Review Supplemental: Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3: Full Burst

As an outlet, we have already reviewed Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 and that review can be read over here. However, since the publication of that review, a new version of the game has released on PC and we are here to talk about that version today.

As most of you probably know, Naruto is one of the most popular and recognizable anime shows around. It has accumulated a following across the globe and it has been going strong for over 10 years. Many video games has been released on the subject but this particular version is the first to be released on the PC platform. Sure, this game has been out on consoles for a few months, but Full Burst includes a number of visual and content upgrades that makes this version the one to get.

In Full Burst, the game can feel rather cinematic at times with lots of story and interesting plot twists, but chances are, you want this game for the fighting. Luckily, that is exactly where this game has been improved. The pace of the fight has been increased and some new cut-scenes were introduced when pulling off your Jutsu moves. The new content is subtle, but the performance boost is significant. Picking up the pace of the game makes the fights a little more frantic, but that only increases the enjoyment to be had.

From a single player perspective, a full new chapter of the story mode, several new costumes and one new playable character have been added to the game. Granted, the original version of the game has a substantial cast of characters, costumes and story, so this new content feels like a drop in the bucket. With so much source material to choose from, there could have been more content added. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing since the game was already a good game, this smaller update from a content perspective makes you think about the value versus cost comparison.

Finally, a new challenge mode has been added that offers you 100 new missions to take on and you progress through the mode. The mode consists of varying objectives that unlock various in-game items and HD illustrations. You won’t really earn anything of great, game-changing consequence, but it is enough of a perk to get you to attempt the next challenge. Unfortunately, most of these challenges are things you’ve already done in the story, so we aren’t really seeing anything different from a gameplay perspective.

The best part of Full Burst is clearly the visuals. This is definitely the best looking version of any Naruto game on the market today. The game definitely looks like you are playing an episode of the television show. The animations are smooth and the performance has been optimized. If you were hung up on the original version of the game for performance or visuals, those concerns have been addressed.

Ultimately, this update is going to come down to personal tastes. This update is not going to give you a ton of new content to wade through. There is a new chapter to play through but it isn’t going to take season players long to digest that content and be left waiting for more. If you don’t have the game already, this is definitely the version to buy. However, if you already own the game, it comes down to how badly do you want the new costumes (previously available as DLC), a new mode, a new character and one new chapter. Either way, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3: Full Burst is a fun game to play and fans will surely love the new additions.

This review supplemental is based on a review copy of the PC version of Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3: Full Burst developed by CyberConnect2 published by Namco Bandai.