Akatsuki Rising is the latest installment in the Naruto videogame franchise, which attempts to be an RPG, hack-and-slasher, fighter, and action adventure game all rolled up into one. The problem with the game is that it tries to be so many things that it ultimately fails at succeeding to be good at any one thing. It's not a dreadful game, but you're going to have a hard time appreciating much about it if you're not already a fan of the franchise.
The quality of game design and fun that can be found in a Naruto video game is largely dependent on its genre. The fighting games are often regarded as some of the best anime fighting titles since the Dragon Ball Z series and are pretty decent fighting games in their own right. On the other hand, the adventure games have wavered between fairly good to mediocre takes on platforming and brawling.
The glut of available modes is a little bittersweet because most beat-em-ups, even good ones, are severely lacking in the replay department. If Akatsuki Rising had satisfying or challenging combat this would be a great PSP title for fans of Streets of Rage 2 and its ilk from console generations past. Sadly, Akatsuki Rising is not that game.
Akatsuki's visuals and sound effects are crisp and exceedingly close to what is presented in the anime. This is a big plus for fans of the show, which is good as they are the only ones out there who will likely enjoy the title.
DIG writes: "Naruto has become the new Dragon Ball Z. The sort of franchise that seems to churn out video games and never reaches the bottom of the barrel. Its as if the franchise has no limit on the fans' patience, but it certainly tests mine. Waaaay back when I started this gig, one of the first games I reviewed was Naruto: Clash of the Ninja 2."
