NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja STORM

65%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,669 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja STORM Game Cover
CyberConnect2 has done a terrific job with the Naruto franchise. With Ultimate Ninja Storm being a PlayStation 3 exclusive, it’s evident that the developers took advantage of the hardware they were given. Fans of the series should be ecstatic, while newcomers may be surprised with how much they enjoy the game.
Starting at $4.91Buy now
Get on Steam Get on Xbox Games Store

"Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm" is a 3D fighting game set in the Naruto anime universe, where players can battle as their favorite characters, using powerful jutsu attacks and acrobatic maneuvers. The game features a roster of 25 characters, each with unique abilities and the chance to unleash powerful Awakening abilities. It also offers free-roaming exploration of the Hidden Leaf Village and the Forest of Death, as well as head-to-head multiplayer fighting for up to two players.

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

Reviews

65%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,669 reviews
gameplay59 positive mentions
grinding55 negative mentions
  • Great graphics and visuals that capture the essence of the Naruto anime.
  • Fun and engaging combat mechanics with a variety of characters and jutsu.
  • Nostalgic experience for fans of the Naruto series, allowing exploration of Konoha.
  • Repetitive side missions and mini-games that can feel tedious and grindy.
  • Lack of a cohesive story presentation, relying heavily on text rather than cutscenes.
  • Technical issues with the PC port, including slow performance and save file bugs.
  • story1,141 mentions

    The story aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting that it primarily consists of text summaries rather than engaging cutscenes, leading to a lack of immersion. The narrative skips significant arcs, such as the Zabuza and Haku storyline, and relies heavily on repetitive side missions to unlock main story content, which can feel tedious and grindy. While fans of the Naruto series may appreciate the nostalgic elements and the attempt to cover key events, newcomers may find the storytelling disjointed and difficult to follow without prior knowledge of the anime.

    • “The game's story mode follows Naruto's journey from the beginning, allowing players to relive iconic moments from the series.”
    • “The storytelling is engaging, and the inclusion of animated cutscenes adds authenticity to the experience.”
    • “With its stunning visuals, accessible yet deep gameplay, diverse character roster, and engaging story mode, it's a must-play for fans of Naruto and fighting games alike.”
    • “If you're looking for a game to experience the story of Naruto for the first time, or even to re-experience it as a fan, this is not the game for you.”
    • “The story mode is basically a quick journal entry of text, written as Naruto, followed by a fight.”
    • “The story in this game immediately drops you in as Naruto with his headband, not explaining how he got it, the fact he was incessantly bullied and how he acted out because of it, and after the very first 'main' mission you're tasked to do random side missions that introduce you to characters Naruto shouldn't meet for hours in order to unlock mission points.”
  • gameplay202 mentions

    The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its engaging combat mechanics and vibrant visuals, while others criticize it for being repetitive and lacking depth. Many players find the substitution jutsu mechanic frustrating and poorly explained, leading to a steep learning curve. Overall, while the fighting mechanics are enjoyable and accessible, the game suffers from tedious side missions and a lack of variety, making it less appealing for those seeking a more dynamic experience.

    • “The gameplay in 'Ultimate Ninja Storm' is accessible yet deep, striking a balance that allows players of all skill levels to enjoy the experience.”
    • “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 battle mechanics and the star of the game, the combo chart is huge, the character roster is diverse and covers all of the characters involved in the plot at that point of the story, a fun mix of button smashing and accurate timing and strategy, standing in between casual couch multiplayer fun and extremely competitive couch multiplayer.”
    • “Where this game really sucks is its out-of-combat gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay is extremely repetitive and grindy, especially if you want to 100% this thing, which is also tough because there are glitches on the achievements that you fix by connecting a controller.”
    • “The game is very clunky and its mechanics are horrible.”
  • graphics106 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the cel-shaded art style that effectively captures the essence of the Naruto anime, making it visually appealing even years after its release. While some players noted that character models appear outdated and compared the graphics to those of older games, others highlighted the vibrant colors and dynamic animations that enhance the overall experience. Overall, the visuals are considered decent for a game from 2008, with many fans appreciating how well the graphics have aged.

    • “From the moment you step into the world of ninjas and jutsu, you're greeted with visuals that capture the essence of the anime and manga series flawlessly.”
    • “The cel-shaded art style brings the characters and environments to life with vibrant colors and dynamic animations.”
    • “The graphics are great because it generally feels like you're in the anime, some of the missions are difficult as you have to work things out, but in the end, it's so worth it.”
    • “The graphics of this game are something I would like to compare to a badly developed Roblox game with a semi-rushed clicking simulator game art.”
    • “Environment graphics are fine, but character models look very outdated, like from an old PSP game.”
    • “Midway through my playthrough, the game defaulted to my integrated graphics rather than my discrete graphics, which rendered the game unplayable due to ~10fps from the integrated graphics.”
  • grinding58 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game has received significant criticism, with many players finding the repetitive side missions and tedious exploration of the open world to be a major drawback. While some enjoy the nostalgic elements and the challenge of grinding for experience points, the overwhelming consensus is that the gameplay becomes monotonous and frustrating, particularly due to the lack of variety in missions and the necessity to complete them to progress the story. Overall, players suggest that the grind can detract from the enjoyment of the game, making it feel more like a chore than a fun experience.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Most of your time will be spent wandering around an empty hub map or grinding out the same dozen recycled side missions to unlock the ability to progress the story.”
    • “The hub world and unavoidable side quests make this game too tedious to be much fun.”
    • “The forced side missions and almost no voice over and repetitive missions and tedious scroll collection makes this game poor compared to all the other storm installments.”
  • optimization44 mentions

    The game's optimization has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players reporting severe performance issues, including frame rate drops, stuttering, and glitches that can corrupt save files. While some users managed to achieve stable performance through specific settings adjustments, the overall consensus is that the game is a poorly optimized port for PC, making it difficult to recommend, especially at full price.

    • “Graphically, the game is decent for the time it came out and offers a good bit of graphical options/optimization in case of low-end PCs.”
    • “I didn't have any performance issues at all, playing at 60fps and never had any problem with the QTEs, and I got full bonus in all rank-s missions.”
    • “Performance: I was pleasantly surprised when I started it because it runs solid 60 fps, with no lag or anything. I didn't experience any input lags on the quick time events and/or in-game. The cutscenes and the gameplay have been remastered perfectly into 1080p; this category is a solid 10/10.”
    • “The game is a terribly optimized port for PC.”
    • “Game has serious optimization issues and save files are deleted by the game itself.”
    • “The port is too poorly optimized to warrant a good review.”
  • music29 mentions

    The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its alignment with the Naruto anime series and its ability to enhance the gaming experience. While some find the soundtrack memorable and fitting for both menus and missions, others describe it as unremarkable or merely adequate. Overall, the music contributes positively to the atmosphere, though it may not stand out for everyone.

    • “As for the music, it's good, what you'd expect from a Naruto game if you're familiar with the anime and previous Ultimate Ninja games.”
    • “The soundtrack fits really well both in menus and missions.”
    • “I don't even need to review the music, this series has got one of the amazing soundtracks I absolutely love them.”
    • “But the music itself was not memorable for me.”
    • “Silent voices, loud music, suddenly changing volume and even once I had a sound bug where a sound effect got stuck in the background and I had to restart the game.”
    • “At one point I decided to spend all of my money on music, thinking it would replace the in-game music.”
  • stability20 mentions

    The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant bugs, glitches, and lag, particularly on PC, which can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences. While some users noted that the PS4 version runs smoothly and described the game as enjoyable despite its issues, others experienced game-breaking glitches that could result in lost progress. Overall, while the game offers engaging mechanics, its stability problems detract from the overall experience.

    • “It's a shame because the PS4 version runs great.”
    • “Not a bad Naruto game; in my opinion, this is better than the other Storm games. The reason being is that in this one you can do more in the world. In the other Storm games, it's mainly walk, talk, and smash. In this, you do the same but also can do Naruto cannon, the Rasengan, ninja run, wall run, tightrope swinging, and more. This just feels more polished, with no glitches, no bugs, and no crashes.”
    • “Buggy and laggy as hell.”
    • “Only play this game if you got it in the legacy bundle at a low price; this game is not worth more than $5.00. It lags and performance on PC is sad for a Storm game. The glitches are a game-breaking issue that I wish they would fix; some have been known to make you wipe your game and start from scratch.”
    • “Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm is probably a fun game, but with the time I played, it is just too buggy to play. I can barely walk, let alone fight, and I can't fix it, so it sucks I bought it, but nothing I can do now.”
  • replayability13 mentions

    The game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it infinitely replayable due to the potential for higher ratings and achievements, others criticize it as artificially extended and lacking depth. Many suggest that the game could have benefited from more content and character options, leading to a less compelling reason to replay. Overall, it may be worth waiting for a sale if replay value is a concern.

    • “Overall this game is worth the money, and it has lots of replay value.”
    • “A pretty short game in general, there is some slight replay value if you want to retry previous missions with the goal of getting a higher rating.”
    • “You could literally recreate this game's story mode in Storm 4 since all its characters and maps are playable.”
    • “Really just artificial replayability.”
    • “A pretty short game in general; there is some slight replay value if you want to retry previous missions with the goal of getting a higher rating, but in only 26 hours I managed to get all of the achievements and walk away with what I wanted out of this game.”
    • “I would wait until it goes on sale like I did; not much replay value otherwise.”
  • humor7 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by its quirky and amusing moments, such as comical attacks on downed opponents and humorous character interactions, particularly reminiscent of Naruto's antics. However, some players feel that while there are funny scenes, they expected more comedic content throughout the game, suggesting a mix of humor with gameplay challenges. Overall, the humor is appreciated but not as prevalent as some had hoped.

    • “Also, you can literally attack an opponent that got knocked flat on the ground; how funny is that?”
    • “Funny ramen boy beats up people he cares about.”
    • “I will say that there's some of that here (Lee shouting 'I love youuu' while being sent flying by Sakura will never stop being funny to me).”
  • emotional3 mentions

    Players express disappointment in the emotional depth of the game's story, particularly criticizing the omission of key moments from the original narrative, such as Naruto's pivotal fight with Mizuki and his heartfelt connection with Iruka. This lack of emotional engagement detracted from their overall experience, leading some to feel that the game failed to capture the essence of the characters' struggles and relationships.

    • “I was very disappointed though in the opening of the story mode because they skipped episode 1 especially, they don't show Naruto fighting Mizuki and the big moment where he pulls off the multi shadow clone jutsu and the whole emotional crying scene with Naruto and Iruka sensei.”
  • character development1 mentions

    The game has been criticized for its lack of character development, with players noting that it falls short compared to the depth presented in the original show.

    • “Not this one though, they barely show any character development (very different from the show).”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game is criticized as a cash grab aimed at Naruto fans, suggesting that it prioritizes profit over quality and player experience.

    • “This game could have been a lot more, but it feels like a cash grab aimed at Naruto fans.”
    • “The monetization strategy is overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending money.”
    • “I feel like the developers prioritized profit over player experience, which really detracts from the overall enjoyment.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

75% average critic score

Buy NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja STORM

Play time

13hMedian play time
22hAverage play time
12hMain story
27hCompletionist
5-32hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 20 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games