Review: Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2
Enter the Sixs Paths of Pain
Story
The sequel to the highly popular Ultimate Ninja Storm has finally made its arrival, and with the hordes of fans literally at their wits end waiting to play,Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 is without a doubt going to be one of the biggest and best games of 2010.
The game’s opening sequence gives you a sense of where the story line is going as you see the dramatic scenes of Konoah lying in ruins with the akatsuki member, Pain, hovering above. But when the stroy finally begins, you are witness to the unexpected arrival of Naruto Uzumaki back in Konoha after his lengthy training with legendary ninja, Jiraiya where you have the chance to catch up on matters within the village and ultimately let this epic tale of revenge, loss and friendship unfold before you.
From hereon in, you kick-start the journey of the Naruto Shippuden story from the globally popular manga and anime series that will definitely leave any casual gamer with the need to stay up to date with the ever continuing story.
Gameplay
The particular attention to detail Namco Bandai have given to the combat system has definitely made its mark on the game in more ways than one. Firstly there are just the basic fights you will encounter at random points throughout the game which while only giving you a taster of what’s to come, do provide a great fighting experience. You can also utilize the help of your teammates whenever you need to recharge your chakra or need that extra bit of ass kicking assistance.
However the real major feature that Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 provides, which I’m sure so many of you fans have been itching to get on, are the epic boss battles. During these stunning earth shattering events, you’re really able to get your fight on as you combine and perform every move you know in order to take your rightful place as the victor.
Oh but the fun doesn’t stop there, you may be having a great or even frustrating time wilting away your enemies’ life, when you’re suddenly thrown into an intense battle of speed and reflex as masses of button sequences fly at the screen expecting you to frantically button mash your way through them in order to watch the epic fight reach it’s conclusion.
There are also a few helpful items you are able to take with you into battle, like kunai bags that explode in the direction of your enemy or even the suspiciously named ninja pills that can give you the advantage in a fight. These things can always help to get you out of a tight situation especially if you are low on chakra or health.
Multiplayer
The online feature of the Naruto games have always stood strong, providing all those hardcore 1v1 gamers out there a real challenge, pitting themselves up against the globe to come out on top as the ultimate ninja fighter.
This title’s online battle mode isn’t much different from any other as you can choose either player or ranked match to fight in and you can check the online leaderboards. The battle point system however is quite effective as the more battles you win, the more points you gain which awards you with a higher rank starting from beginner to higher titles like genin and veteran special jonin.
You can also customize you own battle card that players will automatically exchange after every battle so you can see who you have fought and check out their statistics like wins, losses and battle points.
Design
The design like most Naruto titles in the franchise still stays faithful with the anime-ish style in place while making the scenery and characters look and feel as natural as possible. This combination of semi-realistic and realistic design, in its own way makes Ninja Storm 2 unique which always helps to keep the game interesting while making your way through it’s vast story.
The character design is perfect as each character you encounter throughout has kept their own personal look and aura as if it where the anime itself. You also notice all the little things like characteristic facial expressions they would make and even tone of voice. The world you run around in is also equally as impressive as it really gives you a sense of realism whether you are travelling through the lush green forests of the land of fire or carrying out a dangerous mission within an Akatsuki hideout.
Another feature to consider is the great detail within the many cut-scenes, since the game follows the Shippuden story, you feel as if you are watching the anime while given the added bonus of playing through it. The lip-syncing is seamless which in turn gives the characters a real boost of naturalism as the voice acting is perfect whether you play through the game in English or Japanese. But if you really want to get the most out of the game I would recommend playing in Japanese.
Overall
Much like it’s recent predecessor, Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 will no doubt provide an unmatched journey through the anime like no other that would present any gamer with an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of the story by the end of the game.
When playing through the game, one of the first things you may notice while travelling around is the irritating still camera that will watch you as you run through each are of the game. The game also aims to keep you on a fairly linear path that doesn’t allow much room for exploration. For me, this was a bit of a let down as older titles such as Rise of a Ninja allowed your to run around and fully explore the environment with full use of the camera.
Despite these few let downs, Ninja Storm 2 has proved to be a huge success as everything from stunning visuals to epic combat and even engaging soundtrack has been given a heightened sense of creativity and ingenuity that leads me to state that this new title could easily be Namco Bandai’s best instalment to the Naruto franchise yet which could ultimately lead the way for future greats to come.