POSTED 7/10/14


NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: ULTIMATE NINJA STORM REVOLUTION

Bandai Namco

The hunt is on to determine “The Greatest”...

Hey, look! There’s Muhammad Ali! Sorted.

OK, we’d best be more specific. The hunt is on in Naruto’s world to determine their “The Greatest”. As is the Naruto way, arriving at a final superest of the super fighter adjudication will involve, naturally, much fighting. Which, of course, is exactly what fans want.

Yes, this is a game for Naruto acolytes. While the biffo elements can be grasped by most anybody possessing opposable thumbs, it’s the extras – the lore, the canon, the animations, the vibe - that reward the faithful with extra dollops of Naruto-flavoured goodness.

The main story tournament mode is that in which the toppermost of the boppermost is determined, via a series of ranked matches in which you choose a team and aim to destroy another one, sucking away their life orby-bubbles and absorbing them as your own. In-between, you wander around an increasingly larger area collecting bonuses, interacting with incidental characters and boosting the economy of the region via popup shops.

The Naruto games have always boasted deceptively deep fighting systems, despite the ability to mash madly early on and (foolishly) feel like you’re in control. Revolution’s no exception, yet refines mechanics to reward those who think flailing wildly at the controls is for pussies. More moves open up the deeper you get, while breaking guards and counterattacks feature prominently. Meanwhile, over 100 characters are shoehorned onto one shinygasmic game disc to unlock. Believe it!

There’s also the usual online, free battling, training, mini-episodes and such, but what really rewards fans is the ‘Mecha-Naruto’ story, courtesy of series creator Masashi Kishimoto himself.

A great fun fighter with lots to explore, you don’t need to be a Naruto fan to appreciate the meat and pot- erm, fishcakes and rice - of Revolution. But it really helps.

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