Asura’sWrath is for all intents and purposes a “Different” sort of game and it’s hard to classify it into one specific genre. It combines an Anime like style of storytelling and game structure along with a few different kinds of game play elements which combine mechanics from a couple of different genres into one system making this game an “Odd Beast” in the world of gaming.

Gameplay
When I said Asura’s wrath was a “different” kind of game, I wasn’t kidding. In Asura’sWrath the player assumes direct control over a fallen Demigod named Asura.Unlike Most games Asura’s wrath puts the story and narrative in the driver’s seat and the game play shifts in nature from chapter to chapter according tothe conditions and requirements of the plot. At times Asura’s rage makes him extremely powerful which allows you to control a six armed punching machine which can deliver dozens of lightning fast punches with devastating, Jaw breaking, Bone crunching and skull crushing power and at other times Asura has no arms at all and has to resort to tackling enemies with his extremely thick skull.


The game features two or three different game play elements which include One on One Boss battles, battles against multiple lesser enemies and On rails shooter segments. In any case the primary objective is to drive the story forward. This objective is achieved by filling up the “Rage meter”, every time you deal damage to an enemy the rage meter fills up a little bit, In One on One battles you can fill it up quickly by countering powerful attacks by pressing the appropriate button at the right time or by performing “power attacks” on your enemies once they’ve been staggered and briefly brought down to their knees. In On rails shooting segments you can also counter attacks by grabbing projectiles such as missiles and hurling them back at your opponents. Once the rage meter has been filled completely the player must perform a powerful “Burst attack” by pressing the RT button which then moves the story forward or moves the battle onto the next stage by going through Quick time event driven action sequences.Basically the Rage meter takes the place of your enemy’s health bar and once it’s filled the battle is over.


The Basic combat mechanics promote button mashing and on Normal difficulty the game was hardly any challenge at all. The game makes use of Quick Time Events in all of it’s cut scenes which are often lengthy and numerous, although they are always in synch with the action, failing these quick time events has no effect on the gameplay and no consequences for Asura or his struggle and only effects your total rank which is displayed at the end of each chapter. Actual game play segments are scarce in between and often extremely short with some chapters having no more than 2-3 minutes of game play and the largest chapters only going up to about 10.Needless to say If you value game play in your games more than anything else and believe that no amount of fantastic storytelling and Music can replace it then there’s a good chance Asura’s wrath isn’t your cup of tea.The best way to enjoy this game to the fullest is to go with it and give every QTE your all even though you don’t really have to.

Graphics
Asura’s Wrath is an Artistic marvel featuring beautiful Art style, giving an aestheticfeel of Sci Fi games as well as Asian mythological settings. The character designs are fantastic and very detailed. The game also features beautiful handmade illustrations by various artists throughout the game. Every cut scene in the game from start to finish is in-game and rendered during game play due to the frequent use of quick time events. While it’s not technically impressive and has aliasing issues while viewing expansive vistas and Space battles, It’s unique art style is still great to look at and closed off and smaller areas look extremely polished and smooth. Frame rates were also steady throughout the game with no drops whatsoever during game play or cut scenes.


The game also consists of a fantastic OST with some profound tracks which complement the setting and tone of the game nicely and is a front runner for having one of the best Video Game OSTs this year so far. The Voice Acting is also top notch with Asura’s Voice Over being done by Liam O’Brien in the English version of the game. The game also allows you to switch to Japanese language audio at any moment through the options menu.

Story
Asura’s wrath takes place on a Fictional Earth-Like planet called Gaea named after the Greek Goddess of the Earth. The Planet is over run by the impure race of creatures known as gohma which terrorize the mortals of Gaea, Kill them and take their souls to turn them into energy for themselves. The Main character Named Asura is One of Eight Powerful Demigods which serve the Kingdom of Shintoko under Emperor Straga. During the Opening of the game Shintoko’s Fleets and the eight Demigods are locked in an Epic battle against the Gomah forces.


Through out the game Asura’s power is fueled by an immense amount of rage which comes from deep within him from an unknown source, being a Hot Head Asura usually doesn’t think things through and charges into his enemies head on. Despite being consumed by Anger Asura still has a strong sense of morality and Justice and often fights to protect civilians and innocents from threats.

The game is structured in a way that it resembles a TV show or Anime series more than a Video Game. Each chapter in the game is made like an episode of an Anime series with credits showing up both at the start and end of each chapter. At the end of each chapter the game reveals a set of illustrations along with text which reveals more information about the storyline and the events that unfold throughout the game. Asura’s wrath true strengths lay in its engrossing story and storytelling methods similar tomany Anime films or Episodic Anime series. Fans of Japanese Anime will especially enjoy the game’s story and it’s well defined characters.

Conclusion
All In all Asura’s wrath is a fantastic game which I believe deserves a chance from the gaming community, But despite being brilliant in some aspects it can be subpar and for some even downright abysmal in others. It goes into the “Love it Or hate it” category of games. Some will Love this game for its story and entertainment value outside of game play while others will hate it for its subpar game play system and excessive use of Quick Time events.

 

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