Summary
- Naruto x Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections likely marks the end of the beloved series, with the studio moving on to new projects.
- The sequel could have filled in gaps with updates, but concerns over surpassing Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 arose as it failed to meet expectations.
- The franchise covered Naruto and Boruto's storylines, but repetition in character designs and abilities remained a concern throughout the series.
The Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm series has been a classic in Naruto games for the better part of the past 15 years. With five games in the franchise, the series saw a high with the hit Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4, which was released in 2016. CyberConnect2's CEO, Hiroshi Matsuyama, recently indicated that the latest game in the series, Naruto x Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections, will likely be the last for the franchise, with the studio moving on to other projects that could be unrelated to Naruto or the Ultimate Ninja Storm series in general.
While Naruto x Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections received a mixed reception upon release, seeing the end of the beloved series is sad for many fans, especially considering the potential of the franchise. With five installments to its name, Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm has covered the entirety of the Naruto Shippuden storyline, along with a large amount of Boruto's story. Connections could continue and fill in the gaps with patch updates and DLC. However, there were concerns that Connections didn't live up to its potential, and a final installment that surpasses Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 could end the series on a high.
Every Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Game, Ranked
There's been multiple entries in the beloved Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Series, but some have stood the test of time much better than others.
The Cons of Another Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Game
The gameplay features and ultimate storyline remain largely unchanged across Ultimate Ninja Storm and creating yet another game with the same characters, maneuvers, and gameplay could cause fatigue and make little sense. To create an Ultimate Ninja Storm game that feels revitalized after five entries may require an overhaul, but then that would risk losing the identity of the Ultimate Ninja Storm series.
Despite the venture into Boruto's storyline, the sequel series isn't as popular as Naruto, and the power levels of the characters from Boruto are incomparable to the characters that appear in Naruto Shippuden. This makes balancing a game with characters from both series difficult.
Why Ultimate Ninja Storm Should Have One Last Game
The Ultimate Ninja Storm series has largely followed the same formula, adapting the story of Naruto Shippuden to video games with a massive roster of characters and the different abilities they display throughout the series. The Ultimate Ninja Storm series also includes exclusive anime scenes that expand on storylines, particularly about fan-favorite characters like Shisui and Itachi. Other parts of the story that were adapted in the anime also appear in Ultimate Ninja Storm, but some are altered to more accurately reflect the manga than the anime's adaptation. These additions have largely been positively received, and for the most part, offer more depth to characters that didn't receive it in the original story.
Another issue that a Connections sequel could address is the repeat of certain characters while not tapping into their potential, particularly characters like Sakura and Tsunade who have very few versions despite being two of the most prominent characters in the series. Sakura only has a couple of versions, while Naruto and Sasuke, her Team 7 counterparts, have many different versions for each character. While Sakura's roster of abilities isn't as impressive as either Sasuke or Naruto's, the abilities she does possess aren't used either, and her animations, Ultimate Jutsus, and Team Jutsus are very boring when considering they don't use her Byakugo.
This is a problem with several characters on the roster, who have all remained unchanged over at least three Ultimate Ninja Storm games. Ending the series with Connections means that the only hope these characters have of ever getting an update is through a patch.
Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections
- Released
- November 17, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Mild Blood, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- CyberConnect2
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Franchise
- Naruto
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- Fighting
