Naruto x Boruto Final Ninja Storm Connections Evaluate (PS5)

With its gigantic character roster, authentic story mode, and pretty expansive ‘Historical past’ mode, Naruto x Boruto Final Ninja Storm Connections nearly manages to justify its existence — regardless that, at its core, that is just about a repackaging of earlier Storm titles.

That includes each playable character from previous video games alongside a smattering of contemporary Boruto faces, that is the sequence’ most complete instalment when it comes to gameplay. As a three-on-three area fighter, there are god-knows what number of staff combos to discover, and assembling your dream ninja squad remains to be nice enjoyable.

The fight system itself additionally holds up, with its considerably tactical implementation of particular strikes, character switching, and help assaults permitting for a good diploma of depth. The Storm video games have by no means been what we might name ‘balanced’, and the identical is true of Connections, but it surely’s simple to get pleasure from simply how dynamic the motion could be — if solely due to what number of different characters are at your disposal.

Now then, the brand new single-player modes. ‘Particular Story’ is a bizarre one; you play as Boruto, who dives into what is actually a Naruto MMO by which customers battle it out as well-known ninja. His digital escapades happen alongside an precise conspiracy that is unfolding within the Hidden Leaf. That is in all probability the place most of Connections’ finances ended up, because the mode consists of voiced cutscenes and distinctive fight encounters. The tone’s a bit unusual and it is in the end only a sequence of linear episodes (there isn’t any exploration, like in Storm 4’s Boruto growth), but it surely’s oddly entertaining whereas it lasts.

‘Historical past’ mode, in the meantime, makes an attempt to retell the entire main plot factors of Naruto and Naruto Shippuden via key fights and stills taken from the anime. It is executed fairly properly regardless of feeling a contact uninspired, and also you get to expertise a number of the actually cool-looking, QTE-laced boss battles from earlier Storm video games.

There’s additionally a ridiculous quantity of stuff to unlock as you play via Connections. Alternate character costumes, color schemes, beauty equipment, artworks… it is sufficient to maintain hardcore gamers busy for weeks.

As a result of a lot of its content material is repurposed from previous video games, Naruto x Boruto Final Ninja Storm Connections is less complicated to advocate in the event you’re new to the sequence. That mentioned, that is nonetheless an impressively complete anime fighter; the team-based gameplay holds up, the brand new modes are stable total, and sheer measurement of the character roster is tough to disregard.