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Annually, fans of the Dragon Ball universe have been treated to a fighting game featuring Goku and other well known characters. These iterations have been either very well received or extremely dull. This time around, the long time developer of the series, Dimps, have tried to maintain the reputation of the series while attempting to keep the series fresh by adding new elements to the story telling, graphics and gameplay.
Story:
Dragon Ball: XenoVerse features a brand new story arc that encompasses most of the events that take place throughout the well known saga. But the twist is that these events have been altered by a mysterious group of villains. You play a brand new character known only as Future Warrior, hailing from Toki Toki City which doubles up as a hub where the player can launch offline and online modes. These new villains that are introduced in this game expand an already extensive roster to an even larger size. Due to the time-bending nature of the plot, the player embarks to certain points in the past and has to prevent the baddies from altering these crucial events to their will. Throughout the story, there are several nods and references to the source material which the veteran fans of the Dragon Ball universe will pick up on.
Graphics and Audio:
Booting up XenoVerse, the bump in visuals from the previous games is clearly visible. Harnessing the power of next gen technology and using a modified Street Fighter IV engine, the world of Dragonball is faithfully recreated with expansive environments. You hover over bubbling lava battling combatants such as Goku or you’re gliding high above the skies going head to head against Vegeta.
The audio is top notch with the trademark over-the-top voice acting which is dubbed in english and the singular title track played in the opening of the first 200 episodes of the animated series. The english dubbing is somewhat mediocre and sometimes even atrocious mainly due to it not matching up to the brilliantly done in-game cutscenes. But for what it’s worth the japanese voice acting is well done and syncs up brilliantly and is definitely worth another playthrough for the hardcore fans. While the graphics may not be up to today’s standards, the gameplay takes the spotlight here with large scale battles resulting in endless hours of fun.
Gameplay:
Solid gameplay mechanics is what separate the extraordinary fighting games from the other mediocre ones and Dragon Ball: XenoVerse does it brilliantly. The fighting mechanics is borrowed from the previous entries in the series and largely remains the same so gamers experienced with those will be in their zone. While the combos can be pulled off with mashing buttons, getting the moves right while pressing the correct buttons is satisfying.
The collection of neat special moves, cinematic finishers and the character conversions keep the game lively and exciting every time. The new addition of the personalized character creation is a welcome feature in XenoVerse. You options of choosing your custom character from an Earthling, Saiyan or Majin category of fighter with each having their own unique ablilities and powers. The character creation feature also grants the player the capability to change their personalized character’s attire and other attributes.
Comparable to a psuedo-MMO like last year’s Destiny, XenoVerse features a hub similar to Destiny’s tower where new missions can be initiated. Here you can interact with other players’ custom characters and also pull off some silly moves. The online and offline modes must be selected from this hub and new quests can be launched requiring you to take on other opponents to snatch new abilites, costumes and accessories for your character.
Even the special moves that is rewarded to you is recreated meticulously from the anime and the ability to equip these moves is incredibly enjoyable and truly exhilarating when you pull it off. If the idea of selecting modes and interacting with live players sounds fun then XenoVerse won’t trouble you much, but for other players preferring the traditional method of choosing modes from a menu, the former may seem a bit tedious and tiresome. Apart from a few flaws in the combat mechanics and a couple niggling issues, the overall mechanics are flawless and very easy to grasp even for newcomers to the series.
Final Verdict: 8.5/10
Dragon Ball: XenoVerse is a well done amalgamation of RPG and MMO elements in addition to a robust character creation suite and impeccable combat mechanics. While it may be lacking in a few areas, XenoVerse tackles Akira Toriyama’s anime and translates it almost perfectly. The inclusion of the hub used to choose modes and a radical take on the mythology of the Dragon Ball paid off well for the developers. Dragon Ball: XenoVerse is a must play for fans of the anime and fans of the fighting genre making it one of the best brawlers in recent times.
