One Week Until Afro Samurai’s Sequel Drops

Don’t you just love it when newly announced release dates are just around the corner? The sequel to the samurai slasher straight from the hood will be available on September 22nd, though the cast might not have exactly what fans want to see.

In the Afro Samurai anime, fighters challenge each other over control of a sacred #1 headband that grants God-like powers — though in order to challenge the #1 headband owner, you first need the #2 headband. Who can challenge the #2? Anyone.

Not too far-fetched by anime standards, but if that seems at all crazy to you, just remember — anything can sound utterly baller when voiced by Samuel L. Jackson.

To top it off, the anime, movie, and game benefited from original hip hop from Wu Tang’s the RZA. For this new instalment, though, it looks like Jackson will be absent, while the RZA is supervising the music. Sony sent out a sample of what to expect, musically, which you can see below.

In Afro Samurai 2: Kuma’s Revenge, it looks like you’ll be taking control of Kuma – one of the main supporting characters in the series – who apparently learns Afro’s style. Fans of the series know that means there’ll be some serious family issues on display.

This is one of those games that is likely to shine a light on the oft-ignored crag between a “good” game and a “cool” game. If I’m being objective, the Afro Samurai game wasn’t all that good. But it was undeniably cool. It oozed style.

It’s almost as if each character vying for the #2 headband in Afro Samurai’s universe comes from a different genre of Japanese slasher — the main character just happened to be hip hop themed, but there’s the cowboy, the cyborg, and more. It’s those interesting elements, combined with Sammy Jackson’s voice, the RZA’s contribution, and the additional insights into the universe that made the first game something recommendable, despite failing in the areas critics usually look at.

So while this new offering doesn’t have some of those key elements, I do find it encouraging that it’s not coming off the back of anything else. There’s no new anime or movie — just the game. Here’s hoping there’s a reason for that, and the reason is they’re confident the game is strong enough on its own.

Afro Samurai 2 will be released in three volumes on PC and Playstation 4, with an Xbone release date yet to be announced. It’s a risk, but if you’re confident you’ll want all three, they’re offering season passes for 20% off. Playstation Plus members will get 30% off. Otherwise, each volume will be $14.99 locally.


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