Its hard to believe that Naruto has been with us for well over a decade now, but thanks to CyberConnect2, the franchise has been faithfully and successfully translated into videogames over the course of this generation. While their last effort, Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations, felt phoned in, it was assumed to be merely a bump along the road to the sequel many have been waiting for, Ultimate Ninja Storm 3.
This particular series has done a great job capturing the essence of the manga and anime, making the characters seem more alive and real than they do in any other medium. Unfortunately, the latest Ninja Storm blows wildly off course. There are one or two bright spots that really nail the tone and feel, but Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 is plagued by dull story progression that rivals the notorious filler arcs of the anime in terms of yawn-inducing tedium.
Pacing is by far the games biggest problem. Its not that the massive bulk of this ninja chronicle ruins the experience, theres just nothing about the storytelling that makes you want to engage the game. Youll spend most of your time watching lengthy bouts of exposition, framed in boring, static shots that drain any sense of excitement or energy. The source material is solid, and the attention to detail is admirable, but too often Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 fails to recreate the gripping, emotional feel of the manga or anime.
Its a terrible letdown, especially since gorgeous art design once again makes Narutos world look like an amazing place to explore. Theres just no interesting way to interact with anything. The beautifully rendered environments serve little purpose if all youre going to do is run through them to the next cutscene or battle. Entertaining side-quests that helped flesh out previous games are virtually non-existent here, and the few that pop up dont offer much in the way of motivation or payoff. Throw in lengthy load times breaking up these segments, and you have a fractured world that only gets in the way of what really matters in this game -- impressively faithful and visually explosive ninja action.
Youll find a decent number of traditional one-on-one fights, but the lavishly produced cinematic gameplay set pieces that frequently punctuated Ninja Storm 2 have become disappointingly rare. These striking interactive segments can deliver an experience that simply cant be matched outside games, yet youll spend much more time drowning in excessively long and completely non-interactive scenes rather than actively participating in Ninja Storms signature cinematic events.
The game honestly seems to be working against itself. Considering what CyberConnect2 has achieved in some of its previous games, its tough to overlook the blundering execution here. Asura's Wrath has its shortcomings, but it plays to its strengths by focusing on intense action sequences and marrying them with well-crafted cinematics. With Ultimate Ninja Storm 3, CyberConnect2 tugs the experience in two drastically different directions, never fully realizing either vision.
Attempts to innovate also fall flat. Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 introduces a few new ideas that seem to have potential, but in practice theyre rather lackluster. The new decision making mechanic has some impact on your next fight, but the consequences are minor and the story stays the same either way. Towards the end of the game youll be presented with a tactical map that teases the possibility of strategic gameplay, but its only a façade pasted over the same old stuff weve seen over and over again: more repetitive battles.
Along with the disappointing story mode, local and online versus modes makes a return. Theres an impressive roster over 80 characters, but youll need to grind a bit unlock most of the characters before you can use them. Its also clear the series has thrown in the towel and abandoned any notion of creating a competent or competitive fighting game. Combat is flashy with all kinds of exotic fighting techniques, but battles quickly become dull with watered down combos and simplified mechanics.