Upon reaching the assembly of enemies, Afro whipped out his katana for some blood letting. Combination attacks can be pulled off with rhythmic button presses that vary light and heavy blows; of course, you're always free to simply mash buttons. Should you unsuccessfully defend Afro against enemy attacks and his health wanes, he'll enter focus mode. Beyond exerting a super-washed out filter over the screen, focus mode powers up Afro's attacks into one-hit kills. A press of either attack button unleashes instant death; however, it's only temporary until a spot of his health returns.

Through the course of the game, attack upgrades can be unlocked. Exactly how this works--whether you need to purchase enhancements using a form of in-game currency or if they are unlocked at set intervals through the adventure--remains under wraps. We do know that Afro won't come into possession of any alternative weapons, sticking solely to his katana in an effort to remain faithful to the animated series. Bringing in the voice actors from the show including lead Samuel L. Jackson also helps in keeping things tied together.

Much of the promise of Afro Samurai comes from its incredibly stylish presentation. Outside of that, there's not much that distinguishes it from any other action game. Depth is lacking in the combat system, not to mention the omission of additional weapons limits the variety. Without knowing how upgrades are handled, we can't even discern whether they will be sufficient motivation for hacking enemies to bits through the entire course of the game. Ultimately, Afro Samurai looks to cater to fans of the series more than anything else. A pretty game doesn't translate to a fun one, so until we get a better, closer look at what this adaptation has to offer, we're remaining cautiously optimistic on this one.

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