Afro Samurai Review (Xbox 360)
Category: Reviews Published Date Written by Alphabox
Afro Samurai is the first game from Bandai Namco’s new Surge division. It is based off of the hit anime series by the same name. If you are already thinking that games based off of television shows and movies suck 90% of the time, you are correct. I have played them all (Even the Hulk? Yes, even the Hulk) and the bad rap these games get is well deserved. Nevertheless, I had just finished watching the anime series and I was very excited to play the game.
From the first close up of Afro’s eyes and Ninja Ninja waking him up I was hooked. Visually they nailed the art style of the series. It felt like I was controlling an episode of the show. Combine that with Samuel L. Jackson and the rest of the anime cast doing the voice work, plus a soundtrack produced by the RZA, and we are off to a good start.
If you haven’t seen the anime, the story may not make much sense to you. Go watch it. It is only five twenty-two minute episodes. The story is an excellent companion piece to the series. It explains parts that are left out of the anime or not explored in detail. It also allows you to play memorable moments from the series such as the fight against Kuma. The biggest surprise to me was the number of times I laughed while playing. The amount of one-liners spit out by Ninja Ninja in the game made me laugh on more than one occasion.
So far the visuals and sound have been way above par. The story could have explained things better for new comers to the Afro world, but not a bad start. But how is the game play? The combat is hack and slash with controls similar to the God of War series. You can make your way through the game just button mashing. I suggest you take the time to learn just a few of the combos because the amount of blood you will spill and limbs you set free will be greatly increased. I can’t decide if the “dripping afro sheen” or the “back and ‘fro” is the best-named combo. I couldn’t even unlock all of the combos in one play through. During combat you can use focus mode which is slow motion. Focus mode allows you to enjoy all the different ways to slice and dice your enemies. The major problem with the game play is the camera. It was fine in wide open spaces, but when the action moved to a confined space it had a tendency to get lost. Camera issues and button mashing aside, Afro Samurai is a solid third-person action game.
Afro was a short game only lasting seven or eight hours. If you want to unlock all moves and get all achievement/trophies, you would have to play through a second time. I cannot remember the last time I played a game based on a movie or television show that I enjoyed this much. Afro Samurai does a good job of erasing the bad reputation that usually accompanies games based off of a popular movie or series. Score is 7.5 out of 10.