Namco Bandai Games Europe has today announced the forthcoming launch of Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 for the PlayStation 3, marking the first time a game based on the worldwide smash Naruto Shippuden manga and anime has appeared on Sony’s console. For the uninitiated, Naruto is the Number 1 best-selling manga across Europe, and the hit anime TV series is broadcast worldwide to huge audiences.

The game is being developed by Japanese studio CyberConnect2, and will be “impressively faithful” to the universe of the anime, according to Namco Bandai. Players will be faced with choosing the right fighting companions to give them the best chance of victory as they together unleash the Team Special Techniques on their enemies.

Players will come face-to-face with many different criminal Akatsuki characters in the game, and in an astonishing story twist even get to see Sasuke wearing an Akatsuki costume. Fans will also be treated to the original Japanese voiceover, a whole slew of unlockables and power-ups, lots of all-new environments, as well as a two-player offline multiplayer mode.

NARUTO Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 is scheduled to launch in fall 2010.