Scenario mode welcomes players and introduces to a story that sees a slightly other Naruto fights legions of identikit bandits and other such enemies for no real reason in combat that feels loose, inaccurate and incredibly boring. Hammering the (Square) button and hopping you don't die is just about all the skill involved, even with the magic scrolls thrown in.
Different modes of play are available in Akatsuki Rising, including multiplayer, but because the fighting engine is so mind numbering it's hard to think why anybody would bother with many of them, instead opting to try to eke out some satisfaction from the Story mode.
It doesn't look very good, though stylized could be argued, and the voice acting is phenomenal, if only in the way it makes you want to kill in the game. Basically presentation is of the exact level you would expect. All in all, if we have to hear Naruto's stupid irritating little voice over again we're probably going to cause an international incident.
Final Verdict
Akatsuki Rising isn't fundamentally broken so it's impossible to write off entirely. However, it is boring to play and will ony appeal to fans of the spiky haired git with the stupid jumpsuit. Everyone else can happily ignore this one.
