Cyber Connect 2 has been working on the Naruto franchise’ video games for a long time now, and by now, we all know that these games are a force to be reckoned with. Giving us bombastic cutscenes, flashy combat and a really rich and accurate presentation of this wonderful world and mythology, each new Naruto game is greatly anticipated by fans. Generations tries some new things, but at the end of the day, it’s more or less the same game as the previous entries. However, that’s not always a bad thing.
Generations has much of the problems that many Naruto games have had before- like the character roster being large yet not having enough variety, or the level design being bland and boring, or the story not just being good enough to keep you interested for long. All those problems we saw in the past few Naruto games are still present- it’s the good stuff that makes this a game worth buying.
The combat of Generations is going to feel very familiar if you’ve played any Naruto game before. There are a few changes, though. We now have a substitute meter, and there’s a mode which tilts the balance in the favour of the dying person, and to be fair, these new changes do add a bit to the strategy of the combat. But other than that, it’s largely similar to what we’ve all already seen before.
But where Generations truly excels is the presentations and the visuals. In true Cyber Connect 2 style, the visuals are, as they have always been in all Naruto games before this, 3D cel-shaded. And as always, they look beautiful. You’d think the novelty would have worn off and they would start looking stale by now- I mean, it’s only logical, right? But that isn’t the case at all, and the game looks simply magnificent.
The same can be said of the cutscenes. Just like in Asura’s Wrath, they’re probably the best thing this game has to offer- don’t get me wrong, I’m not selling anything short here. It’s just that the cutscenes are so well directed, it’s hard not to praise them so. They’re bombastic, flashy, and perfectly fit the world of Naruto. Even if you’ve never seen the anime or if this is the first time you’re playing a Naruto game (or both, maybe), you’ll enjoy the cutscenes.
But that all doesn’t make Generations worth the price tag that it carries. No, it’s the high replay value and the bucketloads of content it offers that make it so entertaining.
Generations has a lot of content. From the single player story mode and the Sage’s Legacy Edition expansion to the new, gimmicky and surprisingly enjoyable Ninja Info Card Battle mode, you won’t quickly get bored of Generations. And considering the fact that with the new gameplay additions, fights are a lot more strategic and have a lot more replay value to themselves, you will probably return to this game again and again, long after you’re finished with it.
Ultimately, Generations is a great game. While it suffers from the same flaws that its predecessor did, it’s a fairly good game with lots of content and definitely deserves a purchase.
This game was reviewed on the PS3.
THE GOOD
Lots of content; graphics style is very appealing; combat is flashy and fun; high replay value
THE BAD
Lacklustre story; Characters feel similar to each other with not enough distinguished moves; level design is uninspired and doesn't effect the battles in any way
Final Verdict
While Generations suffers from the same flaws that its predecessor did, it's a fairly good game with lots of content and definitely deserves a purchase.