At long last.
OK, I get that this game has been out for the better part of a year now. Most people who were sufficiently wowed by the demo likely already bought the game, beat it, and played the DLC to boot. So what makes this game so worth picking up now?
Two words: Price drop.
Asura's Wrath isn't so much a video game as it is a cinematic experience that you occasionally push buttons to. Think Dragons Lair only with some beat-em-up elements and alot more beating of the chest. The presentation and narrative give the game a very episodic, anime-esque feel and in that respect alone, it's worth checking out. The problem is, Capcom jammed this with so many cut scenes that they forgot to add gameplay. Sure, there are enjoyable moments where you DO fight an army of bad guys or a boss in pretty much every stage (or "episode") but the majority of actual gameplay comes in the form of quicktime events with the occasional (and incredibly brief) combat or psuedo-shooter sequence thrown in.
Asura's Wrath is a fun game, despite a noticeable lack of "game" therein. It may feel like 80% cut scene but to be fair, those cut scenes are fucking awesome. I defy you to play through the Wyzen battle and not go "holy shit!" at least once. I sure as hell couldn't and nobody I've talked to who has played this has been able to say that either. The size and scope of some of the enemies you fight in Asura's Wrath put even the giant bosses in Shadow of the Collosus to shame and I couldn't wipe the big dumb smile off of my face every time the "On the next Episode" video came up as a preview for the next stage.
Of course with all of that said, this was in NO way worth the $60 price tag attached when it was first released. At all. The ratio of of cut scenes to actual gameplay is more abysmal than in Metal Gear Solid 4 and if you look at your stats at the end of each level, the average "playtime" recorded tends to fall between 3 and 8 minutes. When you do the math, that comes roughly 2 hours of actual gameplay for a 6-8 hour game. The Orange Box, it was not.
Now, the game has dropped in price and you can pick it up, albeit used, for about $25 plus tax. A reasonable price for a short, but ultimately entertaining campaign. There isn't much there in terms of replay value though. There's a hidden chapter and ending called "True Episode 18" which you can unlock by getting 5 "S" Rank clears, but it basically amounts to you playing the entire final level over again, boss included, just to get an extra couple minutes of ending which leaves things more open-ended and unresolved that the "fake" ending even managed to accomplish.
Still, at $25 (or $30 if you want to go new) this is officially the right time to pick this game up, and here's why:
About two or three years ago, this game could have easily been described as a "rental." For a lot of us however, that option is becoming less and less practical. Video stores are dying off in droves, and taking a walk down to the local Blockbuster isn't in the cards for most of us anymore. Until a new model is presented the best compromise we've got is to wait for those "rental" titles to lower in price until the prospect of buying one doesn't feel like a rip-off. It's hard to justify shelling out between $70 and $80 for this one, but for $30 or less? ... I'd hit that.
