Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2

89%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,011 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 Game Cover
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Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 is a fighting game that allows both single-player and multi-player modes. Players experience the Naruto Shippuden story arc, recruiting support characters to ensure victory in battles. The game features strategic team-building, enabling players to unleash powerful Team Special Techniques and defeat opponents.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station 3
  • Xbox
  • Xbox 360
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

89%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,011 reviews
story115 positive mentions
grinding20 negative mentions
  • Significant improvement over the first game with better graphics and gameplay mechanics.
  • Faithful adaptation of the Naruto Shippuden story, particularly the Pain arc, with emotional cutscenes and engaging boss battles.
  • Fun combat system that allows for unique character abilities and team jutsu, enhancing the overall fighting experience.
  • Repetitive gameplay loop with excessive walking and slow exploration, making the experience feel tedious.
  • Substitution jutsu mechanics can be frustrating and inconsistent, leading to moments of unfair difficulty.
  • Online multiplayer is nearly non-existent, making it difficult for completionists to achieve certain achievements.
  • story398 mentions

    The story in "Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2" is praised for its faithful adaptation of the "Shippuden" arc, covering key events from Naruto's return to the village up to the end of the Pain arc. While the narrative is engaging and features well-executed cutscenes and voice acting, some players noted that the pacing can feel rushed and disjointed, with significant walking and side missions that detract from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the game is considered a solid choice for fans wanting to relive the story without the filler content of the anime.

    • “The story mode is much better structured than the previous game.”
    • “The game covers the main story of Naruto from the timeskip (Shippuden era) to the Pain's assault arc.”
    • “This game is a massive progress compared to the previous titles, it still doesn't have many of the mechanics found in later entries of the series, but it is pretty good if you're interested in the story which is quite faithful to the anime.”
    • “While it faithfully follows the events of the Naruto Shippuden storyline, it does so in a disjointed and rushed manner, jumping from one plot point to the next without any real sense of cohesion.”
    • “The story mode is a bunch of slowly walking around and wasting time on side missions and fetch quests, but then it delivers a good storytelling of the anime.”
    • “The story gets cut and loses a lot of the emotional impact the anime/manga had.”
  • gameplay116 mentions

    The gameplay of "Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2" has received mixed reviews, with many praising its engaging combat mechanics, stunning visuals, and faithful storytelling. However, some players criticize the repetitive gameplay loop, shallow mechanics, and the unchanged substitution jutsu system from the first game, which can detract from the overall experience. While it offers enjoyable boss battles and a nostalgic feel for fans, it is often seen as a step back compared to its successors in terms of depth and challenge.

    • “Developed by CyberConnect2, this installment in the Ultimate Ninja Storm series offers a captivating experience for fans and newcomers alike, with its engaging combat mechanics, breathtaking visuals, and a wealth of content to explore.”
    • “Awesome gameplay, the combat is cooler than in Ultimate Ninja Storm 1, but the grind for achieving a perfect game is real.”
    • “The storytelling, the combat mechanics, and the final showdowns have all undergone significant enhancement.”
    • “The gameplay loop is repetitive.”
    • “First and foremost, the gameplay is a repetitive slog.”
    • “Its shallow gameplay, lackluster story, and technical issues make it a hard game to recommend to anyone other than the most die-hard Naruto fans.”
  • graphics50 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally praised for their stunning visuals, particularly for a PS3 title, with a vibrant cel-shaded art style that effectively captures the essence of the Naruto anime. While some users note that the environments can be mediocre and the graphics may not reach the heights of later installments, many agree that the character designs and animations are impressive, contributing to an engaging overall experience. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong point, with many reviewers highlighting their quality and nostalgic appeal.

    • “Developed by CyberConnect2, this installment in the Ultimate Ninja Storm series offers a captivating experience for fans and newcomers alike, with its engaging combat mechanics, breathtaking visuals, and a wealth of content to explore.”
    • “The cel-shaded graphics beautifully recreate the vibrant and dynamic world of Naruto, bringing the characters and environments to life in stunning detail.”
    • “Outstanding game, graphics are amazing for its time, the animations are spectacular, and the story closely resembles what goes on in the actual Naruto Shippuden anime (Pain arc).”
    • “Graphically, the game is a mixed bag.”
    • “Free world visuals are disgusting, just some photos with some motion, the loot-everything mechanic is just a time filler, along with all those ninja tools, but it can be good for tryhards.”
    • “Sure it is nostalgic, brings back early Shippuden days memories but other than that, for a 2017 game, the graphics, controls, characters, free roaming in campaign and more little stuff is crappy compared to other games of that time, in my opinion.”
  • music28 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its amazing soundtrack, which enhances the overall experience with heartwarming melodies and immersive themes during exploration and battles. While some players noted that certain battle tracks felt plain compared to the anime, the majority found the music to be a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's atmosphere and enjoyment. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong point, with many reviewers rating it highly.

    • “The music, animations, and places you explore are all heartwarming.”
    • “The story and roster are fine and the music is fantastic.”
    • “The animated fights, the secret factor scenes, the amazing soundtracks… everything has been molded together so beautifully in this game!”
    • “One thing that sort of bothers me is that most of the music being played for boss battles or just battles in general sounds a bit plain.”
    • “The soundtrack of the game totally sucks.”
    • “(I wish they played music from the actual anime, lmao)”
  • grinding21 mentions

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, with many achievements requiring extensive time investment, including completing numerous battles and gathering items. The constant traveling across the map and the need to replay parts of the game due to bugged achievements contribute to a sense of frustration. While some enjoy the gameplay and improvements, the overall consensus is that the grind can detract from the experience, making it feel overly laborious.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding and keeps you engaged.”
    • “The grind is satisfying and offers a real sense of progression.”
    • “I love all the improvements they made, but it's still grindy and repetitive with way too many load screens.”
    • “100%ing the game is super tedious, and at least one achievement is bugged, which requires you to play the entire story mode again to get it.”
    • “The material gathering and the continuous back and forth for the side missions becomes tedious really quickly.”
  • optimization16 mentions

    Overall, the optimization of the game series has received mixed reviews, with many users noting that it suffers from poor optimization, particularly on PC, leading to performance issues like stuttering and frame drops. However, some players report that with proper tweaks, the game can run smoothly, especially at higher resolutions. While there are instances of freezing and crashing, a few users highlight that certain entries in the series, particularly on consoles, exhibit better optimization and performance.

    • “Edit: Performance is good on 4K resolution with very decent anti-aliasing.”
    • “Well optimized, smooth 60 fps.”
    • “This is probably the best Storm game optimization-wise.”
    • “All games in this series are a bit poorly optimized and demanding if you increase the resolution, even today.”
    • “This is an example of bad PC optimization.”
    • “The game is a terribly optimized port for PC, but with the proper tweaks, it won't be a problem.”
  • emotional12 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game elicits strong reactions, with many players reporting moments of deep sadness and connection, particularly during key character deaths. However, some reviewers note that the emotional impact is diminished due to missing dialogue and scenes, poor pacing, and subpar 3D models, which can make serious moments feel less impactful or even comical. Overall, while the game offers an emotional journey, it struggles to fully capture the depth of the original anime/manga.

    • “The music, animations, and places you explore are all heartwarming.”
    • “I cried 3 times while playing this.”
    • “Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 takes you on a wild ride through the pain arc, and let me tell you, it's an emotional rollercoaster that'll leave you needing a hug from Tsunade (and maybe a ramen refill).”
  • stability7 mentions

    The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with users reporting frequent freezes, bugs, and issues with sound output. Many players find the gameplay experience severely hindered by these technical problems, particularly during boss fights, leading to frustration and dissatisfaction. Overall, the game's stability issues overshadow its otherwise promising concept.

    • “Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 runs great.”
    • “The game maintains a smooth performance throughout, with no noticeable lag.”
    • “I've experienced zero crashes or bugs during my playthrough.”
    • “Game concept is great, but it freezes a lot.”
    • “The boss fights ruin this one for me. Gaara vs. Deidara, for instance, is super buggy; Gaara's aim is behind the opponent for his combos, so this fight takes like an hour.”
    • “I can't even get the game to work; it's extremely buggy and a bad port. It won't even detect my headphones, and eventually, it got to the point where it won't play any sound at all.”
  • humor7 mentions

    The humor in the game is consistently highlighted as a strong point, with players enjoying the comedic scenarios and character interactions that have become a staple of the series over the years. While some missions may feel repetitive, the unique and often absurd situations add a layer of entertainment that keeps the gameplay engaging. Overall, despite some criticisms, the humor remains a key aspect that enhances the overall experience.

    • “The post-content is a victory lap and what possibly extends to 10+ hours of content replaying missions, doing side missions with other characters and the usual humor of the series sprinkled here and there.”
    • “While some of them are basic fetch quests, others will have you tackling unique and sometimes humorous scenarios involving many of the staple characters in the series.”
    • “The complete lack of ninja-esque movement makes it hilariously absurd, at least in my eyes.”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with players noting its immersive qualities and nostalgic appeal, particularly in the context of storm gameplay. The combination of engaging boss fights and a compelling story enhances the overall experience, making it ideal for players looking to relax and enjoy the game's world.

    • “One of the best storm games I've ever played. The atmosphere of playing this game is so awesome! Best boss fights, good story, and gameplay. It's so nostalgic to come back to Storm 2.”
    • “There is a lot of walking in the story mode, so you should play this when you just want to sit back and enjoy the atmosphere of this world.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    While the game offers around 7 to 10 hours of gameplay, its replayability is limited unless players engage with additional missions and challenges that enhance the main story battles. Overall, there are opportunities for replay, but they may not be compelling enough for all players.

    • “If you're not skipping the cutscenes, you can definitely get more than 7 to 10 hours out of it, but I don't see much replayability.”
    • “After finishing the game, there's still lots of new missions to do and new challenges added for the main story battles to increase replay value.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization model is praised for its absence of microtransactions, downloadable content (DLC) that cuts content from the base game, and pay-to-win elements, offering players a traditional gaming experience without additional costs.

    • “No microtransactions, no cut content sold as DLCs, no pay-to-win characters: just an old-style game with old-style content.”
    • “The monetization model is refreshing, focusing on a complete experience without the need for additional purchases.”
    • “I appreciate that the game respects players by not forcing any in-game purchases to enjoy the full experience.”
    • “The monetization model is frustrating; it feels like the game is constantly pushing you to spend more money.”
    • “I can't believe how many features are locked behind paywalls; it ruins the experience.”
    • “The game is fun, but the aggressive monetization tactics make it hard to enjoy without feeling pressured to spend.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

80% average critic score

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