Ninja Storm 2 continues this tradition of great fighting. Its not hard to become good with a character but its not like tradition fighting games where you can just spam the same moves over and over. Unless you have the difficulty set real low when fighting the AI.
The story is also fantastic since it is based on some of the best Shippuden story arcs since it began. However, I will warn you that if you are a big fan of the show, you'll be disappointed. A lot of scenes have been cut, some of them real good ones too. Overall I'd say Ninja Storm 2 is a summary of the events from Shippuden episode 1 to the end of the Pain arc. Out of all of that I'd say this game keeps about 10-20% of the scenes in tact. Don't get me wrong, the game is still a good romp through some of the best episodes of the series, but it could have been better. Mostly the lost star on the rating is for this reason. They also edited some scenes and changed some of how they really happened. Hinata's words she says in the Pain battle is a big example of how they cut and edited things.
Story aside, this time you can now go outside of Konoha. Which is great but...Konoha and the world now feels like you are playing in a manga book. You spend all your time on foot going from place to place and it all seems very small compared to how its portrayed in the series. The first Ninja Storm game did Konoha much better. Also missing is some of the funner side missions like jumping through the trees or running up them. Really the game could have had a quick travel system which involved this but sadly this is left out.
Other side missions can vary from either being quite fun to downright stupid. To give an example without spoiling it too much. If you have played Ninja Storm 1, you know the pain some of those hide n seek missions were with Konohamaru. In 2, there is a hide n seek mission but, literally you turn a corner and you can see him just standing with his back to you pretending to be a regular background person...except, theres no one else around him. Really it was the dumbest moment of the entire game. Thankfully thats all I found. As I said, most of the side missions are quite fun and if you don't get them all during the main storyline, don't worry. The game goes into a mission mode after you finish the storyline so you can run around the world anywhere you want and do missions.
This mission mode is a rather nice deal for achievement hunters. Mess up on a fight? No sweat, theres a guy who you can talk to that will allow you to replay them all. You can also form your own perfect 4 man team. This is a great feature vs just going to a menu and selecting missions from that, then going to a location in Konoha to do them. However, the menu will still serve a very important tool during the game so get used to what it provides early on.
Aside from that graphically the game isn't much beyond it's predecessor. Losing the city and the smaller feel to the world do bring down the appeal a little bit, but the world backgrounds are all rather nicely done. Most of which look like backgrounds made for the show itself. I will note that if you are expecting the Xbox version to have better FSAA support than the PS3, don't bother unless you run in lower resolutions. Running at 1650x1080 shows the same old jaggies as the first. This seems to disappear when you put it on a regular TV or lower res but its a shame cause the engine itself is not all that advanced. Xbox does have a better GPU than the PS3 so I was expecting it to be a little better like it usually is.
Rest of the game is well done. Voices and music are cut right from the series which is great...course that would be the Japanese ones. Anyone who watches the show or plays the game in the English dub...you need to be slapped. Just watching the opening movie before you can set the game to Japanese is unbearable enough. Just terrible compared to the Japanese voices. I'm not one to usually say that since there are some shows I do enjoy the English voices in...but Naruto isn't one of them.
In the end, this game is good, its fun, but it could be a lot better and bigger. Merging the strengths from the first game with the strengths from this would really make a phenomenal game. But I doubt we'll really see a Naruto game take off big time till they invest in making a Naruto MMO. If that ever happens, lets hope they take a lot from the Ninja Storm games. Mix that in with the complete Naruto world...it would be unstoppable.
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***I'm going to say this now, there are spoilers. Read at your own risk.***I will go ahead and say this: this is the best Naruto game that has been released on the Xbox 360. There is a lot to love about this game. I have played it for 18 hours, and I just now beat Itachi with Sasuke. For anyone who is curious, the game goes until the Sage Naruto/Pain fight(Episode 175). For any Naruto fan, it is essential that you try this game.
First, the visuals are incredible. I thought that the art design really captivated the look and feel of the show. Rather than just playing a game, it's like you're really in the show. That sounds cheesy, but it's true. There are beautiful colors for ultimate jutsu and attacks. The developers really outdid themselves this time. Unlike other Naruto games, this one has an amazing art style that really does do a magnificent job of pulling you in to it's universe.
Next, the fighting system is very deep. On your D-Pad, you assign ninja tools to help you in combat. Things like Paper Bombs, Electric Kunai, and Food Pills (temporary attack increase). My big complaint is that you can't use anything to boost your health during a fight; but that can easily be overlooked. The combos you can pull off are amazing, to say the least. If you mash "B" for 10 seconds, you'll get something pretty cool looking. However, if, in the middle of mashing "B", you press "Y" and then "B", you can charge your chakra to do a ninjutsu attack to change the outcome and/or combination on your attacks. The combos look pretty cool, yes; but after awhile, it feels like you're doing the same stuff over and over again. You can charge your chakra (Press "Y") and manipulate it in several days. For example, you can charge it and press "X" and you will throw a larger(or more, depending on who you use) shuriken than usual.
A great thing I like about the camera was how it changes views. It really is hard to explain. During the fight, everything can get really crazy, and the camera can change from behind you to a distant view. Watch some videos on YouTube to understand what I mean. Overall, the fighting system is truly amazing. It has its flaws, but it's the best in the series, and, in my opinion, one of the best fighting systems ever in a fighting game.
Next is the story. You play "Ultimate Adventure mode." I'll get this out of the way first: you must play through the game to unlock every character. Some may complain, but I like it. It's like I worked to get my favorite character. This is where the biggest flaw comes in to play. The exploring is so mind-numbingly boring. There is a terrible camera view while you explore villages, forests, and bridges. The thing is, there is way more walking than there is fighting. They should have kept the exploring technique from previous Naruto games(i.e.: "Rise of a Ninja" and "Broken Bond"). Like in the others, you get to free roam. You have the ability to run up buildings, jump from rooftops, do massive jumps, races, and other mini games. In UNS 2, all you have are fetch quests. Put in short, you run somewhere, talk to them, and report back to the other person. Done.
The exploring really is limited. You run in a limited space with numerous loading times in between(which, in my opinion, really slows the flow and pace of the game) areas. The thing is, "areas" are only about 5 seconds of walking through. So why are there loading times? It doesn't make sense. Although I can give it some credit. There is a semi-satisfying loot system. You explore crates, plants, trees, etc. You use the items found to create items at stores so you can buy it. Though it is pointless to have to find the materials and then have to buy it.
A cool feature is that you get to switch to different controlling characters. So when Sasuke pursues Itachi, you get an entire chapter to control Sasuke and go after Itachi. It was nice. Same goes for Jiraiya finding Pain. Also, the boss fights are incredible. They go into several different phases, so be prepared with tools and attack/defense boosters. I was unprepared, and had to fight at the last phase of a boss with half a bar of health. So make sure you have what you need. There are button pressing sequences during it as well. It is amazing and keeps you engaged. It varies from pressing a single button, mashing a button, and even to having to press four random buttons in a matter of seconds. It can really get your adrenaline pumping.
There are very emotional moments in the game, too. For those of you who always wanted a deep story in a Naruto game, this is it. It isn't dumbed down a notch just to save money. They put more effort into this game. What makes it better is that you can switch to the original Japanese voice cast. So now you don't have to hear the annoying voice of the English Naruto try and sound serious. Most of the lines are correct. They can't have all the talking though. Otherwise you're gonna have 20 minute cut scenes. My favorite emotional part was where Jiraiya dies. When he fights Pain, towards the end, you have to fight all six Pain's with a useless arm. You can't block or use any jutsu. You can kick with a blurry screen. It almost made me cry a little. You really get a look into what the character went through. Kudos to the team for that.
The story goes up to episode 175, the fight between Sage Naruto and Pain. It's pretty lengthy for a Naruto game. The other games generally only go through about 70 episodes. This is a giant step up. I've been playing for 18 hours, and I'm only on the Itachi fight. There is so much content here. And for anybody looking for sparring, there is the basics: 1P v COM, 1P v 2P, COM v COM, etc. This is the first to have online battle as well. Haven't played online, but whatever. I've heard it lags slightly, but that's not very bad.
Overall, this is an amazing game. It suffers from big, but few, flaws; but it manages to pull itself up and pull it together. I can honestly recommend this game to anyone. The story is told in the best way of any in the series so far; so the emotion is great. There is a simple, but amazing combat system here to be enjoyed. Anyone can enjoy this great game. Even though the "anime game" genre is usually shunned, you shouldn't miss out on this. A great experience for anyone to have.
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This game is a great indicator to how well naruto is actually coming along in video games. With each one i play they get more and more right making the games better and better. That isn't to say there isn't and flaws in the game, cause their are. Some of the characters are op or "overpowered" and dont really make the matches very fun. With an online game where people try to have fun and be competitive, balance is something that needs to be a top priority. This game does alright with balance, but as i said before there are a few characters that are just way to strong, and as a consequence are used extremely often in online matches to get an easy win.The story is something that blew me away the most. How they capture it and make it interactive enough to where it doesnt feel like you are just watching the show, but keeping the depth of the story great enough to where you actually feel like you are making a difference and are part of the world is just amazing. I wont spoil the fight but there is one in particular where you change mid fight to a memory like state and the effects they use to capture it are just crazy. None of the story chapters take to long, and the boring stuff is kept to a minimal amount.
This game is not perfect, but it is leaps and bounds better than the last few, and if they take this and improve upon it in the next then we are in for one amazing series of games.
Honest reviews on Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 - Xbox 360
Being big fan of Naruto anime, this game was a must try for me. After finishing the game once finishing all of the main as well as most of side missions (~27 h) and playing some free and online matches, here is what I thought.**************PROS.*****************
LONG AND FULFILLING SINGLE PLAYER STORY EXPERIENCE: Not being a big fan of fighter games, I was a bit concerned whether this game would have a good single player campaign. Now that I have finished the game I have to say I am quite satisfied and at points even impressed how nicely they have created single player story campaign experience. You will be traveling through a variety of areas (different villages, fields, hideouts, mountains from Naruto world) doing variety of missions and participating in some very nostalgic battles. Very impressed.
AWESOME ANIMATION OF NARUTO ANIME IN HD GRAPHICS: The creators have done wonderful job reincarnating the Naruto anime in this game by animating the anime characters to utmost details. The game looks spectacular in 720p graphics. There are many fight scenes where you will forget that you are actually playing the game, as the graphics will look so good (play Sasuke vs Itachi fight). I am so happy I am not disappointed in this area as this is the main reason I bought the game.
HUGE VARIETY OF CHARACTERS: Pretty much every single significant character you know from Naruto Shippunden anime is playable (starting from beginning of the anime to the Killer Bee-Sasuke fight). If you have seen the anime that is plethora of characters. Furthermore multiple versions of Naruto and Sasuke are also available so you can use ultimate jutsu of your choice (i.e for Sasuke long lightning blade or Amaterasu). In story mode depending on the mission different characters will accompany you and they are usable in different fights. Furthermore at the end of the game you can choose your own team so you can pretty much use every single Konoha character in story mode. Again very impressive.
GREAT MECHANICS FOR ONE ON ONE AND TEAM BATTLES: What good is a fighting game without good fighting mechanics? In this game you can have one on one battle or have 1 or 2 side characters supporting you offensively and/or defensively. The fighting mechanics are not as great as top notch fighting games, but they are still great and characters for most part are balanced. Combat controls are for most part simplistic enough, but yet have unique depth to them for advanced players. For example striking punch button will pull off variety of combos, but if you just button mash punch the enemy will easily escape using substitution and punish you. Thus, timing of your attack as well as awareness of enemy moves is very important to win a battle. You won't be disappointed in this department.
VARIETY IN GAMEPLAY EXPERIENCE: Battles are not the only thing you will do in this game. In single player campaign you will travel through vast variety of land as described above. While traveling there will be plenty of side missions to finish and unlockables to find. In addition, there are plenty of mini-games such as catching birds and developing relationship with your comrades. This prevents the game from being redundant and if you like collecting stuff then this adds great length to gameplay.
LARGE OPEN WORLD: As you progress more and more through the story, you will open up more and more areas that you can revisit for various reasons. This was not a necessary addition, but I am happy it is there. If you want to unlock most of the things you will be revisiting many areas. I am happy there are stepping into this direction.
FORGIVING QUICK-TIME EVENTS: A lot of games use quick time events these days (i.e. pressing correct button at the right time during a cut-scene to beat up your enemy or dodge danger). While I don't mind them in some games they get to be quite annoying as making one mistake will get you killed. Fortunately, that is not the case here. This game has some of the coolest cutscenes during the quick time events and if you get mesmerized by it and don't press the right button, no worries, you will get one more chance with some health deduction. If you are attentive and you press the right buttons each time then the game will reward you with stars which will help you unlock "secret factor". So happy about it.
RANKED BATTLE SYSTEM: Not much to describe here. The battles are ranked. The type of jutsus and combos you pull off, the time you take and the strategy you use are all taken into account. So this truly promotes you to pull up the best combos instead of button mashing your enemy to the death. This truly makes you an active participant rather than a passive person who is just trying to get through the game.
OPTION TO RELIVE PAST EVENTS: Yup, you don't have to replay the whole game (or level for that matter) to relive past battle or cutscene. Once you collect the scrolls for the scene, the game allows you to simply replay it. If you didn't get enough star rating or good ranks this is the chance to make up for it.
PLATHORA OF UNLOCKABLES: Other than in game battles, you can unlock story, secret factors, jutsus etc. There is just so much of it. So if you are a completionist, this game will provide you ample things to do.
HOURS AND HOURS OF VS BATTLES: When you are done with the game, you can of course spend hours and hours fighting with your friends on line or off line. These fights also provides you with "experience" which will help you unlock more stuff.
**************CONS.*****************
ELIMINATION OF SOME IMPORTANT EVENTS AND FAST FORWADING STORY: So this game covers large portion of Naruto Shippunden anime and so have variety of characters, but to cover the large portion of the story in relatively short amount of time, it removes some very important aspects of the story. With slight changes, they could have created a much better story experience. For example instead of focusing so much on doppelganger battles (real character vs fake character), they could have included some important fights such as that between pupateers or Orochimaru snake form vs Sasuke. So on the whole the directing is great, but if you have watched the anime like me, parts of the game will leave you somewhat dissatisfied.
***************CONCLUSION************
Contrary to the con. I mentioned, if you are Naruto fan, this game has hours and hours of entertainment to offer you. Whether you like the whole game or not, you will like battles especially those that are the highlights of the anime (Sasuke vs Itachi type). A must buy (9.4/10).
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 - Xbox 360
I chose this rating because it has extremely outstanding graphics for the characters whaen they awaken.There was something they could've done to make it better like the awakenings as characters on te free characters list and Kisame's awakening should've been a human like shark floating over a small tornado of water and that tornado would follow him around wherever he want , just like in Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations.But all in all great,great,great,GREAT,GREAT GAME!!!!!!!!
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