Platform: Xbox 360 (also on PS3)

Developer: CyberConnect2

Publisher: Capcom

# of Players: 1

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Official Site

Score: A

If the world actually happens to end this year (according to those damned doom-saying Mayans who had the gall to die off themselves before seeing if their predictions were correct), it’ll have gone out with CyberConnect2 having done their best game ever. Asura’s Wrath is a near-seamless dynamic blend of storytelling and gameplay that while not the lengthiest game (nor one for every taste), absolutely demands playing, especially if you’re a huge fan or serialized storytelling. The game is presented in a grand episodic format that mimics a TV series or anime series and there are a number of wild aesthetic and artistic influences throughout that range from assorted Eastern religions to Jack Kirby’s more bombastic comics work for Marvel and DC.  Paradoxically, it’s also nearly impossible to explain in detail without losing one’s marbles (and those of anyone nearby) in the process.

The plot is a bit too bizarre to summarize (and a great reason for playing the game yourself), but in a nutshell, you play as Asura, a powerful demigod betrayed by seven of his former compatriots who set him up then send him to an untimely demise. 12,000 years later, his wife slain and his daughter kidnapped, he comes back full of rage and set on vengeance. There’s a great deal more to the story, but explaining it would reveal elements about each chapter that again, need to be seen (and played) in order to be fully understood. And even then, unless you’re not paying attention and viewing the unlockable movies that summarize events while adding a second layer to the story, your head will be spinning from the scope of it all. What works is how the brief chapters play out with a credit roll at the beginning, a “commercial” break somewhere at the midpoint and a cliffhanger with a teaser at the end for the next chapter.

As for the gameplay, things open up with an epic battle that’s actually a Panzer Dragoon-style shooter that happens to have a few quick time events to break up the blasting. As the game progresses, you get a lot of sequences where Asura is in a relatively small area facing off against packs of enemies and soon enough, a mid-boss or boss. He’s got two basic attacks, a jump attack, a running bash move, a rolling dodge and can blast faraway enemies with energy from his hands. Under his life bar is a rage bar that fills up with successful attacks or when Asura takes some types of damage. Using strong attacks overheats Asura for a brief time, so there’s a bit of strategy to some fights in only using strong attacks when they pop up in a QTE.

These QTE’s are the focus of way too much internet babbling from ill-informed types who hate them, didn’t play the demo at all or played it and were terrible at it. The bulk of the game is a mostly straightforward beat ’em up that happens to revolve around Asura bashing enough enemies around just to build up a massive rage attack that dramatically clears areas and kick the story along to the next battle. While this sounds simplistic and repetitive, the fact that moving the plot forward to the next chapter allows CyberConnect2 to pull you into Asura’s story where you’ll find it to be surprisingly touching for all the carnage on display. When a certain character asks him “Why are you here?” before another over the top battle begins, that question will echo in your head as the rest of the chapter plays out and again throughout the game as more of the plot is revealed.

Since he’s a demigod, Asura can’t truly be killed, but he can be put out of commission for quite some time, making for a few amazing transitions when he awakens in assorted conditions. Or places, such as hanging on by one hand from a miles-long pillar in some sort of purgatory with a talkative golden spider to keep him company. The other demigods end up facing off with Asura at different points during the game (or “season: if this were an anime) and the interplay between him and his enemies can be priceless. All I’ll say is Chapters Ten and Eleven are going to be talked about for a few reasons this year. But the game tops itself before and after that in some battles that probably won’t be topped unless there’s some kind of sequel made.

There’s a lot more here than meets the eye, but more important than just playing the game for the insanely dynamic action scenes, it’s the deep story and truly outstanding visuals, art direction that, like last year’s El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron, will have your jaw on the floor spinning in circles. In my opinion, the Unreal engine has never looked better in a Japanese developer’s hands and this game sets some sort of record for huge enemies, including a few planet-sized behemoths that mean to do in Asura (and don’t quite succeed). Every character is rock solid and perfectly rendered in a beautiful manner that blends anime, manga and as noted above, that Jack Kirby outlandishness from his late 60’s to mid 70’s art for DC and Marvel. Of course, there are probably a few of you asking “who’s Jack Kirby” or worse, only know that name from those dopey X-Play skits they used to run that poked fun at the King. Well, go look him up and prepare to be floored at one of the greatest and most prolific comic artists who ever lived.

There’s a hugeness to every set piece that despite the shortness of the chapters, makes you wish the game allowed for more exploration than what’s allowed. Then again, they would defeat the purpose of the design and episodic feel, so it’s a forgivable thing. My sole complaint about any of the art in the game would be the inconsistency of the interlude cinemas. A wide range of Japanese illustrators worked on these often color-packed still images, but the inconsistent style throughout is jarring. None of the art is bad, mind you, but seeing work that looks close to the concept art in one chapter followed by one that looks too cute and brightly colored, then a third that’s rendered in a sort of old woodblock print style was just too much for me. Still, all that art by all those different illustrators means a lot of people were paid, which is always good.

The sound design and music are brilliant, so you’ll want to play this one as loud as you can get away with. You can choose to hear the dialog in the original Japanese with subtitles or check out the excellent English dub and not be disappointed at all. Overall, the entire production is spectacular and this is one of those games that’s as fun to watch someone playing because what’s on screen looks and sounds so great. As for problem areas, yes, the game isn’t exactly what I’d call “long”, but you’re not paying for running time here. CC2’s artistic vision is what your money is being spent on and for me, that’s worth full price. In reality, unless you can knock out nothing but “S” rankings on every chapter in every difficulty and nail every single Achievement or Trophy, you absolutely can’t gripe that the game is “too short” at all.

Finally, there’s the matter of those jaded gamers who don’t allow themselves to get out of their bubbles and experience something that’s as mind-blowing as this game without bringing their baggage to the party. As I’ve said elsewhere, you NEED to experience every game as it’s a fresh experience, NOT compare it to games you’ve already played pixel for pixel. You may not “get” everything on the first play through, but the game isn’t the usual action game with the usual narrative you expect. Which is EXACTLY the reason to free your mind up, step down from your internet forum soapbox and enjoy a game that’s intentionally challenging on a few levels.

For me, where Asura’s Wrath grabs hold and soars is right from the beginning when you’re seeing things you’ve not seen before and even when the familiarity of certain elements in the gameplay come into focus, you’re still hooked in for the entire time your console is powered on. I’m not sure if this is the last we’ll see of Asura (I’d say his presence is ABSOLUTELY guaranteed in a future Capcom VS fighter) this generation, but CyberConnect2 and Capcom have clearly set up a superb beginning to something that needs to be explored further at some point. If those damned doom-saying Mayans are wrong, I want a sequel or prequel (or something) next year…