|
|
Afro Samurai
|
|
|
|
|
|
Graphics & Sound:
If there is one thing Afro Samurai has in spades, that's style. Much like the anime series it is based on, the look and feel of Afro Samurai is very unique.
The game's cel-shaded look and hashmark shadows combined with its muted colors really helps to set a stylized Old West meets Feudal Japan tone to the overall game. Then, of course, there is the blood. Much like the anime (and Kill Bill: Vol. 1 for that matter), the blood is almost a distinct character unto itself. The splatters and sprays that erupt from the bodies as Afro slices and dices his opponents is almost beautiful ... in a morbid, gory sort of way. By the way, in case you were wondering, yes, this game is definitely M for Mature (if not for the blood, then for the language and sexual references, at least).
But what really sells the Afro Samurai feel are the audio aspects. With a solid cast (for the most part, the same one from the show) and solid hip-hop music from The RZA, without the sound, the package is less than complete. Afro Samurai's high energy music is just the right thing to keep the constant hack-and-slash action from getting too boring, which it has the potential to be since most of the game consists of being locked in an area and being attacked by wave after wave of the same five or six types of enemies.
And then, of course, there is the aforementioned voicework. Samuel L. Jackson reprises his role of both Afro and Ninja Ninja ,while Ron Pearlman once again voices his arch nemesis Justice. Other returning actors are Kelly Hu as Okiku and John DiMaggio as Brother 2. |
|
|
Gameplay:
Afro Samurai touches on the major events from the anime series, but leaves quite a few mysteries untouched that the show reveals. I must admit to not seeing the show before playing the game, but the game did inspire me to borrow the DVDs and watch the series. I was amazed by how much the game actually glazed over. While all of the major fights and the general story are very well conveyed, nuances like the creation of Afro Droid or what happened to Jinno between Afro claiming the Number Two Headband and him showing up again seeking revenge are left out. That being said, if nothing else, the game did a great job of getting me really interested in the Afro Samurai Universe and wanting to see more of it ... so I guess in that regard, it is a success.
For those that haven't seen the show or read the manga, Afro Samurai follows the title character as he sets out to take revenge for his father's death. Afro's father was the best warrior in the world, as denoted by the "Number One" headband he wore across his brow. This headband, along with the "Number Two," are powerful icons in this world. In order to claim the title of Number One, you have to kill the person currently wearing it, but the only one allowed to challenge Number One is Number Two, but anyone can challenge Number Two. So, since Afro saw his father murdered by a gunslinger known as Justice, Afro must work to gain the Number Two headband in order to hunt down his father's killer.
Afro's father died when he was really young, and the boy was found and raised at a dojo where he learned and trained to be the best swordsman in the land, and this is where the game starts off. Afro's first mission is to become Number Two, and from there, it is a long trek facing off against wave after wave of foes, both mundane and extraordinary. Besides Justice, the game's main and recurring villain is an organization known as The Empty Seven, and the brothers that rule it, and while a few of the bigger enemies might seem to work on their own, they will all be involved with The Empty Seven in one way or another.
For the most part, the game is a basic hack and slash, but there are a few aspects that cause it to really stand out. For one, there is no health bar. The only way you know how damaged you are is by a red sheen that overcomes your character model as you take damage (this also happens to your enemies). This is both good and bad because it doesn't clutter up the UI, but it also gives you a fairly subjective view of your health. There were a few times when I simply couldn't tell how damaged I was and that got a bit annoying -- at least during some of the bigger boss fights.
Another aspect that made me stand up and take notice were a few of the fights themselves - the main one being Afro's fight with his robotic double, Afro Droid. The first half of the fight isn't anything new. Here you are fighting an enemy that mimics most of your moves and can block most of your attacks. But once you defeat him the first time, he grabs you and shoots off into the sky. The fight that follows as the two of you plummet to the ground is just plain fun, and a truly different feel.
I have to say, the game is pretty short. It can be completed in 8 - 10 hours easily, but then again, the anime it follows is only five episodes long, so it's a good thing they didn't try to add a ton of extra and useless content since that would have lessened the connection between the two products.
|
|
|
Difficulty:
Afro Samurai has a few balance issues when it comes to difficulty. For the most part, the game is easy and won't cause too many problems, but then you will go up against the occasional boss that is nearly impossible to beat (though that boss is typically Brother 6 from the Empty Seven). In Brother 6's case, you first have to face him wielding a flamethrower and this battle alone was almost enough to make me quit playing the game. After a lot of work (and I'll admit it, Internet research), I realized the only way to beat him was with a move whose instructions were only briefly shown to me earlier in the game. A similar move is required to take him out the second time (this time he has an RPG) and yet again, for the last fight against this green-clad menace.
Another aspect added to Afro Samurai to make the non-boss fights tougher is the ability for some characters to dodge your attacks, but these always felt very cheap. A lot of times, these dodges happened whenever you went into Focus Mode. No matter what some characters were doing when you entered that mode, they would immediately go into a dodge that would allow them to avoid whatever attack you were starting (vertical or horizontal). This was annoying at first, but eventually I got the hang of actually waiting for them to fall back into my range before releasing the attack, but that didn't stop how cheap it felt. This was also the case with a few of the boss fights, most notably, the last time you go up against Brother 6 (who you have to attack from behind, but his quick feet make that a hard task to do).
|
|
|
Game Mechanics:
Afro Samurai has a lot of elegance to its simplicity. For one thing, there isn't a complicated skill tree or leveling up system in the game. It is basically Afro and his sword. As you take out enemies, your character levels up. All leveling up really seems to do is unlock combos and some special moves. While the game could easily degenerate into a button-masher, there are quite a few of those special skills that will be required in order to get past certain areas (or certain bosses to be more specific).
Early in the game, you unlock the ability to go into Focus Mode by holding down (LT). In this mode, enemies slow down and you are allowed to charge and aim your attacks to deal more damage. If you get off a solid cut, then your enemies will end up split down (or across) whatever path your sword traveled. As you level up, the number of charged slices you can do while focused as well as the number of enemies you can dice up at once increases. Also, entering this mode at the right time can allow you to slice bullets in half (thus hurting those around you) or bouncing them back at the person who shot them at you.
Besides those special attacks that you can do while focused, the rest of Afro's arsenal is a combination of vertical and horizontal slices with some kicks or attacks with his sheath thrown in for good measure. By the time you finish up the game, pretty much any combination of (X) and (Y) will lead to some pretty nice looking combos. The only major flaw I had with this whole system was how the game presented new abilities (like Focus Mode or the Dash Attack or bouncing bullets). Basically, some text would fly across the screen, give you a few moments to read it and then go away. If you need to re-read it, you can always go to the moves list with the (Back) button. But the game doesn't really force you to nail down the move before letting you progress. For instance, when you learn how to ricochet bullets, there is an opportunity to do it right there, but because the description wasn't very good, I couldn't figure out how to do it, so I just ran up and killed the guy normally. Unfortunately, one of the fights with Brother 6 requires you to use that move as he launches rockets at you.
While Afro Samurai has some flaws, it follows the general storyline of the show and has a great feel to it. The hack-and-slash nature of the game never really gets boring (but it might have if the game was any longer). Unfortunately, because the game itself is so short, it might only warrant a rental from everyone except the most hardcore Afro Samurai fans.
|
|
|
-J.R. Nip, GameVortex Communications AKA Chris Meyer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
