Can Naruto still pack a punch?
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations is quite a mouthful for a name of a videogame; its predecessor gained an 8.0 from yours truly, but can Naruto strike twice or is it time to throw in the towel?
Now I’m not really a fan of Naruto, but I can appreciate the art-style and gameplay that I’ve experienced over the past few years, even though I haven’t the foggiest what’s going on regarding the story, but it will definitely please fans as the story mode recreates past storylines with cutscenes and battles. The gameplay hasn’t changed that much from the last game, except managing meters for special attacks and so on, so don’t go expecting much new in terms of combat, but it does have a huge roster of characters from the show, at least 70+ and even more unlock if you have a game save from the past game, as well as gaining 50,000 ryo to spend in the shop.
Besides the story mode, the other modes focus on online battles, training and standard exhibition fights. It’s a bit sparse in terms of other content, but the roster and decent story mode more than makes up for it. If there’s a complaint to be had regarding the combat, it’s that each fighter handles more or less the same. Fighting is pretty simple, it’s not as complex as say the Street Fighters/Tekkens of the industry, but simple makes it more accessible for newcomers and veterans alike.
In terms of visuals, Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations looks just like its source material, but doesn’t look that different from the last game, having said that though it’s still a beautiful looking game and the framerate is always steady. Voice acting will please fans, though there’s quite a lot of it, while the soundtrack is impressive, catchy and obviously authentic.
The Verdict
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm is a nice sequel for fans, but it doesn’t add a whole lot new except an impressive roster of characters and a new story mode, but the formula isn’t exactly broken so I can see why they haven’t messed with it as much as they could have. It’s a nice fighting game that any Naruto fan will truly enjoy, while newcomers to the series may wonder what’s going on, but will enjoy the adventure nonetheless.
