There aren’t many animes that stand the test of time – and it’s not because of the hot babes in bikinis or even the quality of the art, but rather because of how engaging the story and character development is. Fans build a relationship with characters, and sometimes even an attachment. Dragonball is one of those anime’s and Dragonball Xenoverse 2 brings it to a new generation with more clarity.
With the recent release of ‘Dragonball Super’, the love affair fans have for the series has been rekindled. Xenoverse 2 capitalizes on that with an action filled game that takes us back to all our old favorite storylines.
The premise is similar to the original Xenoverse – you play a time patroller, which you custom build to your liking, who is tasked with going back in time and righting all the changes that have been occurring in the original Dragonball history. Along the way you meet new characters and allies and learn more advanced techniques.
Now while character building is nothing new or unique in the gaming world, there’s something super satisfying about creating your own likeness as a Sayan, Human, Namikian or even as a Majin. I dare say my Sayan is an exact replica of me… ok with out the belly.
In customizing your character you take into account your fighting style and desired power level vs health and defense. Each race has their own strengths and weaknesses in order to create a balance. As you play, you attain new masters in order to learn their techniques and receive special items. In order to progress further with your masters you need to create a better relationship with them by talking to them and taking them on missions with you regularly. If they like you enough they’ll give you rare items and teach you devastating new techniques.
The gameplay is similar to previous Dragonball titles but the controls seemed to have been tightened and run more smoothly. There are a lot of special combinations to remember in order to maximize your character. If you invest some time into learning these button combinations you can be an unstoppable opponent, but like I said it takes some time.
I do love the fact that combos aren’t as easy simply mashing buttons, although there is the classic hit square 5 times and hit triangle 4 times for a special combo. This makes it more engaging for the advanced level player but also easily accessible to the casual gamer only interested in the story.
A couple of other highlights are the ability to import your previous game file from the original Dragonball Xenoverse and the addition of multiple side quests. I won’t spoil what the former does but if you played the first game you’re definitely going to like this. As for the latter, while not necessary to finish the game, by finishing side quests you gain access to new gear, techniques, masters and clothing.
The only negative I found in this game is that it sticks to close to the same format they always use. Replay old storylines and repair the timeline. The ability to gain new words to say and use as your nickname seems kind of cheap to me. It’s milking every last drop of a basic feature and calling it a reward. I hate it when games do this and pretend they are giving you something special.
The greatest part of the game though is the graphics. The cut scenes are like watching an anime of the greatest caliber. With the crisp clear vibrant colors and beautifully rendered characters there’s nothing to hate here. You have to see it to truly appreciate it.
Dragonball Xenoverse 2 is a solid well rounded game. If you’re looking to kick some ass and save multiple Universes, while watching beautifully designed worlds and characters, this is a must have. It gets the Juan Pablo stamp of approval.