Durrzerker
Banned
Man, what a ride. I started replaying it again and...I missed this shit.
Asura's Wrath and I have a weird background. When it was first announced, I was incredibly hyped. The trailer sold it as kind of a cranked up God of War about a force of unstoppable rage, and as someone who's always had serious anger issues, it seemed like it was really speaking to my heart.
Then the game came out, and it got mixed reviews. It got called a QTE-fest, an interactive anime, not worth the asking price, etc. Most agreed it had a surprisingly good story, and did a lot new, but that it wasn't worth $60. So, disappointed, I ignored it. The thing about the final four episodes being DLC scared me off, too, though in their defense, I found out later it was only because they were supposed to be part of a full sequel but the game didn't sell.
About eight months later, I found it on sale for $20 and decided to give it a shot. Two episodes in, I fell in love. Ten, and I started to see real depth. Twenty-two...well, as the game ended, I was crying, a rare reaction.
I won't lie. The people who said Asura's Wrath isn't enough of a 'game' to be worth $60 might have been right, but that doesn't change the fact that I think it was a revolutionary experiment in interactive fiction, a stellar display of artistic and musical splendor, and, most unexpectedly, a perfect summary of everything awesome about shonen anime with none of the baggage.
To elaborate, I always felt that shonen's problem was pacing. Usually filler or just poor writing drag them down, extending fights well beyond how long they should go on, padding ridiculous plots, etc. Asura's Wrath cuts all of that out. It tells its story precisely, concisely, and with incredible finesse.
The Story
And what a story it is. I didn't expect what I got. I won't spoil anything in case this thread causes someone to go out and get the game [and I hope it does], but what starts off like a revolving door of epic moments quickly turns into a deeply intimate tale of noble intentions being corrupted, the self-destructive nature of rage, and fatherly love. It's certainly not perfect - the female characters kind of get tossed aside - but I was stricken by just how complex of a character Asura is, and how dynamic most of the cast proves to be. On the surface, he's just an angry asshole, but the longer the game goes on, the more it becomes obvious he's nothing like most 'berserker' protagonists, and a far cry from Kratos, his primary narrative rival. He's troubled, shy, and has difficulty expressing himself. People don't like him, and he kind of deserves that, but then we see him with his family. With innocent people. With those who would worship him. He can't stand idolatry, even towards himself. He hates power. He's the god of wrath, yet has more concern for innocent life than anyone else in his pantheon.
Coming from Cyberconnect 2, who were mostly known for their adaptations of Naruto games, this was a shock. They knocked the narrative out of the park. Less shocking was the obvious Naruto references, like Asura's wrath form and his dynamic with Yasha. Those were cool though.
The Gameplay
The most controversial part of Asura's Wrath. Three main facets of gameplay: action combat, rail-shooting, and quick-time events. As an action game, AW is...not great. It's best to just admit that.
The action combat is basic, but I like it. Light attack, heavy attack, and projectiles, along with a rage meter you build to progress the fight. Compared to real action games, it's pretty mediocre. No doubt there. But I thought it wasn't bad.
The rail-shooting is equally basic, with light and heavy shots and lock-ons, but it does a good job of mixing things up and adding variety to the gameplay.
The quick-time events, though...that's what I wanna talk about. QTEs are rightfully derided for interrupting cutscenes and providing an unhealthy attempt at blending cinema and gameplay while servicing neither. I'd argue AW is one of few games to actually manage exactly that goal, however. Asura's Wrath's QTEs are perfectly timed and designed to make you -feel- like Asura. The cutscenes just wouldn't be the same without hitting that Y just as his fist made contact, or spamming B to win a punch-off. Without spoiling anything, they also have one of the best Interface Screws/meta commentaries in the last episode that make them all worth it, in my opinion.
The Graphics
My god, what a beautiful game. Technically it was pretty impressive for when it hit [in my opinion] but artistically...absolutely gorgeous. Heavily drawing on Buddhist and Hindu mythology, it took advantage of under-utilized themes and scenery in gaming. The environments, a mix of sci-fi and fantasy, were gorgeous - but the characters stole the show. Living statues of lacquer and machinery. The facial animation is still some of the best I've ever seen four years later; you can always tell what emotion a character is feeling, even when part of their face is hidden. The sense of scale as the plot progresses is insanely impressive, and it just never stops throwing new assets at you. Even compared to modern games, Asura's Wrath is stunning. The comic interludes and anime-style DLC episodes add variety and tons of gorgeous art as well.
Sound
Interlude Theme
Holy hell. The music, the voice acting. Liam O'Brien kills it as Asura in particular, but everyone is fantastic. Just like the animation, the voice work does an incredible job of nailing subtle emotion. You can always tell how someone feels from their tone, even when shifting from one emotion to another. I also vote Asura's Wrath as having the best scream of anguish in gaming ever. [Thanks, Liam, for making me cry.] Yasha and Augus are standouts for voice work as well, along with Tara Strong as Asura's daughter.
The music is just as good. Original themes blend with great use of classical tracks for a gorgeous sound. Instead of the hard-metal or thumping beats we might expect, Asura's Wrath favors melancholy and classical music, providing contrast to the bombastic action. Moments of insane rage and vicious violence are given extra impact by quiet, thoughtful themes. Also the best use of Dvorak Symphony 9 ever.
All in all, Asura's Wrath is just...special to me. With all the struggling I've done with anger in my life, I wasn't expecting this game to take such a thoughtful approach to its plot, and the characters are incredibly memorable for me. I missed this game, and I don't think I'll ever get tired of replaying it.
