Sony
(PS2) Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles
By Ryan Newman
Dec 18, 2006, 8 :04 am

Based on the hit anime license, Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles is a cross between a role-playing game and a beat ‘em up that shows a little bit of promise but leaves a lot to be desired. Due to a lack of manpower, Genin (student Leaf Ninjas) are called to take part in missions for which they would otherwise be under-qualified. Stationed in Leaf Village, you will purchase items from the general store (hit point and stamina regeneration items), form your team (when applicable), save your game, and also visit the Hokage’s Room to pick up assignments, then head out to rid the surrounding area of bandits, bring needed supplies to villagers, and do whatever else the denizens need done.

Ostensibly, you are given the freedom to explore a world map and take on the assignments, which are graded for difficulty. In reality, you’re only given a handful of missions at a time and the map is limited as to where you can actually go. The provided missions can often be accepted in an order of your choosing, but they must be completed wholesale for you to continue as they lead to a mission that continues the story, which opens up a new location on the map. When in between story sequences, you are typically escorting someone or something, requiring you to protect the wagon holding the item or person, or to defeat a certain number of foes. From the world map, you set out to select the location you would like to venture to, then a small Naruto strolls along a dotted walkway to inaccessible areas that represent breaks in the path. Along the way, you will be attacked by various bandits; defeating them, along with the accomplishing of missions, gives you items (normally offensive missile weapons), virtue orbs (to purchase skill plates and the extension of your overall health and stamina bars), and charka orbs (items that restore the stamina of the character being utilized when they are collected).

Whenever you are attacked, the game switches from the 2D overhead world map to a 3D playing area. This is where you break out your weak and strong attacks, your Shadow Clone attack, Power Strike, and Sexy Jutsu (a female character in a bikini appears and performs a radial attack). At first, it seems as though the developers put together a decent brawler, with a small combo set to start off with and the more powerful attacks being pulled off by simply hitting a shoulder button or a combination of two buttons at once. The action is fast, it looks good, and the high energy moves really give an indication that this is something special in the world of licensed products: a game designed to a license’s strong points. Unfortunately, that’s not really the case as you soon find out after the first few fights that the limited move-set you have is really all you have and that the enemies are either too dumb to move or more than eager to pounce you and your block-less self around like a volleyball. Your only defensive move is a dash that can be answered almost immediately and a counter where you lose some life but get a hit in. Keeping the action moving by giving primacy to offense would have been a great move had there been more to do rather than the same combo with the same two finishers. The only real variety comes in the weapons and your allies’ moves, none of which are all that exciting.

Along the way, you will encounter other ninja and have the opportunity to create a party with them. This isn’t quite how it sounds, however, as you and your partners are actually swapped out during combat, with all of their powers residing in their stamina. Once an ally is beat up or used enough, their stamina will be gone and Naruto will pop back in play. For Naruto’s part, victory will bring him the ability to level himself up by purchasing permanent health and stamina upgrades, as well as skill plates.

Skill plates make up the most interesting facet of Uzumaki Chronicles. Some plates are unlocked by completing levels and some are purchased, but all are put on set pieces to make Naruto stronger. The plates are of various geometric shapes and are broken up by Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, Special Attack, Limited-Use, and Empty. These allow for either stronger basic attacks, special attacks, or something as useful as having enemies drop more items and items being attracted to Naruto’s person from greater distances. The pieces have to be adjusted to fit into the empty plates so that it can be completely filled with pieces, which both maximizes the effectiveness of Naruto, which is crucial to completing later missions, and also provides an additional ‘fill’ bonus.

It is the role-playing aspects that really give the game its flair. While somewhat superficial, they still manage to introduce an interesting dynamic that involves budgeting the power of the pieces to the power of the whole. By choosing certain pieces, some fights will be made tougher and some easier, and it’s deciding which is more important, or which better fits your style of play, that adds a hint more to a simple brawler.

Overall: 4.5/10