Naruto and fighting game fans can now partake in the latest Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution game and get their fix of over the top dramatic combat. With the several games in the series already, is this latest offering worth a look. Check out our Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution review for the full picture.
Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution Review:
Today we’re taking a look at Bandai Namco Games’ Naruto themed fighting game Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution which released on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. Offering a more fighting focused game and then a twist with its all new Ninja World Tournament Mode, there’s lots to do here beneath the surface alongside some tried and trusted fighting gameplay.
From the offset, players can undertake one of several modes if playing solo which include various battles versus AI such as a handy and much welcome survival mode, Versus, league and Tournament. For the focused part of the single player story the Ninja World Tournament is the main bread and butter here and includes its very own Mecha Naruto storyline independent of the main tournament to mess around with. Players can also engage in two of the three Ninja Escapade episodes which provide back story elements of The Akatsuki Clan, The Uchiha brothers and even a section about Naruto’s parents. Throw in a load of collectible items which can be purchased using a uniform Ryo currency across modes and there’s a lot to do here for completionists.
What is perhaps the biggest change from previous games is how the Ninja World Tournament is played. Choosing a starting character, players can freely roam areas talking to NPCs and finding items to use in battle, then there are a number of shops and a employment office where side missions can be undertaken which revolve around deliveries to training fights and so on. What’s more, to unlock extra characters who you can team up with during the tournament players also have to perform set tasks from the characters dotted about the island. Moving up the ranks which are graded from C to S unlock more areas until the game ends in the true Ninja World Tournament final.
The fighting itself here retains the same flavour of its predecessors with simple one button attacks, countering and ultimate special moves except this time there’s a sub objective to bouts and four way fighting thrown into the mix. The onus on the Tournament fights only is on damaging one of the three other opponents and stealing their dropped orbs to boost your tally. After a set time, the combatant with the most orbs wins. This adds an extra tactical flavour to the game as players can steal dropped orbs and generally play defensive once they’ve built up a sizeable lead. The fights are set across several bouts where the other three team members get to play as well, so choosing the correct start order and range of characters is vital to success as the score carries over into the next round.
The tournament mode is fresh and adds a bit of additional over the top action to the already saturated game. In the battle arena there are obstacle enemies and distractions to avoid, alongside sliding on rails for bonus special attacks making for dramatic battles especially when a few ultimate Jutsu attacks complete with their animations are thrown in. Aside from the change of pace from the regular game, the only gripe here is with the lock-on system which feels unresponsive at crucial times.
Once players have become champion, or want a slice of a very different and more story driven Tournament, the Mecha Naruto tournament arc makes for a welcome change of pace and features a new area to explore and traditional fights. There’s a compelling story to enjoy here which has some unexpected twists along the way and allows to interact with many of the game’s characters. Beyond this, the versus, survival, league, tournament and Ninja Escapades options add more variety to the mix and makes for a full, well-rounded package for lone players.
In terms of looks the game retains its anime inspiration throughout with bright and vivid colours and cool designs lifted from the series. The combat in operation is fluid and smooth with no impacting moments of dipped frames when battles become full on. The audio is also good with a decent amount of speech and a quirky soundtrack which fits well with the fast pace of the fighting. In all, the game presentation is of a high standard from its menu navigation to its colourful looks.
As mentioned, completionists will find a wealth of things to obtain via online fighting or single player actions. Aside from lots of items to use in battle there are masses of unlocks to purchase and character customization options as well which allows for more varied characters from the large roster on offer. Playing online, or working through the challenging modes such as Survival and Tournament provides plentiful hours of potential play making it one of the fullest fighting games on console.
Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution is big on modes and comes with its own fast paced frantic attitude towards the genre, which is a button mashers paradise, but also rewards those who exercise a bit of skill. It’s an accessible game overall and will certainly please fans of the series or anime for adding something new with its Ninja World Tournament. For gamers looking to dive in to the Naruto world for the first time or are just seeking a new fighter, then this is well worth checking out as it’s ultimately easy to understand and play and looks good too.
Score – 8.5/10 Review By Robert Cram
