Asura’s Wrath – Game Review for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3
Developed by CyberConnect2, Asura’s Wrath is more of an interactive movie than a game and has to be seen to be believed.
Following the story of demigod Asura who punches a lot of people and things in the face in his intense pursuit of vengeance, it has a lot of angry screaming, a lot of beat-downs and a lot of real-time button-pressing events. It is completely, certifiably,
brilliantly insane and great fun to watch. You probably would never seen anything quite like it before and that reason would be enough to justify the purchase of the game for some.
Presentation
Asura’s Wrath is what happens when you give a talented team of Japanese anime fanatics free reign to create whatever they want and that is exactly what CyberConnect2 has done. This is both good and a bad thing. The good thing is that the presentation of
the game can easily be compared to the best Japanese animation. However, the bad thing is that Asura’s Wrath often forgets to be interactive. You spend 70% of your time watching and occasionally pressing a button that appears on the screen rather than playing.
Therefore even though the game looks fantastic as it does, that is what you will have to pretty much settle for.
The style is a mix of crazy science fiction and Japanese imagery mythology. There will be some incredible scenes throughout the game, such as entire fleets exploding in space, a planet-shaped ominous looking weapon that seems to be made of light, some pretty
huge enemy with a tentacle or two.
The game is split into a 20-minute episode like a television series, each one ended by static bumpers and donned with credits just as a real television show. There is even a narrated recap in between. You can skip through all of Asura’s Wrath cut-scenes
if you want, but the game is nothing without them. The plot is what you’re playing for thus you will definitely want to see what happens next.
Gameplay
The gameplay changes up completely with every new episode. Sometimes you are flying through space shooting at giant squids, sometimes you are on the ground head-butting mammoth-sized turtles to death and sometimes you are engaged in epic one-on-one confrontations
on the move. In one episode, the aim is to keep Asura from staring at the generous asset of a female hot spring’s attendant. While many might think I’m simply making that up, I am not! That really is a level.
When just being a third-person action game, Asura’s Wrath is simple but fun. Light and heavy attacks change depending on the context and each enemy type has unique and spectacular counters that are likely to put a satisfied smile on your face.
There is a really good symbiosis between gameplay and feel in Asura’s Wrath. There is no better than an action game based on a bunch of extremely angry men with deadly rage and awesome destructive power.
When you purchase Asura's Wrath, be prepared to view a lot of cut-scenes. It is not boring though for the same reason Metal Gear Solid 4 is not boring because there are some of the best scenes that you will ever see. It is more accurate to think of Asura’s
Wrath is a kind of an interactive movie rather than comparing it other more gameplay action games but does not always do a good job of making you feel involved.
One major shortcoming of Asura’s Wrath is longetivity. The game only takes 6-7 hours to complete, which is light for a full press release. Even within that short time, there is a little too much repetition in the enemy and bosses to be entirely forgivable.
Verdict
Asura’s Wrath is a very unconventional game, but that does not make it a bad one. Whatever it lacks in gameplay, it makes up for it in spectacle and ambition. This game is not for everyone though. While the anime freaks will feel like they have died and
gone to paradise, those who like to use their controllers more should probably stay away from it.
I rate the game 8 out of 10 keeping in mind both its pros and cons.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely of the writer’s and do not reflect bettor.com’s official editorial policy.
Tags: