• Posted January 6th, 2009 at 10:05 EDT by Steven Williamson
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Surge's Afro Samurai is all set to bring its unique style of cel-shaded animation and hard-hitting sword-wielding action to PlayStation 3 on January 27. To whet our appetite, we hooked up with Combat Lead Designer, Paul Guirao and Combat Designer/Graphic Artist, Patrick Caso Santiago to discover what sets Afro Samurai apart from other hack ‘n slash titles and to find out if they have managed to achieve the intensity of the manga series and capture Afro Samurai’s bloody and violent nature.

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PSU: Can you please introduce yourself and tell us your role in the development of the third person action game, Afro Samurai?

Guirao: My name is Paul Guirao and I am the Combat Lead Designer. My job is to construct a combat system that is user friendly for the general audience but also technical enough for advanced game players to enjoy.

Santiago: My name is Patrick Caso Santiago, I am a Combat Designer/Graphic Artist. I would say (humbly) that my four most notable contributions include: 1) Designing and implementing the Perfect Slice mechanic; 2) Animating/creating impact particles such as sparks/blocks/blood; 3) Co-created/developed the Active React Combat (ARC) with Monty Oum and super programmer Justin Pease. 4) Designing/Scripting the base characters and the final boss.

PSU: Is the story of Afro Samurai, or aspects of it, unique to the game, or can we expect it to fall in line with the comic book series and anime T.V. show?

Santiago: There are several aspects of the Afro Samurai Game’s story that seems to be a blend of the manga and the show but our brilliant artist/designer/writer and story director Paul Gardner has put together a tale that one can argue is as deep and insightful as the other inceptions of Afro Samurai. Okazaki-san gave the team permission to be creative with his story as long as we stayed true to the character of Afro Samurai.

PSU: There’s obviously a heavy focus on combat, but is Afro Samurai purely a fighting game or will boast elements from other genres (i.e. adventure/platform)?

Guirao: There are other elements in the game such as platforming that are present. Afro can climb walls, wall run, criss-cross jump, hang on ledges and swing on beams. You’ll also find puzzles throughout the game. Whether you’re cutting ropes or kicking levers, there’s always something to do other than killing your foes. We also want players to explore the levels, so within each one there are hidden mementos (easter eggs) that players can search for. Once you find all of them, players will open up a new move for Afro to use.

PSU: The Afro Samurai series is known for its over-the-top violence and bloody battles. Have you toned it down for the videogame or does its anime style mean you’ve been able to push the boundaries of censorship?

Guirao: We wanted to make sure we represented Afro Samurai to its fullest. Like the TV show, Afro can slice and dice characters at will. Our dynamic slicing system allows the player to slice up body parts as dynamically as possible. This means you can cut off hands, knee caps, scalp heads, the nose, ears… the list goes on.

Santiago: We definitely tried to match the level of intensity that the manga and the animated series showcased. The fact that the blood in our game has a 2D look to it (thanks to Justin Pease’s brilliant technology) we were able to match the existing Afro art style, which is more elegant than gory.

PSU: What combat mechanics have you put in place to ensure Afro Samurai isn’t simply an exercise in button mashing?

Guirao: There are features in the game that require some precision. For instance, our “bullet slice” and “reflect.” These two nifty features actually require the player to time their attacks well. Our bullet slice becomes very handy when an enemy is present with a rifle and Afro is surrounded by a horde of bad guys. By slicing the bullet, Afro can kill anyone near him. The bullet reflect is also ... (continued on next page)