Summary
- Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero, the next entry in the Budokai Tenkaichi series, aims to continue the franchise's legacy in the arena fighter genre.
- The game showcases a new environmental destruction mechanic, which adds depth and innovation to the combat experience.
- Sparking! Zero aims to meet and surpass the expectations set by its predecessor, Budokai Tenkaichi 3, through its faithful adaptation of Dragon Ball Z and its focus on recapturing the feeling of previous Tenkaichi titles.
The next entry in the popular Budokai Tenkaichi series, Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is set to continue the prolific anime’s legacy in the arena fighter genre. Returning to the mainline style of the generally well-received previous Tenkaichi titles, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero has the potential to rise above many of the other Dragon Ball adaptations that have released over the years if it can match what was shown in its reveal trailer.
Despite the unfamiliarity some fans may have with its title, Sparking Zero is the same game as Budokai Tenkaichi 4. As the latest in a series that has maintained a dedicated following for decades, Sparking Zero is going to be expected to both live up to and surpass its predecessors. Budokai Tenkaichi 3 is considered a classic by many Dragon Ball fans for its mixture of depth and breadth in terms of combat mechanics and roster size, but Sparking Zero might be able to live up to its legacy through environmental destruction.
A Beginner’s Guide to the Massive Dragon Ball Extended Universe
Dragon Ball franchise is not the average anime/manga franchise, it is much more than that. In fact, the Dragon Ball extended universe is very massive.
The Environmental Destruction Mechanic of Sparking Zero
A Subtle Yet Game-Changing Part of Sparking Zero’s Reveal
Revealed at The Game Awards 2023 in a gameplay trailer, Sparking Zero has already offered fans a glimpse into its new systems. While the unveiling of new updates to the Tenkaichi roster from Dragon Ball Super was likely the most hype moment of the showcase, one aspect of the combat stood out as particularly innovative for the franchise.
In a battle between Vegeta and Goku, the two are shown to be causing damage to their surroundings in an unprecedented way. A massive rock formation is destroyed on impact when Goku is launched toward it, and the ground itself is raised by blasts of energy.
Destructible Environments Show Evolution From Budokai Tenkaichi’s Past
While it has maintained interest since its release back in 2007, Budokai Tenkaichi 3 is still ultimately limited by its age. Despite being a faithful adaptation of Dragon Ball Z in most possible ways, it still couldn’t necessarily capture the damage that some of the series’ battles have caused to their surrounding environments. It’s likely that fans would enjoy a new Tenkaichi title if it were simply an update to the series without such a dramatic addition, but the inclusion of stage destructibles shows that there could be more innovation than expected at work in Sparking Zero. If nothing else, environmental destruction on this scale could be visually epic.
Sparking Zero’s Potential to Meet Budokai Tenkaichi 4’s Expectations
A Commitment to Remaining Faithful to the Tenkaichi Formula
There are many examples of modern games being teased and slowly showcased ahead of their releases, but Sparking Zero boldly subverted this with its first trailer. Over 15 characters have been confirmed, and its gameplay emphasized the new environmental damage system specifically. While it's unknown how important this mechanic will be to the actual combat or how immersive and frequent, it also seems as though Spike Chunsoft is focused on recapturing the feeling of the previous games in a way that is certain to set the latest Tenkaichi apart from FighterZ.
In a turn of events that seems aware of Dragon Ball Z esports fans, Sparking Zero has been shown to appear quite similar to its Tenkaichi predecessors in terms of core gameplay. The combat’s emphasis on interactions in the air and projectiles seems to be intact, and it's even possible it will include the same attention to detail in character-specific mechanics that the previous game’s roster featured. It does seem as though the environmental destruction system has a legitimate effect on the arenas, however, meaning that preserving the actual feeling of the older Tenkaichi titles could prove to be a challenging balance to find in the end.
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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.
- Franchise
- Dragon Ball
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Fighting, Action
