Afro Samurai (video game)
Afro Samurai is an action video game for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, loosely based on the manga and anime 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 and in North America, it was the first 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.
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 style. In a combat system designed by Monty Oum, 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 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 who seeks revenge 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.