Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero has continued to show its love for every corner of the series, with the recent reveal that its final launch roster will feature a whopping 181 fighters. While there's nothing inherently wrong with this, casting such a wide net can have its fair share of downsides as well. Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero repeats one trend with its story mode, and it's one that the next Dragon Ball game would be better off without.
Many Dragon Ball games simply recap events of the anime's story. Dragon Ball is more than iconic enough to warrant a direct adaptation, but the series has returned to the same well far too many times at this point. Furthermore, these games often adapt as much of the anime as possible, and Sparking Zero appears to continue this trend as well. When the next Dragon Ball game inevitably arrives, developers should be sure to narrow their focus.
After Sparking Zero, The Next Dragon Ball Game Needs a More Focused Story
Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero Succeeds at Pure Fan Service
Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is the upcoming sequel to the beloved Budokai Tenkaichi series, and the resemblance is more than a little apparent. Sparking Zero shares many of its predecessors' priorities, between its jaw-dropping roster size, bombastic action, and even its approach to storytelling. Although many enjoy the similarities between Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero and Budokai Tenkaichi, future games should try a new path.
Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is a spectacle of fan service first and foremost. Within every aspect of the game, even its marketing before release, this priority is abundantly clear. When it comes to meeting this goal, Sparking Zero succeeds with flying colors. The game manages to capture Dragon Ball in its totality, with its roster and story alike. However, if the next Dragon Ball game wants to leave an impression, one untested approach could hold the secret ingredient.
Future Dragon Ball Games Should Focus On Specific Sagas
Many Dragon Ball games often try to capture as many story arcs as possible, especially when it comes to adapting Dragon Ball Z. By contrast, any story arcs before DBZ are few and far between in most games. Likewise, most Dragon Ball games skip over many major events from GT and Super. Dragon Ball Super has received more attention in recent years, but GT's controversial status makes its exclusion understandable enough.
There is already a question of how many times players will want to replay a story they've already seen. This question is made that much more pressing when one notices the clear favoritism at play. Regardless, a simple solution could help the series move in a different direction. Instead of attempting to adapt Dragon Ball in its entirety, and losing focus on many important story arcs, future Dragon Ball games could be entirely dedicated to one arc in particular.
The Next Dragon Ball Game Has an Important Choice to Make
Rather than quickly running from one arc to the next, many arcs deserve an entire game in their own right. Many fans have played through the story of Dragon Ball dozens of times across several games, but a more focused story mode could present these arcs in their best state yet. Likewise, developers could eventually give more spotlight to the characters and stories that have drawn the short straw so far.
A game focusing solely on the earliest events of Dragon Ball could be a real treat for fans. After all, it would allow players to fight through a solid adaptation of the tournament that gave the Budokai Tenkaichi series its name. And while the Frieza Saga has been abridged plenty of times at this point, a game focused entirely on the arc could have a dramatic weight not seen in previous adaptations.
Dragon Ball has plenty of iconic stories to pull from, and many of them could be the subject of their own game. Many Dragon Ball protagonists could lead their own game, and Sparking Zero's What Ifs show the value of original storytelling. However, if Dragon Ball games continue to adapt existing story arcs, they could hugely benefit from a much more narrow focus.
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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
