Now this one — compared to the previous entries — really feels like a genuine step back. I haven’t spent enough time with Storm 4 yet to make a direct comparison, but this one doesn’t even have an Adventure mode in its single-player section. What was already a fading joy for me has now disappeared completely, which makes it even sadder.
Instead, we get two modes: History and Special Story. History removes even the pseudo-open world and turns into a slideshow of reimagined battles and boss fights from the previous games — most of which are poorly adapted. Special Story, on the other hand, offers a pretty solid Boruto storyline. I actually enjoyed it from a narrative standpoint, but in terms of presentation, it’s still a step down — not quite a slideshow, but the mix of cutscenes and fights doesn’t reach the series’ past highs. To make matters worse, there aren’t even any memorable boss fights this time.
As for the core of the game — the fighting mode — for me, Ninja Storm 3 still stands as the peak. Visually, there are some impressive additions; the animations and jutsu presentations come close to their flashiest moments in the series. That said (and this might be a purely personal take), it sometimes feels a bit too over-the-top. It’s as if the series kept pushing the spectacle higher and higher until it finally went a bit too far. Mechanically, it’s been tuned to feel more responsive, but that also makes it lean more toward button-spamming. Still, since the core mechanics are as solid as ever, it remains an incredibly fun game to play.
