Summary
Narutois a property that rivalsDragonball Zin scope and popularity, and in the games space its legacy has continued. There have been plenty of titles centered around the character and his story, but theUltimate Ninja Stormseries is the most popularof all, having begun in 2008, covering the pre-Shippudenarcs of the anime and manga.
However, while those games do well to put players in the shoes of characters from the series, their high barrier of entry and often unwelcoming nature due to their chosen genre can be a hard sell.Narutois best when putting its setting and people at the forefront, and an MMO could accentuate these features and improve on the limitations ofUltimate Ninja Stormto be something special.
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Naruto’s World and Characters are its Greatest Strength
With hundreds of manga chapters and anime episodes under its belt,Narutodid a lot right, but while battles take up a significant portion of the story, the best elements of the property are in its character interactions and its immense world-building.Naruto’s five great shinobi villagesdo well to add to the political intrigue of each distinct arc. Each is fundamentally different in culture and appearance, making people from each feel unique. In their roles as a shinobi (be it Genin, Chunin, Jonin, or Kage), the majority of characters' time in the show is spent going on missions of ascending difficulty, much like side missions and mercenary-esque quests in many open-world RPGs.
This could lend itself beautifully to the MMO genre, taking cues from the likes ofFinal Fantasy 14’s Eorzeawhich has components of a huge map that are instantly recognizable. The storytelling inNarutoandNaruto Shippudenis great, but it is very dependent on the setting itself, so while theUltimate Ninja Stormgames do well to facilitate the narrative, an MMO would be more suitable for giving more players broader access to the characters, world, and storylines, with other areas references in the show and manga possibly being added in later expansions.
Ultimate Ninja Storm’s Fighting Focus Makes it an Acquired Taste
TheUltimate Ninja Stormserieshas become the go-to video game adaptation forNarutofans. It’s enjoyed a sturdy reputation, but it can feel uninviting to those who aren’t familiar with the fighting game genre. Most of the gameplay prioritizes tense battles over meticulous world-building, meaning casual fans have a learning curve to endure before they can even appreciate the game’s more acute details. MMOs are deliberately slower-paced to help people seamlessly get to grips with the mechanics, so though some can be hard to understand, others like the aforementionedFinal Fantasy 14andGuild Wars 2are tremendously accessible.
Narutohas more potential in the games space than it is currently using.Games likeNaruto: Rise of a Ninjashow that they can work in different genres and with different philosophies, but after years of fantastic world-building and intricate character development, the time is right for the IP to use these components to craft a worthwhile MMO experience. For fans of the license, the prospect of crafting their own shinobi and finding a place inNaruto’s bigger picture is very enticing, and could perfectly juxtapose the fight-focused offerings of recent years and improve on whatUltimate Ninja Stormhas done.
