting elements within a Yakuza setting, offering both peaceful and combat-oriented paths.
- Rich Storyline Focus (weight 0.06): The game is primarily story-driven, offering a rich narrative experience with many activities for the player to engage in. The focus is on the unfolding storyline and player choices within it.
- Prison Release Premise (weight 0.06): The game's narrative begins with the protagonist's release from prison, setting the stage for their journey to rebuild their gang and navigate the criminal underworld.

Performance notes:
- Technical issues and bugs (weight 0.05): Players reported various bugs and glitches, especially around the game's release, including issues with scene transitions and crashes when interacting with enemies. These technical problems negatively impacted the gameplay experience.
- Excellent Steam Deck performance (weight 0.02): The game is well-optimized for the Steam Deck, providing a smooth and enjoyable experience on the portable device. This indicates good performance and compatibility for a specific hardware platform.

Recommendations:
- Highly Recommended Game (weight 0.23): Many players highly recommend the game, praising it as an excellent and enjoyable experience. It is often described as a must-play, especially for fans of pixel art.
- Niche Audience Appeal (weight 0.09): The game is recommended for specific niches, including fans of beat 'em up games, those who appreciate Yakuza or noir themes, players who enjoyed the developer's previous works, and Dark Souls enthusiasts.
- Improved Save & Guidance (weight 0.06): Players desire improved save options, specifically requesting manual save slots. They also hope for better in-game guidance, such as clearer mission prompts, to enhance the user experience.
- Price Point Concerns (weight 0.05): Some players believe the game's current price is too high, suggesting it should be bought only during sales or for a much lower price point. One reviewer specifically highlighted the background music as a reason for recommendation.
- Health System Changes (weight 0.04): Players suggest changes to the health system, specifically recommending the removal of the constantly decreasing health cap and the addition of progression elements to strengthen the protagonist.
- Controller Recommended (weight 0.03): Players suggest that the game's control experience could be improved, with some recommending the use of a controller for a better gameplay experience.
- Support Indie Developer (weight 0.03): Reviewers encourage players to purchase the game to support the indie developer and their efforts, suggesting it as a way to motivate new content and fixes.
- Wait for Guides (weight 0.02): For players who find trial-and-error gameplay tedious, it is suggested to wait for a wiki or guide to be available, implying a lack of in-game clarity.
- Stronger Exploration Hints (weight 0.02): Players suggest that the game should provide stronger hints for exploration, indicating that current exploration guidance is insufficient.
- Add Collection Elements (weight 0.02): A suggestion was made to add collection elements, such as an ending album, to enhance replayability and provide additional content for players.
- Anticipate Future Updates (weight 0.02): Players express anticipation for future updates, indicating a desire for continued development and new content for the game.

Other player notes:
- Strong atmosphere and pixel art (weight 0.13): The game features a strong atmosphere and impressive pixel art, which significantly contribute to the overall mood and visual appeal. The animations are also noted for their quality, especially for a pixel-based game.
- Passive narrative, limited interaction (weight 0.09): The game's narrative is criticized for feeling more like an observer's experience rather than an active participant's, with short, one-time use plots and non-interactive elements that do not enhance the gameplay.
- Gameplay tips: combat, housing (weight 0.04): Players are advised to engage in combat with rival families early to earn money and progress the story. Additionally, it's recommended to purchase extra hotel days to avoid homelessness, as being homeless negatively impacts respect.
- Good Steam Deck and controller support (weight 0.04): The game offers good compatibility with modern gaming setups, including full support for Steam Deck and controllers, which enhances accessibility for players.
- Excellent character expression (weight 0.04): The game's author excels at character development, effectively conveying character personalities and images through subtle details and minimal dialogue, which enriches the narrative.
- Conflicting immersion and timer (weight 0.02): The game's design choice to combine deep immersion with a reverse timer creates a conflicting experience for players, potentially hindering the enjoyment of the immersive elements.
- Low memory, runs on old PCs (weight 0.02): The game is optimized for performance, requiring low memory and being able to run smoothly on older computer systems, making it accessible to a wider range of players.
- Fix for grabbing enemies crash (weight 0.02): A specific technical issue where the game crashes when grabbing enemies can be resolved by changing the input method to a US keyboard, providing a practical solution for players.

Emotions:
- Satisfaction (weight 0.24): Players felt satisfied due to the game's rich and varied content, including its deep narrative, multiple endings, and engaging combat mechanics. The immersive atmosphere, detailed character development, and overall high quality of the game, often exceeding expectations, contributed significantly to this positive emotion.
- Frustration (weight 0.19): Frustration stemmed primarily from numerous unfixed bugs, particularly those affecting story progression and item management. Poor game design choices, such as clunky controls, lack of clear guidance, punishing save systems (single auto-save, no manual saves), and repetitive or unbalanced combat encounters, also significantly contributed to player annoyance.
- Disappointment (weight 0.11): Disappointment arose from the game's failure to meet its potential, often due to a lack of clear guidance, repetitive content, and persistent bugs. Players also expressed disappointment with unengaging story elements, shallow combat that became tedious, and mechanics like continuous health decay that hindered exploration and replayability.
- Excitement (weight 0.07): Excitement was driven by the game's engaging combat system, high replayability, and the discovery of new content across multiple playthroughs. Players were also excited by the game's overall quality, immersive ambiance, and the anticipation of future updates, often comparing it favorably to other beloved titles.
- Appreciation (weight 0.07): Players appreciated the game's unique art style, immersive atmosphere, and strong thematic depth. The creative success, brilliant gameplay, and attention to detail, including the soundtrack and localization, were also highly valued, highlighting the developers' effort and the game's distinct identity.
- Admiration (weight 0.06): Admiration was directed towards the game's exceptional story, profound character development, and overall artistic quality, particularly its pixel art and thematic depth. Players viewed the game as a masterpiece, praising the developer's progress, unique design choices, and the unforgettable experience it provided.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.03): Enjoyment was derived from the game's fun and fluid combat system, engaging story, and diverse side activities. The overall pleasant experience, including the pixel art, soundtrack, and good localization, contributed to players finding the game generally enjoyable.
- Joy (weight 0.02): Joy was experienced through the game's overall high quality, attention to detail, and immersive world. Specific elements like pleasant graphics, calm music, and a rich plot, along with the anticipation of playing the game, contributed to a feeling of happiness.
- Thoughtfulness (weight 0.02): Thoughtfulness was provoked by the game's deep thematic exploration, particularly its realistic and often unhappy endings, and the protagonist's struggle. Players engaged in deep analysis of the game's design, narrative, and the broader implications of its 'art game' concept.
- Melancholy (weight 0.02): Melancholy was caused by the game's heavy themes, the protagonist's inevitable fate, and the overall sad and desolate tone. The feeling of hopelessness and the lingering emotional impact after achieving goals, only to face a tragic ending, contributed to this somber emotion.
- Amusement (weight 0.01): Amusement arose from humorous in-game occurrences, such as losing glasses during fights and the ability to slap subordinates. Some players also found funny bugs and personal anecdotes related to the game's themes, like debt, to be amusing.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Anger was primarily caused by game-breaking bugs that severely hindered progression. Specific design flaws, such as problematic defense mechanisms and enemies constantly throwing bottles, also provoked strong negative reactions from players.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Confusion stemmed from ambiguous events, unclear story progression, and a lack of direction within the game. Players struggled with fragmented and inexplicable plot triggers, leaving them unsure of objectives or narrative coherence.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.01): Nostalgia was triggered by the game's immersive Japanese setting and its resemblance to classic beat-em-up games. The gameplay mechanics evoked a sense of familiarity and longing for older gaming experiences.
- Boredom (weight 0.01): Boredom resulted from a lack of clear guidance and repetitive gameplay loops. The story and save system also contributed to a feeling of tedium, as players found themselves repeating content without meaningful progression.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Surprise was experienced through unexpected game outcomes, such as discovering a secret achievement or encountering an unforeseen bad ending. These moments provided an element of shock and novelty for players.
- Love (weight 0.01): Love for the game was expressed due to its compelling story, engaging gameplay, appealing graphics, and high-quality music. These elements combined to create a deeply cherished experience for players.
- Contemplation (weight 0.01): Contemplation was inspired by the game's unique atmosphere and charm, prompting players to reflect deeply on its artistic qualities and overall design.
- Annoyance (weight 0.01): Annoyance was caused by the necessity of trial-and-error to figure out controls and specific frustrating design choices, such as remote defense mechanics and enemies who frequently threw bottles.
- Hope (weight 0.01): Hope was expressed for future updates, indicating players' desire for continued improvements and new content for the game.}