Introducing these areas that just beckon to be explored, only to find that there’s very little to interact with. Some light RPG exploratory elements have also been added to the mix, and they too, are sadly nothing more than filler between the next big battle for Naruto. A new decision path system gives players more stake in the outcome of a battle, but bears little if any effect on the outcome of the overall story. The changes that they do introduce are fairly lackluster. Cyberconnect2 goes heavy on fan service throughout, but as explained it does feel a bit superficial. You’ll find them sprinkled in between equally gorgeous fighting sequences, and the aforementioned exploratory portions of the game, which when combined, form the many chapters of the story mode. The cel-shaded artwork and voice cast carry the game’s many cutscenes and make them continually enjoyable throughout the game’s entirety. It’s a beautiful world, the art design is fantastic, and the attention to detail from the source material is absolutely incredible. The single player side of Naruto is best enjoyed when sitting back and taking it all in. With a wide fan-base that is expecting a similar experience as the previous, CyberConnect2 doesn’t take any real risks with this new title. It’s probably because there are expectations with the Naruto franchise at this point. This becomes even more obvious when you take into consideration that Naruto isn’t the deepest fighter on the market, and not many changes have been made to the battle-tested formula. This isn’t an adventure game, Naruto Shippuden is all about fighting, but it really feels like there was a big missed opportunity to engage the player in more meaningful ways within the game world, and really expand this franchise in the process. For every beautiful environment that begs to be explored, you’ll be met with very little interaction to be had. Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 is a beautiful game that really feels like it lacks substance. If you were pleased with previous entries in this popular franchise, you’ll probably fall right back in love with Ninja Storm 3, but only if you’re wholly content with this franchise becoming stagnant. Instead, a weak decision path that has no outcome on the actual storyline, some bigger scaled boss battles, and a very well presented game are going to be the main draws. That might be harsh, but if you were looking for major enhancements in the Naruto franchise with Ultimate Ninja Storm 3, you aren’t going to find it here. But on the other hand, Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 just isn’t very different from Generations, and the ways that it does separate itself are lackluster and don’t enhance the experience in any way. It delivers in the visual department once again, with CyberConnect2 crafting a beautiful world and telling a great story based on the popular Manga. On the one hand, Ninja Storm 3 does some things well. Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 launched recently, and it’s a tale of two games. After the success of Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations, fans had high hopes for this numbered installment in the Naruto Shippuden series.