Dragon Ball FighterZ is nearly upon us bringing with it a ton of flashy moves, nods to both
anime and fighting game fans, and plenty of depth to keep you coming back.
Let’s take a quick look at some things you need to know.
Fans should be pleased to hear that the game will have a fairly large roster with over
20 characters at launch.
Fight with Yamcha or take a turn with Perfect Cell - with at least 8 more characters confirmed
as DLC.
Seeing Krillin get revenge on Frieza might be worth the price of admission by itself.
Fighting thankfully takes place on a 2D plane, but it utilizes 3D graphics in order to make
camera pans during transitions and super moves more dynamic.
This decision allows for proper crossup moves and projectile play for all those zoning fans
in the genre.
With a few exceptions like Tekken, Dead or Alive, and Soul Calibur, the FGC historically
seems to prefer 2D gameplay the most.
All the ki blasts and killer combos are tripled in scope as the fights consist of 3 on 3 gameplay.
Those familiar with the Marvel vs Capcom series may feel a bit more at home as you select
3 characters for your team.
Switching happens automatically after losing a character’s full health bar, however a
player can switch on command in a number of ways, even during a super move.
Call in characters for assists but note that both characters can take damage during it.
Fighters in reserve can slowly recover blue health.
Once a character is defeated, a round reset occurs to prevent an additional disadvantage
for that player.
The roster and story covers a large portion of the canon fans will be familiar with, from
Nappa all the way up to the new Android 21.
Both Goku and Vegeta can be seen in their Dragon Ball Super Blue forms, from Majin Buu
to Kid Buu.
The player can fight on planet Namek and in the Cell Games arena, plus others from most
of the series.
Typically the GT series isn’t considered canon and it seems to follow suit here.
This isn’t just your ordinary pile of ‘functions.’
Arc System Works is the developer of this game, known for their hit titles Blazblue,
Persona 4 Arena and the incredible Guilty Gear series.
Visuals are top notch, matched perfectly from the anime.
Game mechanics are deep so there is plenty to dig into once a player wants to improve
and compete with the best.
Like most of their games, there is a complexity to explore while at the same time making it
very appealing to the casual crowd who just want to mash.
Arc’s experience in the genre indicates we should expect excellent development and
support.
Super bar energy is gained from nearly everything you do.
Attacking your opponent or even getting hit will cause the bar to fill, but it doesn’t
stop there.
A careful player can manually charge energy after a knockdown to build a bit of meter
to use.
Charging leaves you vulnerable but the longer you can charge the faster it builds.
Certain super moves require more than one bar but can be more devastating, and a total
of 7 is the max.
Mechanics offer a variety of favorites like wall bounces, air combos, and so on.
Players can use a homing attack to pursue opponents and continue the damage.
Auto combos are there for newcomers.
An X-Factor-like move called Sparking Blast powers up damage and recovers health can be
used once per match.
Even though it costs a bar, a player can teleport behind the opponent to land an attack to keep
them on their toes.
Familiar with push blocks?
They are in here too in case an opponent is all up in your space.
The game will be available on Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam.
Crossplay is not an option between systems and it is not part of the Play Anywhere club
from Microsoft.
Thankfully it will support a large number of control options from standard gamepads
to arcade sticks.
It primarily uses just 4 buttons for light, medium, heavy, and special attacks but combination
button assignment is also possible.
Motion controls are similar to Capcom and Netherrealm titles with quarter circles and
the like.
Dragon Ball FighterZ offers several online modes, but it also contains a story mode,
allowing the player to control a number of characters as each section unfolds from different
perspectives.
The story itself is brand new so fans can dig into the lore while learning the mechanics.
Both good and evil teams are playable here, but the online modes also offer a number of
choices.
Lobbies are available so you can be matched up right away.
Both the Japanese and English voice actors are available for the discerning fan.
A player that picks the original Japanese voices will be able to get English subtitles,
so there shouldn’t be anything to worry about depending on which side you prefer.
Dragon Ball FighterZ brings a ton of fun for both the casual and invested fan.
Whether you want to see Krillin fight his wife Android 18 or just be able to turn your
opponent into chocolate and eat them with Buu, there is a lot to like.
This game hits at the end of January 2018 so get your senzu beans ready for the brutal
KO.
This has been Jason with Curse saying thanks for watching, and enjoy the game.