Gsy Review: Dragon Ball FighterZ

davton
Monday, January 22, 2018 | 3:00 PM
12 comments

GSY Review PC PS4 Xbox One

Dragon Ball FighterZ will soon be officially available but we have been able to play the game for a few days, which has allowed us to make our own opinion about it. Inside, you'll find our verdict and the +/- section. As usual, the full review is only available in French.

Verdict

To say that Dragon Ball FighterZ has been eagerly anticipated is quite an understatement, but even though we haven't been able to test the stability of the online component of the game since the beta, we can say that the game truly delivers - provided you're a fan obviously. Visually stunning, with excellent gameplay mechanics, Dragon Ball FighterZ is without a doubt the title fans have been waiting ever since the 90s. We're not absolutely sure it will manage to appeal to the hardcore players of the genre, as only time will say if gameplay is deep enough to keep them interested in the long term, but other than that (and the poor soundtrack), it's clearly a game you don't want to miss if you know everything and the anime and manga.

On the plus side
Remarkable graphics
Fireworks on screen everywhere
Easy to pick up
Many game modes
Story mode is pretty lengthy and entertaining
As faithful to Dragon Ball as it can get
Japanese voices are available

On the downside
The terrible soundtrack will motivate players to buy the DLC including the OST
Summoning Shenron is a bit tricky

High quality stream and download

Commented on 2018-01-22 17:04:11

@davton:

Since it's a game from Arc System Works and their portfolio is full of brilliant Fighting games (Guilty Gear, BlazBlue, Persona 4 Arena, etc.), but those are still very niche games. Does this game do anything gameplay mechanics wise better than any of their previous games - if you have played some of them before?

Or to put it in a better way, from your experience, do you believe the "excellent gameplay mechanics" alone, as you put it, are enough to make it appealing/worth to non Dragon Ball fans?

Also, if you have played Street Fighter 4/5, Mortal Kombat X, Tekken 7 and/or Injustice 2, how do you think Dragon Ball: FighterZ's gameplay mechanics compare to some of those?

I'm trying to gauge how well the game stands on its own without the Dragon Ball brand behind it. I know that's the biggest appeal of the game - I'm a big Dragon Ball fan myself, but I'm trying to see FighterZ from the perspective of someone who's only interested in the game's mechanics.

Like I honestly don't care at all about both Guilty Gear and BlazBlue characters, lore, story and universe - with a few exceptions, but those brands have brilliant Fighting games, which are very worth to be played if you're a Fighting games fan.

In reply to

@davton:

Since it's a game from Arc System Works and their portfolio is full of brilliant Fighting games (Guilty Gear, BlazBlue, Persona 4 Arena, etc.), but those are still very niche games. Does this game do anything gameplay mechanics wise better than any of their previous games - if you have played some of them before?

Or to put it in a better way, from your experience, do you believe the "excellent gameplay mechanics" alone, as you put it, are enough to make it appealing/worth to non Dragon Ball fans?

Also, if you have played Street Fighter 4/5, Mortal Kombat X, Tekken 7 and/or Injustice 2, how do you think Dragon Ball: FighterZ's gameplay mechanics compare to some of those?

I'm trying to gauge how well the game stands on its own without the Dragon Ball brand behind it. I know that's the biggest appeal of the game - I'm a big Dragon Ball fan myself, but I'm trying to see FighterZ from the perspective of someone who's only interested in the game's mechanics.

Like I honestly don't care at all about both Guilty Gear and BlazBlue characters, lore, story and universe - with a few exceptions, but those brands have brilliant Fighting games, which are very worth to be played if you're a Fighting games fan.

supra21

Commented on 2018-01-22 18:23:42

I'm looking forward to this, it's going to be the first DBZ game I'm going to buy since Burst Limit.

unknownuser0001

Commented on 2018-01-22 18:37:59

So good that you played with Japanese voices

JiSiN

Commented on 2018-01-22 19:19:12

Ah~ Japanese Audio... thank you so much :)

nostradamus

Commented on 2018-01-22 20:34:20

da fuck, the first tracks i heard were hype. too bad.

GunsnSwords

Commented on 2018-01-23 00:53:50

I never could understand Goku's voice in Japanese. Over 100 lbs of muscle and he sounds like that. Like eating spicy peppers with helium inside.

fireflew

Commented on 2018-01-23 01:49:18 In reply to GunsnSwords

Posted by GunsnSwords

THANK YOU! Been saying this for years. I usually relish the inclusion of Japanese audio when its the games native language but not in this case when Goku sounds like.... THAT. Got to be one of the most baffling VA choices for a character ever (and I realise there will be angry fanboy mobs looking to lynch me for saying that).

japanda

Commented on 2018-01-23 08:27:42

This message is in "Boulet Time" (TM), If you still *really* want to see it, click here

Terrible soundtrack? You must be drunk

SplitTongue

Commented on 2018-01-23 12:01:44 In reply to fireflew

Posted by fireflew

Ha! That makes us 3! I always hated the jap. DBZ voices. So, at least we'll die side by side as friends

Eamon

Commented on 2018-01-23 22:25:55 In reply to fireflew

Yeah, it's always been weird but that's because voice actors in Japan are celebrities. The VA of Goku voiced him back in the original Dragon Ball series when Goku was a kid. DB became super super popular so the animators went ahead and kept the same VA when Goku turned up at the world tournament as an adult-sized teenager.

Commented on 2018-01-24 17:11:46

I saw maybe 3 episode of Dragonball in my entire life so far (including DBZ) lol.
So~ no idea what he sounds like in Anime. But i do agree the voice doesn't suit the character ;)

Commented on 2018-01-24 20:14:50

I really only ever cared for Dragon Ball which aired around 1988 until 91 in french tv. Dragon Ball Z and everything that followed was crap imo, but it sure as hell is the better vs-fighter material.