NARUTO X BORUTO Ultimate Ninja STORM CONNECTIONS is the latest entry in the Naruto Storm franchise of games from CyberConnect 2 and Bandai Namco Entertainment. This is quite a long running series of games that I’ve followed for a while now and it’s great to see it making a return after a few years of inactivity.
So does NARUTO X BORUTO Ultimate Ninja STORM CONNECTIONS continue to deliver on the expectations of the franchise and is it worth picking up?
NARUTO X BORUTO Ultimate Ninja STORM CONNECTIONS Trailer
If you’ve played any of the previous Naruto Storm franchise games, you’ll know what to expect from the series. If not, here’s the basic rundown. CyberConnect 2 and Bandai Namco have crafted a fighting game formula where players can pick from an extensive roster of characters from the Naruto franchise. In fact, NARUTO X BORUTO Ultimate Ninja STORM CONNECTIONS features the largest roster of Naruto characters in a fighting game so far and if you’re a fan of any one particular character, chances are they are playable in the game. The main franchise is incredibly well represented here. Boruto also plays a role here but I’ll get to that shortly.
In the “Free Battle” modes, players will pick a character and 2 more characters who serve as substitutes and allies in battles. You can then use these characters in battle and swap between them on the fly. You can also use them to perform attacks which can really come in handy in getting you out of a predicament such as being stun locked in a fight. Battles are fairly straightforward in the Storm franchise of games and NARUTO X BORUTO Ultimate Ninja STORM CONNECTIONS makes things even easier than ever before.
There’s now a “Simple” mode that you can enable which effectively lets the game play itself with minimal input from you as the player. This is customizable too and is really useful for younger gamers or less hardcore players who just want to experience the storyline of the game and see the flashy attacks on offer. It’s great seeing this in a fighting game and I do wish that more fighting game titles feature something similar since it makes the game a lot more accessible to people without resorting to them having to learn combos for hours via a training mode. If you want more control over your characters, you can use the normal attack mode.
The biggest problem with the Naruto Storm franchise though lied with the fact that despite the extensive roster of characters, most of them are very similar to each other in the way they play. There are of course exceptions but this too can be problematic since these exceptions are often very unbalanced in terms of their effectiveness against opponents. For example Minato is able to use his ultimate jutsu really easily because of the range of his attack. Another character like Konan has to be really close to an enemy before she can use hers and this can be problematic, especially if you’re trying to play the game online.
Ignoring the balance issues, NARUTO X BORUTO Ultimate Ninja STORM CONNECTIONS still feels incredibly fun though. The only major caveat being that while every character now has 2 jutsu available, if you were used to Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 4’s gameplay, you’ll find NARUTO X BORUTO Ultimate Ninja STORM CONNECTIONS plays out a very differently in action because of this small change.
Chakra also regenerates a lot faster to account for the extra jutsu and this change also changes the pace of the battles. This is a game that is going to be polarising with its fanbase because of the alterations to the combat system. It’s going to either be a hit or miss depending on the person playing the game and their personal preferences. I for one prefer the older style but can appreciate the faster paced nature of the fights in this title.
Moving on to the story of the game, NARUTO X BORUTO Ultimate Ninja STORM CONNECTIONS features a “History mode” which is an extremely watered down story mode featuring some fights from the main Naruto and Naruto Shippuden storyline. However, this is done in an incredibly lacklustre manner and is nothing like the old Naruto Storm franchise games where you could play through the Naruto world taking on quests and interacting with characters.
It’s extremely barebones and even the story segments that are featured are extremely lacking in information. It’s like a quick recap rather than a full-fledged cinematic story with amazing battles and it’s disappointing to say the least. If you’re new to the series, I’d suggest trying to find the older Naruto Storm games and playing them instead in order to get the best story experience.
The ”Special Story” mode in NARUTO X BORUTO Ultimate Ninja STORM CONNECTIONS is a brand new story crafted for the game which features Boruto and his pals. However this too is handled in a disappointing fashion and it’s really sad considering how this story kicks off in such a gripping manner. Without spoiling too much, the introductory sequence was so well done it made me want to immediately continue playing in order to see more like it.
Alas, the rest of the story was really quite short and while it had its moments, there really should have been a lot more Boruto here. One of the key aspects of the earlier Naruto Storm franchise titles were also removed. This being the quick time events that played out during battle cutscenes which made them a lot more interactive. Again this is a polarising change since there are gamers out there who vehemently hate QTEs, even if tastefully utilised like in this franchise.
NARUTO X BORUTO Ultimate Ninja STORM CONNECTIONS is a mixed bag. One on hand it features a tonne of characters, battle maps/arenas, and a lot of very similar gameplay to the other titles in the franchise. On the other hand it features two different story modes, one that is incredibly barebones and the other that while initially gripping, is over far too quickly. A lot more could have been done here in this game to expand upon the original storytelling and the Boruto special story.
Graphically, NARUTO X BORUTO Ultimate Ninja STORM CONNECTIONS is the best looking title in the franchise. The effects have been ramped up a lot and every single character’s jutsu looks fantastic in action. Ultimate jutsu in particular can be a visual feast for the eyes and there’s so many that look truly spectacular. Character’s can also be customized with cosmetic items and there’s a lot of outfits that you can swap to as you unlock them while playing the game. There’s also an in-game encyclopaedia but reading through tonnes of content is most likely not going to go down well with gamers.
The soundtrack featured in the game is great and thankfully the game features both English and Japanese voice acting. I immediately swapped over to Japanese since that’s the voice acting I’m used to but if you grew up listening to the English voice acting in Naruto, you’ll be glad to know that the option for English voice acting is available here.
Final Verdict
If you’re a fan of the Naruto Storm franchise of video games, NARUTO X BORUTO Ultimate Ninja STORM CONNECTIONS will feel like filler content to you. It’s reminiscent of the NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: Ultimate Ninja STORM Revolution in that it focuses more on specific fights and has some minor changes to the established formula. As previously mentioned, this is a polarising title and one that hardcore fans will most likely dislike.
If you wanted a fully fledged truly cinematic Boruto game, this isn’t it. It’s a “Greatest Hits” compilation of the original Naruto storyline with a side-story spin-off featuring Boruto characters that could have been so much more. I do still recommend playing this game but maybe holding off on it until it’s on sale since it’s certainly not a triumphant return to form for the Naruto Storm franchise.
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