We may only be a few weeks into January, but I’m willing to stick my neck on the line and say that Dragon Ball FighterZ is the most beautiful fighting game you’ll play this year. Akira Toriyama’s iconic art style is brilliantly brought to life by Arc System Works and the most recent version of their game engine, allowing gorgeous 3D graphics to really pop off the screen and immediately stand aside from all of the fighting games that have come before it. Those who have stood with the Dragon Ball franchise for some time will immediately feel at home with FighterZ, whilst anybody new to the property should be drawn in right from the off. This is Dragon Ball in all its glory, and creators should be applauded for bringing such a gorgeous and worthwhile experience to players.
So is FighterZ all flash and no bang? Not at all. The gameplay is simple enough to get the hang of, allowing those new to the fighting genre to settle in quickly. Each of the four buttons – in Xbox’s case X, Y, A and B – relate to either a light, medium, strong or special attack, and can be strung together in a number of different combinations to allow for the initiation of a brutal beat down. Then there’s the slightly more complicated combos that come about when you use a half circle of movement with your analogue stick before pressing specific buttons. For veteran gamers who enjoy bringing the fight to opponents in titles of this genre, it could verge on being too simple, but we had a lot of fun with it nonetheless.
FighterZ is not your usual one-v-one beat-em-up, but a 3v3 fighting title that follows in the vein of Marvel vs Capcom and the like. Though for some, this could just mean changing characters whenever your first and then second has been beaten, there’s also the opportunity to use assists, which allow a non-active member of the team to come in, get a swift jab in during your main fighter’s combo, then dip back out again. This brings a layer of complexity to fights, and it won’t be long before you’re second guessing whether or not to tag in a companion or keep on fighting with your currently selected chosen character.
Story mode is where, for me, the bulk of the action and excitement lies. There are plenty of cameos from all sorts of characters that have cemented themselves as icons of the Dragon Ball universe, keeping players on their toes and allowing for some scenes that will have fans drooling. The newest addition to the roster, though? You! The game does well to integrate the person with the gamepad in their hands into the story, allowing a unique twist to the tale. Controlling characters in fighting games in the past has been fun, but when you’re actually consistently referred to by the people on screen, it adds a whole new level of enjoyment. Plus, the narrative being told is a truly compelling and engaging one that will have your attention right from the beginning up to its climactic end. At 12+ hours, it’s longer than most fighting game story modes, which is cause for celebration.
If you’d rather just battle your way through hordes of enemies, there’s an arcade mode that deviates from the usual ‘climb the ladder’, instead challenging the player to meet specific goals to unlock various paths. There are even some secret characters available for unlock, allowing a unique team that only the most dedicated of players will be able to access.
With 24 characters to choose from, stunning graphics, engaging gameplay and accessibility for newbies as well as long-time fans, Dragon Ball FighterZ ticks many, if not all the boxes. Online multiplayer could use a little brushing up and dusting off if our time on the open beta is anything to go by, but we imagine that tweaks and changes will be being made right as we type. Overall, we’re super impressed. This is the best Dragon Ball game there has ever been.
Dragon Ball FighterZ is available from Friday, January 26, 2018 on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. A free version of the game was provided to Female First in exchange for an open and honest review of the title.