Afro Samurai

 Xbox 360
Afro Samurai Image
Metascore
65

Mixed or average reviews - based on 70 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
6.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 64 Ratings

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  • Summary: Follow Afro Samurai as he fights to become the number one warrior, a title currently held by Justice, the man who killed Afro’s father when he was a child. The game follows the plot of the original series with added material and background for fans and new comers alike. Blood is beautifulFollow Afro Samurai as he fights to become the number one warrior, a title currently held by Justice, the man who killed Afro’s father when he was a child. The game follows the plot of the original series with added material and background for fans and new comers alike. Blood is beautiful in this hip hop infused action adventure as Samuel L. Jackson reprises his role as Afro and Ninja Ninja. A striking art style gives Afro Samurai a unique look and feel across animated open environments as he wages war against his adversaries to become number one. Using an innovative gameplay system, enemy AI is affected by the beat of the musical score overseen and inspired by RZA of Wu-Tang Clan fame and composed and produced by Howard Drossin. These dynamic battles ensure stylized encounters throughout the game that affect the overall tone of gameplay. Slice and dismember opponents as Afro acrobatically leaps from one location to the next, interacting with anything and everything in the environment to help him on his journey. [Namco Bandai Games]… Expand
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 70
  2. Mixed: 48 out of 70
  3. Negative: 5 out of 70
  1. AtomicGamer
    87
    If you enjoy wicked style and simple, yet satisfying combat, mature content that’s more than a script full of unnecessary F-bombs, and more gore than you’ll see in all five Saw films combined, then Afro deserves a spot in your game library.
  2. Extreme Gamer
    79
    Afro Samurai is a fun action game that brings the anime to life with an interesting plot development overly the dizzying basics of the hack n’ slash formula.
  3. Xbox Achievements
    75
    Afro Samurai provides an entertaining and bloody orgy of death while it lasts, but camera issues, inconsistent checkpoints, and lackluster boss fights keep it from greatness.
  4. Gaming Nexus
    67
    Afro Samurai might’ve been a rare instance where form could win out over function. But overused (if gorgeous) set pieces, deep (if piecemealed) storylines, and epically multi-stage (if angering) boss fights taint the beautiful blaxploitation brilliance. But the wholesale dismissal of Afro’s unique vision and execution would, nevertheless, be a regrettable mistake.
  5. InsideGamer.nl
    65
    Afro Samurai stays close to the anime. It has some big flaws, but despite that, the game is still standing. The soundtrack is superb and the slow motion action will keep you entertained.
  6. Level7.nu
    60
    A simple hack n' slash-action title based upon a cool anime comic - a concept that could have led to an equally cool game. Unfortunately the experience is marred after only an hour or so into the game when numerous bugs and other issues related to an overall lack of polish starts to surface. There are some great moments in here though and it's a great shame that the developers didn't use their funds to do some final polish to the game instead of paying Samuel L Jackson to lend his voice to the game.
  7. Gamestyle
    40
    There are reasons why some of the gameplay features here have thankfully become extinct. Being linked so closely to the story of the anime may have been a hindrance, but we feel with a better developer this could’ve been something much, much better.

See all 70 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 13
  3. Negative: 5 out of 13
  1. PC-GAMER-HATER
    Mar 17, 2011
    9
    Watched the 2 animes then played game,its a blast,the camera angles are a bit squiffy sometimes...but the buckets of blood andWatched the 2 animes then played game,its a blast,the camera angles are a bit squiffy sometimes...but the buckets of blood and limbs,scalps,brains...etc...flying through the air as you slice and dice your way through the levels makes up for it..good graphics great sound and voice/lip sync....yes it is a button pusher..but if you take time to learn the many moves..its easier on your thumbs...go and play this bro...… Expand
  2. ROBBMACROBBMAC
    Jan 27, 2009
    8
    This game is great fan service to fans of the anime. It's easy to get into yet deep enough for anyone that takes time to learn the This game is great fan service to fans of the anime. It's easy to get into yet deep enough for anyone that takes time to learn the moves. The art style is re-imagined for this game perfectly and has surpassed my expectations greatly. The screenshots and videos don't do it justice. The game plays a lot like Ninja Gaiden II but with a slower pace, the ability to slow down time (but not gimmicky) and for those that take the time to learn... you can aim your attacks pretty easily. The music thumps during the gameplay and if your a fan of asian infused hip-hop you'll love the score here. Ninja Ninja has some classic one liners when you press what I will dubb "The Sam Jackson Button". This game is sure to be a sleeper hit and I can't wait to see what reviewers thing. I would tell fans of the anime to run out and pick it up and everyone else to at least give it a rental. 8.5… Expand
  4. DJPurge
    May 26, 2011
    8
    if you like Quentin Tarantino films, Ninja Gaiden-esque combos, great scenery and awesome music look no further. it's very repetitive and theif you like Quentin Tarantino films, Ninja Gaiden-esque combos, great scenery and awesome music look no further. it's very repetitive and the controls can often be maddening but overall a solid, fun game.… Expand
  5. JasonDeatherage
    Feb 9, 2009
    6
    This game looks very cool. The cell-shaded graphics are a good touch and the gore factor stays true to the show, but after that Afro Samurai This game looks very cool. The cell-shaded graphics are a good touch and the gore factor stays true to the show, but after that Afro Samurai does not have much else to offer. The gameplay starts out fun but quickly becomes repetitive. The levels are pretty bland and are often recycled. Don't get me wrong the focus kills are great but the rest of it just doesn't fit. Afro Samurai is a bonafide badass in the show but you never really get the same feeling in the game. I have read some reviews of this game and they said that fans of the show would like it more but I have to strongly disagree. Fans of the show are the ones who will notice how watered down this story is. I started playing this game before watching the show. I thought it was decent. I immediately watched season 1 and then realized how much this game was missing.… Expand
  6. toltec123
    Apr 10, 2009
    5
    Great fantastic art, once again the next gen machines have produced some beautiful graphics...but once again another game not worthGreat fantastic art, once again the next gen machines have produced some beautiful graphics...but once again another game not worth playing...I really really wished I could play more of it, but I just can't get myself to go back. Unlike say Viking which I completed from start to finish, something is missing in this game. Something "sticky." I dare say, one interesting excercise I've been doing lately is looking through the game's credits and cross referencing them through mobygames.com...its no suprise that the majority of the design team has little or now experience. A great rule of thumb is to have 1 rookie per 4 or 5 veterans. This way the new guy will gain exp and rise to the occasion. The design lead also seemed to have less experience than the one of the other veterans on the credits...this doesn't make much sense...but when you play the game things begin to add up...I looked at some of the other disciplines with similiar results. I also did this test on Liquid Ent Rise of the Argonauts, with similiar results. Its great to give people a chance to be game designers, but its also important to balance a team out in order to balance a game out...I give it a 5 because the art was cool mofos.… Expand
  7. duffles
    Jan 15, 2012
    3
    If you want a good action game in the style of Devil May Cry or God of War, do not buy this game. If you want terrible camera controls, decentIf you want a good action game in the style of Devil May Cry or God of War, do not buy this game. If you want terrible camera controls, decent voice work, a barely glued together plot, and one of the most boring combat systems ever created, then go get this game. I took a 2 year break between starting and beating this game for how enraged i was at it. It tries to be much better than it is, and offers a glimpse of inspired combat, but fails rather quickly. The strategy for all non-boss fights is virtually identical, that being focus attacking, because the normal combos are worthless. One focus attack kills all standard enemies, but standard enemies need at least a dozen normal attacks to be defeated. The focus attacks themselves are fun, offering a No More Heroes style of slicing dudes in pieces ... that is when you can get it to work properly. Other than the Focus stuff all the normal attacks feel terrible, and don't feel like they are doing any damage. Combos 'exist' but only if you bother to look them up, and are pretty useless compared to a focus attack. Enemies barely react to attacks, and the only indicator of their health (or your own) is the character model tinting red. This game will go down as one of the few games in history that gave my a headache due to terrible platforming, level design, checkpointing, combat, and several other things. Of the few positives i'll say that the voice work is well done, and the soundtrack is alright, but it does get repetitive when songs loop infinitely during fights. The visual style is nice to look at, but it's dragged down by boring enemy and level design.… Expand
  8. wombocombo
    Nov 5, 2013
    0
    It gets one point for the music but even for that you need to change the sound levels to hear properly. Camera is embarrassingly terrible andIt gets one point for the music but even for that you need to change the sound levels to hear properly. Camera is embarrassingly terrible and the controls aren't very good either. You can only do like four moves and it glitches pretty often. It's overall extremely boring and poorly made.… Expand

See all 13 User Reviews

Awards & Rankings

79
#79 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2009
70
#70 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2009