Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 Full Burst

Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 Full Burst (Breathe) is the latest title in the Naruto Video Game series, based on the hugely popular Manga/Anime series featuring the orange jumpsuit wearing Ninja Naruto Uzumaki. When i say latest this isn't actually a new title, it's a re-release with extra content I.E GOTY edition. We weren't around when the original dropped and after my Dragon Ball review I was left with an itch that needed to be scratched, so here is the next instalment in my anime game reviews.

First & foremost this game is a 1vs1 Fighting game along the lines of Dragon Ball: Raging Blast. As mentioned it's based on the anime of Naruto so characters from the series are your weapons of choice.
Along side your main character you also get to pick support characters, this is a throw back from the series as alot of the time they are in "Squads". This adds an extra dimension to the fights as each character has a set ability which can help sway the tide of battle, for example you could catch the enemy off guard with Sakura performing a surprise attack.

Another aspect of the system is Chakra, this is something Naruto fans will be VERY familiar with but for those just joining us to put it simply, it's energy which you use to perform special Jutsu (special technique/attack). Along side that use you can use it to close the distance by performing a Chakra dash or even apply it to your projectiles making them that little more powerful & be bigger combo boosters.
To build Chakra it's a simple task of holding a single button down, as is activating it. The key to it is when & where you do this. You are immobile while you gather Chakra & thus become a giant target, also should you miss with an attack you have depleted your supplies and will need to stock more before you launch another offence.

Items are another aspect to combat, simply put the Ninja Tools you bring along to battle with you. Pills for strength,speed & defence boosts. Instant Chakra boosts & weapons are all part of your array and you should plan them into any strategy. A well placed Ninja Bomb with a trap & forward planning gets you off on a great start to a powerful and deadly combo!.

Characters can also reach an Awakening state. This is a very powerful place to be during a battle & can usually be your path to victory. You are faster, attack harder, have better defence & are capable of doing the strongest move in your repertoire. The downside to this is that you lose all of your Chakra & are unable to gather more for a period of time leaving you vulnerable to a beat down.

The main attraction with this game is it's lengthy story mode. Unlike most fighting games NSUN3FB features a giant world for budding Hokage to explore and interact with. Once again it follows alongside the setting created for the Manga/Anime so this means you'll be visiting alot of familiar places such as the Hidden Leaf Village. The story follows alongside the ongoing Anime/Manga rather than being a What If?, it starts at the Five Kage Summit & concludes with the Shinobi World War arc. At the time of this game being made the arc hadn't ended so instead you are given a Non-Canon ending presented by Namco-Bandai, it's a nice addition rather than it just ending abruptly.

It's pretty solid in terms of emulating the series to a point, all the main points are presented in some form or another. Unfortunately it doesn't always get it quite right, for example certain fights are either skipped over or done as just a bare bones match thus losing a little of it's impact. Boss fights are a highlight here & have been for the series since the first release.
Usually following along the same lines of the anime you'll find yourself battle giants & powerful foes with QTE sections, split second timing & stunning visuals. These battles most often take various forms and feel a fair bit different than the usual 1vs1 battles.

The exploration is brilliant but until the later parts of the game it feels rather gated due to keeping you from exploring various areas for "Storyline" purposes. You have people to talk to, items to find and side quests that demand your attention, it's alot more content for a fighting game than usual and it's a nice break between fights.
The cut-scenes are almost anime perfect, especially when it comes to this Full Blast release in which they have remade a huge amount of the cut-scenes in a new engine giving them that little more shine than usual. My only gripe was the sheer amount of them in the earlier sections of the game, especially compared to how many fights you have. It seems like for the first few hours you spend more time watching people talking about fighting than actually getting down and scrapping!.

Classic fights and story points are also available in the story mode, this means you can re-live some of the bigger events in the history of Naruto & The Hidden Leaf. It's a nice little option and a decent little time sink, it increases the package by a whole lot and was a generally pleasant surprise if I'm honest. It's an excellent way to work through the roster as-well!.

A final addition to the story mode set in this game is the multi-battles. Done along the lines of Dynasty Warriors you'll find your character fighting armies of enemies. Unfortunately with the game engline it's not the smoothest nor pleasant experience. Fortunately there are only a few times you have to do this and they are fairly short.

FULL BURST CONTENT With the Full Burst release alongside the remade cut-scenes they have also added a bit more content. This comes in the form of 1 new playable character, a new chapter, 100 extra missions & all the existing DLC. Is it worth it? this fully lies on if you have played it before or not, If you never played the original release of this game then yes the extras are like a nice little cherry on top.
On the other hand if you already have had the game and played it to death the price tag and minimal additions will not be worth you opening your wallet.

Overall I'm enjoying this game very much not only as a fighting game fan but as an on-off Naruto fan, in terms of games in general it's not the strongest purchase but as a licensed anime/manga game you'll be hard pressed to find a much better package

Unfortunately i didn't get much hands on with the On-line due to it being laggy & having connection troubles. I believe it's issues from the original release and it's a shame they have stayed for this one. As I have never really enjoyed this series on-line I find it to be a none issue for me as the only multi I use on this game is with people in the same room.

9/10

(Here is one for Remy!) 

Final Words This is a fantastic buy for someone first time around, newbies to Naruto will be a little confused but can get a short history lesson in game. It's a visual treat and a blueprint for the quality of anime/manga games