GamerNode had the opportunity to join a conference call today in order to get the lowdown on Bandai-Namco’s next video game, Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles. There will be a lot of new additions and features to this new installment of Naruto. One of the big changes is the switch of developers; this title will be done by Cavia Inc, rather than CyberConnect2.
For those unfamiliar with the Naruto universe, the anime and manga are about a young ninja whose fate has linked him with a powerful demon that once destroyed his home, Leaf Village. This demon was defeated and locked inside of a young baby, Uzimaki Naruto. Even though the child was not a threat to anyone, he was shunned and feared by the local townspeople due to this demon trapped inside him. The series follows his adventures as he tries to become the best ninja in his village, in hopes of earning the title of Hokage. The video game contains many of the familiar elements of the show such as voices, environments, characters and idioms connected with the Naruto universe.
However, Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles is shaping up to be a departure from the previous Naruto titles in many ways. The first noticeable difference will be the art. In previous titles, the artwork was done in traditional anime style-cel-shaded. In this new version, the game will take place in a completely 3D world in which the characters will not be limited to a fighting area, but will have the entire environment to explore. The world map reveals more and more of the territory as further exploration takes place. You can expect about 20-25 hours of gameplay the first time through, but the game will take even longer if gamers decided to backtrack for missed articles, or to participate in the mini-games.
If you’re a fan of the American Naruto show, don’t worry about the game spoiling too much, because a new plot was developed for this game. However, characters that are found in the show will also be available in the game. Despite the new plot, the title will have the signature fighting action that all fans of the series will appreciate. There are also various mini-games which will appear between each of the missions, some drawing on situations from the show.
A new feature in N:UC allows character to switch during battles. These secondary characters can be used for a limited period of time before Naruto takes control again. The sidekick characters "recharge" when they are dormant in the background, and are available to use again once they are fully capable. The special Jutsu attacks will also be there, including the Shadow Clone, which enables Naruto to split up into many individuals to beat the enemy.
The games’ characters will be able to power-up their skills and abilities by means of a chip system. Various jewels are added to a customization screen which alters your stats such as strength, but will also affect other attributes. There is no money system in the game, and you,ll be able to get better weapons by taking the ones off of defeated foes. In addition, these weapons can be traded in at various stores in the game to get more powerful weapons.
Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles looks to be a nice addition to the Bandai-Namco franchise, and will be available in November for the PS2. Stay tuned to GamerNode for further developments.
