Asura’s Wrath may not be the best game you’ll ever play, it certainly won’t be the longest game you’ll play, and it definitely isn’t the most interactive game you’ll play. But it is still worth a play. After hearing the things I’ve already said about the game, you may be asking “Why?” and I don’t think you are crazy to wonder that.

So let me explain. Simply put, the game offers a fun and unique experience unlike any other. In all actuality, Asura’s Wrath is closer to an interactive anime as opposed to an action game, like God of War III.  In fact, I think Dragon Ball Z deserves a place amongst contemporaries just as much as the God of War games.

Asura’s Wrath’s roots as an anime can be seen in the game’s presentation. One thing that the game does to mimic the anime experience is present itself as episodic content, rather than one continuous story. The episodes are even broken up with little manga like segments and a “On the next episode of…” type of transition.  Don’t forget the over-the-top action in both the gameplay and cut scenes, which are a staple of almost every anime.

Then there is the ridiculous, but entertaining storyline which may seem like your cliché tale of betrayal and revenge. Still, it has its own unique flair that separates it from all the other, more mundane plotlines. After all, where else are you going to take on a giant Buddha in space? So now you have a chance to enjoy a piece of visual media that combines all of your favorite aspects of anime/manga, and video games,  in one tight, concise package.

While bursting at the seams with action, the parts where you are actually fully in control seem few and far between the segments of cinematic storytelling and Quick Time Events. Not to mention, the action is quite shallow. Your main source of damage output is the Light attack combo, which involves pressing square with the occasional triangle, which unleashes a heavy attack that changes based on context.

There are also cool counter attacks that change based on which faceless grunt’s skull you are bashing in at that particular moment. Bosses don’t have health bars, which makes these potentially epic duels reminiscent of your favorite anime’s battles. They are little more than a vehicle to get to the next cut scene. You just fill up your “burst” meter by bashing everyone’s face in, and when it’s full, you “burst” into yet another QTE that will shove you along to the next part of the story.

5. Presentation

Asura’s Wrath’s style is by far one of its best traits. The game is also certainly beautiful to look at, and it is both very, very unique and very, very odd. Not to mention it is also incredibly and unashamedly over-the-top.

4. Graphics

Everything looks good and is complemented by a unique art style.

3. Sound

Asura’s Wrath’s music is fantastic and does a great deal in sucking you into the action. The voice actors also do a pretty good job of delivering their lines and making them feel authentic.

2. Gameplay

Think of God of War III. Now think of God of War III with less complex actions and more QTE. Now you have Asura’s Wrath: satisfying gameplay with no “wow factor,” and a heck of a lot of interactive cut scenes. This applies to at least the first two-thirds of the game. The final third takes a page from Panzer Dragoon’s playbook, and turns into a similarly styled shooter.

1. Lasting Appeal

Let’s be honest here, single-player games almost always offer less value than games with multiplayer, and the divide is even greater when the single-player experience only lasts 6 hours. Asura’s Wrath isn’t quite justifiable with its $60 price tag, so either find a friend or two to split the bill with, rent it or wait until it is less than $40 is my personal recommendation.

Final Score: 3.5/5

This game is a great game, but it simply has a hard time justifying you spending your hard earned dollars on it. So while I do think it is worth a play, I think it isn’t worth it at this time. I am also to inclined to note that if you aren’t in it for the spectacle and are more concerned about the gameplay, then chances are that at the very least you will be a little disappointed.

Image Courtesy of    https://www.facebook.com/asuraswrath

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The “Warriors” games have a long and varied history; From its humble start as a fighting game to spawning a multitude of spin-offs. So in addition to the loosely historical offerings of Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors, people now are able to enjoy “Warriors” games based off some of their favorite anime.

There are warriors games for Gundam fans and then there is the game set in the universe of “Fist of the North Star” while the latest anime infused warrior game offering is based on the extremely popular “One Piece.” So knowing that pairing popular anime with their beloved “Warriors” formula isn’t something Tecmo-Koei is afraid of, their is a question that is every fan of the series head: Whats next?

Here are our take on the top 5 choices:

5. Yu Yu Hakusho

An older anime, but it would be fun none the less, with a decent size cast there would be plenty of different ways to smash, slice and incinerate your not-so-friendly neighborhood demons.

The great thing is, with “Fist of the North Star: Ken’s Rage”, Omega Force showed that not every ‘beat ‘em up’ game they make has to be the same exact “Dynasty Warriors” clone, allowing a variety in concepts, features and gameplay within their various spin-offs. For this reason, even anime series with less “mass murder” are still very eligible choices for a spin-off.

4. Rurouni Kenshin

Rurouni Kenshin has it all! Interesting story? Check. Colorful cast of characters? Check. Lots of cool weapons, crazy swordplay and intense fights? Check, check and check! While this anime is a little past its prime, there is no doubt fans of the series who are also interested in video games would love a chance to revisiting Meiji era Japan to step in the shoes of some of their favorite protagonists and antagonists.

In addition to this, Samurai Warriors is all about armies clashing on huge battlefields during the Sengoku period of Japan and Rurouni Kenshin’s setting is more so urban environments and takes place during the Meiji period.

3. Cowboy Bebop

Another perfect opportunity for a brawler. This critically acclaimed anime masterpiece saw great success both in Japan and internationally so there is already a pretty large fanbase for it. The anime also features some of the most interesting characters in all of fiction, all with very complicated backgrounds which caught the intrigue of viewers all over.

So it only makes sense that an anime as beloved as Cowboy Bebop deserves to be paired with a game by the masterminds at Omega Force. The game would probably feature a lot of chases and brawls in a variety of environments with gameplay similar to the aforementioned ”Fist of the North Star: Ken’s Rage,” but could quite possibly become one of the greatest pairing since Oreos and Milk.

2. Naruto

It only makes sense to combine two incredibly popular and amazing things to form something that appeals to a huge audience. This is exactly what a Naruto “Warriors” game would be. The anime probably has one of the largest and most diverse casts on this list so the game would provide a large variety in choices for players.

Not to mention there is plenty of opportunity for a full-on ninja war mode since there are different villages and they could act as different armies such as how it works in “Dynasty Warriors” and “Samurai Warriors.”

1. Bleach

Not only is Bleach insanely popular at the moment, but it features tons of flashy moves and swordplay and that is what “Warriors” games are all about. Bleach is probably the most likely choice for the next spin-off just because of how easily it would translate into a “Warriors” game and how insanely popular it is at the moment.

Also, many Bleach fans were left with a bad taste in their mouth after the mediocre that was the last attempt at a ‘hack-and-slash’ Bleach game. The one big hurdle would be acquiring the rights to such a game, but that is always the problem with licensing.

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