Naruto is without a doubt one of the most popular anime franchises the world has ever seen, and this extends to the series of video games as well. Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution is the next massively fun entry in the ninja storm franchise. The game is a 3-D Brawler fighting game by Bandai Namco and CC2 based off the Naruto anime and manga. The game has over 100 characters new and returning on the roster including the exclusive character Mecha-Naruto designed by Naruto’s creator. It has 3 original anime movies, and adds the ninja world tournament mode where you can play in 4 ninja free for all battles.

The game itself plays very much like previous entries in the series, but adds some new variety adding battle types, guard breaks, counterattacks and a few small tweaks to the overall battle system. These additions make the game play feel more diverse with a sort of rock-paper-scissors advantage with the types, ultimate jutsu is best to counter awakening, awakening best counters drive, and drive best counters ultimate jutsu. These little changes make the game feel smooth and slightly more strategic and balanced. Another feature is the character customization which allows you to add cool items to your character in battle, which can be very cool and can lead to some cool custom characters. One of the featured new additions to the game would be the combo ultimate jutsu, which allows you to combine with your teammates to make a flash, awesome ultimate jutsu. There is really no advantage or disadvantage to using these combo ultimates, they are just really, really cool. Another cool addition are the handfull of titan awakenings, which give you an awakening so big you are off the stage, controlling a boss-like titan as he wreaks havok on the opponent. The bonuses are  massive attack strength, and you can not be hit by an ultimate jutsu that would knock you out of your awakening. The downsides would be the shortened period of time you are awakened, and the fact that big red marks show where you will attack, so the opponent can prepare.

Unfortunately, there is no main story like in storm 1, 2 or 3, however there is the Mecha-Naruto story which is an original story based around the original character.This story is a hit or miss, its very cliche, and fairly predictable but has some fun interactions between the characters. The main attraction however is the Ninja World Tournament, the new mode where you play 4 ninja battles and compete to be number one. The mode is pretty fun, and completing it is a breeze, and adds an intresting new mode to the game. The biggest flaw however is the fact that it is “Vs. CPU” only, meaning that you cannot play against other human players. I can see how this would not be available for local play as the HUD and point of view would be impossible to fit on one screen, but i see no reason why they could not have made an online mode where each player sees their character.  Its a feature that would have made an excellent addition to the online mode.

Overall, the game is very fun, and well made. Although the game lacks a main story, the other content in the game makes it a good buy. I would not recommend it as highly for those who are not fans of the Naruto series however. Overall, id give the game an 8 out of 10, i definitely recommend that any fan of Naruto get this game.

By Reuben Malone