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 another fun mechanic, as any projectile fired at Afro can be sent right back to the person that launched it. Both moves require Afro to enter In-Focus mode. Time these attacks wrong and Afro will suffer the consequences.
We also give the player the ability to parry enemy attacks. This is very useful when Afro is overwhelmed with enemies. Parrying an attack opens up enemies for the Perfect Slice! Very handy move!
Afro can also pounce on enemies with our grapple mechanic. With this mechanic, Afro can jump onto an enemy, bash in their head, chop it off or throw them. Really fun to do! Our perfect slice mechanic also forces players to enter In-Focus mode for a more precise slice. Can’t button mash here!
Santiago: Also to deter from simple button-mashing, Monty Oum, Justin Pease and I created the Active React Combat system. This new system allows higher level communications between Afro and the enemies. Basically, we are able to have enemies that can read all of Afro’s moves and adapt.
PSU: In a press release from Namco Bandai we read that “enemy AI is affected by the beat of the musical score?” Can you tell us more about this interesting mechanic?
Guirao: Enemies are affected by the musical score during their reveals. During these special events, enemies will spawn according to the beat of the background music track. Players will notice this when they enter a combat zone and baddies are jumping in the air and landing.
PSU: Afro always has his sword at hand. Does this mean that you’ve integrated swordplay into other aspects of the game, such as interaction with the environment, or is it purely used for slicing and dicing his opponents?
Guirao: Correct, Afro only uses his sword. This was probably the most challenging aspect of our work, to design combat with the use of only one weapon. Bullet slicing and reflecting are two mechanics that truly show this. We use Afro’s attack moves to interact with the world environment. Whether it is slicing ropes to kicking levers, Afro’s move set will always affect something in the environment.
PSU: We understand that, via Afro’s ‘Reflection Mode,’ we’ll be able unlock new moves and combos as we progress. Is this simply part of the linear progression in the game (i.e. finish a level and unlock these moves automatically) or is there more to it?
Guirao: Afro is reflecting on past memories, this is what we call his Reflection Mode. Unlocking moves is done in various ways, either through story progression, levelling up or finding mementos throughout the levels. Each time one of these events occurs, Afro “remembers” how to use them. A good example of this is going to the skills menu and looking under Father’s Legacy. These are special unlockable moves that Afro’s Father used before he died. Afro “remembers” these moves and adds them to his arsenal. Another example of this, is for every move that is unlocked, a short video clip is displayed showcasing how the move works.
PSU: Will we be able to create our own move sets in ‘Reflection mode’?
Santiago: No, but that is an awesome idea!
PSU: Can you tell us more about ‘Focus Mode’ and how it will affect the gameplay?
Guirao: Focus Mode is our “concentration” mode where time slows allowing the player to perform the “perfect slice”. The advantage to this is the player’s ability to aim where the sword will strike. Want to cut off the enemies head, move the aim line to the head and strike. You can only enter this mode when you have focus points though. Without it you can only pull off combos. But have no fear, by using the combo system effectively you can gain focus points in no time.
Santiago: Also, the Focus Mode is activated by holding down the Left Trigger. Perfectly sliced halves of a Ronin will always look better when seen in slow motion.
PSU: Can we expect a multiplayer or co-op component? If so, we presume we’ll be able to play as other characters from the series?
Guirao: Unfortunately no.
PSU would like to thank both Guirao and Santiago for answering our questions.