Naruto X Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections Review

As a celebration of more than two decades of all things Naruto, Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections, from Bandai Namco and developer CyberConnect2, most definitely does what it sets out to do. Not only does it have a roster of more than 130 characters to choose from, but it also has two separate single-player story modes – one for newcomers or casual Naruto fans to get up to speed, the other telling an original story starring Boruto and his ninja pals, Sarada and Mitsuki. It looks the part, too, aping the anime series with lovely, painterly backdrops and colourful character models. But it's the fighting mechanics that matter, and on that front Connections feels a little on the shallow side.

A dearth of new features also make the new Naruto game feel quite barebones – there's little here that pushes things forward in terms of the series' combat systems, and during the story the stakes seldom seem particularly high. Unfortunately, you won't find much in the way of the epic, drawn-out boss battling that the Naruto Shippuden games made their signature either. The 'Special Story' is also fairly short-lived, though good fun while it lasts, as Boruto and his friends discover that there's more to their new 'Ninja Heroes' video game - and its guide, a young girl named Nanashi - than meets the eye. Of course, events soon escalate, and the whole Ninja World gets swept up in a grand conspiracy.

As the backdrop for a brand-new episode, Ninja Heroes' virtual world certainly works, and, as such, Connections' Special Story manages to pull you into its slowly unfurling narrative, as something seemingly innocuous gradually reveals itself to be something far more sinister. Fans will find themselves well-served, too, as old and new faces alike from throughout Naruto history are folded into the tale in some form or other, and all of the voice talent from the anime is present and correct, as you'd hope.

Boruto's Special Story proves to be Connections' main draw, then, while History mode isn't exactly inspiring, squishing together a sequence of Naruto's most memorable moments, yours to relive and restore through a procession of cutscenes (mostly stills taken from the anime) and battles. It's entirely fine, but hardly as engaging as the journey you take in any of the numbered Ultimate Ninja Storm instalments, where the story is focussed upon a specific facet of Naruto lore, and the action builds to an eye-scorching head. Not that the latest Naruto x Boruto UNS game is bereft of explosive spectacle, of course, with any number of Ninjutsu moves and Secret Technique Finishers filling the screen with searing light and raw ninja fury.

Battles are 1v1 or team-based 3v3 affairs, the latter enabling you to call in two allies for support or switch between characters on the fly. Together you can perform Linked abilities, including Linked Secret Finishers and Linked Awakenings, or you can simply call upon an ally to jump in and help you out with a quick projectile or backup strike, before they jump off again. You have your own ninja tools, too, so you can throw down an explosive, execute a temporary stun or guard break and whatnot, when you need a little bit of breathing room amid the combos and fireworks. If it all seems too much, the game's Normal control scheme is joined by a new 'Simple' system, requiring the mashing of but a single button – perfect for newbies or anyone who can't really be arsed.

With History mode and Special Story offering a fairly generous chunk of single-player content, the Online Battle portion of the game is comparatively very basic, with ranked and casual matches to choose from, assuming you can find someone to matchmake with at all. At time of writing, we couldn't get a match going, despite waiting in the lobby for minutes on end. You can play local multiplayer with a friend in Free Battle if you're craving some form of competition, or go up against a CPU opponent, setting the various parameters of the fight before diving in. There are also Survival Battles, which offer a nice bit of enjoyment in short bursts.

Despite one or two shortcomings, mostly relating to the game's scant online offering and the disappointing single-player History mode, Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections successfully delivers a love letter to the Shonen Jump comics and anime that fans are sure to lap up. Anyone well acquainted with the Ultimate Ninja Storm games will have a fair idea of what to expect, though, Connections falls short in engendering the same level of blistering high-stakes action you'd normally expect. Still, as fighting games go, there's undoubtedly a lot of fun to be had here.