Asura’s Wrath

(Capcom for Xbox 360)
By Mike Delano

Even though its heavy focus on cutscenes and Quick Time Events means that Asura’s Wrath often feels like a more passive experience than gamers are used to, the game is nonetheless an engaging piece of interactive art. It’s a work of colossal imagination, as its creators consistently one-up themselves when it comes to set piece moments as the story of betrayed demigod Asura’s quest for revenge unfolds. Planets tear open, space armadas are decimated, and the Earth itself is pierced with a gigantic sword. Visually, the game strikes a lot of the same chords as last year’s gorgeous El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron, with its focus on cinematic framing of events and the uneasy coexistence of organic life alongside hulking futuristic structures. It’s the polar opposite of that game’s disappointingly lethargic pace, however, since, as the title suggests, Asura’s Wrath is all about the character transforming into a glowing-eyed ball of rage and vaporizing everything in his path. The invigorating energy of Asura and the breakneck pacing of his adventure is where the game’s true strength lies. It’s easy to sympathize with his rage, which means you’ll be cheering on every righteous headbutt he delivers.
(www.capcom.com)