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Samuel L. Jackson lends cred (and his voice) to Afro Samurai 2
By Scott Gardner
Afro Samurai
PS3, Xbox 360
Driven by an overdeveloped sense of revenge, Afro Samurai — an African-American master swordsman — sets out on a long, lonely journey to track down his father’s killer, trekking through a strange world that blends ancient traditions and modern perils. Also, he sports a mighty afro.
Store shelves have long groaned with the weight of Japanese-inspired fighting games; and thug-life titles, from the GTA series to this month’s 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand, are hardly fresh, but Afro Samurai is a unique hybrid. Mixing hip-hop, technology and traditional Japanese culture it offers a novel approach to third-person action adventure.
Afro Samurai originated in Japan as a comic book, then arrived in North America as a five-episode cartoon series with Afro voiced by — take a guess, who alone could play a world-weary vengeance-minded afro-wearing samurai? — yep, you got it: Samuel L. Jackson. And he’s back for the game, along with the rumbly Ron Perlman (Hellboy) as his arch-enemy, the seriously misnamed Justice.
The game has striking, cross-hatched visuals that give it a pen-and-ink look, and it doesn’t shy from darkness. As he’s beset upon by bounty hunters, fanatical monks and even robots, Afro’s sword fighting is elegant but merciless — his tempered steel katana can sever limbs or slice his enemies in half in a shower of arterial spray.
And what’s the hip-hop angle? Enemy movements are affected by the beat of the original musical score (by RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan), resulting in brutal but highly stylized battles. Call it “Dancing with the Scars.”
Release date: January 27
The Lord of the Rings: Conquest
DS, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
From the makers of the hit Star Wars: Battlefront games comes this similar title, which lets players fight all the major LotR battles, and features visuals from the films. Mixing first- and third-person action, you can play as just about every major good or evil character, crafting ultimate victory for either Sauron or the boring guys.
Release date: January 13
Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop
Wii
In this Wii-make of 2006’s Dead Rising (Xbox 360 only) you’re still trapped in a mall with hordes of flesh-hungry zombies, fighting back with anything you can find. But thanks to the motion-sensing Wii-mote you can aim firearms, and swing and throw weapons — like toy swords, frying pans, golf clubs or a lawnmower — with immersive ease.
Release date: January 20