Fading Afternoon review

Art-house Yakuza, anyone? 

In the West, the Asian gangster genre is often tragically overlooked. Films such as Wong Kar-wai’s Fallen Angels, Jia Zhangke’s Ash in Purest White, and at least a third of Takeshi Kitano’s body of work all masterfully reconnoiter the criminal underworld. Expectedly, each film emphasizes elements such as allegiance to a group, the threat of bodily danger, and the thrill of criminal activity.

But what might not be anticipated is how existential these films can be. Each views life as transient. Blissful moments are often cherished- whether it’s the serenity extracted from a long drag on a cigarette or the splendor of a radiant sunset. Often, the world is an ugly place that occasionally forces us to do some heinous things. But it’s also brimming with transcendent beauty, the genre reminds us.

Ephemeral Elegance

Exquisiteness might be one of first things you’ll notice about solo developer Yeo’s Fading Afternoon. Following The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa and Arrest of a Stone Buddha, the recent Switch release offers another glimpse into the particulars of organized crime. But instead of a high school gang leader or hitman, you step into the role of Seiji Maruyama, who returns to town after serving a lengthy prison sentence.

Nearly every few minutes, you’ll witness the grandeur of life. From an evening illuminated by the radiance of hundreds of high-rise windows to a playground blanketed with fresh snow, Yeo repeatedly documents the attractiveness of urban life. Undoubtedly, the game’s panoramic shots wouldn’t be out of place in a feature film. And given Maruyama’s terminal illness, each backdrop also channels poignancy. After all, things seem more exquisite when it’s the last time you might see them.

Control the City, Go Fishing, Find Romance

Another quality you’re poised to notice is how little handholding Fading Afternoon offers. Yeo’s works are the antithesis of triple-A game design, eschewing handholding, detailed explanations of how things work, or almost any sense of linear progression. At the beginning of the game, you’ll have a succinct conversation with the family mob boss, Azuma. He explains that your territory has been overrun by the Ando, Harada, and Tanaka clans while you were in prison. After providing some spending money and a month’s worth of rent, Azuma asks for your help in regaining control of the city.

But how you spend your concluding days is completely up to you. Sure, there are some basic structural elements. Maruyama’s maximum health is displayed on screen (and starts about half-full because he’s middle-aged) and gradually depletes with each passing day. Damage sustained from activities like fights will siphon away your vitality, but you can recoup some of it by sleeping, visiting onsen, or grabbing some food at a local restaurant. Fading Afternoon’s only other constraint is being able to visit three locations across each simulated week. First, you’ll be forced to take the train to get around. But earn enough money and you can purchase a car to drive around. And that’s not the only treat you can save for.

Afternoon’s defiantly hand-on approach means you’ll have limited guidance and near-complete autonomy. Realistically, your conversations with other characters are convincingly abrupt, rather than the explicit directives offered by most game NPCs. Unmistakably, Yeo wants you to explore the game’s detailed biosphere, discovering new people and surreptitiously trigger different events. But a yakuza member should be ready for anything, right?

Decisions Matter

It’s exceedingly likely that your first few playthroughs won’t result in any kind of traditional expositional payoff. Likely, the game might end unceremoniously. But across each additional playthrough it’s possible to take the story in a new direction, shirking your underworld ambitions to find love or escape the city and spend your last days fishing. In the interest of not spoiling things, there’s a lot of different directions Fading Afternoon can go in. For some, discovering these different avenues will be worth the price of admission.

However, those attracted to Afternoon for its malleable storytelling might be put off by the game’s fighting. Yes, the pugilism and gunplay are a respectable metaphor for combat, requiring both practice and precise timing before players can neutralize knife-wielding attackers or dodge a flung bottle. Certainly, the game’s moveset can’t be faulted, allowing Maruyama to punch, grapple, throw, counter, and roundhouse adversaries.

But for some, learning how to neutralize the different types of adversaries will be tough, especially since the game only has a single difficulty setting. As you endure, enemies become more resilient and threaten to steal larger amounts of health, which could exasperate players without seasoned reflexes. Occasionally, fundamental actions aren’t designed around convenience, with the game leaning a bit too far into context-based inputs. Ideally, Fading Afternoon would use more than two of the Switch’s face buttons.

Conclusion

Like a veteran yakuza lieutenant, Fading Afternoon can be unapproachable, offering little assistance for new recruits. This approach can be daunting at first, but it’s undoubtedly premeditated, encouraging you to explore the game’s intricately crafted world. There might not be many visible character stats, but this is accomplished role-playing.

Fading Afternoon was played on Switch with review code provided by the publisher.