Geek Citadel Reviews – Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3

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If you do not know the name “Naruto”, you quite possibly don’t know much about modern Anime. The spiky blonde haired youngster who went from a misfit to a hero is a tale that many know. The long running Manga spawned a coveted Anime series to go along with it. It brought the black and white exploits of a headstrong youth to life with visual flair. A slew of games soon followed, but none replicated the animation of the series as much as the Ultimate Ninja Storm titles.

 

Generations” is the only title that did not receive a number. This may be due to the scaled back campaign, and complete removal of the free-roam elements. Ninja Storm 3 takes all of the fundamentals of its successors, and strives to tell the story of Naruto like never before. Set just after the defeat of Pain and his minions, Naruto has a minor rest before he learns of tragic news. With the fifth Hokage unconscious, a new leader takes her place. His first action is to label Sasuke Uchiha as a traitor and place him on the ninja disposal list. Infuriated by this decision, Naruto heads to the meeting of the five Kage’s to stop his friends assassination.

 

Ultimate Ninja Story 3 trails the anime and manga as closely as possible. If you’ve never even watched one episode of this series, or you’re still below the Pain arc… you may wish to steer clear of this one. Those that are familiar with the series will witness a masterful re-telling of the story. It draws forth an engaging sensation as control slips between each fight in a seamless transition.  The slick animations and well-mapped camera angles shift and split better than most episodes of the show.

 

Ninja Storm 3 is a myriad of beauty, sound, and gameplay. It boasts an outstanding visual style that is currently only rivaled by Ni No Kuni. Simple but elegant cut-scenes were used to move forward the heavier tones of the story. The battle scenes provide a detailed approach that blurs the line between show, manga, and interactive media. Just like the more action-oriented episodes of the animation, the video game splashes itself with color and evolves its 3D models to an incredible degree.

Naruto Sasuke

Leaving not a thing untouched, the voice-work teeters on phenomenal. Supporting both English and Japanese audio tracks is just the beginning of the journey into audio bliss. The whole cast is here in both forms, and the stellar performances serve only to completely occupy the attention of the viewer. Drawing to the intensity is the full weight of the series soundtrack erupting in the background. Thumping bass lines and somber ballads stir up a mixture of welcome emotions. In every respect, Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 is a work of collaborating art forms. The only reduction to the gorgeous visuals lies in the occasional drop in frame-rate.

 

It’s true that beauty wins the day, but has the combat advanced from the previous titles? Advanced may not be the best word – maybe more like refined. As the manga grows in Jutsu so does the Ninja Storm games. A simplistic fighter filled with timed evasions is at your disposal. While deceptively passing itself off as a button-masher, Storm 3 has the potential to provide a complexity for a skilled gamer. Fights are measured on the tricks of a ninja’s trade, and knowing when to use a clone could mean life or death.

 

Since all nine of the tailed users make an appearance. A brand new Awakening mode reveals itself when near death. Characters with this ability will transform into the tailed beasts within and wreak havoc on everything in its path. Fans will have a blast taking on a modestly sized version of one of the Jinchuriki. Each creature has a different set of moves when in Awakening Mode. The change introduces a boost and a penalty – like a gain in power but a loss in movement speed.

 

Free-roaming returns in a greatly scaled down format compared to previous titles. Those looking to take to the rooftops with the blistering acrobatics of the manga – are sure to be disappointed. Offering a completely linear pathway through small environments is the best this title can muster. Entering a different section of any location is coupled with a loading screen. Be it a simple transition to a different location, or a long loading screen to one of the lengthy cut-scenes. It’s particularly annoying when shopping in the Hidden Leaf village, since every shop has to be loaded when you enter it as well.

Nine Tails Naruto

While in town, the player can roam about and shop for trinkets or crack open boxes and barrels for hidden items. Naruto can even accept quests for people around the village – such as searching for blueprints or writing down history in the World Ninja Timeline. It will allow participants to replay missions to improve their scores and relive earlier stories in the lifetime of Naruto.

The ability to fight multiple opponents also comes into play in certain open locations. The controlled character at that moment in play – will face off against a small number of opponents in Dynasty Warriors style combat. Button prompts will appear for counter-attacks, and players will be able to perform special versions of their Ultimate Jutsu to take down stronger foes. It’s stiff to control at times and the camera can obscure enemies, but it’s a fun inclusion that adds necessary variety to the title.

 

Players will also be able to take on the larger enemies during specific story sequences. The player will have to avoid the devastating wrath of a tailed or summoned beast, while trying their best to knock it down to size. These battles require quick reflexes to avoid being slaughtered, and to overcome the thumb twisting quick-time events in effect. Speaking of QTE’s, they do play a significant part in recreating the well-animated fights of the series.

 

Important battles will require the player to make an “Ultimate Decision.” Players will choose between “Hero and Legend,” and eventually choose how much of the story they desire to see. Winning battles will accumulate points that will level up your Ninjitsu bag of tricks. The Hero section houses the support tools – which can be used to upgrade health, chakra, or increase attack power. The Legend section deals in damage tools – that can be used to create bombs or lightning infused kunai. Only one of these sections is assigned to the character of choice before battle. Therefore, you will have to make your decision on how you wish to play the next match wisely.

 

Anime lovers would be remiss to ignore the palpable amount of content and detail provided here. Naruto’s quest to save his friend has never felt better on a console. Those who had mixed feelings about Generations can release a satisfying sigh of relief. Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 receives an A- from Geek Citadel. If you’re hip to the story of Naruto, this interactive re-telling is a heart pumping ball of fun well worth your time.

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