The latest Dragon Ball video game, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, has launched to an expectant player base. The game has reviewed well and sold even better, hooking many fans with its return to Budokai Tenkaichi's iconic DBZ-simulating gameplay and abundant hidden interactions and bonus content. Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero has assumed its spot as the next big Dragon Ball title, and even with some blemishes and missteps along the way, it has done a remarkable job of living up to its legacy.
A Dragon Ball fighting game wouldn't be complete without lots of playable characters and things to do, and Sparking Zero delivers. Boasting a record-setting Dragon Ball launch roster of 182 playable characters, as well as a number of offline and online modes, players can spend hours just rising through the online ranked ladder or making original stories in the robust Custom Battle. At some point, all players will likely be drawn to Sparking Zero's story mode, dubbed Episode Battle after the various character episodes and “what if” Sparking Episodes within. However, Episode Battle may have exposed that Dragon Ball story modes, as fans know them, may be on their last legs.
Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero’s Story Feels Like A Retread
Many parts of Episode Battle were interesting for long-time Dragon Ball fans to engage with, particularly the chance to alter canon events. Besides the obvious branches presented by some dialogue options, player performance in battles can also cause minor swerves like new battles or different characters being present. The most dramatic deviations result in Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero’s Sparking Episodes, and these tend to stand out from the rest of the story mode by including more original scenes and even some new animated sequences. Still, even prompting a small change by performing well in a fight can feel satisfying.
Episode Battle Should Be The Last Vanilla Dragon Ball Story Mode
With that said, outside the Sparking Episodes and occasional highlight moments, Episode Battle often feels like a recap slideshow for the events of Dragon Ball Z and some of Dragon Ball Super. It doesn't help that this approach still cuts huge swaths of the original story out, essentially turning Sparking Zero's story mode into a glorified secret hunt catering only to hardcore Dragon Ball fans. That's not a problem with contemporary Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot thoroughly replicating Dragon Ball’s story, but that just makes Sparking Zero’s retelling of Dragon Ball look even more rote and underwhelming.
What Dragon Ball Video Games Need To Change About Their Stories
The truth is, Dragon Ball video games have remade the original and Z Sagas of Dragon Ball for decades. Even limiting the scope to games with comparable content offerings to Sparking Zero’s, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 2 had all of DBZ adapted with plenty of “what if” bells and whistles all the way back in 2003. Dragon Ball titles launched on eighth generation consoles, starting with Dragon Ball Xenoverse, have made a concerted effort to either alter or step away from DBZ retellings, but now that Kakarot and Sparking Zero happened almost back-to-back with a clear DBZ bias when DB Super was available, something needs to change.
The Next Dragon Ball Game Should Explore Uncharted Territory
Fortunately, a couple of solutions are already present. Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 has been steadily producing “what if” DLC campaigns, and a new game should borrow its notes. Sparking Zero’s Episode Battle seemed more passionate about exploring hypotheticals than recaps anyway, so pivoting should be easy. Alternatively, Dragon Ball Super’s anime and manga, as well as Dragon Ball Daima, still haven't been the main focus of a game, and could be a jumping-off point to explore new game genres. The next Dragon Ball title after Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero has some tough story choices ahead, but at least it isn't out of options.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 82 /100 Critics Rec: 86%
- Released
- October 11, 2024
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Spike Chunsoft
- Publisher(s)
- Namco Bandai
WHERE TO PLAY
DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO takes the legendary gameplay of the Budokai Tenkaichi series and raises it to whole new levels. Become a super warrior and experience the earth-shaking, limit-breaking power of DRAGON BALL battles!
Unleash the strength of over 180 fighters from DRAGON BALL Z, DRAGON BALL Super, DRAGON BALL GT, and selected DRAGON BALL movies, all in the base game! Each character comes with their own signature abilities, transformations, and techniques.
Make the destructive power of the strongest fighters ever to appear in DRAGON BALL yours!
Engage in heart-pounding, high-speed 3D battles that stay true to the anime and video game series, with breathtaking visuals and authentic combat moves like beam clashes, rush attacks, movements too quick for the eyes to see, and planet-razing ultimate attacks.
Challenge other players online to test your skills, or sit down with friends offline to hone your skills exclusively in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber! Fight your way to become a champion across various tournament modes and victory conditions.
Conquer the action-packed battles from the beloved original story, or discover and unlock new encounters for your favorite Z-Fighters and more. Relive your favorite moments from the series through cutscenes you can experience from the perspectives of eight characters!
Recreate your favorite battles from throughout the DRAGON BALL story, or set up your dream story battle with your favorite characters! Share your creations with other fans and experience the battles brought to life by imaginations around the world.
- Engine
- proprietary engine
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Dragon Ball
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Fighting, Action
- How Long To Beat
- 11 hours
- How Long To Beat (Completionist Runs)
- 80 Hours
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
