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)
Source : gamezone.com
