Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Game Review
3 Step Game Review
About the Game
Released
January 17, 2020
Developer
CyberConnect2
Price
US$ 59.99
(MAY VARY PER LOCATION)
Game Description
Relive the story of Goku in DRAGON BALL Z: KAKAROT! Beyond the epic battles, experience life in the DRAGON BALL Z world as you fight, fish, eat, and train with Goku. Explore the new areas and adventures as you advance through the story and form powerful bonds with other heroes from the DRAGON BALL Z universe.
Experience the story of DRAGON BALL Z from epic events to light-hearted side quests, including never-before-seen story moments that answer… (continues…)
Step 1: Playing Conditions
Read below the game basic characteristics. If it is something you see yourself playing, move on to Step 2: Graphics & Sound.
Gameplay Overview
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot (DBZ:K) is not a typical game. It is first an ANIME SHOW and then a game. In other words, you will WATCH the animated series and play some parts of it, mainly during the fighting moments. It is divided into 4 sagas which cover the DBZ story from Vegeta to Majin Buu.
The feeling of “playing the game” is stronger in-between the main missions when you can travel around the zones to train, collect items, do side missions, build machines, and complete achievements. To keep loyal to what DBZ is, at most part of the gameplay you will be FIGHTING. Combat controls are really simple and favorable to the use of special attacks.
The RPG portion of the game looks complex at first, but as you play the game you will understand it’s simple and complementary. And remember, having fun with this game is directly related to whether you like the TV show or not.
Step 2: Graphics & Sound
Watch 5 to 10 minutes of any video below. If you like what you see and hear, move on to Step 3: Game Evaluation.
Step 3: Game Evaluation
Build your expectations about the game by learning what it offers and how was The Partisan Spy’s experience.
USER INTERFACE
The in-game menu is divided into 2 PARTS, map, and game options. At the start of the game, the menu may seem overwhelming, but as you progress and the concepts are presented everything falls into place.
The HUD is really SIMPLE, in the bottom left corner of the screen it displays all key commands making it even easier to play.
STORY
The story element is so important in this game that defines the gameplay experience. There are dozens or hundreds of cutscenes at main missions, all of them with voice-over acting. So to have a FULL gameplay experience, it’s almost mandatory to “watch the game”. If you are not open to that, set your expectation to skip cutscenes or constantly have the feeling of “let me play the game!”.
COMMUNITY POTENTIAL
Dragon Ball series has CROSSED generations and for more than 35 years is part of our culture. DBZ:K adds another piece to its story by allowing new generations to experience what some of us did in the 90s.
Nevertheless, as most PVE games, it has a SHORT attention life span as content generation is limited to the completion of the game.
GAMEPLAY MOOD TRACKER
MOOD ANALYSIS
To read my mood tracker, add an important variable, it was a nice surprise for me that I could “watch the game” and revisit DBZ story. Said that, take into consideration that the BALANCE between cutscenes and gameplay time is an important factor in my mood final result.
My mood followed the narrative of the story, the closer it got to the end of a Saga, HIGHER was my mood. The only exceptions of that pattern were at moments the game crashed or at a possible bugged side mission.
GRIND FEELING
Even though DBZ:K is all about FIGHTING, there are various game elements that prevent you from getting tired of it. The game has NO LEAD HERO and you can play with many different characters, including Goku, Gohan, Vegeta, and Piccolo. The RPG feature also brings some variations to the game, such as passive and active buffs, special attacks, heroes party, etc…
There is a lot to do on DBZ:K if you aim to complete 100% of the game, it will be natural to experience some grind feeling.
LOVED THE MOST
The game is not focused on Goku and Gohan. You will play different characters as the story develops.
DISLIKED THE MOST
There are limits inside the zone areas. For example, if you try to fly over a mountain, after a few seconds it will spawn you back to back to the limits of the border.
EVALUATION SUMMARY
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is a game for FANS or potential fans.
In a gaming industry perspective, for gamers and developers, there is NO NOVELTY in DBZ:K. You can find similar elements in other titles, including their own. Since de 80s games are being released based on this franchise.
What makes this game SPECIAL is the possibility to experience the Dragon Ball Z series on a deeper level and that’s what fans are always craving for. I finish this review with the feeling that I should complete the game and watch the entire Dragon Ball series all over again.
Choices & Advice
DON’T BUY IT
IF YOU DON’T SEE YOURSELF BEING A DRAGON BALL SERIES FAN.
WAIT TO BUY
IF THE GAME IS NOT AT YOUR PRICE POINT RANGE AND YOU PREFER TO WAIT FOR A SALE.
BUY NOW
IF YOU CAN’T WAIT TO RELIVE THIS ADVENTURE!
GAME LIFETIME
GAME CAN BE 100% COMPLETED 50-70 HOURS.
SUPPORT THIS GAME REVIEW
There are 4 easy ways to show support to this content. Thanks for doing that and for reading my review.
