Summary
The countdown forNaruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connectionshas started and Bandai Namco and CyberConnect2 have shared more details in the lead-up to its release in December 2023. As the other games intheUltimate Ninja Stormfranchisehave been well-received by players in the past, the new installment should feature an upgraded roster of characters and some exciting new gameplay to the table.
Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connectionsis the seventh game in the franchise and will build on many of the previous games' mechanics. Veterans of the franchise should be familiar with many of the gameplay features, though there are some characters that have been added to the roster who will be completely new to those who haven’t played the mobile games. These new characters will feature in a new Special Story Mode, which promises to bring together the cast from theBorutoseries with theNinja Heroesmobile game’s original characters.
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Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections Tells a New Story
The Special Story Mode willfeature a story that’s original toNaruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections.The story will depict a shinobi world on the verge of breaking into the Fifth Shinobi War, thanks to Merz and his armies. The Hidden Leaf Village gather to stop this threat with the help of Nanashi, a character fromNinja Heroes. The story seems to culminate in a final rematch between Sasuke and Naruto, with Naruto in the role of the antagonist. It’s unclear why the hero of the story would suddenly be against Konoha at such a pivotal moment, but the mystery should be solved once the game is released.
In addition to the Special Story Mode, the usual Story Mode has been refined to includeNaruto and Sasuke’s entire journey from its beginnings all the way to the end. This is a first for theUltimate Ninja Stormseries, which previously only depicted part of the story. Players will be able to experience each major story beat as an in-game battle, complete with Awakening Mode, Ultimate Jutsus, and Combination Ultimate Jutsus. The most important moments in the story will be depicted as boss battles, which include:
Players Will Relive the Best of Naruto Through Gameplay
Players will also be able to customize their characters, a returning feature fromNaruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution, though the only costume items released so far have been the White Cat Ears. These items will be unlocked through game progression, and are a surprising addition considering it was a feature that was left out of the previous game.Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connectionswill feature the largest roster of playable characters in the series to date. New additions include thebrothers Indra and Ashura Otsutsuki, and the new characters Merz and Nanashi.
Characters with karma will also be featured, with Boruto, Kawaki, and Jigen demonstrating this power. Other features seen in theBorutoseries, such as Baryon Mode and Sasuke’s Supporting Kage form, will also be available, though some can only be accessed through Awakening rather than them being a version of the character on their own. Overall, there aremore features inNaruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connectionsthan in previous gamesin the series. It’s encouraging to see that the developer has brought back some of the good parts of previous games that were left out of the last game, such as customizable characters.
Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connectionsis in development for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
