Afro Samurai [PS3, Xbox 360]

Posted July 5, 2009 by Benjamin Blank in Featured, Featured Home, PS3, Reviews, Xbox 360.

Reviewed on the Xbox 360

I’m a big anime fan, I grew up with Dragon Ball Z and I consider Akira to be the best film ever made. I’m also a huge Samuel L Jackson fan. From the first time I heard the Pulp Fiction speech till when he warned me about those snakes, I’ve adored him. Afro Samurai mixed those two loves, but went under the radar for me for one reason or another.

Now I am talking about the anime Afro Samurai here, and, in case you’re unfamiliar with it, let me fill you in. The story follows a young adult called Afro (who is also a samurai) and Ninja Ninja, in the quest for the number one headband. This headband is the main backbone to the Afro Samurai story and it works like this. There are two headbands, and only the owner of headband number two can challenge the owner of headband number one, and become to the greatest warrior by having it. However anyone can challenge the owner of headband number two.

Make sense? Well that’s the basic premise to Afro Samurai, both the anime and the video game, and if you already knew that then you already own the game. From playing through the 4 to 6 hour game one thing became clearer and clearer to me. Afro Samurai the video game is an Afro Samurai fan’s Mecca. I’m just going to go ahead and say it: If you like Afro Samurai and are well acquainted with the anime then don’t think twice about buying this game, It’s made for you.

What about the rest of us; people like myself who came to this game knowing little or nothing about this world? Well, we may have to give the game a little more consideration. Afro Samurai, straight away, will hit you with its simply stunning visuals and art direction, that’s to say this game looks absolutely amazing from start to finish.

With each new area bringing an even greater visual flare these are some of the greatest cel-shaded graphics ever laid to a video game. Sure Prince Of Persia may look a little better with its big open worlds and bright colours, but I’ve yet to see a 3D game come this close to actually looking like an anime. It’s in this that the game becomes obviously built for those fans of the anime, but at the same time this is also one of the game’s only three failures.

Unless you know the Afro Samurai story in and out, you’ll be left wondering what exactly is going on most of the time, it’s Spider-Man 3 all over again. Unless you know the source material, none of this will make sense. Where the anime has a few sections of no violence, or ‘parts that wouldn’t translate into gameplay,’ so the story could be fleshed out, the video game lacks all of these. Instead the epic story of the two headbands is told poorly and in a fragmented manner, like in many game conversions of films.

After a few levels I decided to read up on the anime’s storyline and once I did everything became clear. As the game progressed I was constantly disappointed in that the only reason I understood what was going on was because I read about it and not because it was being told and developed in the video game. This may sound like a small problem for those looking for a great hack ‘n’ slash experience, but so much emotional impact is lost because of this and an amazing story is simply washed away by stylistic fight scene after stylistic fight scene.

That aside what is there of the story is great, Samuel L Jackson is amazing, in fact it’s one of his most impressive voice works I’ve ever heard. Although he mainly voices Ninja Ninja he does voice Afro when he occasionally talks and to those in the know it’s obvious both are Samuel but otherwise he does a top notch job of conveying two very different personas.

On the subject of Ninja Ninja, he is a definite highlight of the game. For those new to Afro Samurai and those not, most will walk away with Ninja Ninja having the deepest impact on them. Samuel brings out a much younger version of himself to create a funny, sarcastic, immature and all around brilliantly annoying character.

It isn’t just Samuel that you’ll find pleasant on the ears though, as Ron Pearlmen, of Hellboy fame, also makes an apperance as Justice and adds the same degree of personality to his character. Even the music throughout the entire game is superb. I’m not a big fan of rap music, and Afro Samurai is dominated by it, but at the same time the soundtrack is undeniably fantastic. Mixing modern rap with oriental and traditional kung-fu tunes works to great appeal that sets the mood, giving the game the emotional impact the fragmented story line missed and never straying into clichés, coming across as some of the best work on a video game soundtrack this side of Mirror’s Edge.

All of that however wouldn’t matter if the game didn’t play well, and thankfully it does. The animations are all shockingly smooth, just go into a kick combo with Afro and you’ll see what I mean, the sword play is fast and frantic. While you’re always outnumbered it’s never frustrating or uncontrollable. This is fortunate, as the game never really offers you anything more above your three basic attacks.

Throughout the entire game you’ll find yourself switching between certain combos for certain enemies and nothing more. There’s no Devil May Cry 4 system in here, no magic system to be seen, nothing outside of sword play and kicking.  While this may sound dull, it works. At no point throughout this entire hack ‘n’ slash affair did I find myself bored with any of the gameplay or moves list.

However, that may be down to the focus attacks, hold the left trigger the screen zooms in a little and goes black and white except for some red shades (think Mad World here), you charge down an attack, unleash and chop an enemy in half, depending on exactly where the sword hits. Adding these over the top stylish attacks to a barrage of sword and kick attacks results in extremely satisfying gameplay.

With these moves you can easily move your way round a room of 20 plus enemies dispatching them with both ease and style. The whole affair looks so comic book/anime like that these fights never ever get old.

On the subject of looking like a comic book, or more precisely an anime, there are many occasions throughout the game where the camera will switch to a dramatic angle to show Afro being thrown slow-motion mid-battle. A part of the screen will tear away to show an enemy approaching or firing a gun etc.

The entire game bleeds style, the kind of style usually only home in the world of anime, but there is one last issue that pulls the game down from reaching that 9.0 spot, and that is the boss battles.

While the fights with your usual enemies may be fun boss battles, they are a constant pain and a bore to play through. Rarely will they be anything more than: block for a while, attack back, repeat. And this drags the entire ordeal down. Levels will build up epically to the conclusion that is usually more often then not a complete let down. These boss battles lack any of the kind of personality the rest of the game has. This is a shame, as there is so much potential to make these battles work.

The final battle almost has the right idea, with cut away cut scenes and mid battle monologues, but is still tied down by uninspired hack ‘n’ slash mechanics.

In the end however, if you are an Afro Samurai fan, I cannot recommend any game higher. If you’re not, then the lack of substantial story and extremely dull boss battles will bring down the short game and with zero replay value beyond concept art.

If you’re a hack ‘n’ slash fan this may be the best offering on the market in quite some time, other gamers who aren’t fans of the anime may want to consider their purchase more carefully.

Tagged as Afro, afro samurai, Anime, Comic Book, hack 'n slash, Playstation 3, Samuel L. Jackson