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Starting the second level of After Us is far less complicated than it may seem. When the game begins, you'll make your way through a fairly linear level that teaches you the basics of the game's platforming and introduces its world and mythology.
After that, you'll be transported to a verdant hub known as the Ark. Here, you can wander freely, and as a result, it's difficult to know where to go next. But if you're looking to start After Us' second level, it's a lot easier than it may seem.
How To Unlock The Second Level
When the game takes you back to the Ark, you will see constellations of all the various animals that represent the levels in the game. However, these levels are all still locked. Even though the dog is glowing, it's not finished yet.
There's nothing you can do around the Ark at this time, so rather than leaving the starting point in the trees, instead, push the Triangle/Y button to open up the constellation screen, and select the Dog again.
This will take you to the ending point of the level you beat at the start of the game. A new path forward has been unlocked now, and rather than any of the other animals, your only option right now is to continue forward with the Dog level.
While it seems from the menu that this is the level you've already done, the game actually doesn't allow you to replay the prologue level, and so the level named Dog is, in fact, the game's second level that you need to complete to progress.
Completing The Dog Level
The level itself is fairly straightforward. Once again, it's a linear platformer, but there is some combat introduced this time. There are also two Memories hidden in this level, which you can grab right at the end. If you're wondering how to complete the level now that you've found it (or even just how to find the Dog level Memories), read on.
When the level begins, you will be in a narrow alleyway surrounded by garbage, with floating stone platforms ahead. Jump on these and continue around right on the road you land on. This leads you to a short cutscene where you slide down a rock and jump to safety.
Here you learn how to wallride, which is done by holding R2/RT near a sandy wall or an advertising board with tattered paper covering it. The next section teaches you to climb in this fashion, stopping when you reach the open sky.
At this point, off on the southeast corner of the building, a wrecking ball will be swinging. Jump to it as it swings towards you, using double jump and dash to stick the landing. As it swings to the other side, jump off.
There's a little bit more wallriding here, before you need to drop down inside a hollowed out building on floating stones. When you come to the lamppost, don't follow around clockwise on the rocks as you will reach a dead end.
Instead, jump from the ledge to the first stone, then turn right, jumping to another stone, then to the lamppost. Avoid the plastic bags here, but they're a nuisance rather than damaging. Continue through the doorway.
Unlock Rail Grinding
At the end of this road, you will learn how to grow vegetation on vines and wires with L2/LT, then grind along them with R2/RT. This next section teaches you how to use grinding, but remember to jump off to the left when you reach the broken wire that sparks at the end and wallride to the top of the platform.
Dog Level Memories
Continue along the linear path until you reach the part where you learn how to cleanse the heart of devourers and are introduced to the game's combat. Tapping L2/LT fires a missile that will turn the slumped over stone figures into light and dust, but at this stage they don't fight back so it's not exactly combat yet.
Make sure to get the devourer immediately on the right after the tutorial screen though as this will unlock the first Memory.
Continue making your way through the podiums, gradually descending. As you reach the floating cars and the wider area with oil spills, the sitting devourer off to the right as soon as you land has the second Memory.
Beyond this, you will have the first actual combat section as two of the devourers attack. They each take three hits from tapping L2/LT to be defeated, and if they get too close hold L2/LT to drive them away. After the fight, you'll see a glowing blue dot on an oil rig. Tap L2/LT next to it, and the level will end.
Return To The Ark
Once this is complete, you will again fast travel to the Ark automatically, but there's still nothing to do. Instead, you should push Triangle/Y again, which will let you choose from two levels under the Dog banner: Dog and Suburbs. Select Suburbs, and on you go.