I finally played and finished Asura's Wrath, counting it's DLC episodes with the rest of the story (which was a ******** move from Capcom, once again).
I can say for sure that it's the most exagerated, absurd and crazy game I've ever played. But it's also one of the most daring, epic and beautifully done so far.
They were able to craft a story where I actually cared, the whole time, what I was doing. I wanted to see what happened next. The characters seem like something that we've already seen before many times. The fat arrogant soldier, the obssessive woman, the fight lover sensei, the guy full of luxury and self confidence, the expert strategist, the weighted one, the omnipotent boss and, of course, the angry hot head. Nonetheless, they all help moving the story forward and, either we want to see their status and hear their opinions on Asura after each deicide, or we simply want to end their lives in the most epic battles ever, with the exception of two of them, unfortunately. The storytelling is done very well, telling the story of Asura, whose anger really is justified and only powers him up. But he also grows as a character. He wants to quell his rage, but also use it to protect what he needs.
And the battles are almighty epic. From exploding a guy the size of the Earth, to rocking the moon and back to the planet, to fighting through the galaxy against the Creation itself across different dimensions, heaven and hell, which creates mini-suns, I don't know how my brain just didn't explode. The most awesome demonstrations of power are shown by the protagonist when fighting against his fellow gods. The scale is so big that, literally, everything can happen.
The music is another point where it deserves praise. There's so much attention to the beautiful melodies that we hear throughout the story that it can take the heat away after a ferocious battle and warm with its calmer tones. Some characters get their own themes, like the western music that we hear whenever Yasha, the second character we control in some moments and fight against, is on-screen, and it really fits everyone. The sound, superb as it is, adds a lot to the action. All the destruction and demonstration of power would be nothing without really feeling the impact with all the noise it does. The voice actors do an A-job, never lacking and even trying an accent where it properly fits. They make us feel their angst, their sarcasm, their overconfidence, their anger and their sadness.
The gameplay, however, might not appeal to everyone. This is a game where you really interact with the story. The demo shouldn't fool, though. There's plenty of beat'em up, shooting sections and ''QTE''. Most of them aren't even really quick time events, but inputs to make your character react accordingly to the scene. Sometimes it doesn't make much difference. Other times, you get hit and fall to try again. If you're someone who likes to be engaged in a story, specially in a game, then it should please you. But if all you're looking for is non-stop gameplay, then it should serve at least as a rant.
Asura's Wrath is a really different kind of game. It certainly won't please everyone, but I loved it. The characters, the visuals, the story, the insane battles and a really satisfying ending should be enough to, at least, give it a try.
