We can never have enough Dragon Ball in our lives – is something we presume game developers say. Hence the onslaught of games that pretty much recount the legendary anime series’ events time and time again. As for the gamers that play them? Well, we definitely don’t feel the same way.
With a title essentially coming out every year since 1986 (back to the good ol’ NES days), it has become a bit exhausting to see Son Goku (aka Kakarot) take out emperor of the universe Frieza in a game (despite the original fight being iconic.
Sure, the amount of story Dragon Ball covers to this day is staggering, and if you watched it as a kid, nothing beats the nostalgic feeling of seeing Goku continuously screaming “Kamehameha!”.
If gamers don’t mind reliving all those moments, or haven’t even experienced it yet, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot may be your best jump-in point. Principally retelling the storyline of the series, developers Bandai Namco Entertainment and CyberConnect2 (responsible for the hit Naruto Shippuden: Ninja Storm series) have done away with the straight-to-battle system and made this iteration of the series completely open-world.
Being able to fly around (on a cloud), talk to local folk and take on side quests brings huge freedom, and there are more simpler tasks such as hunting or fishing to try, too. But don’t worry, that doesn’t affect the the fluid, flashy, and engaging combat we’re used to.
Expect to be combining light and heavy physical attacks, ki blasts and character specific special moves in fast-paced action, and to be taking on tough boss battles that may require a little grinding to increase skill levels. Powerful energy attacks will even cause destruction to the landscape. We’ll always enjoy the aftermath of a Kamehameha.
It may be yet another recount of a tale most of us know by now, but if it’s done well, Kakarot is one to look out for this year.
