Revenge of the Afro

Published February 4, 2009

There roams a man in feudal Japan whose every breath is stained with unquenchable grief and whose every action is born from a rage tempered only by meditation. He leaves his talking to his katana, a blade that turns dismemberment into sweet poetry, disembowelment into an act of delicate grace.

The 'fro's got business to tend to.

This man, whose ever-present smoke dangles languidly throughout even the most tumultuous chaos, and whose majestic afro sits atop a bony frame of hardened sinew, is on a mission. His name is Afro Samurai and he will have his revenge.

While little of Ninja Ninja's dialogue is repeatable in a family friendly forum, his stream-of-consciousness-style ranting is priceless in its outlandish excess and hilarity.

Number One
For those unfamiliar with the anime series, Afro Samurai® follows the exploits of its titular hero on his quest to track down and take vengeance upon his father's murderer, a man called Justice and the bearer of the Number One Headband. If young Afro is to fulfill his destiny and cut down the murdering Justice, he must best the owner of the Number Two Headband in deadly combat. Only then, as the bearer of Number Two, may Afro rightfully challenge Justice and satiate his long burning thirst for vengeance.

Of course, no hero's tale carries itself to completion without obstacles, and Afro Samurai is no different. Beyond the endless waves of evil ninjas set to do our young hero mischief, Afro must also first discover the identity of the owner of the Number Two Headband before undertaking his true mission.

Never at a loss for words is Ninja Ninja.

Samuel L's Reprisal
Fans of the series can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that Samuel L. Jackson reprises his role as Ninja Ninja and Afro himself (in adult form) for the game. Mr. Jackson is in full charismatic cry throughout, taunting and needling Afro as Ninja Ninja, a mysterious ghost-like character that acts as an outlet for Afro's repressed emotions.

While little of Ninja Ninja's dialogue is repeatable in a family friendly forum, his stream-of-consciousness-style ranting is priceless in its outlandish excess and hilarity. This is one character you won't soon forget, and in all probability will find yourself quoting long after you've played the game or watched the series.

Afro Action
The gameplay centers primarily on swift-paced and acrobatic third-person sword fighting, with X (light), Y (strong) and B (kick) attacks strung together to create fluid and deadly combinations. The flow and feel of the action is very much akin to what so many have loved in the Ninja Gaiden series.

Where Afro separates itself from the pack is through its use of slow-motion Focus attacks. String together enough combos to trigger Focus mode, then unleash vicious and dazzling blows.

When using Focus Mode, you can adjust the angle of your blade for maximum gory effect. For example, adjust ever so slightly to one side to whip your blade through three enemies rather than just two. Or tilt your blade slightly upward to take off an enemy's head from the eyeballs up, rather than the more pedestrian neckline decapitation.

Oh yes, this is gonna be good.

Beyond the single-attack Focus strikes, tapping the Left Bumper puts you into a Focus rampage (provided you built up enough combos), sending you jumping from one enemy to the next, delivering rapid-fire limb-chopping blows, and dispatching large groups in a single blood-soaked sequence.

Also worthy of note is Afro's defensive measures. These include the ability to somersault or roll out of the way while in Focus mode, as well as employ an active parry (hit block just before an enemy blow lands), which will stun your enemy and allow you to launch your own offensive sequence.

While the majority of gameplay is focused squarely on dazzling, acrobatic combat, Afro also must apply his athletic prowess to a series of light platforming sections throughout the game. These sequences help break up the action and find Afro wall-running, leaping, wall-jumping, and a good deal more besides in order to traverse tricky environments.

In a nice touch, the game occasionally embellishes your agile exploits with dynamic slow-motion. This is particularly welcome after, say, Afro completes a long chain of platforming with a sweet backflip onto a ledge high above.

Afro Samurai for Xbox 360® works as both an excellent retelling of Afro's original revenge story and a third-person action game heavy on stylish and strategic thrills. Whether you adore the series or you just love quality fast-paced action titles, this game has something to offer.

Article by Ryan Treit