Afro Samurai
Nicholas "bapenguin" Puleo
Namco-Bandai - 360, PS3
Combining Samuel L Jackson in an anime style series about an African American Samurai is a work of pure genius. Basing a game on the series with no restrictions on violence and language is another step in the right direction. Afro Samurai plays out similar to the recent Ninja Gaiden games, complete with a camera that's known to frustrate you. What sets Afro Samurai apart is the tight integration to the story and the absolutely amazing battle sequences with music from the show that's almost as much a work of art as it is fun.
There's a moment early on when the hip hop meets Asian inspired musical beats kick in, and the game mixes up the pacing of the on screen characters to match, that it becomes almost impossible not to smile and say - holy shit that's awesome. It's a rather enjoyable experience hacking and slashing your way through the relatively short game, but not too short. You can level up the Afro Samurai unlocking new moves and maneuvers, though some of these are particularly annoying when forced to use in a boss battle - I'm looking at you bullet slice!
All in all you'll have a decent romp through the game, one that's worthy of at least one play through - I'm just not sure if it's worth the full price.
Score: 