Game Reviews

When I was handed the office copy of Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 however, there was no getting around it – I had to delve into Masashi Kishimoto's world of superhuman ninjas and Nine Tailed Demon Foxes. Turns out the story is pretty damn good, actually. Maybe a little overhyped in proportion to all the cosplayers, but still an entertaining and thought-provoking series.Even so, you don't need to be a Naruto expert to understand what's going on in the story, as the single-player Adventure mode works as an interactive adaptation of the manga's Shippuden universe. You quickly learn from the opening cutscene that the titular hero is a fiesty ninja-in-training who hopes to one day become the Hokage (leader) of his home, the Hidden Leaf Village. But a criminal organisation known as the Akatsuki has plans to destroy that village, using the power of legendary creatures to create forbidden spells – or ninjutsu.

The kicker here is that the capture of Naruto is part of the Akatsuki's plan, for he has within him one of those destructive beasts, the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox. His friend, Gaara, also has a powerful monster locked inside of him, and so the organisation targets him first. Thus begins a journey that sees Naruto torn apart by betrayal, rejection and all sorts.

Although Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 is wrapped with a rather inoffensive third-person adventure, the game's core is in, as always, its beat'em up mechanics. The controls overwhelm at first – and understanding isn't helped by the fact that loading screens contain 30-odd pages of battle tips – but after a few matches you get used to the basics.