Review for Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker. Game for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the video game was released on 30/08/2018 The version for PC came out on 31/08/2018 The version for PlayStation 4 came out on 31/08/2018 The version for Xbox One came out on 31/08/2018
Naruto manga and anime are now over, despite this the success of the series has led the author to entrust Mikio Ikemoto and Ukyo Kodachi with drawings and scripts of a new series starring Boruto, the son of Naruto. Just as Toyotaro took over the reins of the Dragon Ball manga on behalf of the beloved Toriyama, the new authors have given new life to the world of Naruto by proposing the adventures of a new generation of ninja.
Of course, video games are no less, and after Naruto Ultimate Ninja Trilogy (which included the 3 games released on Playstation 3) e Naruto Ultimate Ninja Legacy (which also had Ultimate Ninja 4, the final chapter of the series), it's time for Boruto to take the helm with Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker, which we had already tried at the Gamescom. There is actually not much more than what we have already described in the hands-on, but in the review we will give you a summary of what the game offers us by evaluating every aspect.
The stories are overrated
In Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker, unlike previous games in the series, there is no single player story mode. As soon as we start our adventure we will be catapulted into an editor to create our very personal character. The choices of faces, hair and accessories will be quite limited and all based on physical details of the characters already existing in the series. The only particular option is that of selecting the village of origin, which will however only modify the character's initial clothing and the symbol on his forehead.
Once our ninja is created we will find ourselves in the central square of Konoha, around which there will be several shops and activities. TenTen runs a weapons shop, where you can buy new ninja tools or identify scrolls found during missions to unlock new accessories to customize the avatar (like the pulls in Gacha Games for mobile), Sakura runs an accessories shop to further increase the customization of our character, while from Sasuke we will have the opportunity to choose our master among about twenty characters from the Naruto series. Last but not least, there is the Hokage building, where you can start match-making for missions, and the VR training room to select the mission we prefer. We are talking about VR not because it is possible to use our accessory for virtual reality, but because in-game the presence of dead characters or in their version of the past is to be attributed to a use of VR by our character, thus entering a fictitious world in which the data and techniques of all the ninja of the past are present.
As for the word "matchmaking", this comes from the fact that this title is almost entirely structured to be online. This is also visible and clear from the mere fact that as soon as we start the game every day we will be awarded items such as "login bonuses" and there will be constant alerts on special events that only take place on certain dates.
Each mission, usually PvP apart from some single player playable stages, requires a team of 4 players. Each character can be equipped with different weapons and techniques so as to differentiate themselves according to the role we prefer to have at a given moment and interchangeable during the game between Attack, Ranged, Defense and Heal. Carrying out more missions will allow us to obtain more or less rare scrolls to be identified by TenTen to obtain new accessories and weapons, so as to customize ourselves more and more. What is most important, during the fights, however, is to better customize your jutsu, and to do this we will be able to choose, as already mentioned, a master among various characters available and others that will unlock as we advance in level. Carrying out missions under the guidance of a master will allow us to obtain additional experience points dedicated only to obtaining the special techniques of that particular character from the Naruto series.
There are 4 different match modes, which can happen randomly during clashes between two teams of players. They are a simple one team deathmatch, a capture the flag, an internship of control of the bases, and finally a slightly more particular one in which there is an offensive team that has to break gods seals and then take the victory by facing a boss, while the other team will have to defend those areas until time runs out.
The combat mechanics are relatively simple, with basic attacks whose range, speed and power depend on the weapon equipped, and two jutsu that can be reloaded over time. It will also be possible to dodge enemy blows with a Kawarimi no Jutsu or pull off a high-impact finishing move. However, it seems that in this case the combat in mid-air is greatly encouraged, thanks to the possibility of climbing all the walls and walls and also thanks to the ninja tool of the kunai with wire, with which we will be able to reach distant walls in a moment. It goes without saying that teamplay is essential to win the victory and not to end up alone surrounded by multiple enemies together.
Technical sheet dattebayo
The graphic department of Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker it almost completely resumes animations and models already seen previously in Ultimate Ninja Storm 4, however, having to manage larger arenas and 8 characters at the same time, it loses several details in favor of a higher clarity of the situation and a fluidity at 60 fps . Fortunately, a lot of the loss of detail is masked by strong cel-shading that gives the feeling of being inside the anime.
The music is negligible and devoid of bite, but the Japanese dubbing is as always of excellent workmanship. English dubbing is also present, although for anyone who is passionate the choice should be more than obvious. There are several camera and server problems, but hopefully they will be resolved over time.
Naruto To Boruto: Shinobi Striker allows us to create our very own ninja, to choose his weapons, special techniques and role, and then sling him into fast and satisfying online matches. All very interesting and a round of applause for the courage to transform the brand into something very different from what we are used to, however the yield is certainly not perfect and this is especially noticeable on the server and on the camera problems. If you love online titles it could be for you, but if you are more of a single player type, better bet on other shores.
► Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker is a fighting game developed by Soleil and published by Bandai Namco for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the video game was released on 30/08/2018 The version for PC came out on 31/08/2018 The version for PlayStation 4 came out on 31/08/2018 The version for Xbox One came out on 31/08/2018
