Is Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero worth it?

Over the years, the world has been exposed to many Dragon Ball games, as it is rare that a few years go by without a new game being released. Even when the franchise wasn't releasing new anime, there were new Dragon Ball games.

It's fair to say that they haven't all been winners, but there have been several classics, particularly in the Budokai Tenkachi series that hold a special place in the hearts of DB fans. So, when Bandai Namco announced a new entry in the series titled Sparking Zero, fans were naturally excited. Well, now the game is out and the question is whether it's worth your time and money. Find out here.

review

Here at TheGamer, George Foster reviewed Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero and gave it a rating of 4.5 out of 5. Therefore, he gave it a very positive review, praising aspects such as the impressive visuals and varied menu. He also gave the fight a lot of preparation, making it compare well to previous entries in the series, even if George isn't always happy with the game's camera.

The mix of light attacks, heavy finishers, vanishes, counters, and special attacks is fast and crisp like the original trilogy, but with more depth thanks to the introduction of an in-air dash and the ability to deflect. Beam attacks

George is also a fan of story mode, mainly because of the inclusion of what-if scenarios. He says they “offer huge diversions and big surprises” and then calls them “the most outstanding game”. However, he noted that unlocking can be frustrating at times. Overall, George calls Sparking Zero “one of the best Dragon Ball games of all time”.

Time cost

Since Sparking Zero is a fighting game, you can play it as long as you want, as you can continuously fight against the AI ​​or fight people online.

However, the Episode Battle mode, which is the story mode of the game, takes around 10-14 hours. That is if you just stick to completing the main route. However, there are also scenarios that we need to watch out for. If you do them as well, you're looking at 19-20 hours of gameplay. Add to that the time required to beat all bonus battles in Custom Battle mode and each tournament in World Championship mode, and you're looking at a 24-hour commitment.

That said, there's more to do to 100% the game, including unlocking each character, reaching max skill with each character, completing all Zen-Oh commands, and more. It's hard to calculate exactly how long it will take to do anything, but it will be a long time.

cost

Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. There are three versions of this game with different prices. Here is a summary of the different versions and their costs:

These prices are based on the original retail price, but prices may vary at some retailers.

What are the players saying?

Great for Dragon Ball fans – Ben Jesse

Sparking Zero is more of a great Dragon Ball game than a great fighting game. That's not to say the combat is bad, as it actually has decent depth and feels satisfying. However, it's deliberately unbalanced, so the strongest fighters in the series, like Vegito and Beerus, are far more powerful than the likes of Videl and Yamcha. The general fighting game fan may not appreciate this imbalance, but it makes for a more accurate representation of the source material.

Add to that the stunning visuals and big stage brawls, and you really feel like you're watching an anime episode. As someone who is a casual fighting game fan but a huge Dragon Ball fan, I really appreciate this.

Nostalgia Soul Bomb – Alfredo Rubello

There's no shortage of good Dragon Ball games, but even in a sea of ​​great options, Sparking Zero manages to stand out. As a fan of the old Budokai Tenkaichi 3, I feel like it's a sequel I didn't know I needed.

The best part, beyond how well made all the characters are, is the custom battle mode. While it has its limitations, playing around creating your own stories with Goku and the gang is just pure joy, as is seeing what the community comes up with.