We’re as surprised as you are, but it’s true: Afro Samurai 2: Revenge of Kuma is a real video game. After a middling first effort, which most folks quickly forgot about, the rap-loving samurai is back for more. Well…sort of.
If you weren’t a fan of the original Afro Samurai video game, you’ll be happy to hear that its developers weren’t entirely pleased either. In fact, one of the main reasons why they wanted to develop Afro Samurai 2 was to prove that they could do better. At least, that’s what the public relations guy told us during our demo.
This isn’t a game that focuses on Afro as its main character, though. Instead, you’ll be playing as Kuma. He’s the guy with the disfigured robotic bear head on his neck, and he’s looking for revenge. Fucked up, bloody and visceral revenge, that is.
Kuma is a complete badass, too. While in combat, he’s able to change his fighting style, something that’s accomplished by pressing the left bumper on your trusty controller. Doing so will alter things, and may even allow you to fight in the same fashion as Afro Samurai himself, so long as you’ve learned how to. The bear-headed vengeance-seeker also does his thing in visceral fashion, thanks to art that does its inspiration justice. Hell, there’s even art from those who worked on the manga itself, which is beautiful to say the least.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get a ton of time with Afro Samurai 2: Revenge of Kuma, but we did see enough of the game to form a quantified opinion, and our feelings are certainly positive. This is an artistic, manga-inspired hack fest, and a bloody one at that. It’s also fun and promising, with an episodic approach that may keep us busy for months. The first outing for the titular hero wasn’t anything to write home about, but our hopes are certainly high for his sophomore effort.