Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Trilogy is impressive. Rarely does a trilogy of games get better and better, yet stay so closely embedded with each other in terms of looks and gameplay design. This trilogy does just this and even fits right in with the fourth game. You would expect some large gap between gaming experiences, but it’s all consistent in scope and delivery.
So much, Naruto. So little time.
A few weeks ago Bandai Namco Entertainment released a remastered trilogy that was born from the previous generation of consoles. The Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Trilogy contains Naruto: Ultimate Ninja STORM, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 and Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 Full Burst. All quality games that have varying campaigns, ranging from easy (start off exploring your village) to outright chaotic (you want to battle Nine Tails or a masked Ninja enemy?); all of them beautifully drawn and perfectly animated to fit with the familiar manga and anime world of Naruto.
Honestly, this trilogy is not a shabby way to spend your hard earned money, even if you’re not familiar with the series at all, as I was not some years back.
Back in 2017, I received my first taste of Naruto with Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4, which absolutely blew me away. Before receiving and playing that game, I was certain that this series was a cash-grab by Bandai, as so many popular animes/manga are these days, which was a dumb assumption on my part. What I found in that game was a fun experience, and it’s something I can see and feel in this trilogy.
There is a solid set of stories behind each game, which progresses through Naruto’s life and development. There’s a heavy amount of drama that is inserted in each title that keeps players engaged with the game. Story is everything when it comes to making a game memorable, which is the case here in the trilogy. You want anime drama that is slightly over-dramatized, but not in a Dragon Ball Z sorta manner, then you got it with every one of the games in the trilogy. It’s beautiful to watch unfold. For example, when I was reviewing this at my desk in the office, I had a friend come by and ask me what anime I was watching. He was blown away when I informed him it was a game.
Outside of story, the game does have some shallow layers of control and focuses a bit more on story than asking the players to perform some sort of skilled maneuvers on screen. On top of this, there are also moments of QTE (quick time events), which are scattered through out each game. Even though there are moments of hardcore quick time events, which is prevalent in the third part of the trilogy, there is a good mixture of manual controls and moves that one pulls off to succeed in the game. I would say that the controls are about as complicated, if not just a little bit more, than what you would find in a Street Fighter title. They are simple and built for all manner of audiences. That’s not to say that you won’t have to think on your feet sometimes, QTE rewards you for faster reaction, but you shouldn’t go into it expecting some 9-10 button mashing fest, where you have to pull off the perfect moves to get to the next part of the story. Some fans might be turned off by this, but I’m telling you what the games lack in controls, they will make up for in story and drama. There’s something to be said about engaging gamers with endearing characters and presentation.
Anyway, there’s a lot that went into each title in the trilogy and I’m far more impressed with the consistency of the series than I thought I would be. The combat systems translate from one title to the next, which is unusual for a series that has gone on for so long and one that jumped to an entirely new platform. What I do in the first game, I can do in the second and third, though there are special powers that differ. For example, there was a moment of frustration in the third title, where I couldn’t figure out the move/punch/special move system, which had me go back to the second one to learn the basic moves/attacks. One learned, I went back and beat the opponent I was up against in the third title. It was nuts, but consistent. I appreciated that consistency immensely, as it helped me enjoy the third title a bit more than when I previously started it.
Okay, enough chitter-chatter about controls and such. Let’s dig right into these games by breaking down the modes in each and discuss what you should expect from them.
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja STORM
Ultimate Mission Mode – This is the main part of the game where you go through a vary fantasy-driven Naruto adventure that has a mixture of exploration, a series of different missions to accomplish and a linear storyline as the backbone. It’s a huge undertaking and one that is not for the faint of heart. It’s certainly difficult in some respect, but the scope is so engrossing that you won’t mind the difficult challenges the game lays out for you.
Free Battle Mode – It’s exactly what you would expect from the game. You can play against friends or against the computer in an outrageously animated fighting mode.
Beyond these modes, which are enough for a starter title, especially when you think about their origin on the PS3, there’s nothing really else to do. Honestly, the story/missions will keep you occupied enough, though the free battle mode will amuse you.
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2
Ultimate Adventure – The Naruto Shippuden story comes to life here. The drama is a lot thicker in this one and there seems to be a bit more at stake in regards to Naruto’s village and what is introduced at the beginning. The one thing I like about this adventure is that the story doesn’t hold back and it’s not some cutesy anime that is geared towards a younger crowd; it’s a serious story with a lot at stake, as you will see in the beginning. This is the mode and the game that turned me completely into a Naruto game fan. Missions and such are still prevalent, as well as the sense of a bigger scope for the series. I think they opened things up for this one and prepared it for the next installment, which is out of this world gorgeous.
Free Battle Mode – Play against the computer or with friends and family, something that was in the previous.
Online Battle Mode – Fighting people across the network? Count me in.
As you can probably tell, CyberConnect2 upped the scale of the series with the second title, as well as improved the visuals and brought the series closer to its anime brethren. It is a gorgeous game to be open and honest, as well as one that really wanted players to explore the universe it created. I can certainly dig that, folks.
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 Full Burst
I feel like the name of this game got longer and longer as new releases came out. I’m unofficially positive that there was some internal bet at CyberConnect2 on how much text they could fit on the packaging. I’m kidding, but it would be funny. Anyway, here’s a breakdown of modes.
Ultimate Adventure – The stakes are higher in the third game, as it starts you out with choosing to be a hero or a legend, which I surmise means how much difficulty are you willing to take on with high rewards waiting for you should you succeed. After choosing your path, depending on your choice, you are tasked with fighting a giant beast named Nine-Tails or going up against a masked enemy. Regardless of choice, you will have to fight both beings and neither is easy. That’s how the game begins and it just keeps going up from there. You get the same structure within the game with missions and linear story, as found in the previous titles. There’s still a large world to explore and a lot of information to garnish from it, but it’s all better than the second game. I’m thoroughly impressed with how CyberConnect2 just kept upping the entertainment value of the series, even to another level when you reach the forth game. It’s all incredibly rich with history, character development, engaging story and a solid connection to the anime and manga series. This literally made me want to go search out things beyond the game series.
Maybe when the holiday season is over.
Free Battle Mode – This is still very much intact and kept alive from the previous two titles.
Online Battle Mode – Fighting people across the world? Check. I’m not sure this is the mode for me, mainly because I’m positive I’ll get my ass kicked, but it’s definitely intact and expanded upon in the third game in the series.
CyberConnect2 found modes gamers enjoyed and kept them together. The Ultimate Adventure is still the mode of choice between the three, but confident gamers/fighters will get a kick out of the others. The consistency between the series is impressive and it shows that CC2 wanted to keep everything going, as well as keep things simple in delivery. I’m always a proponent of offering up good things in a game, even if it means cutting back on some of the worthless stuff (see what EA Sports did with nearly all their titles this year). It makes for a more concentrated amount of fun that developers can sit and really think about instead of stretching the game out with a thousand things players don’t care about.
Anyway, the third game is excellent and still an upswing towards the fourth game in the series.
What you’re looking at with this trilogy is a massive amount of hours and an experience with each title that keeps getting better and better. Again, I was certain for years that this series was merely a cash-grab for Bandai because they knew how big of a fanbase Naruto had, but my mind is changed now and I’m thoroughly impressed, especially after playing the trilogy for the last few weeks, on how much passion and intricate detail went into making this series a longstanding, worthwhile gaming experience. It’s certainly worth your time and definitely worth a go at $39.99.
