“Dragon Ball FighterZ” was officially released in 2018 (same year Red Dead Redemption 2 came out) on PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. It received positive reviews from critics, fans and gamers alike. In addition to praise, the game sold enough copies worldwide. Bandai Namco announced “Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4” is in development. Before the upcoming DBZ game comes out, I wanna share my thoughts on Dragon Ball FighterZ.
This review contains no SPOILERS. Feel free to check out my non-spoiler article.
Powerful & Weak Aspects
Powerful: English Dub Voice Actors such as Sean Schemmel & Christopher Sabat reprise their roles and they all did an excellent job for their respective voiceover performances. If you wanna experience a full authentic atmosphere with English subtitles, you can switch the audio to Japanese.
Graphics match the series’ animation format. Cutscenes differ the hand drawn look. Which isn’t a problem.
Gameplay/Mechanics is presented as a one-on-one 2.5D fighting game inspired by the “Marvel VS. Capcom” series. You play a roster of 24 (44 if you bought all DLC) characters with a unique fighting style.
- Combat effectively matches the anime’s epic battles. In addition to their attack and defense capabilities, special attacks are effective. If you fill your power meter, ultimate special eats a chunk of an opponent’s health. Use it in case you’re in a sticky situation.
- During a battle, you can switch between fighters allowing your favorite to heal.
- There are a few modes including Story, Arcade, Training & Online Multiplayer Matches and an offline match with friend. Something Godzilla on PS4 failed to include offline battles with two players.
- Auto-Combos are much easier than button mashing. If you wish to go old school, it’s gonna be pretty hard.
Android 21 is an original character created by Akira Toriyama. She plays a big part in Story Mode.
Story Mode’s set between the Universe Saga and Trunks Saga. Goku and his allies fight numerous clones of themselves and they’re forced to unite with adversaries like Frieza & Cell. It’s up to them to find see who’s behind this catastrophe. Story Mode is told in three story arcs. Super Warrior, Enemy Warrior & Android 21. Before you fight a foe, Main Story has a turn-based format. Well, not exactly like the Board Game Mode in “Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 2.” Link Events has your a fighter talking to you.
If you select two or three random characters, they have special dialogue. You can tell the writers are passionate fans.
I’m happy my favorite character, Bardock (Goku’s father) is a DLC character. If Hercule Satan was added, it would’ve been icing on the cake. He’s funny as heck. Maybe next time he’ll appear in Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 4. He’s my favorite comic relief character.
If you’re a lifelong fan of the anime, there’s a ton of callbacks.
Microtransactions are not involved. You can unlock Goku & Vegeta’s Super Saiyan God forms by beating Story Mode on hard difficulty or save a lot of in-game currency.
Weak: Story Mode can be repetitive battling clones and cutscenes take a while to move on.
The Final Verdict: A-
From my point of view, Dragon Ball FighterZ is a near-perfect fighting game. If you’re a fan of DBZ like me, it’s a must-play. Heck, at least it’s a hundred times better than “Jump Force.” A crossover anime fighting game that flopped and got delisted. YIKES! I’m so thrilled to play Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4. What’s your favorite Dragon Ball Z game? Please leave a comment and I’ll respond back. My all-time favorite is “Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3.” By the way, don’t forget to watch “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.”
Nickthemoviecritic.com 