''Afro Samurai'' is an
action
Action may refer to:
* Action (narrative), a literary mode
* Action fiction, a type of genre fiction
* Action game, a genre of video game
Film
* Action film, a genre of film
* ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford
* ''Action'' (1980 fil ...
video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
for the
PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
and
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation ...
, loosely based on the
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
and
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
series
of the same name. It was announced in the February 2008 issue of
''Play'' magazine and released on January 27, 2009.
The game was developed by
Namco Bandai Games
is a Japanese multinational video game publisher headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Entertainment America and Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe, are respectively headquartered in Irvine, California and ...
and in North America, it was the first (and would end up being the only) game published under their western label, Surge. In Europe and Australia the game was released under the Namco brand instead and was distributed by
Atari Europe
Atari SA (formerly Infogrames Entertainment SA) is a French video game holding company headquartered in Paris. Its subsidiaries include Atari Interactive#Infogrames subsidiary, Atari Interactive and Atari, Inc. (1993–present), Atari, Inc. It ...
.
Gameplay
''Afro Samurai'' is a
3D brawler with platforming elements. Most levels culminate in a boss fight, which become more frequent as the game progresses.
The game features a
cel-shaded animation
Cel shading or toon shading is a type of non-photorealistic rendering designed to make 3-D computer graphics appear to be flat by using less shading color instead of a shade gradient or tints and shades. A cel shader is often used to mimic ...
style. In a combat system designed by
Monty Oum
Monyreak Oum ( ; June 22, 1981 – February 1, 2015) was an American web-based animator and writer.
Oum attracted attention within the gaming community after releasing an animated video in 2007, titled ''Haloid'', where characters from the ''Halo ...
, the player will use hits, kicks, and sword slashes against various enemies. There is also a magic pendant which can slow down the time and allows performing special moves. Even though it is a
hack and slash
Hack and slash, also known as hack and slay (H&S or HnS) or slash 'em up, refers to a type of gameplay that emphasizes combat with melee-based weapons (such as swords or blades). They may also feature projectile-based weapons as well (such as ...
game, the fighting is slow-paced while relying on combos and thus friendly for newbies. At certain points "Body Part Poker" will appear, where the player must cut off specific things at the right moment to collect body part cards and win achievements.
Plot
It is said that the warrior who becomes "Number One" will rule the world, wielding powers akin to a god. Someone becomes Number One only by killing the previous Number One and taking his ceremonial headband. However, only the "Number Two" is allowed to challenge the Number One. Because of this, few people ever reach Number One because the Number Two headband is constantly changing owners.
Afro's father was the old Number One until he was brutally killed by a gunman named Justice, an event witnessed by Afro as a child. Now an adult, Afro Samurai is the current Number Two and a master
swordsman
Swordsmanship or sword fighting refers to the skills and techniques used in combat and training with any type of sword. The term is modern, and as such was mainly used to refer to smallsword fencing, but by extension it can also be applied to a ...
who seeks
revenge
Revenge is committing a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, be it real or perceived. Francis Bacon described revenge as a kind of "wild justice" that "does... offend the law ndputteth the law out of office." Pr ...
on Justice. Lengthy
flashbacks throughout the story detail how Afro rose from a frightened boy fleeing the death of his father to a brutal samurai warrior, and eventually became the current "Number Two". The story in the present deals with the adult Afro making his way to the mountain top keep of the "Number One" to duel Justice, while at the same time battling a mysterious cult known as the Empty Seven Clan as their agents repeatedly try to kill Afro and take his Number Two headband.
Ultimately, Afro discovers that Justice is already long dead, rendering his quest meaningless. After defeating a hallucination of Justice in single combat, Afro realizes that the headbands only bring pain and death. He throws them into an abyss, choosing to end the cycle of violence for good.
Development
Voice acting and music
All of the main characters are voiced by the same actors as in the anime.
Mary Elizabeth McGlynn
Mary Elizabeth McGlynn Blum (born October 16, 1966)Birthday references:
*
* is an American voice actress, ADR director and singer best known for her involvement in music production in multiple games from the ''Silent Hill'' series, and her ex ...
served as the voice director, while the hip hop producer
RZA was behind the soundtrack of the game.
Downloadable content
The game's credits reveal that Namco Bandai commissioned a TV screenwriter, Peter Saji, to produce a storyline for a downloadable episode. In an interview, Saji admitted that multiple downloadable episodes are in production, but could not provide a release date.
Reception
The game was given moderate reviews, resulting in the
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
score of 65/100.
Namco Bandai posted on its fiscal year report that the game sold 420,000 copies across all platforms in the US and Europe.
Sequel
An episodic sequel was announced in June 2015, called ''
Afro Samurai 2: Revenge of Kuma''. Volume 1 was released on
PlayStation 4
The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...
, and
PC on September 22, 2015, nationwide. In November 2015, the game was removed from the
PlayStation Store
The PlayStation Store (PS Store) is a digital media store available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 game consoles via the PlayStation Network.
The store offers a range of downloadable content ...
and
Steam
Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization ...
with volumes 2 and 3 being cancelled due to negative reception. The
Xbox One
The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...
version was also never released.
References
External links
Official website*
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Afro Samurai (Video Game)
2009 video games
3D beat 'em ups
Action video games
Bandai Namco games
Hack and slash games
Namco beat 'em ups
PlayStation 3 games
Post-apocalyptic video games
Single-player video games
Video games about cults
Video games about ninja
Video games about samurai
Video games based on anime and manga
Video games developed in Japan
Video games featuring black protagonists
Video games scored by Howard Drossin
Video games with cel-shaded animation
Xbox 360 games