At the beginning of this month I wrote up an article about the pre-registration availability for Bandai Namco's action RPG brawler Naruto x Boruto: Ninja Voltage. Despite the tardiness of this post (thanks to a recent holiday), I figured it would still be worth it to follow up on the pre-registration announcement to let everyone know Naruto x Boruto: Ninja Voltage has indeed been officially released.

If you have read my pre-registration article, you would see that the main mechanic of this game has you building up a home base in order to fill it with traps and soldiers in preparation of upcoming attacks. At the same time, you will venture out into the game's world to attack other players' bases. While this all sounds pretty familiar, the whole thing is presented in a way that differentiates itself from the crowd thanks to the title's action-based gameplay. You actively get to work your way through enemy bases attacking everything that comes across your path, which is pretty satisfying.

Sadly the numerous in-app purchases that range up to $79.99, multiple in-game currencies, and the inclusion of plenty of gacha draws for new heroes point to a free-to-play game that does not shy away from its main purpose, to shake its players down for cash. And really, once you play through a few levels you will see how difficult the game becomes in such a short time span. This means grinding is most definitely a prerequisite if you plan on playing for free.

Of course, it is nice to see that there is a single player mode included in the game (though you still have to be online) along with online multi-player missions that allow you to team up with 4 of your friends. This multiplayer section is probably the best feature in the game and is worth exploring if you are a fan of action brawlers.

There is no doubt that Naruto x Boruto: Ninja Voltage is trying to push its players towards in-app purchases, which is nothing new for Bandai Namco games released on Android. For the most hardcore of Naruto fans, there appears to be enough enticing content to explore before completely writing this game off, but if you are looking for a fair experience that doesn't bog you down with nefarious free-to-play mechanics, you are going to want to look elsewhere for your fix.