Asura’s Wrath

Asura’s Wrath is a mix of multiple genres, overall presented in the style of an episodic anime series. The gameplay constantly shifts from third-person beat ’em up combat, a rail shooter, and interactive cutscenes with various quick time event (QTE) and context sensitive button prompts presented in the form of cinematic events. In all forms of gameplay, player progress is determined by two gauges displayed at the HUD on top of the screen, the life and burst gauge. The life gauge determines the player’s current health that if depleted results in a game over/restart screen for that current section.

The burst gauge starts empty at the start of every encounter that needs to be fully charged via successfully defeat enemies, inflicting large amounts of damage and successfully carry out QTE prompts. Once filled, players can unleash a powerful burst attack required to finish off strong opponents and advance the plot/gameplay or commence another cutscene. An additional gauge, known as the unlimited gauge, fills up in a similar way to the burst gauge but instead can be activated to temporarily increase the damage that can be inflicted on opponents.

The third-person action sequences resemble “beat ’em up” style gameplay where the player must defeat enemies in close combat, utilizing light and heavy attacks, counters, dashes, and projectiles. While regular light attacks are fast, heavier attacks inflict more damage and can throw back multiple enemies yet can overheat requiring a cool-down period between uses. Players can also perform counter moves if they input the current prompt during an enemy’s attack. When an enemy is knocked down, special moves can be performed that further help fills the burst gauge.

If, however the player character is knocked back, they have a chance to quickly recover by landing on their feet and saving additional health. The rail shooter portion of the gameplay involves the player character moving yet on a fixed axis, being only able to move to dodge and maneuver against incoming attack and obstacles, all the while locking on and firing upon enemies. The interactive cutscene element is integrated with the gameplay, however. Correct inputs when prompted will advance the story while failure can cause the restart of a sequence and damage to health in a previous gameplay sequence.

While a few sequences may continue regardless, certain quick-time events have degrees of success where the player may attempt to press at an even more specific time than when the prompt immediately and initially appears. For example, a press too early or later might register a merely “good” or “great” while the exact correct moment will register as “excellent”. The player’s performance in this aspect, along with the time taken to complete and overall damage inflicted is graded at the end of each episode, with the highest grade being an “S Rank”. At least 5 S Ranks or completing 50 episodes unlock the final hidden “true ending” of the game.

Each level is played out like an episode more akin to an anime television series, with subtle introductory and closing credits at the start and end of each episode. This is then followed by a brief promo with cut together footage for the next episode, along with a narration recapping and foreshadowing upcoming events. In between episodes, there are also snippets of additional narrative and back story that are presented in the form of a series of illustrations, with each different segment drawn by a different credited artist.

The entire “series” is split into four chapters, each cutscene is overlaid with lengthier production credits. Asura is one of the Eight Guardian Generals, techno-divine beings engaged in an eternal war with the Gohma and their creator, Vlitra, the hostile spirit of their planet, Gaea, where humans reside and offer worship, thereby empowering them and their Karma Fortress with an energy known as “Mantra”. Vlitra is temporarily driven back, but the Guardian General’s leader, Deus, is concerned about its return.

Seeking greater power to fight the Gohma and achieve true immortality, the seven Guardian Generals, including Asura’s brother-in-law Yasha, plan to use Asura’s priestess daughter Mithra’s ability to amplify vast quantities of Mantra. To ensure no interference with their plans, they kill Asura’s wife Durga, frame Asura for the death of their emperor, before Deus kills Asura when he tries to rescue Mithra. Encouraged by a Golden Spider, Asura escapes into the living world after 12,000 years, finding the Guardian Generals have now dubbed themselves the Seven Deities and slaughter humans to gather Mantra quickly.

Swearing revenge on the Seven Deities, Asura goes after and kills each of them, using his rage to overcome death multiple times. Asura’s rage ultimately consumes him, turning him into a mindless demon. When Deus’s second-in-command, Olga, attempts to use the Karma Fortress to kill Asura’s enraged form, Yasha defects, seeing this as a misuse of human lives and Mithra’s suffering. After crippling the Karma Fortress, Yasha restores Asura to himself, and the two join forces to kill Deus and free Mithra.

Vlitra awakens as they achieve this, and with Mithra channeling the stored Mantra into them, Asura and Yasha successfully destroy Vlitra’s core, destroying the Gohma for good. An enraged Olga attempts to kill Mithra, but the Golden Spider appears and kills her before possessing Mithra in order to manifest his true body. It reveals its true identity as Chakravartin, the creator of the universe, who bestowed the Mantra upon humanity’s ancestors and orchestrated every action of the conflict with the Gohma to find a worthy god to rule Gaea, selecting Asura for this role after he killed Vlitra in the final test.