 Review By: Andrew Joy |
Developer: | Cavia |
| Publisher: | Namco Bandai | |
| Genre: | Action Adventure | |
| ESRB: | Teen | |
| # Of Players: | 1 | |
| Online Play: | No | |
| Accessories: | Memory Card | |
| Buy Now: |   |
Being the loyal Shonen Jump reader that I am, I know Naruto best from the manga, which precedes the anime both here and in Japan. I quite enjoy the boy ninja’s black and white adventures...mostly because it is quiet - I can’t stand the show at all thanks to the oh-so-annoying voices that populate every minute of it. In fact, that’s why I generally don’t go near most games in the series, as they seem nearly identical to the cartoon. However, Naruto: Uzamaki Chronicles seemed to take a new direction from the others. For example, instead of being cel-shaded, like most of the other games, this is decidedly more traditional with 3D graphics, and instead of being a fighting game, like most of the other games, this was more of an adventure title, and there are a number of other changes as well. On paper, this Naruto title seems to have a lot going for it, but unfortunately I’m not sure it actually made any difference, not to the series, and certainly not to the industry.
While Naruto and his friends push on through their Ninja exams in the show, Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles is set outside those events, given its own original story (though, truly, not all that original). The treaties that keep the nations of the Land of Fire from warring with one another have crumbled and the Leaf Ninja are under attack. With all the ninja occupied with the events at hand, the Third Hokage has asked the Genin, or ninja-in-training, to assists with tasks well above their ranks. As to the quality of the story, it really is a matter of personal preference. Not having much experience with past Naruto games, I can’t say I would have been displeased if they’d ripped the adventure straight from the pages of the manga (which I love), but others might. The story here is far from being one of the grand exploits you would normally see in the series, but it is also quite serviceable...or, at least it could have been. Even with its own story, the localizing team removed a couple of characters, including the fifth Hokage, who has yet to appear in the U.S. version of the manga or anime. I can understand not wanting to spoil it (and I won’t either), I’m just not sure it was all that necessary, especially as both seem ready to reveal who it is (if the anime, which is slightly ahead, hasn’t already), it is a minor quibble though. My problems with the types of tasks you will be offered, however, are far from being just quibbles.
By breaking away from the canon as they have, the developers really could have made some interesting levels (of which there are a few), putting our main characters in some really farfetched and challenging situations. Instead, however, they chose to bog us down with repetition. Early on, I saw the warning signs – during the first handful of quests, I was already attempting the same type of mission I’d done before, with only a slight change to the enemies and with a partner – but I soldiered on in the hopes of things getting better. And it wasn’t a futile effort either; some of the quests are really good, you just have to wade through a lot of the same and a lot of mediocrity. When you break it down, and with few exceptions, the game’s missions can be divided into three groups: Attack, defense, and fetch quests, or some combination of those. In attack quests, as you might imagine, you are set to defeating whole scores of enemies to fulfill a requirement or beating a boss, just like any other game. In defense quests, you must protect an object or a person from harm, generally escorting them to a location or completing an objective, and usually kicking ass in order to make that happen. And, finally, fetch quests have you setting out to locating an item and bringing it back, again, usually while defeating tons of opponents.
Unfortunately, even when the story does offer you the chance to do something new, that feeling of been there, done that is echoed (not to mention magnified) by the gameplay. While most games teach new moves and such as you go along, easing you into and letting you slowly master all your techniques, Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles throws most of it at you right in the beginning. When you first turn on the game, an optional training mission starts things out, asking you to perform move after move at the behest of your instructor. Once your rapid-fire exam is complete, you get thrust into your missions, with little time to master or even just practice your techniques. Most missions have a swarm of enemies and sometimes a time limit, so almost every confrontation devolves into a game of button mashing, which can still be fun, you’ll just likely tire of it. You could try to strategize or go about it with a sense of style, using your Sexy Jutsu to stun enemies, for example, but the enemies that aren’t affected will politely hand your ass to you, forcing you to unleash the power of the fox demon with in, which turns into a button mashing session anyways.
The graphics, as I’ve mentioned, are full 3D in Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles just like you might find in every game. The developers actually did a decent job with the graphics, as they are crisp, detailed and you are able to tell who each of the characters is. However, it just doesn’t seem to fit the show at all. Though I can’t speak for everyone (and you can decide for yourself from the screenshots), I would have much preferred it if this game had used the cel-shaded graphics that the other games have utilized so successfully. The sound effects, on the other hand, seem pulled right from the past games or the TV shows, so, again, that will be a matter of personal preference. One of the reasons I just can’t stand the Naruto anime is the voice work. Somehow, the localization team managed to scrounge up the most generic, most shrill, most annoying voice actor ever to play Naruto in the TV show, and they brought them back for the video game. Of course, for those of you who don’t mind or even, dare I say, like the voice acting in Naruto, well, you should be quite happy that so many people seemed to have reprised their roles. However, like or dislike, the sound effects can also get very repetitive, with the same handful of catchphrases being tossed out every time something important happens or a battle is one. Believe it!
With roughly two-dozen missions or so in the story mode, each lasting anywhere from say 10 to 15 minutes in some of the later ones, Naruto won’t overwhelm you with its length, but I don’t imagine you’ll be all that disappointed either. And, unfortunately, beyond that, there isn’t much reason to keep on playing. This game is highly scripted, so, besides the occasion when you get to choose your teammates, you’d be playing the same exact game the second time around. As I mentioned earlier, instead of traveling through an open world (which I would have much preferred, but I’ll say that about almost every game), you’ll move across an over world map, so you won’t have the joys of exploration to fall back on either. Of course, that hasn’t taken into account the multiplayer aspects of Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles to take into account...of which there are none. That’s right, in a game that is built mostly around a team aspect, and which could have easily have included a simple versus level, there isn’t a single need for that second controller you’ve got sitting around, but at this point it hardly matters.
Bottom Line:
When put the question of who is going to enjoy this Naruto title, I find myself at a loss to describe it with a single, simple label. Instead, it is all a question of what you expect to get out of this game that will determine whether or not it is right for you. If you are looking to play through some of the iconic moments of the series, look elsewhere; while this game is story-based, it uses its own original plot set almost entirely outside the events of the series, making for a few interesting, if not unfamiliar, situations. If you were hoping this game would use the (more appropriate) cel-shaded graphics of past games to capture the essence of the show, you’ll be disappointed; this time around, the developers chose to go 3D and, while it doesn’t look bad, it just seems an ill fit for the source material. And, finally, if you wanted to play a full-on Naruto adventure and not another fighting game, you may still be left wanting; the game is an action game, perhaps even with a few RPG elements, but the fast-paced and repetitive combat quickly turns into an exercise of button mashing, making it hardly any different from the aforementioned fighters that so often populate this sort of license. Even for fans of the series, one way or another, you are either gone to love or hate some of the decisions they’ve made with the game. Put simply, Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles is an acquired taste.
| Pros: | Cons: | Final Score: |
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| 6.5 |
Posted: 2007-02-05 15:34:39 PST