Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3
Reviewed By Reardon Jones
A huge part of me feels a little cheated growing up as a child and never really getting into the Anime genre. Especially now getting the opportunity to dive into the epically expansive world of Naruto.
Naruto is MASSIVE in Asia. In Australia, the Anime Fighting Genre is tiny in comparison. The games seem to sneak into Australian stores barely raising a whisper and barely noticeable. The series has a loyal following of diehard Naruto fans and nows the time to mention, I am not one of those. Considering I am not a series veteran, this review is more for the gamers out there new to the Naruto experience.
First off, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 provides a crash course in the history and story line of the long running anime series that allows gamers, who are new to the series (like myself), to gain an understanding of the world and it's characters. This in itself is a very helpful tool to give backbone to the story so that you aren't thrown in head first without a clue as to who, what and where.
In a nutshell, Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 takes off from where Ninja Storm 2 leaves off as you defend Konohagakure from Nine-Tailed Fox. From this, UNS 3 covers the events of the TV series' world war.
Developed by CyberConnect2 and based on the Naruto manga by Masashi Kishimoto, the "Ultimate Ninja Storm" is pretty much what you would expect: an epic storm that thrusts gamers into the action from the very start, as gamers begin by taking on the famously mentioned, but never played out, battle between Naruto's Father and enormous Nine Tails Demon Fox.
Leaping from rooftop to rooftop, this first battle is just an awesone teaser to the boss battles that lie ahead and are laced throughout this game.
UNS 3 focuses predominately on 1-on-1 combat between an array of eclectic characters. The story goes back and forth, this way and that, between events and characters (both past and present) which allows little time to lose interest in what's happening. Things are pretty action packed and fast paced with UNS 3. A perfect example of this is being half way through a 1-on-1 battle and the game cuts away to seperate fight involving different characters along a different path. Eventually everything arcs back to a pretty decent script.
Being able to play as different characters from the Naruto universe is a thrill for fans of the show, however, as a series novice, the lack of difference in fighting styles (and variations in abilities) made playing multiple characters a little underwhelming. I seemed to focus on mastering a character and their abilities, however the monotony of such can become a little tedious. The battles while initially challenging become pretty standard and repetitive over time (with very few exceptions).
During some battles gamers are provided with a choice of which path to take: The Path of the Legend or Path of the Hero. Both seem like the same thing dont they? However these choices do lead to slight variations on the story. While it won’t create major changes to the storyline it will allow gamers to view “in game” content and unlock different characters.
After a good stint planted in front of the PC, I actually became intrigued by the Naruto concept. Ninja Storm 3 made me want to watch this show mainly due to the stunning visuals throughout most levels. The 3D fighting arenas are brillantly engaging and challenging that it helps to maintain focus and attention throughout the epic story.
I was a little disappointed at the lack of free roaming areas provided. With such an impressive background for the battles and major boss fights, I really wanted to explore more of this world. This is not a fault to the developers, simply a compliment to the environment they have created that I wanted to see more of.
Cut scenes are the driving force behind story and character development, so if you don't like cut scenes, this game is probably not for you. There's a fair few of them and you will probably cheat yourself out of an experience by skipping your way through. While the battle and fight sequences are fast paced and enjoyable it would all seem a little hollow without an understanding of the backstory of these characters.
The story behind Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 was developed for gamers not familiar with the Naruto series and it is this, aswell as the enjoyable combat and exceptional graphics that make UNS 3 a worthy addition to the gaming library of veterans and series noobs alike.
Game: Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3
System: PS3
Developer/Co-Developer: CyberConnect2
Publisher: Namco Bandai Games
