Naruto: The Broken Bond

There are a few things that you can count on to be consistent throughout the world of gaming. Mouse and keyboard setups will tend to be the most accurate for FPS games. Although the major consoles all have their own advantages/setbacks that balance them out, there will always be a constant ‘console war’ that extends past the end of time. And finally, Naruto games will be great in comparison to other games. Its almost uncanny how well the developers are able to understand the finer aspects of the Naruto manga and anime, being able to bring those feelings to each game produced. Of course, there are some not-so-great examples of Naruto games (common with any ‘great’ game series), but by and large Naruto has enjoyed great dedication from the developers behind each one. Naruto: The Broken Bond once again proves that this assumption can be taken seriously. Its got heart, knows the source material from episodes 81-135, and has a slightly different focus compared to other titles.

End of an Era

Given the current feeling towards companies like Ubisoft, its pleasant to say that this developer put a lot of effort into Broken Bond and even improved on many of the aspects they learned from its predecessor Naruto: Rise of a Ninja. In comparison to the Ultimate Ninja Storm series of games, which put a heavy emphasis on battles/crazy scenarios, Broken Bond instead shifts towards realism, speed, and navigability for the core of its gameplay. It even has some similarities to games like Spider-Man: Web of Shadows because of its fighting style/open world aspects and the challenges available to the player. It would not be constructive to say that it is the best Naruto game, but it can easily hold its own against other installments.

My personal favorite part of this game is that it ties together the basis of the Naruto series, has art direction that honors the original spirit of the series, and has some fantastic story elements. It has an amazing soundtrack, truly respectable voice acting, and uses the open world mechanics to the fullest without becoming a burden. Being the last title produced by Ubisoft, it ended on an incredibly high note that completely expanded on the ideas presented in Rise of the Ninja.

A Bit Broken

Despite its greatest parts, Broken Bond was at its weakest when it came to the variety of side quests available, how minimally accessible it is to newcomers of the series, and its use of quick time events (QTEs). Side quests were just blatantly repetitive. After you’d done the first of one kind, you’ve essentially done them all and it quickly became a chore to do each one. Though this should be unsurprising, since it is a sequel, the chapters covered in this game pick up right in the middle of some story arcs.

Bottom Line

Though it isn’t possible to pick up, it does make this one of the worst to pick up in terms of story coherence unless you’ve played the first. Finally, there’s nothing wrong with QTEs, but this game used them excessively. I didn’t hate it, but it took something away from the game that made it feel like it wasn’t wholly Naruto to me.

Pros:

• Beautifully directed/animated
• True to source material
• Fluid combat with great fusion between realism and fantasy

Cons:

• Story can be minimally accessible to newcomers
• Excessive quick time events
• Side quests repetitive

Continue the tale of the young hero Naruto and his friends with Naruto: The Broken Bond, a sizable adventure that puts you in the shoes of this iconic protagonist. Picking up where the last game left off, this 3D fighting game explores the latter half of the storyline from the original anime, leading to betrayal among friends and the fierce battles that follow. Packed with multiple modes, 30 playable characters, and more, Naruto: The Broken Bond is a treat for all anime lovers!

Main Game Features

• Explore the world of the Naruto anime
• Climactic story mode
• 3v3 and 2v2 tag team fighting

Story

Naruto: The Broken Bond continues to adapt the story of the original anime, picking up where the last game, Naruto: Rise of a Ninja, left off. In a 10-hour long adventure, you play as Naruto and up to 10 other characters, exploring your home region and completing quests. The main story deals with Naruto's rise to power and his friend, Sasuke, becoming jealous over his gains. In order to match Naruto's power, Sasuke begins to look toward darkness for answers, leading to a potential life of evil. Although English dialogue is available, true fans will be happy to know that the original Japanese voice actors reprise their role in the native language, which you can toggle on with no hassle.

While playing in the story mode, you're treated to some pretty exciting moments, along with big battles and wild cutscenes. However, if you're new to the Naruto games in general, you will probably feel a bit clueless. In total, Naruto: The Broken Bond covers roughly 50 episodes from the anime, but there's no backstory or “previously on Naruto” segment to explain what happened beforehand. So, if you're rusty on your Naruto lore or just aren't familiar with the franchise, Naruto: The Broken Bond is pretty confusing overall. That said, it's still a faithful recreation of the anime, offering all the same highs and lows.

Gameplay

In story mode, the gameplay is a mix of exploration and 3D fighting, but the emphasis is mostly on your adventure. Playing as Naruto and his pals, you navigate around a fully interactive world, chatting with characters, buying items, and completing quests. Naruto can run up walls, sneak around, and use various ninja abilities to access tough-to-reach areas, but the extra backtracking can get tiresome. When you're not exploring, you battle in 3v3 tag-team battles, similar to other Naruto fighting games like Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm.

The fighting system is basic but fun, with characters having multiple attacks, cool combos, and a few special moves as well. If you want to fight, but don't want to run around in story mode, you can do battle in Versus mode, which also has online multiplayer. Although these fights are restricted to 2v2 battles, there are over 30 characters to choose from, increasing the roster substantially. Unfortunately, there are a handful of very overpowered characters, which messes with the balancing, and you'll run into them frequently online. However, there are more than enough options for any fan of the anime, so your favorite character is likely to be included.

Conclusion

There are tons of Naruto video games, and while many of them are simple 3D fighters without much substance, Naruto: The Broken Bond is an exception. The story mode is lengthy and entertaining, multiple modes are available to play, and it's a great adaptation of the anime.

Pros

• Adventure mode is fun
• Lots of awesome characters
• Japanese and English voices

Cons

• Some characters are overpowered
• Half of the Naruto story
• Fighting feels slow sometimes