Afro Samurai
Afro Samurai, a game by Namco based on the anime film (starring Samuel L. Jackson, like the game adaptation) has very distinct graphical style and hugely over the top violence. It is gory and has a very good first impression. However, fifteen minutes in, one realises that all the style and visual panache in the world can't make bad combat good, and unfortuantely this is the fate that has beset Afro Samurai.
As I mentioned above, the game does leave a very good first impression. The violence is supported by the right amount of wise-cracking dialogue to create a solid first three levels or so. The engine is simply button mashing, but who cares when dismemberment looks this good? The game begins to grate when the platforming sections begin. This game may try to pull off these sections but they are unplayabke due to soggy controls and a terrible camera.
The tasks that you have to complete are also deeply average. Basically, kill, run, kill, jump, kill, repeat. This is all the variety the game ahs to offer, which is a shame because it could have been so much more.
Afro Samurai gets the lowest score I have yet given a game (and the lowest possible on Giant Bomb) because it takes a fresh, cool license and wrecks it. It leaves out all the wit of the film and instead caters to lowest common denominator with pretty yet unstatisfying actions and boring platforming.
