Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 Review

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2

Developor: CyberConnect2

Release Date: November 4, 2010 

By: Jared Weinfurtner

Edited by: Ben Rudi

Intro

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 is the latest installment in the manga inspired Naruto series of games. If you are familiar with the Naruto games then you know that multiple games have been published and, multiple games have failed for this gaming franchise.  In 2008, Ban-Dai released the first Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm and was instantly a huge hit even among gamers who weren’t fans of the manga.  One could only hope that with the second game it could only get better. Thankfully it does, as a fan of the manga series and the last game, this game lived up to my expectations and more.

Story

This plot of this game picks up three years after Naruto had left the Hidden Leaf village with the legendary sannin ninja, Jiraya. This story picks up after his training was complete when Naruto returned to his home village. Soon after Naruto’s return the Hidden Sand village is attacked by a group of rogue ninja called Akatsuki. Akatsuki is after Gaara, the Kazekage, of the Hidden Sand village for the one tailed beast that he holds within him. As most fans know, Naruto also is in control of the nine tailed beast which Akatsuki will also be coming after.  In the story Naruto is still in searching for his lifelong friend and recently turned foe, Sasuke Uchiha. Following along with Naruto in the main campaign players will find themselves learning along with Naruto while he develops new attacks, as well as developing his sage mode.

Presentation

For those who are worried that the game deviates from the manga, you will be pleasantly surprised.  The game play as well as in-game cinematics, do an amazing job of following the manga’s plot.  Even the non-manga fans may find that after encountering many of the characters in this game that they will also start to feel a sense of emotion towards the characters and the story. You can expect battles in the story such as brothers fighting over which one is the stronger of the two, as well as students and their masters turning on each other and fighting to the death. There is never a real dull moment, even in the transitions to the next battle.

Graphics

Ultimate Jutsu's

One of the main draws of the game is the graphics alone. The character art is top quality and the fluidity of the animations, even while fighting is phenomenal. The characters are well animated and are on par if not better than their anime counterparts. Each of the characters Ultimate Jutsu techniques are a sight to behold, and it would be a shame not to see each characters Ultimate at least once. 

Gameplay

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 is a fighting game at its core. The game play is broken up into two types Ultimate Mission mode and Free Battle mode. Ultimate mission is where you will participate in fights that go hand-in-hand with the manga’s story arc. Free Battle mode is for playing out the battles that weren’t in the story as well as to fight against your friends. The fighting engine isn’t the most complex engine out there, but it does deliver a competitive casual fighting interface. During fights you are also able to call in support characters to help you do additional damage. In Ultimate Mission mode while you are not engaged in battles, you are free  to roam the Hidden Leaf village and purchase items as well as find hidden unlockables. You advance the story by talking to characters in the village that will initiate the fight sequences.

Lasting Appeal

The story line itself provides multiple hours of game play. Throughout the story mode, you will begin to unlock characters that are usable in Free Battle mode and Online Battle mode.  Towards the end of the game you will also begin to unlock “secret” characters as well as support characters.  Online Battle mode is a welcome addition to this game.  At first, the online mode was very shaky and lagged quite frequently, but with a patch they worked out all of the kinks and it now runs very smoothly. 

Summary

As for the game itself, I would consider it another great title within the series.  From the massive intense story line, to the ever changing multiplayer online play. For people who love reading the Naruto manga, people who love fighting games, or for people who just plain enjoy anime then this game is a must play.

Rating: 4.25 Ninja Stars out of 5