I've always been a fan of the
CyberConnect2's Naruto Storm games. Not only were they the first game to
truly nail not only the anime aesthetics, they were also the first to
offer completely simplistic yet exhilarating combat, that delivered on
the promise to make it feel like you're playing the anime series. The
latest venture, dubbed Generations, gives fans not only a crash course
into the original Naruto storyline, but the more grown up Shippuden
storyline as well. Does this mash-up of generations make this the
ultimate Naruto game?
Yes and no. Generations is an odd
end-result of a line of games that were both extremely fun and
informative (when recapping the story) and completely approachable by
anyone willing to pick up a controller and take a stab at it. Ultimate
Jutsu's were only a button press away, stylish air dashes and
substitutions were pulled off with ease, and each and every battle was a
spectacle to watch. The first two games also had a nice sense of
exploration and had players venturing through Hidden Leaf Village in
Storm, and even surrounding areas in Storm 2. So where does Generations
stand in all of this?
Right in the middle.
The
combat is still as simplistic as ever. With one button, you can pull
off incredible and fluid combos that will have your character kicking
your opponents ass from one side of the arena to the next. There are
absolutely no button input combinations a-la Street Fighter, instead,
pressing the action button with various directions will yield different
combos. It's a neat system that helps make the game feel more like the
anime. A ranged button will throw shurikens and kunais at your enemies,
and your Jutsu button will activate your aura to either execute a super
move, or an ultimate move.
If you're at
all used to any of the previous Storm games, chances are you'll feel
right at home here, but rest assured there are a few tweaks. The biggest
one is a substitution meter. In essence, previous games relied on a
precise block button input, right as you're about to get hit. This will
turn your character into a stump of wood, or whatever element they
represent, and pop up immediately behind the attacking character. This
was a great system which allowed for players stuck in combos, to quickly
change the flow of combat and get an upper hand. The problem here was
that this could be used over and over by both characters, resulting in a
substitution duel, rather than an actual fight. The new substitution
meter only gives a certain amount of substitutions each character can
pull off, until it's replenished. It's a welcome addition that doesn't
make that system feel cheap.
You can still select up to two support
characters to take along to the fight with you, but you still can't
switch to them mid-combat, instead you can call upon them to jump in and
perform their offensive or defensive move. Call upon them enough and
your Support Drive will fill up, meaning they'll jump in and help
regardless of you pressing their button. Another sweet addition are the
Ninja Info Cards. These can now be tied to your profile which not only
personalize it, but each card grants a certain buff in game. These are
especially useful when taking the fight online.
Where
Generations differs greatly from it's predecessors is the presentation.
I was excited to hear that both the original and the Shippuden
storylines were being included in the game, as I was really hoping to
play through them in a similar manner as Storm 2. I wanted to once again
explore the lands that the world of Naruto takes place in, and once
again experience the battles that made the series so heart pumping.
Instead, the game decided to go completely back to basics. The story is
now even more abridged, with a ton of key fights not even present in
each story, but the exploration was completely taken out. Now, each
story is essentially a short anime cutscene, and then a bunch of voiced
over stills, followed by a short fight. Was I a bit disappointed?
Definitely.
The exploration wasn't the only thing that
was cut. Some of the key fights that don't appear in the game, were
actually some of the most exhilarating ones from the previous games.
Where is the fight with Naruto against Gaara, where Gaara unleashes his
Jinchuuriki, and then Naruto is forced to fight the giant beast that
resides within him. Or for that matter, I also miss the mid battle
cutscenes that resulted in a few QTE instances, which always had some
epic animations associated with it. Instead the game is completely
stripped bare down to the essentials, which results in short fight after
short fight, with some exposition thrown in between. With that said,
the other characters you can play as in Story mode offer some truly
great back stories that were not touched on previously in Naruto games,
such as the tale of Zabuza and Haku.
I think what also
bothers me the most about the game is that despite the minor tweaks to
the fighting mechanics, I could almost not distinguish this game from
it's two predecessors. Though there are 38 stages, a lot of them are
exactly the same ones we've been seeing in the past games. It's tough to
improve on something graphically that already looks so damn impressive,
and this I understand, but at the same time, I shouldn't be feeling
like I'm playing the same (or very similar) game I've played before. But
then again, I can't even imagine how Call of Duty players feel like
year after year. I said it.
Don't get me wrong however, Generations is
still an extremely fun game. The fact that it's devoid of many of the
features that I've grown to love in the series does not negate the fact
that the fighting is still incredibly fun. There are still a ton of
things I love about Generations. For one, the sheer amount of characters
that you unlock (yes you heard right, unlock!) throughout the game are
all fun to play as. Sure there are a few versions of Naruto and a few
versions of Sasuke, not to mention young and older versions of his
friends, but luckily each of these come with varied movesets, that don't
resemble their counterparts. The total number of playable characters is
a massive 72, along with 15 more characters that can only be used as
support.
You can take
the fight online like I mentioned previously but this experience is hit
or miss, or at least it was in my attempts. When trying to set certain
parameters for finding other people to play, I would usually time out,
or by the time I was presented with other players, it said they're room
was already full. Quick Matches yielded better results here and there,
and when it actually did work, it was a blast! Though be prepared to
know your Jutsu's, people are truly relentless online.
There
is also a ton of collecting to do in the game. Each fight nets you a
Ryo (currency) bonus, which you can use to spend on items in the shop,
such as different substitutions, new Ninja Info Cards, or titles which
you can adorn your cards with. It's not all amazing stuff, but those
into collecting everything will have tons to do in Generations.
I've already mentioned that the game is damn near impossible
to distinguish from its anime counterpart, save for the extremely fluid
animations, but it also sounds amazing. Fans of the show can use the
original Japanese voices or the American dub as well, and the soundtrack
is brimming with Naruto goodness. Honestly, these songs range from epic
Asian influenced combat songs, to somber and moving tunes which only
enhance whatever the current scenario playing out is.
I
don't have to tell Naruto fans twice, as they've had this game
pre-ordered for months I'm sure or already have it in their systems now.
Outsiders that want to break into the Naruto franchise might actually
have the best chance with Generations. Though I've stated that some key
battles were left out of the main storylines, you can still get a gist
of what the storyline is about, and walk away with a general
understanding of the series. Though Generations won't impress the
hardcore fighting fans with it's simplistic combat, it's still fun
enough for anyone to pick and play, and have a great time with. Believe
it! (Sorry, I just had to)
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