Now let me start off with this review and say that I've bought and owned every single previous Naruto Shippuden ultimate ninja storm game to date. I've followed the series for several years and played all of them extensively, which is why I've come to the conclusion that Revolution is simply probably one of the worst games in the series. While the previous game in the series Naruto Storm 3 easily remains the best one in the series from a game-play and balance perspective that's why i gave that game a 8.5, my highest rating to any Storm game. Revolution however is the opposite. It seems like it took everything Great about Storm 3 and ripped it all apart in favor of a more mediocre game battle system, why fix that isn't broken?
So what destroys the fun that could have been had?? and what makes this game one of the worst in the series? okay, I'll start with one of the few good points which is the main story mode. Ninja escapades. For starters, it's fun and alright, nothing special, but what stands out in this mode is the anime cut scenes made directly from the Naruto Animation Team! the mode itself is fun to play-through at least once, as it expands on the back stories of all of the Akaksuki members prior to them joining the now infamous group of ninja The mode is short though, and outside of the animated HD cut scenes, which are animated fairly decently even compared to some of the episodes themselves from the anime. There isn't anything special about the battles themselves. It's mostly just a few battles played out against a really bad programmed AI that seems to want to let you win. And then its a cut scene again, followed by another bland battle, rinse and repeat for an hour or so
Then you have Ninja World Tournament mode, which was great when i first heard about it. You have four player tournament battles where you and 3 other ninja fight it out for guts and glory. Sadly it really doesn't live up to the hype that was given to it. While there is fun to be had in the later modes where it becomes chaos due to the AI getting some form of intelligence, more so when you factor in Giant awakenings being present. The mode itself is still a letdown, mostly because how its played out and that it's limited to strictly offline. When it was first announced, i'll admit that i was excited to finally be able to play out four player online battles to break apart the standard 1v1 fighting that's been the only way to fight it out. But no, all we got was literally a mode where in most cases its 3v1, because the AI seem to gang up on you the entire round that lasts for 60 seconds. And for a feature that has been requested for years by fans, it seems like a bait tactic to lure people into buying the game, then an actual meaningful and fun mode.
Then there is the third and final single player offline mode which is the Mecha Naruto story. To put it shortly, it's bland, boring, uninspired, and you'll be forced to play through voiceless text conversations and running around on a empty island. This mode really didn't need to exist, and not only that, but they could have weaved it into the Tournament mode instead of having it separate. This is a trend in Revolution, CC2 seem to be fond of splitting the game up as much as possible.
Then there is the Network clone feature, again, sounds great on paper, but the execution is terrible. The idea of your clone going out fighting battles and bringing back items is a nice feature, but by the time you finish the tournament mode, you've already unlocked most of the items the clone brings back, it's just another pointless feature. And when playing online you'll constantly be spammed after you've fought against a human player if you wanna fight against a network clone challenger. My answer is always no, because if i wanted to fight an AI i would play offline not online. It becomes too annoying after the 10th time it pops up to ask you, it disrupts the flow of the game. There should have been a separate mode online where you fight a progressively harder Network clone after each successful victory. That would have been a better way to implement this feature. Also there are a lot of specific items that can only be equipped by certain characters.
So what else can i pick apart? You can also throw another thing into the box of broken and letdown items, which is the core online mode and how the balance and game play factor into things, And oh boy, did they screw it up big time. Sure the Balance wasn't perfect in past games, but the faults in the balance were mostly character specific rather then game mechanic specific. Now in Revolution the combat is split up into three separate types, which makes you feel like you're playing 1/3rd of a character. CC2 did this by the "Type" System. You now have to choose between one of three types prior to battle and after you've selected your characters. And given the Roster size and how you have to navigate through these small box's to find you characters and select the support characters and select the type. You barely have enough time. But anyway, the three types are Ultimate, Awakening and Drive. Each has a specific way to be played. Ultimate types are the only type to be able to use team ultimate jutsus and character specific ultimate jutsus, however given the frequency you see players using the Ultimate jutsu, there isn't anything Ultimate about it when you see it used more often then a regular jutsu. Not only that but the Ultimate type is probably the one battle type that benefits mostly from the counter and Guard break, which i'll get to shortly. As for Awakening tpye, characters who have this can awaken into their true awakening, or be able to flick into there Instant awakening, now for most characters flicking into their instant awakening only gives in most cases a jutsu change, or maybe a slight change in form. And that's if they are lucky. Most characters just get a minor stat boost. The only characters that benefit from Awakening type are characters with transformations during there instant awakening or who have a giant awakening or a new awakening form that has a new move set associated with it, such as Mecha Naruto. Other characters are left with nothing new. The Second Kazekage for example has nothing new at all in his true awakening, just a slight alteration in his jutsu. It's very underwhelming. Drive type benefits all of the roster the most without being too character specific like awakening type is. You can get to call out supports and they come out to defend you and assist in attacking and with knock backs. This is probably the strongest of the three types and one most players use. It's rather bland, you can't ultimate jutsu nor can you awaken, so you're forced into spamming combos with attack type activated.
There wasn't any need to split the mechanics up, because you're literally getting 1/3rd of a character when you pick one, in previous games you could awaken, ultimate jutsu and have support actions from your support characters now you can't. It makes mediocre characters even worse as it makes it more limited for some characters. While others it doesn't effect much. I would have Preferred two types, Awakening and Ultimate, with most or all of the support actions available for both. The current system makes you feel too limited in your fights and you feel like you're playing 1/3rd of a character.
Then there are the two new combat mechanics, although one is an item. The first one is the counter attack, sounds good on paper, but the effects last too long and it can change the flow of the game too much, it's too much of a game changer, and it shouldn't be. Basically if you time it right, and now some people are good at using it, you can counter attack, basically if the player trys a combo on you, they get stunned, okay? doesn't seem like a big deal, but it is. The stun duration is beyond long, it should only last for like 1 second or just enough time for 1 jutsu. It shouldn't last to the point where 1 counter attack can make or break a game. IT punishes the person who tries to play offensively. Like people have suggested, the counter attack should work like Madara's Tilt, where you just bounce off away from the person. You shouldn't be stunned for two full combos and a ultimate jutsu. Like many say, if it worked like madaras Tilt, where it bounces the opponent away doing minimal damage and gives breathing room,Then i would be okay with it. Bit why should one mechanic be the biggest factor into who wins? Do other fighting games have a win button? No. In Tekken or Soul Calibur the winner is determined who fought better. Not who hid behind a gimmicky mechanic that is easily abused by people who turtle and play defensively. It completely destroys the online balance. Games aren't no longer fought by who played the character best, but is about who can spam the counter attack the most and most effectively.
The other huge problem is the Guard break, too many people again abuse this and gives ultimate types another reason to turtle and spam it. Sure you only get two, but sometimes two is all you need to once again change the outcome of a battle. When should any battle outcome be who used this one item the most or best? I hate it, they should give character specific items back. Speaking of items, why do items when used only last five seconds? they hardly last long enough to be effective. In past storm games the items that were given to you had to be used tactically. Now they hardly seem to be impact. Granted i know i sound contradictory to my previous statement about the guard break item. But the big difference is, the Guard break changes the outcome too much, and the items used to be beneficial if you used them in the right moment. Items are pointless now, you use one and within five seconds of running around the effects are gone, and ofc you're vulnerable for a few seconds when using one.
The character roster is cool, some neat additions and updates, but frustrating part of it, is there really isn't anyone new. we got a bunch of more Uchiha characters, and a bunch of new Uzumaki characters. And four requested edo kages, which should have been in the previous game as playable. And even though people requested all these characters, the only characters you really see are Shisui, EMS Sausake, or itatchi or pretty much anyone who is OP. The balance wouldn't be so bad if the rest ofthe roster didn't feel like gimped versions of their former selves. But these newer characters are simply better then the older cast.
I can't complain about the graphics or the sound though. The game sounds and looks like Naruto. There is a lot of DLC too, which is okay, but the game feels milked.
So while i like the idea of a counter attack, new roster updates and Ninja world Tournament, it feels like the game has been rushed. I wished we hadn't got this game. Storm 3 was awesome, and it was even more awesome with Full Burst.
I wouldn't get this game. The online is really stressful, the Ranking system is beyond broken, you'll never gain a good rank, you'll loose more then win because of the problems i've stated. And why did they change the BP system for the worse? lets put it this way, after a full year of playing on Ranked in Storm 3 i had about 3000 wins and 1000 losses i was rank 42 and had five DCs. I played that game daily, it was fun. Storm Revoltion i've had since launch, i've been on rank, i'm rank 11, 7 disconnects, and with about 100 wins and 80 losses. I'm finding it impossible to win. And when you do the person will probably disconnect on you, because the loss of BP isn't worth it. Why punish the person by taking their BP away? isn't the loss itself the punishment itself? It's a borked system that was completely fine in past Storm games. And all the new system does is encourage rage quitting and playing like a cheap scrub because of how broken and unbalanced the game mechanics are. All they had to have done was tweak and balance the characters themselves, not change the entire battle system for the worse. In Storm Generations all they really added was the Substitution bar, and you know what? it worked it was simple, and its fine. They tried making a simple fighting game into something it's not.
So yeah, it's a mixed bag, this is my least favorite storm game next to Storm 2, which probably ranks as one of the worst in terms of online balance. Storm Gen And Storm 3 are the two games you should play. Infact you can buy Storm 3 with Full burst DLC, and it's far better use of your money then this broken game.
Only game this game if you're intending to play offline against friends. I've never given such a warning to anyone for past Storm games outside of Storm 2.