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| karasu99 833th Post
  
PSN: robotchris
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|  "Re(1):A Buddhist's Guide to Asura's Wrath" , posted Wed 25 Jan 01:44:  
quote:
Hey you beautiful people, I got a new blog post up!
http://art-eater.com/2012/01/a-buddhists-guide-to-asuras-wrath/
I know most of you hate this game's guts, but if you got a few minutes, please have a read and let me know what you think.
Cheers!
Hey, a really enjoyable read! I especially enjoyed reading about how the character's skin and damage state are inspired by characteristics of Buddhist statuary. This is a subject that I need to know more about!
I should say that I'm almost certainly going to buy Asura's Wrath, despite my misgivings (which are entirely gameplay-related-- stylistically it's phenomenal). My hope is that the game itself plays better than the demo, or is at least more enjoyable than the demo. The main character makes me want to pound a bunch of enemies into jelly, and the demo never really let me do that.
Plus I want to encourage Capcom to take chances and make more games that aren't sequels to some other game.
EDIT: Just played through the demo again, based on all the details you mentioned. The duel with Augus played a lot better to me this time, actually based on what Polly was saying over in the other thread about Final Fantasy XIII's boss fights, oddly enough. Also, I think I was in a much better, more open state of mind this time around, so I was able to just go with the overblown craziness of some parts of the demo (like using QTEs to plant each of Asura's feet into horse stance-- I actually laughed at that touch). Anyway, yeah.
www.secret-arts.com
[this message was edited by karasu99 on Wed 25 Jan 03:25] |
| HAYATO 1057th Post
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| "Re(1):A Buddhist's Guide to Asura's Wrath" , posted Mon 30 Jan 08:08
quote:
Hey you beautiful people, I got a new blog post up!
http://art-eater.com/2012/01/a-buddhists-guide-to-asuras-wrath/
I know most of you hate this game's guts, but if you got a few minutes, please have a read and let me know what you think.
Cheers!
Wow! I've been looking forward to reading this since the first time you talked about this project here some months ago. And Nobi, dear sir, you sure have delivered!!
Thanks for bringing us such an excellent article once again. It's an enjoyable and insightful reading wich brings up some of the less known details and influences present on AW's production design.
Despite being written in a more generalistic, less technical approach than your previous articles (which is a bit of a letdown to me, as your in-depth, techier "Darkstalkers and 12 principles of animation" is a favourite of mine), it's a great example on how to make videogame art reviews, the right way.
It's good to know that you are planning to create more entries with AW as the main subject, because this game looks like the perfect basis for a future article on 3D animation rules :
- Traditional 3D animation (no Motion Capture procedures involved)
- Fantasy themes (which allow more creative freedom in all areas, including animation)
- Over-the-top, animu-like action (always prone to exaggerated character traits and hyperbolean feats)
Who knows, perhaps even an "Asura's Wrath and the 12 principles of 3D animation" type of article is feasible... the perfect counterpart to your Darkstalkers one!!
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| HAYATO 1058th Post
Red Carpet Premium Member
| "Re(2):A Buddhist's Guide to Asura's Wrath" , posted Wed 1 Feb 07:49
quote:
Hey you beautiful people, I got a new blog post up!
http://art-eater.com/2012/01/a-buddhists-guide-to-asuras-wrath/
I know most of you hate this game's guts, but if you got a few minutes, please have a read and let me know what you think.
Cheers!
Very interesting work...didn't know Thailand is the most Buddhist nation on Earth. The only thing about Thailand I know a little is the food.
On a side note I recall something related to Dragonball Z and the Sayajin hair: the design is inspired by the disposition of petals in chackra symbology. And Super Sayajin transformation is triggered by rage only the first time (and with exception of Son Goten and Trunks), is stated somewhere in the series that is something related with the mind/heart's purity than feelings (Son Goku has pure dumbeness, Vegeta pure tsundereness and so on). The only asura-sayajin i can remember of is Broly.
I have a question about the sci-fi elements in Asura's Wrath: have Buddhism some story related to "celestial beings" that uses advanced technology or particular magic artifacts that resemble modern technology? Is there something in Buddhist tradition like Sumerian Annunaki or Hopi Anasazi?
I think is an invention from Capcom (like cyber-nordic mythology in Too Human), but I'm curious about it having any hint in the actual culture.
IIRC, Ravana of Lanka (the main antagonist on the Indian epic "Ramayana") owned a flying artifact called Vimana he had previously stolen from his half brother Kubera's palace. That Vimana was pretty much a shapeshifting spacecraft laden with high-tech weapons of mass destruction.
In said novel Avataras (the demigod Rama), Devas, Rakshashas and high-class priests and warriors(rishis like Vishwamitra or high-level fighters like Rama's brother Lakshmana) employ some weapons called astras whose effects in battle dwarf those found in Dragon Ball Z by far. The matter is that astras' nature is quite ambiguous (at least in Ramesh Menon's English edition), so I'm not sure whether they are mystic spells, high-tech weapons of the gods or a combination of both...
Also, Lanka's architecture is often described in the novel as something out of this world, unmatched and unattainable by human means, as the architect of the gods, Viswakarman,came down to Earth to build it.
So, I think that the concept of gods posessing unmatched technology is actually present on Indian/Buddhist mythology (perhaps in a more subtle way than in CC2's game, but present nonetheless)...
And finally, some words for Nobi:
Spoiler (Highlight to view) -
I'd love to read unabridged versions of your articles, no matter how dense or obscure the facts you explain may be. And allow me a last piece of advice: avoid anime and manga references as much as you can if you are aiming for rigorous, professional-like essays. Kinnikuman and Dragon Ball are OK if your goal is getting your articles posted on Kotaku. But honestly, with your knowledge and writing skills, you can do much, much better...
End of Spoiler
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| karasu99 871th Post
PSN: robotchris
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Red Carpet Regular Member++
| "Re(3):A Buddhist's Guide to Asura's Wrath - P" , posted Fri 9 Mar 03:28
quote:
I'd definitely be up for some sort of West Coast MMCafe meetup. I bet Karasu would be up for it too. Holy cow, Karasu, are you here, too? I thought you were in the Northwest for some reason. We should plan a thing, maybe soon, maybe in late March or mid-April! We could even go to:
Southtown Arcade!
No, you were right, I'm in Portland, but it's just a quick hop down to SF, and I've been meaning to see the city again for a while now. Unless of course you all would care to meet up here that is. We don't have Southtown, but we do have Ground Kontrol and Envision.
www.secret-arts.com
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| Maou 2318th Post
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| "West Coast Cafe" , posted Fri 9 Mar 08:51:
Strike while the iron's hot, I say: okay, people, what about a West Coast Cafe meetup on the weekend of April 14-15 if Karasu can come to town? Nobi, I can bring Gregaman (and maybe Tim?). Ktall, you should come up, even if I'm in LA the weekend before (and I might be!).
We can wander around SF and rule Southtown Arcade, or head south to Game Center and eat at such fine nearby places as Ramen Dojo, Yakitori/Ramen Kokko, or Izakaya Mai.
Granted, this is what we can (and do) do every weekend here.
人間はいつも私を驚かせてくれる。不思議なものだな、人間という存在は．．．
[this message was edited by Maou on Fri 9 Mar 09:17] |
| nobinobita 1046th Post
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| "Re(1):West Coast Cafe" , posted Fri 9 Mar 13:47:
quote:
Strike while the iron's hot, I say: okay, people, what about a West Coast Cafe meetup on the weekend of April 14-15 if Karasu can come to town? Nobi, I can bring Gregaman (and maybe Tim?). Ktall, you should come up, even if I'm in LA the weekend before (and I might be!).
We can wander around SF and rule Southtown Arcade, or head south to Game Center and eat at such fine nearby places as Ramen Dojo, Yakitori/Ramen Kokko, or Izakaya Mai.
Granted, this is what we can (and do) do every weekend here.
All those things sound great! Though I think a few of us are vegetarians so Ramen and Robata might not be the best option for all (I'm up for the anytime tho!).
I'm always up for a Portland trip as well. I loooove Portland. And Ground Kontrol is one of the coooolest arcades I've seen in the US in the last few years. It's super well maintained. And there are lots of regular folk who just wander in there and start playing games for fun. There's just something awesome about seeing really really scrubby Third Strike players in this day and age. It reminded me of being in Ireland and seeing young people practicing the concertina.
www.art-eater.com
[this message was edited by nobinobita on Fri 9 Mar 13:48] |
| karasu99 873th Post
PSN: robotchris
XBL: robotchris
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| "Re(2):West Coast Cafe" , posted Sat 10 Mar 08:54
quote:
Strike while the iron's hot, I say: okay, people, what about a West Coast Cafe meetup on the weekend of April 14-15 if Karasu can come to town? Nobi, I can bring Gregaman (and maybe Tim?). Ktall, you should come up, even if I'm in LA the weekend before (and I might be!).
We can wander around SF and rule Southtown Arcade, or head south to Game Center and eat at such fine nearby places as Ramen Dojo, Yakitori/Ramen Kokko, or Izakaya Mai.
Granted, this is what we can (and do) do every weekend here.
I'm pretty sure the weekend of April 14-15 will work for me. I'll keep everybody in the loop if anything changes.
quote:
I'm always up for a Portland trip as well. I loooove Portland. And Ground Kontrol is one of the coooolest arcades I've seen in the US in the last few years. It's super well maintained. And there are lots of regular folk who just wander in there and start playing games for fun. There's just something awesome about seeing really really scrubby Third Strike players in this day and age. It reminded me of being in Ireland and seeing young people practicing the concertina.
Especially that one light-haired gentleman! He was unbelievably frenetic in his outside of game motions and a great player inside. I've seen him a few more times since you were up here and played (and lost) against him.
I'd strongly suggest a Portland Cafe meetup someday. And I'm not just saying that because it would be easiest for me. It's best undertaken in late summer though, since the weather will be perfect then.
www.secret-arts.com
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| nobinobita 1046th Post
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| "Re(1):Dammit nobi...!" , posted Tue 13 Mar 14:35
quote:
So work got Asura's Wrath in, and since that means I can have it for $40 and get my cash back within two weeks if I so choose, I snapped it up. And why's that? So I can finish reading your articles and know what you're referring to!
...well, that and I imagine the pure spectacle of the game is gonna be worth it knowing that I can enjoy it without actually spending a dime!
Was thinking on embarking on my second Journey tonight first (if I am emotionally capable of such (oh my god that game)), but then I think I'll get around to starting it.
Aw, glad you're enjoying the articles. I hope you enjoy the game.
I'm finally getting a chance to sink my teeth into Asura's Wrath and I'm really really liking it (i was actually anxious that I wouldn't enjoy the gameplay initialy). Most of the stuff I've written about the game has been based off of the early trailers. Now that I'm actually getting further into it,it's making my head spin! They did a fantastic job with the story, setting, characters, themes and imagery.
I'm glad that stuff that I was just speculating on actually ended up being a part of the game (for instance in the game Asura is exiled from his home Trastrium, a reference to Trayastrimsa, the original home of the Asuras of legend).
There's also lots of new motifs, like the scenes with Asura climbing the giant column while a golden spider speaks to him, which references the classic Buddhist themed Japanese children's story, The Spider's Thread which also recently inspired a dungeon in Skyward Sword.
I have a strong urge to go back and rewrite everything I've already posted and still have in the works. But I think I'm just gonna have to finish the next few posts quickly. Beat the game, then come back with one last epic post once I understand the story in its entirety.
www.art-eater.com
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| Grave 1439th Post
PSN: Drakee
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| "Re(2):Dammit nobi...!" , posted Thu 15 Mar 22:56
As much as I hate to say it, I think a lot of us were wrong about Asura's Wrath. Granted, I'm far from done with it, but I've played a few hours of it and I'm not gonna say I'm not impressed!
The problem here is how it was marketed, or I guess rather how it wasn't marketed at all - this is a game that requires a degree of explanation or at the very least it requires context, and the demo provided none of that.
As "interactive anime" I find it extremely entertaining and engaging, and it has a great number of scenes involving real combat with you in direct control - surprise surprise, almost all of them are better than what was featured in the demo.
The art direction and music have been fantastic and I've enjoyed the English voice cast so far. I'm a big fan of Liam O'Brien so that helps a lot. I paid around $40 for my copy and if the rest of the game is as enjoyable as what I've played so far, I may end up hanging on to it.
Pleasantly surprised by this game, but I think it's sad that a lot of people are going to miss out because they don't have the chance to play the full thing risk-free like I do. The demo wasn't very good and the early trailers don't really adequately explain what it is either - it's not like anything I've ever played, for better or worse.
Would be curious to hear if anyone else who wrote it off has had a change of heart if they got to play the game from the beginning and get some context for what's happening.
quote:
Aw, glad you're enjoying the articles. I hope you enjoy the game.
I'm finally getting a chance to sink my teeth into Asura's Wrath and I'm really really liking it (i was actually anxious that I wouldn't enjoy the gameplay initialy). Most of the stuff I've written about the game has been based off of the early trailers. Now that I'm actually getting further into it,it's making my head spin! They did a fantastic job with the story, setting, characters, themes and imagery.
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| Pollyanna 3206th Post
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| "Re(3):Dammit nobi...!" , posted Fri 16 Mar 05:26
quote:
As much as I hate to say it, I think a lot of us were wrong about Asura's Wrath. Granted, I'm far from done with it, but I've played a few hours of it and I'm not gonna say I'm not impressed!
While I don't feel like the game delivered anything significantly different than what I expected after playing the demo, I did enjoy the game quite a bit. It certainly has some enjoyable boss fights. It wasn't even the QTE stuff that bothered me as much as some of the non-action related cinemas going on for too long.
I actually played through about half of the game a second time immediately after finishing it, so that says something. I wish they had an "action mode" that would unlock after you finish the game to trim down some of the "fat" in case you just want to sit down and kick some ass. Skipping cinemas is fine, but it gets annoying, since they're divided into such short pieces. I would have accepted a boss rush mode as well.
As it stands, it's perhaps the best rental game ever made, but just not quite worth the asking price otherwise. I hope that people who were iffy about it when it first released will pick it up when they can catch it on sale.
I also liked
Spoiler (Highlight to view) -
The contrasting nature of Asura and Yasha as protagonists. Asura was the protagonist when Yasha had suppressed his emotions to the point of losing himself and Yasha becomes the protagonist when Asura lets his emotions run wild and loses himself. I liked how the game had a message of "You must balance passion and discipline" without using any words.
End of Spoiler
Also (end game)
Spoiler (Highlight to view) -
Asura's 1000 arms thing was hugely predictable, but made me laugh in triumph all the same. It's one of those things I could see 100 times and it would still be cool.
End of Spoiler
青春謳歌 弱肉強食
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