Naruto x Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections Reviews

Naruto X Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections is a disappointingly dull entry in the series. You have to wonder where CyberConnect2 will go from here.

The anime franchise Naruto has graced our lives for 21 years. This is even longer when you consider the original manga. With that, NARUTO X BORUTO Ultimate Ninja STORM CONNECTIONS is a new 3D fighter title for the franchise all focused on celebrating the classic Shonen Jump series. For such a momentous milestone anniversary, this is an adaptation that well and truly should be better. Connections isn’t even the best Ultimate Ninja Storm game we’ve had. In short, they made a bad one.

The Naruto franchise has changed a lot since the previous entry in the Ultimate Ninja Storm series, as Boruto is fast approaching its 300-episode mark. Even so, CyberConnect2 still decided to put a lot of the focus here on the original two Naruto series in what felt like a speed run of the prior Ultimate Ninja Storm series, with the new Boruto Special Story just tacked on to give players something new. While the gameplay hasn’t changed much, it still feels very Naruto-like and works well for what the game is trying to do. Hopefully, this was created to serve as the last hoorah for the classic style, and we’ll see the series evolve from here with the growth of the Boruto series. Even so, fans of the franchise likely will find some fun here, and it can even serve as an appetizer for someone looking to experience the franchise for the first time as well.

Legendary ninjas reunite in the next exciting entry of the STORM series! NARUTO X BORUTO Ultimate Ninja STORM CONNECTIONS is an action/fighting game with fast-paced ninja battles and two different story modes.

A nice tip of the hat to the Naruto series after more than twenty years, Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections is an accomplished celebratory package, albeit one that's unfortunately deficient in a few key areas.

As an anime fan who hasn’t watched Naruto in almost a decade and has never seen beyond one arc of Boruto, this game made me excited for the franchise in a way I honestly hadn’t felt in a long time. But my view of Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections as my own reentry is a subjective point that the game’s mechanics don’t necessarily do enough to overtake the nostalgia and stand on its own.

When based on combat alone, Naruto X Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections maintains the success maintained throughout the series. Unfortunately, very little accompanies it in this package, with the only worthy exception being a short but sweet Special Story exclusive to this game. A solid discount would make buying this game worthwhile.

For a game designed to show off the best of Naruto and Boruto, but fans are left with a speedrun through Naruto's highlights and a Boruto story that feels like he's his own side character. Combat is still fun and flashy, if a bit simple.

This is a fun yet bare boned tribute to Naruto’s long history and adventures. Almost all the features are mostly carried over from previous games.

I’m not too big a fan of how much was stripped away in Ninja Storm’s Connections History mode, but it still does a good job of picking the right moments to sum up for Naruto-noobies while still offering fun fights alongside Boruto’s extra story. Ninja Storm fans will know what they’re coming back to, this time with a larger roster than Storm 4. Connections is ultimately a great little collection of all things Naruto. ∎

The visual style of Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections really nails the iconic look of Masashi Kishimoto’s charming and accessible art style. Memorable moments from the series are recreated beautifully, while the different stages and ninjutsu just ooze with life and color, making each battle a visual delight. My only real issue with the presentation is that the English dub has a lot of awkward lines that seem as though they were the result of odd voice direction, coming off as more stilted than expected.

Although Naruto X Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections brings along some incredible battle mechanics and detailed customization elements, the game is lacking in a decent single-player story mode. Special Story mode wasn't very interactive or interesting for my tastes.

Naruto x Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections ultimately falls short of the lofty goals many had for it. Although the gameplay changes are refined and welcomed, an overall lack of content depth looms and makes me yearn for more. Ultimately, Storm Connections is a title I recommended waiting to pickup, as the content is not justified for the $60 price point.

Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections might not be Storm 5, but its excellent special story and improved fighting mechanics make for another great entry.

I cannot stop wondering who Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections is for. It feels too reductive of the source material to pull players into the story beyond a shallow retread. Meanwhile, pretty much every character and their execution play far too similar, so I don’t know what a fan of fighting games would get out of this. If you want lots of Naruto and Boruto, a quick retread of their paths and the spectacle some of their best attacks and battle moments in the CyberConnect2 arena fighter style, maybe Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections is for you, because it at least gets the in-fight presentation right. Otherwise, I just found this buffet to be too bland.

Naruto X Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections is a great culmination of the series that can play really well on the Steam Deck.