Afro Samurai (Quick Review)

The game is Afro Samurai; based on the popular anime series of the same name.
With the voice talents of Samuel Jackson you already have a recipe for success. Afro is the anti hero so to speak of. He is a master of his craft yet his reckless abandonment dictates a less than disciplined practitioner of the sacred arts.

As with any great martial arts storyline this is a story of discovery mixed with what appears to be that of revenge. Actually to say revenge is a bit of an understatement as Afro pretty much hates everyone and hates those even more that stand in his way to the number one headband.

The number one headband being held by his murdered father.

This game is the story of Afro in search of the number one headband which rightfully belonged to his father. The story is not so much that Afro should be the wearer of “number one” just that only his father should be the wearer so the person who has it must be punished. This is a very dark and foreboding story with a level of violence that has those anti video game lobbyists tickled pink. The violence is graphic to say the least yet done in an artistic manner. When I say violence is artistic its not to say it beautiful it is the application of violence that when it fits the objective of the writer can make sense. This allows something to fit rather than seem gratuitous. The violence in this game was not done because it could be done; it matches the torment of the main character.

The graphics were great with imagery that matches the series perfectly. With a game made after an external property it is extremely important that authenticity be upheld.

The sound is excellent, again true to the series. Complete with the omnipresent Ninja Ninja character done only the way Samuel Jackson could. The audio is a hip hop mashup similar to the way Samurai Champloo has been done. The mixing of period music with the hip hop beats added at just the right moments. The music score itself helps the player within the game. It helps to set a mood as well as help to guide the severity of the scene.

The game more or less is a button mashing action title with a small bit of platformer style thrown in. This is not a bad formula, it just often times leads to a game that seems to drag on. This game seems to leave you feeling like your playing an adventure / mission based game. There is a lot more depth to the gameplay than just mashing buttons. In most instances you must perform combos or find ways to level the playing field. Sometimes this can be done by throwing an opponent into an incendiary device or into another form of destructive outcome.

What drives the game more than anything in my opinion is the storyline. You actually feel the frustration that Afro goes through and eagerly want to reach the final outcome. I give credit to the writers for putting together such a great storyline. They didn’t make a game to promote the show. This is a standalone title that just so happens to be a great tv show.

I don’t know that I would say this is a must buy; however renting it could get expensive as I feel it will take a couple times at least to complete the game. As well as your main objective there are lots of secrets to be had which will definitely keep you busy with the replay value.

Article By. Burn