There’s been a huge resurgence in terms of popularity of the Dragon Ball franchise, thanks to the ongoing Dragon Ball Super anime series, and while that’s happening on TV screens and streaming platforms worldwide, fighting game fans will soon get into the action as well with the upcoming 2D fighting game Dragon Ball FighterZ.
We’ve got our hands on the beta last week, and while we await the release on Jan 26, here are five top things we loved about this beautiful game to get you all hyped up!
Without a doubt, Dragon Ball FighterZ is a beautifully designed game in terms of art style. It remains faithful to the look and feel of the anime, from how colorful it looks, the character design, and how explosive and powerful signature moves are presented. It’s as if you’re watching an episode of the anime, and it’s definitely shaping up to be the most gorgeous fighting game we’ll see this year.
2. Fights are fast and frenetic
Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super fights have always been fast, explosive, and powerful, Dragon Ball FighterZ serves it up how it’s supposed to be. Adapting the 3vs3 format popularized by the Marvel vs. Capcom series games, fights are intense, and will keep you on your toes. Plus, there are tons of other mechanics that can switch the tide of battle such as Sparking Blast, which let’s your character regenerate health while having a boost in speed and power – perfect for desperate situations, and of course the Dragon Balls, which grants you a wish when collect all 7 during a match, letting you resurrect a fallen character, replenish health, etc.
While it’s quite complex in terms of mechanics, the core fighting game itself is simple and easy to pickup. Unlike games like Tekken, characters have a limited selection of moves, making it easy for new players to jump right in and start enjoying the game, while veterans can keep on perfecting their strings. Plus, combos and Meteor Smash attacks (their version of super/hyper combos) are easy to pull off.
3. Keen focus on multiplayer
Dragon Ball FighterZ is looking to be focused on multiplayer. Adapting the “social space” concept from MMOs and certain shooters, DBF will have a lobby for players to enter while they wait for their matches. Players can undergo tutorials, or interact with other players as matchmaking occurs. And players don’t even have to wait that long, since matchmaking is quick.
In the fight itself, players are notified as to how much lag in terms of frames they will experience during a match. During our playthrough, we got about 8 frames of delay on average, and lag was barely noticeable. Pros may have a different opinion as every frame counts, but based on our experience, quality of matches were decent.
4. Meteor Smash moves are fantastic and wonderful
As we’ve said above, Meteor Smash moves are easy to pull off, as long as you have enough Ki dish it out. Meteor Smash Moves, or the characters’ signature moves, are presented to great effect, especially when you use it to end a round. Pull off Vegeta’s Final Flash or Goku’s signature Kamehameha and you’ll see a huge blast of light visible from a distance or from outer space, resulting to the fighting stage changing completely resulting from the attack’s destructive power.
Not only that, certain characters’ meteor smash moves are executed differently depending on whether certain characters are in your team. Take for example Gohan’s Meteor Smash Kamehameha, where he calls in his younger brother Goten to perform a Kamehameha – pull this off with Goku in your team and you’ll see a family Kamehameha attack reminiscent of their attack against the Legendary Super Saiyan Broly in Dragon Ball Z: Broly – Second Coming. Teen Gohan also has a similar execution where he and Goku performs a father-son Kamehameha, which they performed against Cell. These Meteor Smash moves are nothing short of wonderful.
5. The roster of characters
While not completely revealed in the beta, various teasers for the game have already confirmed the wide roster of characters we can get to play once it launches. Fans will see the return of the most notorious DBZ villains including Frieza, Cell and Kid Buu, while DB Super’s fan favorites Beerus the God of Destruction, Hit from Universe 6 and Goku Black will also be playable in the game. The game will also introduce a new character Android 21, and we are all excited to get our hands on the game to know more about her in the story mode.
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So that’s about it! Dragon Ball FighterZ is looking to be a fighting game that faithfully captures the feel of the anime, that fans will surely dig. Watch out for our full review soon! Dragon Ball FighterZ will be out January 26 on the PS4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam.
