All the talk about how Asura's Wrath is awesome prompted me to play the game, since it won in one of the categories in their GoTY. TO be honest, I haven't really seen this game nor know the fact that its part quick time event and part a hack-and-slash game. From I heard so far in those podcasts and looking at some screenshots, I did not think its like an anime until I actually played it.

From the start, when I boot up the game, what I saw was confusing. The first mission, I guess that goes along with the credits starts off as a huge armada of spaceships invading some planet filled with these lava monsters and the whole battle commences with these eight monstrous generals fighting against the lava guys. You play as Asura, one of the generals in a space harrier-type of shooter flying into space and shooting and dodging those lava enemies. It was quite a surprise that it started off as a shooter although I had not fucking clue why these guys are invading or cannot comprehend the story as far as killing dudes.

Then after defeating the first boss, Asura then gets to return to his homeland to meet his wife and daughter who is the priestess (I guess) but when he was hurried to meet the emperor. He was then framed on killing the emperor, as well as his wife and was kicked out there and was forced to live in exile. The story so far is like Dishonored with Corvo being framed of killing the Empress but in this game, from I had played, you had been framed by the 6 or so generals who wants to use/steal Asura's daughter powers to become deities or gods and reestablish their order. Fallen down to the planet, he climbs up this long pole while being greeted by a golden spider. During that, he reminices about his past and returns to where he came and the generals that are prsumed to be immortal.

Yet the game tries to conceal itself as a episodic anime show with recaps on previous shows and it almost felt like a Dragon Ball Z/Gundam Wing format of storytelling. Within every episode, there is a stylish storybook telling you what happens in between the episodes and more story generally. I somewhat like the format but seeing that I don't like anime anymore or not that much, I just don't like the plot to this.

Anyways, since its anime-based, there are certain voice actors in the game who really sounds familiar to fans of Dragonball Z and other anime such as one of the generals' voice actor is Orchimaru from Naruto and the other somewhat sounds like voice actor behind Nappa from DBZ and the narrator's voice actor also sounds familiar.

The gameplay aside from the start is like a hack and slash in the veins of God of War, there's a normal attack and there's a heavy attack although that requires to be recharged within every single use that does a AoE around your opponents. When you had beaten down that it falls down, you could do a execute move that either kills him or damages him alot. Other moves include the range that is a spread-shoot and a target rapid fire that seems useful to me although its weak. You can lock-on your opponents to face them and who dodge, recover from enemy blows and also like the execute button, you can a more powerful execution when your bar is full that severely damages or kills your opponent. This bar recharges when you damage or take damage from enemies and once full, you can activate it causing you to do more damage and can use heavy attack more than once.

In addition, certain moments like boss fights you transform into this six-armed badass doing powerful amounts of damage as well as being a badass in certain QTE moments where you are mashing yourself to hell whether lifting up a huge giant finger or successfully executing a QTE moment to either dodge or do damage. These moments are the Resident Evil 4 moment of not being able to enjoy any cutscene under stress that a QTE moment will appear and it really a pain in the ass to be at the edge of the seat waiting for it. Although there are some moments like ME2 that you could shut up someone like that huge fat general that likes to taunt Asura.

Asura itself is awesome and somewhat felt like the japanese version of Kratos with all his rage and getting vengeance on those who wronged him. He just so angry!