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Dragon Ball, a globally renowned manga series with over 230 million copies sold worldwide, has spawned countless adaptations, from anime and movies to video games. While previous Dragon Ball games have largely catered to fans with straightforward fighting mechanics, Dragon Ball XenoVerse promises a fresh take on the beloved franchise. Developed by Dimps, the team behind the successful Dragon Ball: Budokai series, XenoVerse retains the signature cel-shaded graphics while introducing innovative gameplay elements. Let’s delve into what this new installment has to offer.

Dragon Ball XenoVerse Character Creation

A Twist in Time: A Unique Narrative

Many Dragon Ball games retell the familiar saga of Goku and friends saving Earth and collecting the Dragon Balls. XenoVerse dares to ask, “What if?” What if Raditz survived Piccolo’s Special Beam Cannon? What if Frieza transformed immediately? The game explores these alternate timelines, where crucial events are mysteriously altered. Trunks, now a member of the Time Patrol, summons a new hero with the power to restore order.

Dragon Ball XenoVerse Gameplay

This hero is you. For the first time, players can create their own character, choosing from five races: Earthling, Saiyan, Namekian, Majin, and Frieza. Each race boasts unique strengths and weaknesses. Majins, for example, have high defense but low stamina, while Saiyans trade high attack power for lower health. Extensive customization options allow players to personalize their character’s appearance, from clothing and physique to color schemes. With a level cap of 80, players can strengthen their character through gameplay and embark on a journey to become the ultimate warrior. This customizable character plays a central role in the main story and various side quests.

From Fighting Game to Action RPG

While retaining its fighting game roots, Dragon Ball XenoVerse evolves into an action RPG with MMO elements. The game’s hub world, Tokitoki City, functions as a lobby where online players can interact, form groups, and exchange gifts. Even offline, the city is populated with diverse NPCs.

Dragon Ball XenoVerse Tokitoki City

The main story follows the player’s created character alongside Trunks, completing missions to preserve the original timeline. These missions often involve defeating opponents or groups of enemies. Beyond the main story, players can undertake Parallel Quests, side missions based on altered events from the main narrative. These quests frequently place the player in the role of the antagonist. Completing missions unlocks characters, skills, and equipment for use in classic versus mode. While most game modes offer online co-op and competitive play, the game’s online stability has been a point of concern.

Simplified Combat: A Double-Edged Sword

XenoVerse’s combat evokes the Budokai Tenkaichi series with its camera angles and attack animations. However, the difficulty has been significantly reduced. While battles remain visually impressive and engaging, especially with larger groups of fighters, the mechanics are simplified. Mapping special moves and skills to the L2 and R2 buttons, combined with the face buttons, allows for easy execution of complex attacks.

Dragon Ball XenoVerse Combat

While combos exist, they primarily serve to replenish stamina and Ki for special moves. The ease of execution and power of these moves can lead to repetitive gameplay, potentially diminishing the strategic depth of the combat.

Room for Improvement: Addressing the Shortcomings

Despite its innovative approach, XenoVerse suffers from several drawbacks. Navigating Tokitoki City can be tedious. Despite the characters’ ability to fly in battles, movement within the city is restricted to walking. The city’s three main areas, filled with shops, NPCs, and quest givers, necessitate considerable travel time. The lack of fast travel options is a notable omission.

Dragon Ball XenoVerse Enemy Encounter

The game’s tutorial is insufficient, leaving players to decipher mechanics on their own. Increasing enemy difficulty later in the game can force players to grind earlier missions for experience and currency to acquire better equipment. The narrative, while new, relies heavily on familiarity with the original Dragon Ball storyline, potentially alienating newcomers. The voice acting, a recurring issue in the series, fails to capture the characters’ personalities.

Dragon Ball XenoVerse Level Grinding

Conclusion: A Promising Start with Potential

Dragon Ball XenoVerse offers a fresh perspective on the franchise with its character creation, altered timeline narrative, and MMO elements. However, simplified combat, navigation issues, and a lackluster tutorial hinder the overall experience. While the game’s flaws are noticeable, the core gameplay and unique story offer a promising foundation for future installments.