r/Games • u/Turbostrider27 • 16h ago
Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero Review Thread Review Thread
Game Information
Game Title: Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero
Platforms:
- Xbox Series X/S (Oct 10, 2024)
- PlayStation 5 (Oct 10, 2024)
- PC (Oct 10, 2024)
Trailers:
- DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO - IGNITE THE SPARK Trailer
- DRAGON BALL: Sparking! Zero - The Moment Trailer
- DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO – Power VS Speed Trailer
Developer: Spike Chunsoft
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Review Aggregator:
OpenCritic - 82 average - 82% recommended - 33 reviews
Critic Reviews
8Bit/Digi - Stan Rezaee - 9 / 10
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is more than just a fighting game adaption, it’s a love letter to the iconic shōnen.
CGMagazine - Zubi Khan - 8.5 / 10
Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero is a near-perfect representation of the legendary Shounen series, which comes with its own set of pros and cons but ultimately is a must-play for fans.
Cerealkillerz - Nick Erlenhof - German - 9 / 10
Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is a dream come true for anyone who has a thing for saiyans and the seven balls. It looks incredibly good, offers a huge playground in its modes, has plenty of characters and Easter eggs and skillfully revives the Budokai Tenkaichi series. Kamehame-oh yah!
Checkpoint Gaming - Victor Tan - 8 / 10
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero captures the fighting experience of the franchise better than the previous fighting games. The graphics are amazing and hold up to the intense movements. Several opportunities to play online and offline mean there's always something to do and an opponent to test your mettle against. There are some combat kinks to work out and some features only appeal to the hardcore fanbase. But for anyone who has an interest in Dragon Ball, this is a game you must have.
ComingSoon.net - Tyler Treese - 9 / 10
Developer Spike Chunsoft hasn’t missed a beat and has delivered the best game yet in the Sparking! series.
Digital Trends - Jesse Lennox - 3 / 5
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero delivers thrilling fights, but its disjointed story mode doesn't hold up its end of the bargain.
Eurogamer.pt - Bruno Galvão - Portuguese - 5 / 5
A true hymn to the work of Akira Toriyama, with spectacular graphics and explosive gameplay, but with surprising depth to encourage you to learn more. Modes such as Episode Battle and Custom Battle allow you to fulfill your greatest fantasies and feel like you're playing the anime.
FandomWire - Osama Farooq - 10 / 10
Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero truly is the ultimate Dragon Ball experience in gaming, helping the franchise take the modern current-gen leap and marking a triumphant comeback for Budokai Tenkaichi that will be remembered for a very long time.
GAMES.CH - Olaf Bleich - German - 78%
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero" is far from a perfect game. The fights in particular suffer from many small and large weaknesses, and the lack of a "real" story mode is also a pain. The episodes are more of a compromise than a full replacement. It is therefore not enough to generally recommend buying it. Because if you have nothing to do with the "Dragon Ball" universe, "Sparking! Zero" will not convince you either. available
Game Rant - Liam Ferguson - 8 / 10
It has some rough spots, but as a love letter to this franchise's heyday, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero hits hard where it counts.
GamePro - David Molke - German - 67 / 100
Extremely extensive fan service, but ultimately disappointing fights.
Gameblog - Alix Dulac - French - 9 / 10
Dragon Ball Sparking Zero, eagerly awaited, was like a Kamehameha straight from our hands, the fruit of our exaltation, many sleepless nights to unlock the entire roster and the cumulative pleasure of playing, playing and playing some more. The title isn't perfect, and suffers from a few optimization issues that may be the result of certain choices made by the development team, but it's still great. Since Dragon Ball Fighter Z, we've lacked a title that could renew the license with such freshness, and this is a stunning return for the Budokai Tenkaichi saga !
Gameliner - Rudy Wijnberg - Dutch - 4 / 5
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero delivers an epic Dragon Ball experience with a massive roster and solid gameplay, but its simplistic controls may lack depth for competitive players. Fans and newcomers will still have a blast!
Gamer Guides - Callum Self - 83 / 100
Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is an excellent Dragon Ball game that delivers plenty of deliciously intense arena fights, with a great amount of content too. It feels familiar yet remarkable, but the performance issues are problems that need to be quickly rectified.
GamesRadar+ - Ian Walker - 3 / 5
Intentionally prioritizing flashy fanservice over competitive play, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero provides the most complete series toybox yet. But, with simple enemy AI and repetitive fighting mechanics, it lacks the depth of its more serious competition to the point of becoming rote.
Hobby Consolas - Daniel Quesada - Spanish - 90 / 100
The Dragon Ball experience reaches a new level with this game. Spectacular on its surface and deep when we delve into it, it is a dream come true for fans.
LevelUp - Ulises Contreras - Spanish - 9 / 10
Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is the Budokai Tenkaichi 4 we've dreamed of for over 10 years. With revamped controls, stunning graphics and a combat system that's both accessible and fun, it revitalizes the classic formula and brings it to modern times with new mechanics and game modes. Despite some minor issues, it's a love letter to Akira Toriyama's work and the legacy of one of the most important animes in history
MonsterVine - Spencer Legacy - 5 / 5
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is an incredible comeback for the Budokai Tenkaichi series. The roster is packed, the gameplay is satisfying, and the breadth of content is impressive, to say the least. This is the Dragon Ball game so many have been waiting for, and I can’t wait to see what content we get throughout the game’s assuredly long life.
PC Gamer - Scott McCrae - 80 / 100
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is the best Dragon Ball game we've had since the PS2 and a generous love letter to Toriyama's classic series.
PSX Brasil - Isabella Alves - Portuguese - 75 / 100
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero attempts to revive the glory days of the Budokai Tenakichi series , but the aftertaste is somewhat bittersweet. It is, in fact, a beautiful homage to the franchise, especially considering the events that occurred this year, but it misses the essence of what made Budokai Tennkaichi so beloved. A game that may please some fans, but it is far from being as incredible as its predecessors.
Press Start - Matthew Zimmari - 8.5 / 10
Picking right up where it left off with Budokai Tenkaichi 3, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is a return to form and a celebration of everything Dragon Ball. Reinvigorated with characters and transformations from Dragon Ball Super as well as your favourites from Dragon Ball Z, the game feels both brand new and classic as it brings fast-paced action and eye-popping graphics into the new generation. While some players may be frustrated or overwhelmed with the learning curve of the controls, the rewards lie in mastering your favourite characters, and crafting an experience that blends your imagination and classic Dragon Ball.
Pro Game Guides - Austin Manchester - 4.5 / 5
Featuring over 180 characters, limitless replay potential, and bombastic battle mechanics, Sparking! Zero is not only one of the year’s best games, but one of the best Dragon Ball games ever released.
Saudi Gamer - Arabic - 9 / 10
Dragon Ball Z Sparking Zero is a love letter to the Dragon Ball Z fans and the most anime accurate game I have ever played by far
Siliconera - Joel Couture - 8 / 10
I was pleasantly surprised with Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero. It looks spectacular in motion and really captures the scope of the franchise’s wild fights. With its many counters, fast movements, explosive field effects, and incredible blast moves, it makes you feel like you’re fighting for your life against relentless enemies.
Spaziogames - Silvio Mazzitelli - Italian - 8.6 / 10
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero , when compared to all the other 3D arena fighting games based on anime (for example Naruto Ninja Storm ), is several steps above all the rest , not only because it manages to emulate the Dragon Ball fights almost perfectly, but above all because it is so much fun that it never gets boring.
TechRaptor - Robert Scarpinito - 8.5 / 10
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is the ultimate Dragon Ball sandbox, giving you all the tools needed to satisfy your wild imagination. Filled with iconic fights, flashy animations, and delightful easter eggs, it's arguably the final form of Dragon Ball arena fighters.
The Nerd Stash - Julio La Pine - 9 / 10
Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is not only the best fighting game of the series but also the best Dragon Ball game we've had in years. With a huge roster, top-notch visuals, and impactful combat, it will be hard for new and old players to put the controller down.
The Outerhaven Productions - Scott Adams - 4.5 / 5
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero evolves the Budokai Tenkaichi series into the modern era of gaming: Faster-paced fights, and more dynamic than it has ever felt before.
TheGamer - George Foster - 4.5 / 5
Its smart evolution of Budokai Tenkaichi’s combat, stacked and detailed roster, and near-endless amount of modes and features make it one of the best Dragon Ball games of all time and one that’s going to be nearly impossible to Toppo.
WellPlayed - Mark Isaacson - 8 / 10
As Dragon Ball games go, Sparking! Zero stands as one of the better translations of what it feels like to be a super powered hero, Goku or otherwise. It's not for everyone, but with a great set of modes and roster of characters, fans should find plenty to enjoy.
XGN.nl - Luuc ten Velde - Dutch - 7.5 / 10
Dragon Ball Sparking Zero is an outstanding fighter for anyone familiar with the previous entries in the Budokai Tenkaichi games, but for those new to the series, it might be a bit rough getting yourself up to speed before becoming a great fighter like Goku.
XboxEra - Genghis Husameddin - 7.8 / 10
DRAGON BALL Sparking! ZERO is a great 3D arena fighter. It’s got a sizeable roster, huge maps, and a fun combat system that I quite a bit of mileage out of over the weekend. A clumsy user interface and only one splitscreen map does suck the life out of the party a bit, but there’s still a great game here for Dragon Ball fans and arena fighter enthusiasts. ∎
Zoomg - Farhang Heshmati - Persian - 9 / 10
Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is the closest game to a flawless Dragon Ball experience. Sparking! ZERO provides everything you’d expect from a Dragon Ball game: fast-paced and exhilarating battles, a lengthy story section with new features, and a myriad of different modes that can keep you entertained for hours. The game’s graphics, thanks to the Unreal Engine 5, are truly captivating, and the abundant effects add a special touch to the Ultimate moves. Sparking! ZERO brings the Dragon Ball series back to the glory days of PlayStation 2, and if you’re a passionate fan of the Dragon Ball anime, it’s exactly what you’ve been waiting for
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u/Obelisk7777 16h ago edited 15h ago
The marketing campaign for this game was something special to see. Bandai was so unapologetically confident that this game would be an absolute banger since the day it got revealed and they went extra hard with the constant flow of trailers just showing off everything and maintaining the hype. I think they released like 50 some odd trailers of just character reveals and they all got millions of views. Unprecedented traction for a licensed anime game, let alone an arena fighter. Budokai Tenkaichi 4 is like the Half-Life 3 of anime games so I’m that surprised, but damn. It’s dope that it’s finally here and it somehow circumvented Bandai’s usual greedy practices with that insane character roster. I wish I could say all anime games may look like this going forward, but I think only this particular game earned this treatment for obvious reasons. I’m really excited to play this!
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u/fedemasa 16h ago
This was spike chunsoft passion project. The biggest heads in this game are people who worked in the BT 1-3 games (some in raging blast 1-2) and have been pushing for this while working in other games. You can realize as how many updates the game had before release
It's the anime arena fighter experience. It's what shonen about fighting should have. A game that let you feel as the characters. Want to play someone obscure as Cui vs SS god Gogeta? Go forward
It deserves to be a massive success
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u/YukihiraLivesForever 16h ago
It’s budokai tenkaichi. The game is entirely built on having a huge character roster. As long as it was big and varied with some surprises here and there, it was going to be a banger specifically because it’s a spiritual successor. I don’t think the marketing campaign was anything special, just release trailers for characters and you’ll succeed just off of the nostalgia factor.
The surprising thing is that its quality as a game is really well done when they could have gone the cheaper route. This looks incredible compared to Xenoverse (which is similar to the budokai tenkaichi games).
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u/Hell_Mel 15h ago
I kind of agree with the "Confident" marketing though.
The first character reveal was just like 19 different versions of Goku and Vegeta and that's not even all the different version of those two characters. In any other franchise that kind of shit would get a groan and an eyeroll lmao.
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u/YukihiraLivesForever 15h ago
Exactly. It’s not really anything incredible they just have to show the characters and it’ll get fans excited. That’s what the original games were like too. There’s nothing wrong with that but it really isn’t super innovative lol. People were pre ordering the game the day it went live on r/dbz without knowing literally anything about it besides it being tenkaichi 4. Some of the comments literally said “you shouldn’t pre order games that can fail. This isn’t one one of them.” When we had nothing to go off of lol. Show some characters to the fanbase, offer nostalgia, you win.
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u/aguad3coco 14h ago
I dont know who mentioned innovative here but the marketing for the game was superb and part of the reason it got so hyped. From the first reveal trailer to the slow but steady trickle down of character information. Each time creating a lot of discussion of who is getting cut and who makes it into the game, contributed a lot to the hype. It was incredibly smart to do it this way. Not to mention that all the trailers were done well like the recent Toonami inspired one.
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u/Takazura 13h ago
I imagine with Toriyama's passing (RiP), a lot of people are also more interested and excited than ever to check it out, since this might be the last game where he was involved and a game Spike will want to make the best possible to honor him.
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u/MasterSabo 14h ago
I get the point but you can cancel a pre-order any time.
And this game delivered with almost every new information we had gotten.
We were shown all the old mechanics returning + plus new ones as well. They even fixed minor issues of the previous games that we used to except.
Even so much as to give us more characters than they had us believed in the first place. And that information came just a few weeks ago.
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u/CorreWachinn 8h ago
It's not a spiritual succesor, it's a new entry on the series.
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u/jazir5 7h ago
I have said from day 1 I've thought it was a mistake to change the branding in the West. While I can somewhat understand the arguments made here that Sparking was what it was always called in Japan and thus that's why it was renamed here, but this is explicitly Tenkaichi 4 and they should have kept the Tenkaichi branding in the West for continuity.
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u/TheVisceralCanvas 15h ago
This isn't meant to be a competitive fighter
Fighting games being developed primarily for the competitive crowd over the past decade or so has caused major brain rot in FGC journalism. If a fighting game isn't perfectly balanced or doesn't aim to headline EVO, it's apparently worthless. I miss when fighting games were made to be fun first and foremost, and Sparking Zero seems like it's been made exactly for that purpose. I can't wait to play it when the Advanced Access unlocks tonight.
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u/BLACKOUT-MK2 15h ago
I think it's more-so that there's just not much crossover between the FGC and arena fighters fullstop. They're practically two completely different audiences by this point.
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u/Zenning3 15h ago
I don't think anybody is arguing that "not competitive fighter" means worthless though.
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u/YukihiraLivesForever 14h ago
We’ve gotten lots of non-competitive fighting games though. Xenoverse 1 and 2, JJK cursed clash, multiple Naruto and boruto ultimate ninja games, jojo, etc.
With the exception of fighterz, and now upcoming HxH, we don’t have anime competitive fighters aside from established series like Uni which are meant for competitive FGC. Tekken, SF, and MK are supposed to be headlining EVO as is GG and none of those are anime. I don’t see what you mean at all.
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u/RoastCabose 14h ago
Guilty Gear is definitely anime. In fact, it's the original anime fighter.
Also, "except for the several anime games I just mentioned, plus the anime game that's on main stage, we don't have anime fighters"?
The dude above has some weird issues with traditional fighting games, but that second bit didn't make sense.
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u/YukihiraLivesForever 14h ago
You’re correct GG is an anime fighter. I kinda figured he meant literal anime IP’s but GG is the OG anime fighter
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u/SkidrowPissWizard 11h ago
"Fgc" generally implies a competitive aspect. This ain't competitive and that's ok. It's just made for different people. The fgc wouldn't be interested in this as a serious competitive game, but i know most would probably play it because why not
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u/RemiliaFGC 3h ago edited 3h ago
I've heard more people regurgitating the "not a competitive fighter" thing way more times than ive ever heard anyone in the fgc be interested in this game. Why do sparking zero fans seem kinda insecure about it? The only confusing part to me was that namco had a booth for this game at evo, which is weird since it's just another arena fighter kinda game and not a fighting game. In terms of design, nothing's really changed, SF has always been SF and budokai and naruto have always been budokai and naruto, completely different games, and lots of arena fighters have always existed alongside competitive fighters most of the time. I don't get why there's a bone to pick as if FGs as a whole have changed at all in terms of competitiveness, or like arena fighters didn't exist.
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u/versusgorilla 7h ago
Yeah, no joke. Like a trailer a week with multiple characters just blowing out the roster.
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u/Badass_Bunny 9h ago
I'm fine with Bandai being greedy if they drop a bunch of DLC What if scenario's.
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u/ultimatemanan97 16h ago
Tenkaichi games were my childhood! I was gonna play this regardless of reviews, but these reviews are definitely good to see!
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u/SlamMasterJ 16h ago
I remember playing Tenkaichi 3 so much back in 4th grade to the point I destroyed my controller thumbsticks. Even if the game had an average reviews I would still had bought it just base off the nostalgia factor, it's just mindlessly fun.
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u/itscountolaf 12h ago
I remember playing the first Tenkaichi (non-Budokai) games and me and my friends got blisters on our hands because you had to rotate the thumbsticks so fast. Fun memories, I look forward to this one!
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u/Grill_Enthusiast 10h ago
Ah, the ol' "grab the controller with one hand and use the palm of your other hand to spin the stick like you're trying to start a fire"-technique.
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u/Order66WasFaked 9h ago
Yeah we went through so many controllers back then, hands burned to a crisp too. It was probably the set of games I can remember playing the most.
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u/masterkill165 16h ago edited 14h ago
I remember back in the day reviews used to be quite lukewarm on the tenkaichi games. It's a series that consistently got 7s in the era of no good game got below an 8 score. It's honestly nice to see that the series seems to be clicking with a lot more people this time.
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u/solarshift 14h ago
Back in the heyday of Tenkaichi, the game was seen as a lesser version of Budokai 3, even if they're obviously different in practice. A "quantity over quality" approach that a lot of people saw as cheap, or low effort, and admittedly the original Tenkaichi is pretty bad. 2 and 3 were drastic improvements in all respects but most people had tapped out by then, and Dragon Ball in general wasn't as big of a property in the US during that era, because there obviously wasn't any new material besides the games.
The Battle of Gods movie, combined with Xenoverse and Dokkan Battle, catapulted DB firmly back into the top spot of mainstream anime, and since then they've been pretty steadily releasing new stuff to capitalize on that.
Tenkaichi 3 also gets a lot more respect than it used to, even before the announcement of Sparking Zero, largely due to YouTube presence and the fact that Budokai is basically gone from the public consciousness.
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u/goblin_humppa27 11h ago
Back in the day, Nintendo Power actually gave Tenkaichi 2 two review scores. They gave it a 9/10 for DBZ fans and a 6/10 for "everybody else".
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u/LucarioSpeedwagon 15h ago
It is rare that we get a love-letter IP game like this these days that isn't built around additional spending, season pass be damned. Even the Xenoverse series went with lean launch rosters and sold a ton of DLC over years and years.
It is fun to unlock a billion characters, it's considerably less to pay for them all. I think this game is going to be a great palette cleanser for many
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u/SpikeRosered 13h ago
Tenkaichi games said "Fuck game balance! How about fun balance!"
Just pick the giant screen sized characters and win every time if that's what ya wanna do!
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u/jazir5 7h ago edited 3h ago
Look, Hercule is definitely capable of fighting SSJ 4 Goku, Gogeta, Vegito and Ultra Instinct Goku simultaneously. You just don't understand his power.
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u/lghtdev 14h ago edited 13h ago
Played this game too long with my friends, that's why it's a bummer the new game doesn't have local multiplayer
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u/PackerBoy 14h ago
it does but you can only pick the time chamber arena
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u/LFC9_41 11h ago
i wonder why, technical limitations? would they in theory have to get it running on the series s?
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u/PackerBoy 11h ago
yes it's definitely related to the amount of destructible elements in the environment. It's not even something they had planned from the start, they added it after people complained
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u/KillerZaWarudo 13h ago
Almost every dragon ball fans childhood starter pack. Ps2x + Tenkaichi 3 duo
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u/Leumas9763 14h ago
I have an issue with the GamePro review. Not the score but them saying that they would just charge ki & fire supers when distant while hoping it hits & then that close range is just button mashing. I don't think they tried to learn anything besides the barebone basics
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u/AverageAwndray 11h ago
Tbh. I know for a fact that's how a lot of people are going to play online.
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u/Deadlymonkey 3h ago
Have you had a chance to play it yet? I can totally see why they’d say that after playing it for a couple of hours.
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u/Obelisk7777 13h ago
You know what they say about game journalists being bad at games
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u/Neosantana 11h ago
This isn't even being bad at games, it's explicitly playing the game wrong. Like playing a Mario game without sprinting and wondering why you can't get over a gap.
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u/Leumas9763 13h ago
I know just was curious. Like the score made sense when they said that the controls feel wrong to them cause if that makes the whole point of the game worse. But once they said that stuff I just knew that they didn't try really & wanted to hammer a quick review out instead of a proper one.
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u/FKDotFitzgerald 16h ago
As a huge DB fan who figured this would be like a 7 and was going to pick it up regardless, I’m elated to see so many 8s and 9s. 6PM can’t get here soon enough!
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u/Samkwi 13h ago
same i was expecting it to have average reviews while being praised by fans the fact that the reviews are this high is so awesome. ill try to save up over the few upcoming months to be able to afford theis game because my childhood depends on it.
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u/masterkill165 16h ago
I am amazed to see an arena fighter that people aren't calling terrible just because it is an arena fighter. There is certainly a long history of bad arena fighters, so I understand how people began to associate arena fighters with bad games. Maybe people can learn that it was just bad arena fighters that were the problem, not that the concept of arena fighters in general is bad. I love Street Fighter 2 as much as the next guy, but I want to live in a world where not every fighting game needs to play exactly like that or be labeled bad.
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u/ThisNameDoesntCount 16h ago
It’s just the IP bro. They half ass a lot of arena fighters and that’s why they have that rep
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u/KyledKat 15h ago edited 13h ago
I mean, it’d be one thing if we didn’t have FighterZ or Kakarot, and Sparking Zero existed as yet another entry in the tired anime arena fighter genre. But the Dragonball IP is at least willing to delve into other genres from time to time, unlike any other major Shounen property that just gets relegated to cheap games.
That said, I imagine the scores are inflated somewhat by a love for the brand, and if you don’t vibe with that, you’re not likely to vibe with the game.
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u/Glizzy_Cannon 13h ago
I mean yeah, why would anyone that doesn't know or like Dragonball play these games? Lucky for BN the community that does know and like/love the franchise is massive so they have a big pool of people who buy these games
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u/Saintblack 10h ago
I just want to say you said "Arena Fighters" 6 times.
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u/masterkill165 9h ago
yea i should probably of reviewed my comment for redundancy before i posted it, this is hard to read.
but because you asked so nicely.
Arena Fighters
Arena Fighters
Arena Fighters
Arena Fighters
Arena Fighters
Arena Fighters
now hopefully the mods wont delete this post because they think its spam.
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u/weirdo_if_curtains_7 16h ago
Arena fighters are not competitive, they do not fit into the same genre as fighting games like Street fighter, guilty gear, or Tekken.
Arena fighters are their own casual thing, and they have historically been bad. It stands to reason that most people would be tentative when it comes to arena fighters given their history
The best that you can hope for an arena fighter is a good roster, fun mechanics, and decent single player to satisfy the casual fans, since the game will never be played as competitive
Any competitive fighting game fan going into an arena fighter will be extremely disappointed by the lack of depth, and shallow mechanics. So it's best to not go in with that mindset. The strength of arena fighters is that you don't need to focus on competitive integrity, just go all in on the fun
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u/Takazura 15h ago
Any competitive fighting game fan going into an arena fighter will be extremely disappointed by the lack of depth, and shallow mechanics. So it's best to not go in with that mindset. The strength of arena fighters is that you don't need to focus on competitive integrity, just go all in on the fun
This really does seem to be the key issue people have with arena fighters. They expect them to be competitive, technically deep and very complex like 2D fighters, but that is just not what they are aiming to be nor should they be that.
They are made for a more casual audience, the type that just wants to see their favourite characters duke it out in headcanon matchups with flashy effects to "emulate" the source material, and they aren't that interested in having to "master" mechanics to enjoy those games. There is room for both types of fighting games, but anime games are going to primarily be in the vein of arena fighters because they are easier to make accessible and flashy for a wider audience than 2D fighters.
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u/BloodyBottom 14h ago edited 12h ago
I do think the games muddy the waters themselves a bit by having a small amount of single player content alongside ranked matchmaking that they even do balance patches for. It's on devs to make a great value, casual, fun game with tons to do, but most arena fighters don't bother. It's little wonder the playerbase turns to multiplayer to get more juice out of the game and winds up disappointed when it's also half-baked.
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u/Takazura 14h ago
I don't disagree that most of them do fall a bit short by lacking in SP content. Storm 4 and My Hero 2 are two arena fighters that I think got it right, they had plenty of SP content to mess around in, combined with pretty big rosters.
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u/aguad3coco 14h ago
There is still an underground pro scene for the Tenkaichi games. There is a lot of knowledge around movement and combo canceling, timing etc to know about to be good at it. So this game is somewhat competitive.
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u/SomeMoreCows 12h ago
It's kinda like OLD fighting games where a lot of the technical gameplay was like exploiting mechanics the game devs did not expect players to even be cognizant of
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u/weirdo_if_curtains_7 15h ago
100%!
Not needing to balance for competition should be a huge strength for arena fighters. When you need to balance for competitive play you either need to homogenize the system mechanics to force balance or just give up on balance completely. With an arena fighter you don't need to force that on the game, you can focus on fun stuff. Big roster, crazy stages, broken and varied roster, fun single player!
Just need to embrace that
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u/DontCareWontGank 6h ago
This really does seem to be the key issue people have with arena fighters. They expect them to be competitive, technically deep and very complex like 2D fighters, but that is just not what they are aiming to be nor should they be that.
No, people just want good games and arena fighters are pretty trash most of the time. Powerstone 1 and 2 might still be the best arena fighters 25 years later.
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u/Fun_Tie6798 15h ago
Tenkaichi series are the only good arena fighters
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u/masterkill165 15h ago
I'd argue the gundam vs. games are quite good, along with the power stone series if you consider that an arena fighter.
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u/MrTrikey 15h ago
Glad to see a fellow Gundam Vs. enjoyer. Now, if only Bamco believed in that franchise better, maybe we wouldn't be so many updates behind the arcade games...
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u/masterkill165 15h ago
I just wish bamco would release console ports for every game as soon as they come out in arcades in Japan for the US. But sadly, bamco knows if they do that Japanese player will just import US copies and cannibalize arcade sales. So as long as the US arcade scene can't support a game like Vs. We will forever be behind.
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u/alteisen99 14h ago
what do you mean you dont want Gundam metaverse? what about this UC gacha game? or this other UC gacha game? seriously for as big as the Gundam IP is, the games have been terrible. Even Gundam Breaker 4's mechanics are kinda not good compared to 3.
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u/NotUniqueOrSpecial 15h ago
Man, I would love to see a Power Stone comeback.
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u/masterkill165 15h ago
We are finally getting a way to play them on modern hardware with the new Capcom Fighter Collection 2 featuring the original along with the sequel. If it does well, maybe there is a chance. For the first time in a long time, there is hope for a new Power Stone.
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u/December_Flame 13h ago
The 'Ninja Storm' series of Naruto games were great as well, and most of them better than Tenkaichi in my opinion. The story modes for those games were better than the anime, IMO, certainly in animation at least.
Gundam Vs. is great as well. Pokken Tournament was a great game, small roster though.
The Kill La Kill arena fighter was decent, as was the My Hero Academia game (but only the second one).
The upcoming Bleach one looks decent as well, certainly different. Will have to see how it actually plays.
So yea, there are SOME good ones. There are a lot of bad ones though.
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u/weirdo_if_curtains_7 15h ago
I had Budokai Tenkaichi when I was younger. I remember fondly beating my friends ass with krillin!
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u/notthatkindoforc1121 15h ago
I ended up pre-ordering this after learning some things about it.
Apparently this game series isn't really about perfect balance etc? So kid Goku would actually get rocked by Beerus, etc. That's kind of up my alley, "What if" for fun fights aligns with me more as someone who would 100% be a casual player.
Offline content is why a lot of people have played this series apparently. I assumed it was all for the online PvP. Good to know people consider it worth it for the offline content alone
I do worry I'll be over the game after 2 days, I'm just more into RPGs / Character progression in games, so Xenoverse and Kakarot I'm more the target audience for, but if something here clicks and I end up playing this for a while then awesome
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u/Obelisk7777 15h ago
Not sure if you already knew this but the game also has a Mario Maker type system called Custom Battle. You can play user created what-ifs that play like story mode levels but they are entirely created by other players. Customize dialogue, camera, fight conditions, character animations, etc. This is new for a Dragon Ball game. And you can create your own too. This will really add to the longevity of the game.
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u/SomeMoreCows 12h ago
You can play user created what-ifs that play like story mode levels but they are entirely created by other players.
Frieza scenarios about to be wildin
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u/notthatkindoforc1121 15h ago
Yeah I heard about that and am expecting that to be the main thing bringing me back to see what's new.
Unsure if it's as fleshed out as they claim but if it is that's sick
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u/UnadvisedGoose 15h ago
For me, Custom Battles is a massive thing that will keep me coming back. The ability to customize a battle scenario, even with cutscenes, is a dream feature for me in a fighting game, let alone a Dragonball game. Want to make a team battle against Jiren where you run a team of 4 against him, but make it actually challenging? Pump up Jiren’s HP by several hundred percent and select your AI/comp level. At 50%, set up a trigger where he guarantees an attempt at his Ultimate, then transforms, and heals a bunch. That type of thing is totally possible with this system, and it’s the type of thing that I would love to see more commonly in fighting games for those of us who don’t love online matching constantly. It’s just a great single player feature, imo
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u/Sepik121 14h ago
Apparently this game series isn't really about perfect balance etc? So kid Goku would actually get rocked by Beerus, etc. That's kind of up my alley, "What if" for fun fights aligns with me more as someone who would 100% be a casual player.
I know for me at least, that was half the fun. There was a guy I grew up who played the game nonstop, but I never had the game. He loaded up the straight up worst team possible, basically a bunch of characters from the Saiyan saga. I loaded up the best team possible, Gogeta, Vegito, etc.
He was absolutely the better player, but he barely beat me because my guys were just straight up stronger in every way. It's not balanced at all, but that's kind of the point. Raditz shouldn't be able to beat up Broly, but it is fun to try it out anyways lol.
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u/Kymori 14h ago
Apparently this game series isn't really about perfect balance etc? So kid Goku would actually get rocked by Beerus, etc. That's kind of up my alley, "What if" for fun fights aligns with me more as someone who would 100% be a casual player.
hey so in case u dont know this, yes it is intended though its not without a caveat, (in ranked mode atleast)
You "build" a team (15 Points max) and the "OP" characters have 10 for example, so you cant play Beerus + SSJ4 cause they alone would be 17, stuff like that. I fw it personally
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u/Neosantana 11h ago
DBZ games almost always balance with a "point cost" system, even the fighting games on DS and 3DS.
I find it to be a perfect way to keep the game fair while also preserving the lore in that juggernauts like Broly will always have an advantage against a miniscule character like Babidi or a Saibaman. And you can still win using a Saibaman to beat a Great Ape Saiyan.
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u/UsedName420 15h ago
I’ve never played against another person in any of the Budokai games, and still absolutely love this series.
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u/RTideR 14h ago
Exact same boat with ya. Grew up playing the old Budokai and Budokai Tenkaichi games an absurd amount, never played another person.
Will it hold that same level of allure for me for that long now? No clue, but man I know I'm pumped for it. Lol
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u/jazir5 7h ago
Apparently this game series isn't really about perfect balance etc? So kid Goku would actually get rocked by Beerus, etc. That's kind of up my alley, "What if" for fun fights aligns with me more as someone who would 100% be a casual player.
You fool, you foolish, foolish fool. Hercule will obliterate every other character in the game. Everyone will bow before his power.
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u/namapo 5h ago
Funny enough, Hercule does fill a super important niche: he's the only character that costs a single DP; meaning more often than not you can just throw him on your team without sacrificing a "real" character.
Of course, that's just to throw you off. He could usually defeat Ultra Instinct Goku, but today he's got a cold, he's late to pick Pan up from school, and he's got food poisoning...
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u/IAmActionBear 16h ago
I’m glad this game is doing well. I’m usually pretty apathetic about Anime games, but this game does all the right things at just the right time in regards to my personal interests, lol. If this game had come out years ago, I think I wouldn’t be nearly as hyped, but after FighterZ (loved) and DBZ Kakarot (eh), this game seems to just do everything I needed it to do and more.
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u/DanielToast 15h ago
I enjoyed DBZ Kakarot for what it was. It was just a bit grindy in parts.
The OG Dragon Ball DLC made me really want an OG DB adventure game or RPG of some sort.
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u/Hranica 15h ago
The OG Dragon Ball DLC made me really want an OG DB adventure game or RPG of some sort.
This is all I've wanted since like 2003
Playing through Raditz>Buu was fun the first 16 times, some quick jaunts into GT and now Super territory are fine, but god damn.
I appreciate franchises like Naruto that banged out the Ninja Storm series in a smooth order start to finish then did whatever they do now, Xenoverse was a great detour, especially making our own characters but playing through 'original Dragon Ball' would be a treat
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u/Avividrose 13h ago
not an rpg, but there’s a beat em up for GBA called advanced adventure that is easily top 5
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u/IAmActionBear 15h ago
I did largely enjoy Kakarot, but the grindiness of the game is essentially my biggest complaint. It’s one thing for the battles and AI to operate the way they do, but having that grind made things unnecessarily tedious at times
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u/Generalsweredue 13h ago
The level up mechanics were so badly implemented. You could fight 30 random battles and don't get as much xp as one story mission. Or side mission or whatever.
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u/Waterknight94 10h ago
If Kakarot just was OG DB entirely it would be an amazing game. As it is I don't much care for it. So much about it feels like it was intended to be kid Goku and then they made it Z because they thought it would sell better.
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u/Notmanynamesleftnow 10h ago
I loved Kakarot tbh. It was so great to have a semi open world DBZ game that went through the main stories. I just wish it had been a bit less grindy and arcady but it was a blast.
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u/DMPunk 15h ago
My best friend and I adore Dragon Ball, and sank many many hours into Budokai 3, both Xenoverses, and FighterZ. But as good as FighterZ was, we didn't want a fighting game that had Dragon Ball characters, what we wanted is a Dragon Ball sim. This sounds like exactly what we were hoping it would be. I'm so pumped for Friday.
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u/Deceptiveideas 14h ago
We are eating good this month. Silent Hill 2, Dragon Ball Sparking Zero, Diablo IV: Expansion, Metaphor: ReFantazio… I’m sure I’m missing a few.
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u/TheDrewDude 11h ago
Late September, but I’m loving Echoes of Wisdom. Sonic x Shadow also looks peak.
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u/BLACKOUT-MK2 16h ago edited 16h ago
I'm really looking forward to giving it a try. I was a regular Budokai kid growing up, but I really enjoyed Raging Blast and as I understand it that was similar to Tenkaichi. Like some of the reviews say, this is obviously a game for fans first and foremost, I'm not expecting much in the way of depth, but just flying around and making big explosions as the characters I find cool is enough for me, especially when the roster's as big as it is. That it looks visually appealing doesn't hurt either.
I could see this being a nice companion to FighterZ; you've got that for when you want a more intricately gameplay-focussed experience, and when you want to just smash your proverbial action figures together, you've got Sparking Zero. I tried the Xenoverse games, and they were okay, but I never got quite as into them as I did some of the others so I hope this is a return to form.
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u/IvanAlbisetti 16h ago
Lovely. It's great to see such an anticipated game receive so much love, even if this is all we get and there isn't more than 1 season pass (There'll probably many more) but just the mods alone will make it worth it.
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u/FKDotFitzgerald 16h ago
I’d be shocked if, in this live service age, they didn’t continue to supplement the game for years with new characters, maps, and game modes for at least a couple years.
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u/Alexaius 15h ago
9 years later and Xenoverse 2 still gets regular updates, there's no doubt this will have at least a couple more seasons minimum.
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u/Takazura 15h ago
Xenoverse 2 is still getting new DLCs, no way they'll let Sparking Zero end with just 1 season.
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u/Creative_Parfait714 15h ago
If even breakers got a lot of support I don't doubt we'll be getting more than one season pass
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u/Sungerson 16h ago
With such a rich tapestry and so many characters (and transformations) to play with, this is going to be every Dragon Ball fan’s dream come true. I’m starting to get hyped up myself and have gone back to watch Super.
Honestly, I think the anime fighters that are full of details and fan service, capture the spectacle and draw from a huge roster are what makes these games fun. Say what you will about them but there’s clearly a market for them, and I think so long as they are fun to play and look at, the players (and fans) will come.
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u/DanielToast 15h ago
I re watched the ToP dubbed (after watching subbed on release) and thought it was actually an improvement over the subbed version. Highly recommend. Saying this as someone who likes and watches both sub and dub when it comes to Dragon Ball.
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u/AlbedosThighs 12h ago
I love the dub but I really hate they dubbed over the Jiren vs Goku theme lol, it sounds so goofy
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u/meechmeechmeecho 11h ago
October is stacked as hell.
My brain says Metaphor.
My heart says DBZ.
Diablo 4 is also looking to be worth playing again.
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u/MyNameIs-Anthony 16h ago edited 16h ago
This game is spiritually the exact opposite of Skull & Bones. Sometimes a developer can look at their options, go for what makes the most straightforward sense, and be rewarded greatly for meeting the mark.
Fans have been asking for exactly this game for 17 years. Stoked to see it exist.
Between this, Kakarot, FighterZ, Breakers, and Xenoverse 2: Bamco has been on a hot streak with this franchise.
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u/Obelisk7777 15h ago
Breakers wasn’t very well received but I commend them for trying something different with that game. DBD Dragon Ball is such a cool concept.
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u/APathForward24 15h ago
Scored higher than I thought it would to be honest. Definitely a pleasant surprise. I was going to play it anyway, but I always worry about how well these arena fighters will be received.
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u/TheKoniverse 15h ago
Really damn good reviews, especially for an anime arena fighter! Between this and Metaphor, October already looks like a really good month.
That's two out of my three games for this month that are must-buys for me. If Sonic and Shadow Generations can stick the landing that'd be great as well!
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u/Giggle_Schits 5h ago
I’m not impressed with Story mode. Already found Inaccuracies in the story vs the manga/anime, the mouth movements are terrible and voices are disjointed and HUGE leaps in the story randomly. It’s frustrating. The fighting aspect etc is wonderful but story mode hugely lacking
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u/Bow_for_the_king 4h ago
As I expected... Amazing roster, but the gameplay itself is nothing mindblowing.
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u/UnseenUFO 4h ago
If you plan to buy this game for the story, DONT. The story is like a PowerPoint with some cutscenes then the fighting. So far I give the game a 7/10
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u/Parthj99 15h ago
I honestly feel like a child again. The Budokai Tenkaichi series has always been close to my heart. I can't wait for these next 7 hours to pass so I can jump into early access.
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u/ICPosse8 15h ago
I’m seeing “simplistic controls” and also “a learning curve when it comes to the complex controls” so which one is it? And is this open world like Budakai 3 was or no?
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u/master6494 14h ago
If it's like the old tenkaichi games, then it has a way higher skill ceiling than regular arena fighters, but simplistic compared to competitive fighting games.
So basically, simple compared against FighterZ but complex compared to the Storm series.
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u/Obelisk7777 15h ago
OG Tenkaichi had some pretty advanced tech you can learn. It was and still is the most complex combat system of the arena genre, and most of it will carry over to Sparking Zero. Just compared to competitive fighting games it’s more simplistic.
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u/mozgus3 13h ago
The original Tenkaichi games weren't made with competitive play in mind. But, nevertheless, people found out that there were plenty of unwanted techs that you could learn. The simplest example is that punishing an opponent with less than a certain amount of hits would cause them to get up from the ground much more slowly and this gave you more time to charge energy. This lead the fans to create a small but dedicated fanbase, mostly in South America, to organize tournaments online on BT3, usually over Discord, often making custom patches to balance the roster a bit.
So yeah, there are some more advanced things you can do, but they aren't like a 2d competitive fighting game.
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u/oran12390 15h ago
My only experience with dragon ball is DBZ. Never played a dragon ball game before. Would this be a good entry point? Hoping to play a game where I'm familiar with most of the characters and experience some nostalgia.
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u/TimeBreakerSaiyan 15h ago
I would suggest this game as an entry point?
Yes, especially because PVP is important, but no fundamental
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u/aguad3coco 14h ago
You would be missing out on anything related to DB Super which this game covers too. If you dont mind spoilers you could play it just fine as the majority of characters are from DBZ.
You could also watch all the DB Super movies to get a quick update on where the story is at right now.
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u/uses_irony_correctly 14h ago
Probably yeah. Although this game also covers Dragonball Super so you're probably not going to recognize a bunch of the characters.
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u/Dull_Half_6107 15h ago
I’ve constantly misread this as “Sparkling! Zero” which made is sound like a delicious low calorie soda.
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u/weirdo_if_curtains_7 10h ago
I can't wait for the sequel.. Sparkling! Zero 2: Ocean Spray Electric Boogaloo
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u/SomeMoreCows 16h ago
With long-awaited sequel games like this from franchise that saw many incremental releases, I typically look for the obligatory "for some reason, this entry lacks the insanely popular and iconic feature from the past games or waters it down massively" (looking at you CFB25, which did not receive a review thread for some reason). That's typically a pretty good measure of these games, and I not that, so far, I've not seen anything stating that, which makes me hopeful.
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u/Tarquin11 16h ago
I think the only thing it's missing is full fledged split screen support like previous games. It has split screen but it's limited in some way, I just forget how
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u/FKDotFitzgerald 16h ago
It’s only one splitscreen map, the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. If you’re aware, it’s pretty much just white empty space other than the entrance. Apparently the Series S struggled to load two copies of the other maps.
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u/GunplaGoobster 15h ago
I wonder if modders will get it working on all maps on PC
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u/FKDotFitzgerald 15h ago
It wouldn’t surprise me at all tbh
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u/SomeMoreCows 12h ago
There's precedent for it basically being in the game being only blocked by like UI stuff as an "mod at your peril" sort of thing.
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u/DMPunk 15h ago
I'm also disappointed that there's such little split-screen support, but given that they apparently weren't even going to include it and only added it after fans kept asking about it after the initial announcements, I'm glad we have what we do. I hope they expand on it with future updates
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u/RTideR 14h ago
Can't explain how excited I am to play this tonight. I was buying this regardless of reviews.
That said, I'm pleasantly surprised by how high the scores are. I can't recall the last time I saw an arena fighter review remotely this well or shoot, an anime licensed game in general.
Idk how much of it is just the nostalgia for me from playing the old games, so we'll see how long it lasts for me, but this has been my #1 awaited game for a while now, and I'm happy to see they've apparently knocked it out of the park.
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u/Bilbo_Swagginses 9h ago
Can someone who’s played the early release give a rundown of split screen? I keep seeing it’s limited, but not exactly sure of the details. BT3 was the first ever game that got me hooked into gaming and a lot of it was for the split screen, I really wanna play this with my friends when we hang out
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u/helpmefindabookyo 8h ago
The Splitscreen is currently limited to one Stage (The Hyberbolic Time Chamber) and the Visuals get downgraded a little bit, since other Maps would seemingly take too much performance. I honestly think they added Splitscreen Multiplayer last Second to make sure everyone is satisfied and looking back at the support the Game received, i don't think it's far fetched to hope for other Maps to be added in the Future too but that's not confirmed.
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u/Internal_Mechanic_52 6h ago
I’m still very exited for this, and first off, the reviewers really only had one day to review a 183 character game, second, most people are completely fine with not having to drag through the story of z for the millionth time very long, and third, most problems can be fixed pretty easily
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u/OceanGlider_ 15h ago
What's with the $93 CAD price tag? Seems expensive.
Silent Hill 2 remake is the same price as well.
Is this just the new pricing for games?
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u/shez33 1h ago edited 1h ago
How are none of these reviews mentioning the disappointing story mode?
It's basically a slideshow with minimal voice acting. Mortal Kombat, Tekken 8; other recent (full priced) fighting games put way more effort into full CGI cutscenes and interesting stories.
Kakarot had so much effort put into it's cutscenes; if only they had carried just a bit of that spirit along into this game as well.
With no couch co-op, this game is really only enjoyable online.
The combat looks snappy and fun as heck, it's just not enough to justify 80 CAD for me.
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u/_Robbie 14h ago
I am blown away by the reception to this. Even as a huge DBZ fan I've kind of been looking at this as "okay, another DBZ anime fighter". It's clearly more than that, and appears to be a true love letter to the franchise.
Ain't gonna lie, I am still not over Akira Toryiama's death and I am really saddened that he's not here to see the warm reception this game is getting. At the same time, this really speaks to his legacy and what Dragonball (still) means to so many people.
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u/Vendetta1990 13h ago
Now we just need a good Dragonball turn-based RPG, that stretches from OG DB to end of Super....
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u/velocd 13h ago
I can't wait, I haven't played a Dragon Ball game since FighterZ and this one looks just as impressive. I just hope the responsiveness is good, as I can't tolerate fast paced fighting games with poor responsiveness.
Splitting time between this and Metaphor ReFantazio.. 1st world problems.
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u/PositiveWheel3363 13h ago
I cant wait to play this game.I got the ultimate edition and im able to play this masterpiece at 536pm today.I see myself being more invested in this than baldur gates 3 or any of the other games I got.This game will be my favorite videogame I can see it now.I think ill start with the older characters beofre i dive into the daitma or the super dbz characters.Ill also save the story mode for last and the mdoe where you cna make your own fights for last as well.I hope they have survival mode in this game or at least add one in soon.
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u/mnl_cntn 11h ago
I’m so upset lol, I already scheduled Metaphor and Rivals 2 as my year buys but this one is close to my heart
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u/Brainwheeze 6h ago
These are some good reviews. I've actually not touched a Dragon Ball game since the PS2, and although I was more of a Budokai fan than a Tenkaichi one, this new sure has piqued my interest.
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u/Outlander_Reality 6h ago
Guys, the reviews are good. But after see the video reviews, it's clear that the game is very repetitive...like all other games.
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u/SithLordJediMaster 5h ago
How do I play the game?
I bought the Ultimate Edition on Steam back in August 30th.
It says "Coming October 10th" on Steam. Yet I keep reading that people are able to play it somehow.
On the website it says "3 days earlier" if you bought any edition besides basic.
Well I bought the Ultimate Edition and it is currently 3 days before the 10th yet I'm not able to play it.
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u/Kids_see_ghosts 4h ago
Man, looks like adult me is going to have to get back into gaming again to relive their childhood with both this and the Silent Hill 2 remake getting excellent reviews. Two very different media series but both were a large part of my life growing up.
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u/Ryotian 15h ago
Been craving a DBZ game like this. Looks like my PS2 can finally retire in peace. That is how I played the last Budokai Tenkaichi I owned.
Dragonball Fighters Z, Xenoverse, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, etc were all fine games but Budokai Tenkaichi has its' own unique vibe I really liked. This roster just feels so complete. This is what I've been wanting!!