JoJo's Bizarre Adventure WRYYYYYYYs to PS3 in 2013

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure followed the manga very closely, and All-Star Battle looks to do the same

Back in the day, I used to stay up all night beating on my friends in the bounteous fighting games Sega's Dreamcast provided. Gods, those were good times. Amongst the fighters, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure stood out for its quirkiness and interesting take on the genre. Much like the 'toon (which was one of the last anime I really enjoyed,) the game was about humans with psychic familiars called Stands, who were at their owner's whim. You could summon them for spot attacks to spruce up combos or fully project them to lash out against your adversary from full-screen length. These mechanics, along with the style, humor, and dope art, made JoJo a winner.

Those years are long past, and I thought I'd never be hyped for another game set in the JoJoverse. Though the manga continued on, game offerings were sparse and did nothing for me when compared to the brilliance of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. Imagine my - and the entire industry's - shock when Namco Bandai announced JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle as a PlayStation 3 exclusive. Not much has been explained as of yet, but the included trailer speaks volumes, kinda. Gyro Zeppeli rocking the etched grill, gangsta certified.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle is being developed by CyberConnect2 (Asura's Wrath, Naruto: Ultimate Ninja series) and is due out in 2013 for Japanese PS3s. Namco Bandai, do me this one favor and bring this game over to the States, I will be forever indebted.

Anger! Scream! QTE! Hands on with Asura's Wrath

I've covered Asura's Wrath quite a bit, but really couldn't back up all the noise I've been making because I haven't played it. I finally got to work with the demo that has been in-and-out of game journalist's hands, and I enjoyed what I played.

Though there were plenty of quick-time events, there was never any period where I wished the game would pick up in pace or wondered when it would stop being a bore. Asura's Wrath is a flurry of punches, fireballs, over-the-top cut scenes, and non-stop action. In other words, exactly what one would expect from this title. Galactic Buddha Finger was in full effect, leading to my unadulterated happiness upon execution. It seems that, when fully controlled fighting occurs, there's a lack of a deep and sexy combo system. Maybe I just didn't have enough of a chance to tackle the grunts and flex the multi-hit muscle, as the demo was mostly one gigantic boss battle. The above gameplay video shows a few unique combos, but not enough to satiate my craving from a stylish action game. We'll know what to expect very soon, I'm sure.

After completing the demo, I stepped off into a rage booth, where you scream at the top of your lungs for a chance to win things. I scored 94.1, high enough to win a funky wig. 100 was the goal, which I failed to reach. 

I don't expect Asura's Wrath to get 10 Blasters, but it was enough fun that my desire hasn't cooled. Before you get overly excited though, know what you're going to get: a cross between God Hand and Ninja Blade, two games I really enjoyed.

This is my O-face

Asura's Wrath is on Full Display, Even Without Arms

Until recently, Asura's Wrath has been nothing but a very long chain of ridiculous action sequences. The game I've lovingly nicknamed God Hand of War - for obvious reasons - is shaping up to be all I've ever wanted in an action brawler. The E3 trailer gives us a look at some of Asura's story, a complete departure from the frenetic scenes such as GALACTIC BUDDHA FINGER. 

After watching an armless Asura be humbled by a God twice as cool-tempered as the fiery one, watch the clip below, which is more of what I expect from this title. With a surprising lack of quick-time events, no less! The initial thinking was that the gameplay of Asura's Wrath would be heavily comprised of QTEs, but whispers from E3 are starting to debunk that theory. Success! Deep, meaty gameplay with lovely stylized action is always welcome. If the story has enough to be the glue that holds together the amount of insanity concentrated in Asura's Wrath, then this game will be a success. And if not, I will take a melee-centric Vanquish any day of the week. Or maybe a better parallel would be a Dragron Ball Z action title? Either way, do want!

Asura's Wrath Cannot Be Contained by Captivate

Out of Capcom's recent Captivate event comes more news on Asura's Wrath. The blissfully mad action has had me gravitating toward this title since it was first discussed at last year's Tokyo Game Show. Developer CyberConnect2 has experience in frantic anime action, with plenty of Naruto games under their belt, and Asura's Wrath looks to continue that trend. The build at Captivate was not playable by attendees, but developers were showing off their moves to any and all onlookers.

What was seen, according to Destructoid's Nick Chester, was a healthy amount of quick-time events, some light on-rails shooting, and some pre-recorded video of the third-person brawling. Nick says it all looks as ridiculously insane as the initial trailer made it seem, and that excites me. I know a good percentage of gamers will sigh disgustedly at the abundance of quick-time events, but I'm cool with that. Some type of action can only be portrayed a certain way, and while I'm confident in my abilities to play a style-laden game the way it should be played, some people may not be able to pull it off. QTEs makes it so that everyone plays the same. And while that may not seem like a good thing from a gameplay standpoint, it makes sense, at least visually. And for a game like Asura's Wrath, where the visual aspect is an integral part of the experience, QTEs may be the right choice.

While the Captivate trailer for Asura's Wrath isn't as hyper as that shown at TGS, it's got a serving of GALACTIC BUDDHA FINGER, and that's what counts. 

Asura's Wrath Gallery

An Unfriendly Reminder from Asura's Wrath

You remember Asura's Wrath, the CyberConnect2 helmed God Hand of War that caused me to seek a change of underwear after watching the initial trailer? Oh yes, how could we forget. All has been quiet on that front, with nary a shred of information, screenshot, or trailer since Tokyo Game Show. Until just this week!

Asura is back in a big way, granted not on the scale of our first look at the world of the warring Gods from the east. Where the hell is my Galactic Buddha Finger?! I demand every Asura's Wrath trailer prominently feature it. GBF or not, I'm still loving how this title is looking. Watch Asura's perpetually pissed eye-glow be redirected to different outlets of his unending anger. Sword catch! Face punch! Suplex! The more I see, the more excited I get. It's not obvious is it? 

TGS 2010: Asura's Wrath, or God Hand of War

You know how much I love games that blend religious themes with eight ounces of mindfuck to create something unique, right? That's exactly why Asura's Wrath is giving me goosebumps. 

Capcom has collaborated with CyberConnect2 (developers of .hack and Naruto: Ultimate Ninja) to develop the third-person action title which looks to be loosely based on the ultra-violent past times of Buddhist deities, you know, when they're not busy being in Nirvana. Nice!

The action is as we like it: flashy, ridiculous and overdone, with the seemingly immortal protagonist running through a torrential downpour of spears to unleash divine justice on anything standing between him and his bearded counterpart. And then something amazing happens. Galactic Buddha Finger. Oh, my, GOD. This could be one of gaming's greatest moments, no lie. 

Asura's Wrath looks like a mix of God of War and God Hand. God Hand of War?! Hell yeah. CyberConnect2's influence is clearly visible throughout, and it's nice to see their hyper-stylized action sequences in something aside from a Naruto game for once. I am eagerly anticipating updates for this title, and I'll post 'em as I get 'em.

Asura's Wrath Gallery (6 images)