Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Review (PS4/Steam)

Written by Alexander O. Cuaycong and Anthony L. Cuaycong


Title: Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
Developer: CyberConnect2
Publisher: BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment
Genre: Action, RPG
Price: $59.99
Also Available On: Steam, XB1



Dragon Ball has a rich, colorful history. From its humble beginnings as a fun, over-the-top anime series created by manga artist Akira Toriyama in 1984, it has evolved into a giant franchise pervading just about every book and cranny of popular culture. And even casual observers know and understand why: Its deceptively simple story of perseverance, heroism, and strength entertains and resonates among a loyal base of followers with otherwise-disparate tastes. It's filled to the brim with good-natured humor and fun, with epic tales about godly powers and all-too-human frailties. Notwithstanding the countless competition, it has remained a favorite of both the young and young once, and with reason.




The timeless virtue is what Dragon Ball's latest contribution to its vast videogame library realizes and brings to a brand-new audience. Developed for the personal computer and Sony PlayStation 4 by experienced developer CyberConnect2, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is an open-world role playing game cum brawler that seeks to translate the best parts of its source material. Providing bite-sized pieces digestible even to gamers with little to no knowledge of the intellectual property, it retells key parts of the manga's main story arcs. And, in so doing, it succeeds in presenting an exciting, adrenaline-fueled experience. It's more than just a tribute to its roots; even as it unabashedly pays homage to its source material, it takes more than enough liberties to keep longtime followers engaged.

In Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, gamers are thrust into the very heart of the Dragon Ball narrative. They get to play out the most important storybeats of the manga and anime; in the process, they're treated to a 50-hour jaunt that, pun aside, pulls no punches. Fighting is its bread and butter; lightning-fast kicks, knuckle sandwiches, ki strikes, and energy balls line encounters, with characters sparring and exchanging blows in the sky, on the ground, across environments encompassing the franchise's stories past. Really, there's something for everyone to take in, and, unlike other titles with similarly established canon and media, it doesn't blitz through tales or, conversely, spoonfeed all the details.




Instead, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot introduces plot elements and characters naturally and in keeping with the spirit of its lineage. Even for habitues who know series minutiae by heart, it comes off as surprisingly fresh. And it's comfortable in its own skin: It isn't afraid to cut out parts of the main story arcs that it feels aren't necessary to its purpose, but makes sure that it nails its presentation in any case. In this regard, it's certainly helped in no small measure by spot-on and extremely responsive fighting mechanics that underscore the efforts of CyberConnect2, hitherto noted for its work on the .hack and Naruto IPs.

Indeed, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot draws from its manga and anime inspirations in conveying the trademark frantic energy that envelops its battles; it manages to translate with utter faithfulness all the signature touches of its source material, bells and whistles intact. Very anime-esque cut-ins and callouts are triggered after special moves, with its distinctive personality — and flair — highlighted by the way characters react to, and communicate with (okay, shout at), one another. Better still, these fights are all translated in a manner that feels so natural, no small feat given its sheer scale.




Those from the outside looking in may find all the fighting, on air and on the surface, bordering on the ridiculous. Characters are able to fly at super speed, display super strength, and use super powers — and in over-the-top fashion to boot. Those steeped in the lore, however, will find the presentation faithful to the series. More importantly, gamers won't have any problems with control and execution; whether on the personal computer or on the PlayStation 4 Pro, feedback is swift and free of lags, and the action presented on screen sans any frame drops. And thanks to an intuitive interface that belies the depth of its gameplay, it manages to blend all its elements together. While making use of an uncomplicated combat system, it nonetheless offers a heady and healthy mix of offense and defense via well-crafted melee and ranged options.

Admittedly, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is far from perfect. Given how much depth there is in terms of look, feel, and flow of the story and the fighting mechanics, the open-world RPG elements feel vastly underutilized. At times, these wind up lacking any impact at all, as if simply tacked on to prolong the gameplay and artificially add value to the title. Granted, the optional exploration segments do offer variety by way of side quests and character exposition. Still, they come off as being rather redundant and unrewarding in light of the game's linear narrative.




On the whole, though, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot exceeds expectations as a brilliant entry to the franchise. Make no mistake; it's not without its quirks. For what it offers, however, it's well worth the time and money of gamers faces with countless alternatives.



THE GOOD:
  • Properly conveys the series' over-the-top energy and frantic combat
  • Tight fighting mechanics combined with responsive controls
THE BAD:
  • RPG/open-world segments feel tacked on
  • Sidequests come off as unrewarding
  • Character progression far from seamless


RATING: 8.5/10

The List - December 2019

It's been a while since I've taken a look at The List... Time to once again take stock of my published games, as well as current and back-burnered designs and prototypes! I'll try and be more thorough, like last time.

Published Games:
Terra Prime (BGG)
Eminent Domain (BGG)
Eminent Domain: Escalation (BGG) (expansion)
Eminent Domain: Exotica (BGG) (expansion)
Eminent Domain: Oblivion (BGG) (expansion)
Eminent Domain: Microcosm (BGG)
Isle of Trains (BGG)
Eminent Domain: Oblivion (expansion)
Crusaders: Thy Will Be Done (BGG)
- Crusaders: Divine Influence (BGG) (expansion) [In manufacturing]
Dungeon Roll: Winter Heroes (BGG)
- Gold West: Bandits promo (BGG)
- Gold West: Trading Post promo (BGG)
- Yokohama: Achievements & Free Agents promo (BGG)
Brainfreeze

Finished But Unpublished Games:
Eminent Domain Origins [Ready to print]
- Crusaders: Crimson Knight (expansion) [Ready to print]
Deities and Demigods  [In line for art]
Exhibit (BGG)
Eminent Domain: Chaos Theory (dice game)
Dice Works (BGG)
Wizard's Tower (BGG)
Now Boarding
Isle of Trains: All Aboard (expansion)
Suburban Sprawl
Watch It Played

Current Active Designs:
Alter Ego (BGG) [moved to Active]
Apotheosis (FKA "Worker Learning") [moved to Active]

Recent Designs That Are Not On The Front Burner:
Riders of the Pony Express (BGG)
Automatown
Moctezuma's Revenge
Joan of Arc

Old Standbys - games which have been around, 1/2 done and untouched, for years:
8/7 Central
Hot & Fresh
Dynasty
Kilauea
Reading Railroad
All For One (BGG)
Odysseus: Winds of Fate (BGG)

Old Ideas that Haven't Gone Anywhere (Yet) - some of these have been getting stale as well:
Investigative/Tabloid Journalism
Red Colony
Clash of the Kingpins
Time = Money
Dating Game
Ticket Please
Scourge of the High Seas
Rondel Role Selection
- Cruise line game
The Untouchables
Day labor job based on craps

Misc and Really Old Stuff:
9-Ball
Blockade Runner
- Roman Emperors (my version of someone else's game)
- Admirals of the Spanish Main (my version of someone else's game)


Let's take a closer look at the games that have seen some movement recently:

Published games:
Crusaders: Divine Influence (BGG) (expansion) [In manufacturing]
The first expansion to Crusaders: Thy Will Be Done (BGG) has been printed, and is about to ship from the manufacturer! I played two games with a sample copy at TokenCon in Oklahoma City this year, where I was a special guest. Divine Influence adds new building types, and replaces the Influence action with something more intricate and involved. There are 4 new Knight Orders as well.

Eminent Domain: Oblivion (BGG) (expansion)
The third (and final) expansion to Eminent Domain was released about a year ago, and is in stores now. Oblivion adds Clout tokens (1-shot role icons), and a Politics role. Using Politics, you can flip over the new Prestige planets in the set, and you can "vote" public agendas into and out of play. These agendas have lasting effects that apply to everyone. So far I haven't seen a lot of comments on this expansion, but the ones I've seen have been pretty positive, so that's nice.

Finished But Unpublished Games:
Eminent Domain Origins [Ready to print]
All of the art is done for this Terra Prime re-release, but the production is on hold for various reasons. The game is an update to my first published title, Terra Prime (BGG), and includes an as-yet unpublished expansion I made years ago. The art and theme has been changed to the Eminent Domain universe, as the game fits perfectly as a prequel to Eminent Domain. 

Crusaders: Crimson Knight (expansion) [Ready to print]
I have art ready to go for another Crusaders expansion, this one just adds red player pieces for a 5th player. If things go my way, we'll print the same exact thing in yellow to facilitate a 6th player in an "Amber Knight" expansion box. There's a new rule which allows space for more players to play on the same sized board -- you're allowed to build the same building as an opponent has built in a region. So if you built a Farm in a hex, I can build a Farm in that hex as well. This rule means the building spaces don't completely dry up with 5 or 6 players, and it adds an interesting dynamic as well.

Olympus on the Serengeti (FKA Deities and Demigods)  [In line for art]
The theme for this one was so commonplace that, when getting an artist involved, I tried to find something new and different. I landed on animals of the African plain... sort of like The Lion King is Hamlet, but with African animals, Olympus on the Serengeti is Greek mythology, but with African animals. Unfortunately, I wasn't liking the direction the art was going in, so the project has been set back a bit. I've got a different artist lined up for January, so hopefully this one will start moving forward again soon.

Isle of Trains: All Aboard (expansion)
I think it was 4 years ago that Dan and I gave the publisher an expansion to Isle of Trains, and while it kept getting pushed back, I have seen some art that they had made. My understanding is that it's in fact all done, however the publisher now would like to instead do a bigger box game that's like Isle of Trains including the expansion (!) So Dan and I have to figure out whether and how we'd like to re-design the game given the new constraints. One idea they had was to create a game that could use the base Isle of Trains game as an expansion to it... but that seems unlikely to pan out. Unfortunately, we haven't really made any progress on the re-design yet.

Current Active Designs:
Alter Ego (BGG) [moved to Active]
I have revisited Alter Ego after what appears to be 2 years, and I've been playtesting it quite a bit lately. My playtesters finally convinced me that the turn sequence was too confusing, so that's been simplified. And I came up with a new format for the Arch Villains: instead of bringing one or more of them into play at some point, all three Villains will be in play from the outset. Their henchmen will be placed below their Villain mats, and each turn, before you get to fight, each Villain will resolve a Villain Event card. The effect of the card depends on the Villain (the Sadist takes extra hostages, while the Mastermind limits your access to certain abilities) is worse if the Villain has 3 or more henchmen in front of them, so you have incentive to keep the henchmen at bay. So far this new format has been working very well, but the game isn't quite done yet.

Apotheosis (FKA "Worker Learning") [moved to Active]
Michael suggested the name "Apotheosis," which describes the game very well. Thanks to the help of a new co-designer, Rick Holzgrafe, we've made some serious progress on this game. I set it aside this summer and it's been simmering on the back burner since then, but pretty soon I'll probably try some of the latest ideas we've had for it.

Recent Designs That Are Not On The Front Burner:
Riders of the Pony Express (BGG) & Automatown
Each of these games got a playtest recently, which generated something new to try, but they quickly got set aside for other projects. My playtesters don't love Automatown, but they really enjoyed Riders of the Pony Express, so I should bring that one back into active development!

Maybe next time I'll add games I've developed (or am developing) for TMG... would that be something you'd like to see? Let me know in the comments... it's a pretty long list!

My GaryCon XII / 2020 Games Approved And Scheduled!


I have four games at GaryCon XII/2020 this year! I'm so glad to be returning to one of my favorite events in the Midwest. If you get a chance, come play some games with me!

Friday - 10am
Rescue of Hommlet—A Chainmail/OD&D Game

A discrete summons has reached your ears, for the good people of Hommlet are in fear for their lives! A militia of foul brigands from Nulb have been spotted near the old Moathouse of ill reputation! What evil lurks there and beyond? Find out, brave heroes, using Chainmail (and a bit of Original D&D) as the rules of engagement as we explore this famous Greyhawk setting!

Those of you who are part of the Chgowiz Henchfolk army have seen previous postings on my models and rules for this scenario. I'm so excited!

I'm doubly-excited that GaryCon has invited me to run this game in the "Legends of Roleplaying" room as well!

Legends of Roleplaying is an ongoing series of events at Gary Con that pay special attention to the early days of roleplaying that led to the development of Dungeons & Dragons and the legacy of games created to further expand the hobby.

These nostalgic events bring Gary Con attendees the fun of classic roleplaying games that were a staple during the early days of the hobby and Gen Cons past. The original rules, vintage figures, and authentic accessories will be used during play when possible. Sometimes the events will involve individuals who played, refereed, and authored the games during this golden age of roleplaying. Most events will be taught and so all that is needed is interest to play. This gives Gary Con attendees a chance to experience what it was like to play these games at the earliest Gen Cons and even Gary Gygax's own home at 330 Center St. in Lake Geneva!

So no pressure... *gulp* 

Friday 6pm

Go underground in dark tunnels and chambers filled with horrors or treasures! Brave Lawful allies fight against foul Bestials! Who will emerge victorious? Fight in a unique terrain setup using Chaos Wars fantasy miniature wargaming rules and all genuine Ral Partha armies!

I'm bringing fantasy wargaming underground, using my modular tile system and Ral Partha Chaos Wars wargaming rules. I've been looking forward to running this at GaryCon! Instead of a skirmish or small party, bring an army into the dungeon and see how it goes! 

Saturday 7pm

It's an easy enough job: Get into the Royal Palace, steal the King's Secretary's Seal and return with it, for a reward worth ten years' wages. But nothing is ever simple, is it? Especially when you interrupt something far, far worse, and the opportunities may be far, far bigger. Come experience the world of Etinerra, a campaign ten years going!

I'm continuing a tradition almost a decade old, of running a Saturday night AD&D game at GaryCon and having it take place in my Chronicles of Etinerra world. This year, I'm doing something different. Inspirations from Ocean's Eleven, the Lut Gholein Act of Diablo 2, my twisted imagination and a game I ran for my wife in her campaign. It should be a lot of fun!

Sunday 10am

Same as Friday 6pm game. I like closing out GaryCon with a miniatures game. Sometimes Sunday morning games are very low key and lightly attended, so we'll see how it goes. 

I hope to get some playing time on Thursday and on Saturday. Plus check out the vendor room and drool over the things I'm not going to be able to buy. Ha!

Are you going to GaryCon? What are you looking forward to playing or running? 

Build muscle at home

Hey! Gareth here...

Just a reminder that if you need anything off me right now, don't be afraid to reach out.


In the meantime i'm in the process of curating a ton of exercises and workouts you can do at home, even if you have little access to equipment - I know the lead time on exercise equipment is very slow right now and you might be struggling for ideas.

If you remember, last week I shared three great resources. Collectively I've shared 52 exercise instructional videos just using a resistance band. You can find these article links below, and broken down in to each body part.

In the past week I've also had an article out at T-Nation.com with some more advanced exercises you can do from home. Again, requiring almost zero equipment (okay a magazine, but that doesn't count). You can find that link below, too.

As always, please feel free to share these resources with anyone you know that might benefit - It's FREE after all - and let me know if you have any questions?

Yours in strength and health,
Gareth

Build Muscle at Home (T-Nation article)

(I included a plan! Said plan does not require hoarding toilet paper)

20 UPPER body band exercises you can do anywhere!

20 LOWER body band exercises you can do anywhere!

12 CORE band exercises you can do anywhere!

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Market Harborough, Leicestershire LE16
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How can I best help you right now?

What do you need from me right now?

If I can do anything to assist you keeping fit and healthy in these challenging times please do reach out and let me know.

I'm currently working away to ensure all of my online and in-person clients are in the best situation possible to deal with the closure of many gyms globally. In the meantime I've also thrown together a free resource for those that need exercise ideas they can do in their own homes. Collectively there are 52 exercises you can do at home just using resistance band. I will continue to add to this resource - heck I haven't even proof read them yet as I just wanted to get them out to you ASAP - but in the meantime please share these with anyone it might help.

Here to help any way I can!
Gareth

20 UPPER body band exercises you can do anywhere!

20 LOWER body band exercises you can do anywhere!

12 CORE band exercises you can do anywhere!

Copyright © 2020 The Fitness Maverick, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you have opted in to receiving emails from The Fitness Maverick.

Our mailing address is:
The Fitness Maverick
The Fitness Maverick Gym
Market Harborough, Leicestershire LE16
United Kingdom

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You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

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