Review: Afro Samurai (Xbox 360/Playstation3)

He’s an expert samurai, he’s looking for the man who killed his father and he’s not happy. Oh, and he’s voiced by the inimitable Samuel L. Jackson.

Afro Samurai, the video game, is an edgy hack-and-slash with attitude, much like the Japanese manga cartoon that it’s based on.

Here’s the back story:

Afro, as a child, witnesses the death of his father. By killing his father, the assassin claims the position of Number One – greatest fighter in the land.

As the Number One, only the Number Two can challenge for the title and Afro works through hordes of challengers to earn the Number Two position and a date with destiny.

Accompanying Afro is Ninja Ninja, a foul-mouthed mystical observer with a white afro who doesn’t help out much in the battles. He does occasionally point the way if Afro gets lost and offers advice from time to time, but that’s it. Jackson also gives Ninja Ninja life through his voice.

Being a samurai, Afro is skilled with his sword. As he progresses through the game, new skills and abilities are unlocked, expanding the depth in which he can cause pain and death.

The game excels at the sheer number of skills available to be unlocked.

Besides regular cut-em-up combos, Afro has the ability to “focus,” slowing down time to concentrate on slicing up enemies with intricacy. By focusing, Afro can lop off arms, legs, heads or other pieces of body.

This is the other area where Ninja Ninja comes into play. He can launch an impromptu mini-game of “Body Part Poker,” where Afro can gain upgrades by building a card hand by using hands, heads, arms or whatever else he can slice off within a given time period.

Afro can also “pounce,” a quick reaction to an attack that puts Afro perched on an enemy’s shoulder, where he can exact even more punishment.

Leveling up expands Afro’s repertoire and progress through the game opens up new challenges, including deflecting bullets and slicing up mortar shells.

Along the way, Afro encounters death, both intentional and inadvertent. The game doesn’t skimp on the blood and carnage. Neither does it spare the player of an abundance of profanity, often driven by the rap music of The RZA.

As with many of these hack-and-slash games, the camera is a big problem. With no enemy lock-on (except when in hyperfocus), it’s very easy to flail at everyone and no one at the same time. In tight spots, visibility is seriously encumbered by the wonky camera angles.

The game also at times drifts into repetitiveness, with waves of the same enemies seemingly added just to prolong a stage. There are also points in the game where abilities are not thoroughly explained, leaving a player no choice but to seek help on the internet.

One instance is the ability to throw enemies, a necessary talent in some levels. To do so, Afro must parry an attack, pounce on the enemy and aim the left thumbstick in the direction to throw. The game never makes that combo clear.

On the upside, the storyline is compelling and the voice acting is superlative.

The game visually matches the manga, drawn in subtle colors and strong lines. Split screen scenes, much like comic books, come into play to advance the story.

Afro Samurai is brutal, vulgar and highly entertaining.

Platform: Xbox 360/Playstation 3

Rating: Mature

Manufacturer: Namco Bandai

Score: 7.5 ninja chilies

/>