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Afro Samurai 24/30/2021
There are countless moments when one character or sound effect becomes many times louder than anyone or anything else, leading to extreme discomfort.Revenge of Kuma is the first game in the episodic follow-up to 2009s well-received Afro Samurai.
Like its predecessor, it portrays a society that embodies an unusual mix of samurai and hip-hop cultures. The soundtracks strong beats and confident rhymes set the mood as you clash swords over the course of your journey, but any goodwill earned by Revenge of Kumas tone is rapidly discounted when you try to engage with it on any other level. The game introduces neophytes to Jinno, an orphan-turned-martial-artist who failed to take his own life in the first Afro Samurai game. Hes been rebuilt as the bionic warrior, Kuma, who dons the head of a stuffed bear. Goofy headgear aside, Kuma has potential on a conceptual level: more machine than man, he is insusceptible to the dark temptations that surround him. Your interest in Kumas character is lost the moment Afro Samurai 2 attempts to explore the depths of his past. As you traverse Kumas old stomping grounds, youre meant to confront the phantoms of those hes lost. Its an emotionally ripe setup, but when your mission objective is so literal--Confront the reality that everyone you love is dead, and their memories are all you have--theres nothing to glean from walking in Kumas shoes. You walk up to characters frozen in time while shrill screams fill the air, one after another. Revenge of Kuma doesnt go to the trouble of working for your sympathy; it naively demands it. The script at large is drowned in impish indulgences, including references to modern-day celebrities--musician Drake and former boxer Mike Tyson come up in conversation--and needless, rampant swearing. I have no problem with such language in principle, but like Moira Burton in Resident Evil: Revelations 2, Afro Samurai 2s script is soured by this forced edginess. Afro Samurai 2 needlessly objectifies women for the sake of nothing but titillation and attitude. The reverb from this particular blare of ignorance is deafening. Upon entering a bar filled with women in g-strings (and nothing else), youre confronted by slow zooms and pans on a stripper in the center of the room. An equally-naked DJ calls for your head, but not before the camera shifts to a close-up of her exposed, undulating body. This scene is justified by the plot as a place where men gather, but that premise--because the setting could have been a number of other less salacious locations--is a farce. Theres no explicit need to showcase nipples for minutes on end for the story to accomplish its goal. To add insult to injury, upon meeting your mark after your battle with the DJ, he repeatedly refers to her as that dead bitch. No, Im not referring to the soundtrack, which is the only thing resembling good in the game.
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