Preview: Asura's Wrath

Platforms: Xbox 360 and PS3 
Developer: Cyberconnect 2
Publisher: Capcom
Release date: 21 February 

Asura’s Wrath has you taking the reins of demigod Asura after his daughter has been kidnapped by his fellow gods. After this vicious betrayal Asura is stripped of all his powers and cast into a deep slumber. Then suddenly after twelve millennia he awakes after a village girl prays to him. Needles to say Asura is very, very angry and after a while he discovers his rage can be channeled turning him into a demigod once more.   

Hell hath no fury like an Asian demigod scorned.

 The game has a very unique flavor to it, with its mix of science fiction and Asian mythology making it like nothing else out there.
The anime influences shine through every inch of the game right down to the loading screens which are akin to a anime going to and fro from a commercial. 

The game plays nothing like Bayonetta or God of War and everything like Cyberconnect2’s Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm.The gameplay is very much from the “More quick time events than you can swing a stick at” genre of games. And after playing the demo yesterday through a few times I have to say I’m very impressed at the sheer insanity of the game. The demo features Asura in two boss battles which, if you’ve ever watched an epic anime battle and enjoyed it, is pure gold.

 The first puts Asura against the enormous Wyzen, the fight starts with Asura charging at him in a blind rage after he makes some less than complementing remarks about Asura’s daughter. Almost at once you take control and start firing at Wyzen whilst dodging the brute’s attacks. The game plays fluidly and gives you an immensely satisfying feeling when pummeling something as huge as Wyzen. About a quarter of the way Asura starts to channel his rage and powers up releasing his four other arms totaling in a beating bringing six.

Instead of the standard boss’s health bar Asura’s wrath boasts a burst gauge which you fill up by damaging the opponent. One this gauge is filled you pull the right trigger unleashing a flurry of quick time events on the player and a brutal pummeling on Asura’s opponent.

You proceed to beat Wyzen until he is sent flying through into space and then you get to play the scene we saw in the first trailer with the colossal deity crushing Asura with a finger.

Hands down the biggest boss in any game ever.

If the main game plays anything at all like the demo level it is going to prove a solid experience no matter the length. 

Unlike other action games which has you saving up a certain amount of experience to upgrade your hero’s ability’s, Asura’s fighting style changes with each level and development of the story arch. Asura’s six arms for instance might appear to dish out rapid attacks or they might change and start rapid firing blasts at ranged enemies.

The gameplay promises to range from one on one combat, fighting groups or dodging an dishing out fire in classic shooter sections.

 Now we’ve seen better and we’ve seen worse. But with a game with stunning art style and graphics married with insane gameplay and more quick time events galore, it might just be the first big hit of 2012.,