New Details About Afro Samurai 2

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Afro Samurai is a bizarre mix of different ideas. Samurai films originally inspired Hollywood Westerns; but Takashi Okazaki took his love for American hip-hop and those films, and turned it full circle back into an avant-garde tale of revenge. That, and it features a cyborg that wears a teddy bear’s head as a mask. As is I said before, it’s bizarre.

Originally a manga turned anime, the developers at Namco Bandai developed the game at the same time the Anime was being produced. Having full access to many of the anime’s opportunities, such as Samuel L. Jackson’s unforgettable voice and their amazing writers, Bandi Namco has decided to continue on with the series. The original may’ve been seen as a standard adaptation, but its sequel will feature a fairly engaging continuation of the storyline with Afro Samurai 2: Revenge of Kuma.

The developers have released a new video interview where they talk about the history of the series, and discuss the story. “In Afro 2,” Executive Producer Dave Robinson says in the video, “Afro was actually adopted by a group of people who loved him, and he turned on that family, and so this is a story of how his older brother is going to find him, to get him really to repent for his sins.” He goes on to explain that the “gameplay is structured around the storytelling. Because we want the gameplay to be fresh, you are partnered in this journey.”

“It’s a story of- as much of revenge and responsibility to your family, and where do you draw that line,” says Jim DeFelice, head writer on the game and veteran novelist. “As the story goes on, it actually deepens, so it starts in the beginning as revenge, it’s retribution where Kuma wants to avenge the death of, among others, his younger sister.”

Outside of the game’s bizarre look and feel, each episode will feature completely original music by a different artist. The series if known for mixing a wide range of urban American rap and beats into its Japanese influences, so having a huge mixtape is an important feature. The musical director across the first game and series has been Rza, infamous rapper and producer of the Wu-Tang Clan, but now he’s stepping into the game as well.

“The RZA,” Robinson says in the interview “needs to get his soul into this franchise, and the easiest way to do that is to give him a character that can go on this journey with Kuma. So, he has this whole story that fits into the Afro universe, and it’s actually an ongoing storyline- it’s not a cameo.”

So Road Dog, you ready to take part in this world’s crazy action? Well, unfortunately no release date has been set yet, but keep your eyes on Mouse N Joypad for any developments.