Afro Samurai in the motherf***ing building! (F*** Ninjas!)
Warning: If you are not a fan of blood, the excessive use of “mother****er”, topless female ninjas, or body parts flying everywhere then step away from this review immediately. *waits*…Good, it seems most of the internet is still here.
This warning was necessary though, as this game defines the rating M. But do not think for a second that this game is just a bloody gory game. By all means, it has that, but it is much, much more if you take the time to look. 
Information:
Developer: Namco Bandai Games
Publisher: Surge
Platforms: Playstation 3 & Xbox360
Players: 1
Genre: Action
Rating: ESRB: M
Release Date: Janurary 27, 2009
In the very first level of this odyssey I killed over 100 enemies. I sliced, kicked, and chopped them into bloody pieces which covered the floor and walls. Surrounded by enemies wave after wave I pressed on, moving towards my goal—the one thing that I have been focused on my entire life---Killing the bastard that killed my father.
Afro Samurai is set in a Japan full of pain, anger, and death. The cause of this is but just two headbands. The Number One headband belongs to the greatest warrior in the world which is believed to have the power of a God. Out of all the fighters in Japan only the wearer of the Number Two headband can challenge the Number One. Afro Samurai’s father was the Number One—before Justice decapitated him in front of his young and innocent eyes. From this tragic, scarring, and revolting confrontation begins a hatred which makes Afro Samurai’s life a world of fighting, blood, death, remorse, pain, and all the things we try to avoid.
What Afro Samurai brings us is a story very similar to Kill Bill and its anime version which was shown on Spike for a while (voiced by Samuel Jackson). As good stories do, Afro Samurai’s epic gives philosophical dilemmas and a wonderful, surprising ending. Oddly enough, if you can believe it, the story is where this unique game falls short. Dialogue, while fantastic along with the professional voice acting, is confusing and often hard to hear---Not to mention many aspects of Afro’s childhood left out along with other character’s back stories (Especially Ninja Ninja, a man who follows you and looks just like you making wise-ass funny-as-hell jokes throughout the game). On top of it all, you really have to do background research to truly understand and value this complex story. However, if you take the time though, to go beyond the credits, you will find a story that will stay with you for a long, long time. If you make it to the end of the game and watch, in awe, the final cut scene, I strongly believe you will rush to the computer to find this information too.
Afro Samurai is by all means a hack and slash game. Surge has taken away the HUD (Health Bar, map, etc.) to give allow you to become lost in the game easier and experience it for yourself. Refreshingly resulting in the health of enemies and you shown by how bloody their cloths are and how focused your screen is. If that is not enough, you heal by slicing teddy bears or killing enemies!
And as with most hack and slash games, Afro Samurai is a game in which you will probably find yourself button mashing. While, by all means, you do not need to, it actually is very refreshing to sit back button mashing and watching Afro Samurai jump and dance across the screen, slicing and kicking his way to victory. When it came time to bosses though, like the notorious Brother 6 with his ridiculously ranged flamethrower and the final boss with powers out of this world, you simply cannot rely on button-mashing at all. It took skill, timing, and strategy to beat each individual boss each in a different way. With some powerful and moving rap music by the phenomenal RZA written specifically for this game each moment in this game becomes an epic one.
Before you leave this review to go read other reviews take it from me and do not bother. I have read quite a few of them myself and have seen them go on and on about minor gripes with the game or the difficulty with the bosses I mentioned earlier. They complained about having to save then exit to view how many enemies they have killed or how many gallons of blood they spilled and how hard some bosses are. It appears that in their haste to review this game and be done with it they did not try to play the game the way it was meant to be played. No strategy, timing, or skill. Afro Samurai’s fighting can be easy but it will get hard, just like the games in the past and hopefully the game of the future as well.
If you are like me and want to do more do not fret, there are other things to do such as collect Mementos, 5 sets of 5 ravens hidden throughout a level, which gives you knew combos; but, none of that is truly necessary. If you want to rush through the game, beat it, and move on you can. If you want to find every last Memento, experience all the beautiful scenery, and truly experience all that Afro Samurai has to offer you can as well. While linear to some extent, with some nifty wall running and jumping the perceived linear levels of Afro Samurai become much larger and much fuller with life.
No doubt there are flaws, most of which lie with the story and how it is presented, but when you first put in the Afro Samurai disc get ready because you are about to go on a wild ride. With simple controls, beautiful graphics, and phenomenal music it gets very easy to get lost in this game and become one with the Afro Samurai. So, of course I have to give this game a 8.9/10. Just build your skill, work on timing, and strategize. If you do those three things you will be able to overcome any obstacle and complete you father’s dying wish—to reclaim the number one headband whilst avenging your father. The only problem for you is, everyone else wants that headband too.
