This year, Dragon Ball fans are experiencing a real emotional roller coaster. After the untimely death of author Akira Toriyama last March, the future of the franchise seemed sad and complex to say the least. Finally, it is clear that the teams in charge of the various projects still in progress have worked extra hard to pay tribute to the late mangaka. This second week of October welcomes two major new features for the license: the anime Dragon Ball Daima and the video game Dragon Ball Sparking Zero. After a few days of early access, the latter has just made its debut on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series for all players.
Since its announcement, fans of Dragon Ball have been eagerly awaiting this video game adaptation because it marks the return of a legendary saga. In the playgrounds of the 2000s, young readers and viewers of the manga and anime had only these words on their lips: Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi. These ultra-advanced and realistic fighting games for their time have left their mark on a whole generation of players. Despite a global success, the franchise unfortunately ended with the third installment in 2007 and has never reappeared on modern consoles... until now.
Now borrowing its title from the Japanese installments of the license, Dragon Ball Sparking Zero presents itself as a mind-boggling condensed content designed to satisfy players after so many years of absence. After diving into the many modes that the game has to offer, our verdict is final.
Experience the Dragon Ball universe like never before
From the first minutes of play, long-time fans will feel like they are reliving their Budokai Tenkaichi games. After being given the choice between modern controls or the classic controls of the first games, the player finds himself propelled into a training fight between Goku and Vegeta. Reflexes come back by themselves from the first flight and the first punch as the developers have managed to recreate the experience of the time down to the physics, movements and combos. Starting Sparking Zero after Budokai Tenkaichi is like getting back on a bike after several years: it's a practice that you don't forget. Nothing beats the feeling of the first mountain destroyed after sending Vegeta flying...
It should be noted that a few new features and movements balance and strengthen the combat mechanics, such as new dashes and teleports that allow you to get back into the heat of the action as quickly as possible. We also recommend that you spend some time in training mode to better understand these few additions.
This identically reproduced gaming feeling is accompanied by stunning graphics for an ultimate experience, between nostalgia and modernity. Next-gen platforms use their power to offer animations and 3D models that almost give the impression of watching an interactive episode of the anime. Once this short, effective introduction is over and the feeling of yesteryear is found, we are then overwhelmed with options allowing us to live an immersive Dragon Ball experience as we see fit. Whether we want to engage in local and online clashes, enjoy story mode fights or even create our own scenarios, all options are open from the first launch of the title. Only a portion of the roster of 182 characters will be unlockable over the course of the game sessions to enhance the game with a few key objectives to achieve.
When fan service is done well
The presentation of the main menu and the different modes offered exude fan service, but in the most respectful way possible. Dragon Ball Sparking Zero is not a “cash grab” project developed in a hurry to make money on the backs of fans. This fighting game exudes details that honor the Budokai games, but more broadly the Dragon Ball franchise and its author. Players can celebrate the franchise through a multitude of exciting experiences, designed to satisfy all types of players. Like many, our first instinct was to rush into Versus mode to fight each other with Kamehamehas and other surprising techniques.
To our great surprise, we were disappointed to find that the local split-screen mode only offers a single empty, white map in order to maintain optimal visual performance. Only PC players can workaround this limitation with a mod. Despite a disappointment at first, local fights on this map do not display any lag, the combos respond perfectly and therefore allow you to experience fun battles between friends. Also, this basic environment allows you to better appreciate the surprising effects of the attacks: never has the Ki been so realistic in a Dragon Ball game. Online or against AI, the battles offer a choice of 12 maps that are even larger and more destructible than in Tenkaichi's time.
But where Sparking Zero particularly shines is with its ultra-immersive story mode. If the game forces us to start the adventure with Goku, it is then possible to discover different parts of the anime from the perspective of seven other characters: Vegeta, Gohan, Piccolo, Future Trunks, Freezer, Goku Black and Jiren. In these “Episode Battles”, the player relives key moments in the manga's history and can even alter its course. Alternative decisions allow you to discover parallel scenarios, a bit like what Marvel offers with its What If series. The story mode clashes can sometimes be punishing, but there is nothing better for training (and it is always possible to reduce the difficulty). To add a little extra touch of immersion, the game offers to experience the cutscenes in first person: a wink that has its effect.
A near infinite replayability
With the advent of online play, Dragon Ball Sparking Zero finds the ultimate solution to offer insane replayability. In addition to DLC already planned to add new scenarios to the story mode and new characters, the online modes will keep fans busy for long hours. With ranked games and online tournaments, the most competitive players will find what they are looking for to try to prove themselves and climb to the top of the world rankings. However, we were especially surprised by the possibilities offered by the custom battle mode.
A bit like a creative mode mixed with a video editing tool (yes, it sounds strange when you say it like that), this option allows you to create combat scenarios from A to Z, by choosing the characters, an episode introduction and the cutscenes that will result from this short story. This is the ultimate fan fiction tool since it is possible to create epic clashes never before seen in the manga or anime. By applying certain rules, the fights can be more or less hard in order to reinforce the story conveyed by this imaginary combat scenario.
Then, it is possible to share your creation online with the whole world. The interface for creating the Custom Battle mode is rather complex to use, but the majority of players will therefore be able to rely on the creativity and efforts of fans across the globe, who will have the courage to create ambitious battles. Concretely, Dragon Ball Sparking Zero is a title that leaves no room for boredom and that allows you to relive the entire franchise as you wish: it is therefore the ultimate adaptation that everyone dreamed of.
0 Comments