The Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm games are legendary for how they cover the events of Naruto Shippuden, giving fans a superior way to experience the anime. However, hardcore fighting game fans often dismiss these titles for their simplistic battle system, shoving the series away for daring to be another anime arena fighter.
While we don’t think Naruto X Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections will change that perception, it’s still a step in the right direction for arena fighters. Not only is the series’ surprisingly satisfying combat back in droves, but also with a somehow even more impressive coat of paint.
Fans who have played prior Ninja Storm games will know what to expect here. There’s one button you can mash for basic combos, simple combinations for Special and Ultimate Jutsu, and limited teleportation/Substitution Jutsu when you're on defense. It’s a simple but satisfying battle system, albeit, one without much complication.
Luckily, Storm Connections has the most in-depth battle system in the series thus far. Although players can still mash one button for flashy combos, there are more in-depth ways to extend them now. For example, while you’re mashing that one button, you can opt not to finish your combo and extend it with chakra dashes, throws, special attacks, or even your Ultimate Jutsu.
Like a lot of the so-called “legitimate” fighting games, Storm Connections has move and dash cancels, OTG attacks, and combo scaling. Your attacks will actually do less damage the more you prolong a combo, just like a “real” fighting game. Some of this might not sound impressive, but the change does make matches a lot more interesting and, dare I say, fun.
Another way Naruto X Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections innovates the series is by removing the special item attack and replacing it with another Special Jutsu. That means each character now has a second Special Jutsu to use, making each battle more tactical than the last. With over 100 characters, this means each one offers something new to the table and might even lead to veteran fans having new mains.
Each character having two special Jutsus doesn’t just affect the player-controlled character, but their support attacks as well. Anyone familiar with the Ultimate Ninja Storm series knows that the three-on-three Team Battles are already pretty dynamic, thanks to character switching and Support Jutsu. Now that each character has two Special Jutsu attacks, they also have two Support Jutsu each, which means even more ways to dupe your foe or extend your combo.
Speaking of characters, everyone from the previous Ultimate Ninja Storm games is here. Obviously, fans wouldn’t want to buy a $60 game with the same characters, even if there are a hundred of them, so there are a couple of newbies here. Annoyingly, three of them are just new versions of Naruto, Sasuke, and Boruto, which makes the price point a bit steep, even with the battle system changes.
While the improved battle changes won’t guarantee a spot on EVO anytime soon, they’re still very much appreciated and add a lot more depth. Hitting someone with a Rasengan, then following up with a Chakra Dash while they’re still rolling on the floor to extend a combo feels really good. It’s just a shame so many of these battles will be played with various versions of Naruto, Sasuke, Kakashi, Obito, and Boruto.
Of course, not everyone will be playing Naruto X Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections for an in-depth battle system. In fact, most gamers who pick this up will be doing so for the high-quality cutscenes that come with a CyberConnect2 anime game. Sadly, this is where Storm Connections drops the ball a bit.
Players will have two major single-player modes to play through: History and Special Story. History is an abridged recap of Naruto’s adventure, from the beginning of his run to his final battle with Sasuke at the end of Shippuden. Special Story, on the other hand, is an original story starring Boruto.
Out of the two, History is the weakest and it’s not even close. This mode cherry-picks what battles players can get to participate in and leaves the rest for a slide show. Most of these are basic battles, with a couple of story-heavy fights from the older Ninja Storm games sprinkled in. Don’t expect any new animations or quick-time events, as they’re the same ones from the older titles.
What makes History a bore to go through is that you will mostly play through Naruto and Sasuke’s fights, missing out on other cool battles from the series. Moments like Rock Lee’s epic battle against Gaara, Sakura’s only good fight against Sasori, or Shikamaru getting his revenge on Hidan are skipped for Naruto’s less exciting bouts against Kiba or Kakuzu.
Thankfully, Special Story is where Naruto X Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections redeems itself. Everything players want from a CyberConnect2 anime game is here, from the gorgeous cutscenes to unique boss battles, it’s all here. Some older fans might scoff at Boruto being the focus, but the story here is actually pretty solid.
Boruto and his friends start playing an addictive VR MMO called Ninja Heroes, where they get tasks from an AI named Nanashi. However, each session tires out the people who play it to an absurd degree. Meanwhile, a man claiming to be the successor of Akatsuki member Pain vows to start another Ninja War.
As one can imagine, all of these plot threads start merging together, and it’s all decently told. Fans can see certain twists coming, but it’s mostly exciting throughout. Nanashi is a solid version of the AI character trope and Boruto is much more bearable now than he was in his movie.
One thing that might disappoint fans about Special Story is the lack of free-roaming sections. Everything is pretty linear here, with players simply watching cutscenes and taking part in battles. Honestly, we didn’t mind that, as the story was decently told and the free-roaming from previous Ninja Storm games was never really that great to begin with.
No new characters are unlocked when finishing these single-player modes, which is annoying. However, there are a plethora of unlockables in the game, with a ton of costumes to get for these beloved characters. All of this can be purchased with in-game money won from battles and players will be happy to know that there are no currencies that can be bought with real money. Granted, Storm Connections will be getting more DLC characters down the road, but that’s just a norm with fighting games these days.
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