In
Naruto: The Broken Bond,
Naruto and his squad rely on trust, teamwork, and talent to sneak, dodge, and battle through multi-path environments and
3D platform challenges. The single-player game features two related but separate storylines. Following
Naruto's story, players use the various ninja skills of the characters in their squad together to solve environmental puzzles and overcome obstacles. There are three characters in a squad, and players can switch between them instantly. When playing as
Sasuke, players race toward tragedy through a faded, lonely game world. The game is mission-driven, with each action sequence leading to the next. At key moments, 3D-rendered cut-scenes help fill in the story.
Following 2007's
Rise of a Ninja,
Xbox 360-exclusive
Broken Bond touches on further events and themes in the
Naruto storyline, featuring characters and settings familiar from episodes 80 through 135 of the animé series (the "Return of Itachi" arc through the "Sasuke Retrieval: Naruto vs. Sasuke" arc). Characters are voiced by their original animé actors. In the main campaign, 11 characters are available for play, including
Naruto,
Sasuke,
Sakura,
Shikamaru, and
Choji. Nearly 30 characters are playable in the game's online multiplayer modes. Through
Xbox Live, players can join in two-versus-two tag team matches, or aim for the top in "Tournament" mode.
~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide