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
- RPG/open-world segments feel tacked on
- Sidequests come off as unrewarding
- Character progression far from seamless
RATING: 8.5/10
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