Afro Samurai is a 3D brawler with platforming elements. Most levels culminate in a boss fight, which become more frequent as the game progresses. The game features a cel-shaded animation style. In a combat system designed by Monty Oum, the player will use hits, kicks, and sword slashes against various enemies. There is also a magic pendant which can slow down the time and allows performing special moves. Even though it is a hack and slash game, the fighting is slow-paced while relying on combos and thus friendly for newbies. At certain points "Body Part Poker" will appear, where the player must cut off specific things at the right moment to collect body part cards and win achievements.
Plot
It is said that the one who becomes "Number One" will rule the world, wielding powers akin to a god. Someone becomes Number One by killing the previous Number One and taking his ceremonial headband. However, only the "Number Two" is allowed to challenge Number One. Because of this, few people ever reach Number One because the Number Two headband is constantly changing owners. Afro's father was the old Number One until he was brutally killed by a gunman named Justice, an event witnessed by Afro as a child. Now an adult, Afro Samurai is the current Number Two and a master swordsman; he travels the road seeking revenge on Justice. Lengthy flashbacks interspersed throughout the story detail how Afro rose from frightened boy fleeing the death of his father, to master swordsman, and eventually to become the current "Number Two", while the story in the present deals with the adult Afro making his way to the mountain top keep of the "Number One" to duel Justice, while at the same time the mysterious cult known as the Empty Seven Clan sends various agents to kill Afro and take his Number Two headband. Ultimately, Afro discovers that Justice is already long dead, rendering his quest meaningless. After defeating a hallucination of Justice in single combat, Afro realizes that the headbands only bring pain and death and throws them into an abyss.
The game's credits reveal that Namco Bandai commissioned a TV screenwriter, Peter Saji, to produce a storyline for a downloadable episode. In an interview, Saji admitted that multiple downloadable episodes are in production, but could not provide a release date.
Reception
The game was given moderate reviews, resulting in the Metacritic score of 65/100. Namco Bandai posted on its fiscal year report that the game sold 420,000 copies across all platforms in the US and Europe.
