Asura’s Wrath is an action game in which the player takes on the role of the titular Asura. He is one of the eight elite demigods and their chief Guardian General, leading a legion to fight a race of animals known as Gohma that wander Earth, called Gaea in the game. He served the emperors who ascended to become the leaders of the Shinkoku Trastrium, a civilization that unified all nations. Demigods gain strength from the mantra, which is powered by human emotion. On the other hand, civilization depleted the planet’s resources, and the Gohma was a natural occurrence to counter the power of Shinkoku Trastrium. It results in the Creation War, which neither side can win. Vitra, a Gohma the size of a continent, is eventually awakened, prompting the demigods to construct Karma Fortress, an orbital space station. The game begins when the Gohma attacks the space station, specifically a massive laser known as Brahmastra, which is fueled by mantra and can potentially wipe out all Gohma. The 128th Emperor Strada chooses Asura’s daughter Mithra as the principal priestess to conduct mortal prayers to provide a mantra. Still, the selection does not sit well with Asura. The main tale is divided into three parts, with 18 episodes. These are in the style of an anime series, with opening and closing titles, cut scenes, and a preview of the next chapter at the conclusion. Aside from a hidden ending, the game’s story is expanded by DLC with a fourth section, lost episodes, and extensions of current attacks.
Most of the game is played in the third-person, concentrating on melee combat. Asura possesses a variety of attacks that may be chained together to form combos. On the other hand, heavy attacks cause him to overheat and prevent him from using them indefinitely. Along with standard counters and evasion, there are dive attacks to engage from the air, dash to smash through shields, and a rapid recovery attack to minimize damage after being hit. He also has a ranged cannon that can lock onto enemies and blow them out of the sky. An Unlimited gauge near the top of the screen gets filled up by causing and accepting damage. Once complete, it can be switched to Unlimited mode for increased power and no overheating. A crimson Burst gauge appears next to the green life bar and is filled by beating enemies, dealing damage, and following on-screen prompts. Once complete, a massive attack is launched, frequently required to finish out the most formidable opponents and advance the plot.
Asura soars over the air in rail shooter sequences for several parts of the game. Movement is constrained to a set axis for the area visible on the screen in specific lines, and the camera rotates automatically. Asura attacks and latches on to several targets while evading projectiles in the style of a Space Harrier. Many cinematic events in the game involve direct input from the player. These can be seen during gameplay and static cinematics or flight sequences. These quick-time events are graded based on accuracy and speed, and missing them can cause Asura to die or lose considerable health, even during cinematics.
