Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero GBAtemp review
Computer
Product Information:
- Release Date (NA): October 11, 2024
- Release Date (EU): October 11, 2024
- Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Developer: Spike Chunsoft
- Genres: Fighting
- Also For: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Game Features:
We’ve had Dragon Ball games released in recent years but none in the beloved Dragon Ball Budokai Tenkaichi franchise. After a period of dormancy since 2007 (!), the fourth entry will finally launch this week and it brings some changes to the series.
Most prominently, the naming convention has been standardised in every region. The Japanese versions were titled Dragon Ball: Sparking!, which is now carried in localised versions as well. While the game packs the anime-esque, cel-shaded aesthetic, as a current-gen title, it has been developed on Unreal Engine 5. This entry also features the most expansive roster of characters, with over 180 fighters and introduces some new game modes. We’ll take a look at how this fighting game series’ revival holds up in this review.
An Unreal Engine 5 game with the look of an anime
Dragon Ball games have always strived to look like the anime and this has never been truer than in Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero. Developed using Unreal Engine 5, the game looks gorgeous with intricate character and environmental details. The cel-shaded aesthetics further accentuate the anime look and authentically replicate the late Akira Toriyama’s designs.
Developer Spike Chunsoft has done a terrific job at keeping the game faithful to the source. The locales, animation, saga-accurate outfits and having most (if not all) of the original voice actors reprise their role, immerse the player in the Dragon Ball universe. The outcome feels like playing through the battles of the iconic anime; and this is no exaggeration. You can play as your favourite character, even fringe ones, across various Dragon Ball sagas to reenact iconic moments or to pit them against enemies of your choosing in diverse, open arenas.
In Episode Battles, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero covers the whole of the Dragon Ball Z saga and Dragon Ball Super saga up to the Tournament of Power. These battles allow you to take on the role of a fighter, both good and villain, and play through their iconic face-offs. However, this mode won’t help much as a starting point in the DBZ series as there is much more to the story than the game lets on. So it’s better to read the manga or watch the anime before jumping into this game, if you haven’t done so already.
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero brings back the “what if” alternate scenarios to the classic stories. During the Episode Battles, you are sometimes provided a choice to continue in the canonical way or diverge from it. Your choices can lead to different outcomes, such as Goku surviving his battle against Raditz, and these bring nice twists to the established plot and make the experience more engaging.
Despite the stunning looks of the game and the immersive approach, I was unfortunately distracted by the experience on PC more often than I would have lived. I would experience performance drops, with sluggish character movement in combat and some awkward pauses in cutscenes and between conversations. Other players have also been complaining about such issues and I hope that the developers address these in the planned Day 1 patch.
Fight in your own way across Dragon Ball sagas
As a new entry in the Sparking!/Budokai Tenkaichi series, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is a combat-focused game. It puts you in the shoes of iconic characters to fight classic battles, custom ones or face off against other players.
There is some depth to the combat mechanics that pose a rather steep learning curve to master. As each battle emulates the complex, fast-paced encounters of the anime, you’ll have to juggle with varied attack movesets, combos, counters and layered movement. There are further strategic elements to combat as you have to pay attention to your Ki gauge and Skill count. It can be challenging to get a grip of things and the game could have done a better job of easing players in.
Once you do find your way with the controls, encounters are satisfying. By chaining combos, charging up your ki and employing your character’s skills, you can execute powerful and iconic moves against your opponent. With faithful animation, free-roaming battle arenas and destructible environments, you can fight in your own way in an immersive fashion. Enemies also offer a fair challenge, and you can also test your mettle with fellow players online or locally.
However, over the course of battles, some actions and animations feel repetitive. This is especially the case in Episode Battles as you play as a single character in their respective arc across multiple encounters.
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero further mixes things up by allowing you to create your own battles in Custom Battle. This mode lets you edit encounters from the characters and setting to the battle condition and event scenes. You can further share your custom creation online, provided that you’ve completed it yourself. This is pure fanservice material and allows you to run wild (within reason) with your Dragon Ball combat fantasy.
There’s also an element of RPG involved in this title. With Zen-Oh’s Orders, you can complete challenges (akin to quests) and earn items. You can shop for items to buff your character stats and you can also summon Shenron, Porunga and Super Shenron to make a wish to unlock characters or gain more Zeni. This added layer of variety is welcome.
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero - fanservice above all
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero marks a triumphant return of the Sparking!/Budokai Tenkaichi series. Its expansive, authentic fighter roster and immersive presentation does real fanservice and Spike Chunsoft has gone the extra mile to appeal to fans of Dragon Ball. The experience might be bogged down by some performance issues and a steep learning curve, but if you stick to it, it will prove worth the wait for fans of the franchise.
DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO - IGNITE THE SPARK Trailer
Verdict
- Impressive roster of characters
- Immersive combat that feel like playing an anime episode
- Fun alternative scenarios and Custom Battles
- Filled with fanservice material
- Learning curve to master combat actions
- Repetitive actions and animations
- Some performance issues on PC