The Number Two Headband! =-O
For a franchise with so much potential, it is a bloody shame, a real bloody shame that Afro Samurai has failed to efficiently use the awesome credentials of the2007 anime into its HD console spin-off in 2009. Afro Samurai is a steam-punk captured and hip-hop influenced creation by Takashi Okazaki. Although during its manga run the series was relatively cult in its audience, the decision to animate Afro Samurai many years later gained the fanbase it was destined for.
The story follows the protagonist named Afro (voiced by the legendary Samuel L Jackson) and his quest to avenge the vicious murder of his father that scarred his mind as a child, haunting his memory to this day. However Afro's journey won't be an easy one as he's the holder of the sacred number two headband. Mythology pre-tells that the number two is only capable of challenging the number one and earning a promised life of immortality. As such, much of Afro Samurai is spent detailing Afro's encounters with those seeking the power the Headbands promise including a mysterious clan of ninjas known as the Empty Seven, a cyborg samurai who knew Afro as a child and a femme fatal assassin who falls in love with Afro before ironically, and tragically, dying in order to save him.
The Afro Samurai game re-tells much these encounters in an alternate fashion to the anime. Infact, it even accounts extra details into the story previously left out of the anime (such as the Daimyo story). All of the voices from the English dub are present and the game's impudent and potent iconography remains intact. Despite this though, Afro Samurai on Playstation 3 falls flat on its face, it is very disappointing work from developers Namco Bandai. The notion for this is that Afro Samurai's content ultimately plays too rough-hewn by HD standards. Afro Samurai is a hybrid brawler/action-platformer and many of the conventions of this are apparent. Unconditionally, you'll be either jumping between platforms or slicing the same bandits and ninja-look-a-likes for the millionth time for much of Afro Samurai. It grows repetitive; given Afro Samurai is a brawler first and foremost.
When God of War and Ninja Gaiden manage to make fantastic games in the same genre though it is a wonder how Namco Bandai was incapable of following the same formula and producing similar results. The answer is that they don't. Actually alot of the development choices made by Namco Bandai concerning Afro Samurai are inexplicable. There is no hud in Afro Samurai, while there might be some delightful relief in the lack of it – in particular the lack of a health bar, it isn't quite so easy to determine how much health you have left or where you can replenish it. Instead when Afro is hurt he starts to glow red as if his entire body is bleeding out which is unhelpful when you're wanting to save the teddy bears (the source of health, no joke) for healing you incase you lose health later on. More curious is that as you kill enemies blood splatters across the screen which implicates the ability to use special attacks via focus time (with a click of L1) which slows down time. However focus slows down time for both you and the enemy and ultimately is ineffective in use except for producing charged attacks.
This is also without taking in account that it is never certain how much blood splatters needs to be on the screen before you can go into overfocus (initiated with L2). Supposedly it is possible when Afro's pendant is shining but it is such an obtuse indicator that you'd probably end up taking hits trying to find it. Another obtuse indicator is Ninja Ninja (Afro Samurai's wise cracking alter ego) and his body part poker mini game. Playing this unlocks new techniques and levels up your character (although it is never explained what has been improved when you level up) but actually engaging in body part poker isn't explained anywhere, except the instructions manual. You have to find Ninja Ninja on the sidelines when in a fight. This presents two problems: One, it leaves you open to an attack especially if your enemies are fast like the robots sent by the Empty Seven. Two, Ninja Ninja tends to hide in very obscure places.
Why would be on the players bother anyway that they has to find Ninja Ninja when they get into a scrap on Afro Samurai? It just doesn't make sense. Had Namco Bandai included a radar to spot him with then perhaps this would not of been problem but the insistant lack of a HUD renders that impossible. Long story cut short a Hud system should of been used on Afro Samurai, there is nothing clever or distinct in Namco Bandai removing it. But Afro Samurai continues to cast aside alot of the regular strategies in a brawler anyway. When you're not fighting in Afro Samurai, you'll instead be wandering aimlessly around the stages. Levels will often have you explore your surroundings (rather fruitlessly) as Afro jumps ineffectively between river beds, canyon trenches and underground labs. Ofcourse it is often confusing as to where you're supposed to go next too, especially during Okiku's levels when it is difficult to spot the difference in your surroundings, a sign of poor level design.
The absolute worst example of Afro Samurai's level design is during the platform sequences of the Empty Seven Story. It has to be said that you'll have the least suspicion of how to go-about completing it as the lack of hints on where to go leaves you falling down the same series of platforms and tight gaps between jumps – over and over and over. This is excluding the interruptions of the boss fights and enemy encounters in-between. The actual combat of Afro Samurai consists of elementary combos despite the use of a specific three button combat system. Square does light attacks, triangle does powerful attacks and circle does kicks. You can blend them together to make a string of combos but you'll often find yourself performing the same commands no matter what. It doesn't help that the more complicated commands use focus which is a pain to use in any given situation. Annoyingly boss fights encourage the use of focus most commonly as it is the only way to deflect attacks, gunshots for example. You can also pounce on enemies by holding down cross near enemies and it is effective in closing robot spawn points throughout the game.
And ultimately that is Afro Samurai. The graphics of the sound and presentation are mostly solid. The load times between levels play incoherent flashbacks which often glitch out sadly as the loading finishes and the cutscenes are delicately designed. The length and pace of Afro Samurai is inconsistent. You'll find that playing the entirety of Afro's flashbacks as your first few levels as a bit disorientating especially based on how drawn out they are. Bizarrely the young Afro fights no differently to the older Afro either. Fortunately, if you were able to see Afro Samurai before playing the game, you'll be treated to a slightly altered story and more extrapolated dialogue and character added to the largely inaudible Afro. Samuel L does his best as Ninja Ninja once again with his blatant use of profanities and ironic representation of Afro's inner-self. That said, he does grow annoying because of the recycled catch-phrases that are repeated continuously later on as you kill enemies.
Graphically Afro Samurai is average. The uninspired character and level design are unimpressive and the levels/characters also lack detail due to the art style. Had it not been for the poor designs, this could of been overlooked. The game also suffers from horrific frame-rate loss during explosions and there are a number of glitch animations that could of been solved had the development team been more careful. There are also no trophies, an unfavourable loss for Afro Samurai as most PS3 games have them 2009, there isn't an excuse to not include them anymore. But that doesn't matter anyway as you can probably tell that Afro Samurai isn't worth your time. As a fan, it is a bitter pill to swallow. It is exceedingly cheap to purchase now but for the same money it's possible to also buy Devil May Cry 4, Ninja Gaiden and Conan, games a real samurai would be proud of.
