If you want to get yourself hyped up and ready for Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 2, then check this out.
Story:
The story pretty much follows the anime, however the Zabuza arc was left out. I don't really understand why, because I thought Zabuza and Haku was pretty cool characters. The story goes from the Chunin Exam Arc to the Sasuke Rescue Arc. Throughout the story mode you will spend all of your time in the Hidden Leaf Village, which is colorful and large scale. In order to progress through the main parts of the story, you have to rack up points by completing missions. Most of the missions are tedious and lack variety, therefore you will find yourself just trying to rush through them instead of finding enjoyment playing them. You earn money to purchase items and find items to unlock various jutus for versus mode. As you complete story mode you will unlock characters for the versus mode as well. It is a bit of the downer that you can't exit the Hidden Leaf Village, but it is what it is. There should have been more voice acting. Most of time you will find yourself reading text in story mode. The only time you will hear actual voice acting is when you take part in critical main story moments.
The really cool thing about the story is the boss battles. The boss battles are over the top and extremely flashy. Most of the boss battles involve fighting large enemies and taking part in amazing quick time events. Those battles have alot of oh my god moments in them. The battles doesn't always follow the way it was shown in the anime or manga, but it doesn't really matter. The way the battles were done is fine, because trying to follow the same battle sequences wouldn't allow the creaters to use their creativity to come up with jaw dropping fights. Any company planning to pursue anime fighters should look at this game for real inspiration.
Graphics:
The graphics and presentation is flawless. The look of this game is so good it is scary. The characters look very similar to the anime/manga series. And the animation and special effects are out of this world.
Gameplay:
The control scheme is quite similar to previous naruto ultimate ninja games, so ultimate ninja fans will feel right at home. The control scheme is very simple and perfectly mapped out for everyone. It is very easy to learn, so newcomers will have no problems playing this game, therefore the learning curve is less than 10 minutes. The game uses 3D backgrounds this time around, so the gameplay is a bit more strategic. You can run, jump around the stage, speed dash, throw stronger long range weapons, throw shurikens, throw/use special items, power up, use selected jutsu, grab, use substitution counters, and call in selected support characters.
There are quick time events during gameplay as well. If you get lauched in air by your opponents the L1 or R1 button will appear. If the attacker wins, then their support character will smash the victim into the ground. If the defender wins, then their support character will save him/her from suffering further damage. Certain characters have jutus that can clash with each other. When jutus clash the player who hits the circle button the most will over power the other character. Seeing a jutsu clash in action is really cool, because it has cinematic flare, which makes you feel like you are watching the anime. The ultimate jutsus also have quick time events. When an ultimate jutsu occurs the attacker has the opportunity to cause max damage and the defender has a chance to escape the jutsu. The ultimate jutsus are very flashy and watching your possible demise is a sight to see.
All characters have an awakening mode, which adds special stats for a short amount of time. However, certain characters have unique transformations that changes their moveset and abilities. It is a bit of a shame that all of the characters don't have an awakening mode that is unique to them.
Online:
No online. That is a Mortal Kombat awww moment. Remember the awwww noise you hear when someone gets knocked in the acid bath in Mortal Kombat 2? That is what I am referring to.
Final Thoughts:
In my opinion this game is great for Naruto and Non-Naruto fans alike. It provides many of oh my god moments. It is easy to pickup. Boss battles are cool and refreshing. The major cutscenes are well done. You can choose between English and Japanese voice acting. It successfully captures the emotion and awesomeness of Naruto.
There are some issues with the game as well. Many of the story mode missions are not really fun and can be repetitive. There isn't a whole lot of voice acting in the story mode. There is an ultimate KO finish glitch that pops up sometimes when the characters do their victory pose. And there is no online mode.
I give this game a 9.0 out 10. It is one of the best Naruto games of all time, because very few games were able to capture the look and have decent fighting mechanics to go along with it. Online play would have made this game even better, however Namco Bandi wanted to test the waters before making a move like that. Therefore, I will give them the benefit of the doubt. If you plan on getting Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 2, then you should give this game a try. It will give you a good idea of what to expect for the upcoming title coming out this fall and you get practice, since some elements will re-emerge in the game NUNS 2.