Premium anime fighting game
DRAGON BALL FighterZ is a premium action game developed by Arc System Works and published by BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment. This adaptation of the beloved anime franchise is a great return to form for the video game series, featuring high-powered battles between its powerful cast of characters. Experience 3-on-3 matches with tag-team combos or follow the classic Story Mode, updated to reflect the latest arcs and new characters from the series.
If you’re looking to complete the franchise after DRAGON BALL FighterZ, you might want to try playing Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 or DRAGON BALL Z: KAKAROT for more DBZ experience.
An authentic DBZ experience
At its core, DRAGON BALL FighterZ is a 2.5D fighting game that brings a unique stylization. This design and graphics approach makes players feel like they’re in an anime episode. Its accurate representation of the characters, plus the heavy line work involved is something that has become the signature of Dragon Ball games. Additionally, the game has a good roster starting with 21 characters, with more unlockables.
In terms of gameplay, it features a three-on-three format that allows players to build their own dream team of DBZ characters. Whether it’s an entire Android team or a father-son team of Saiyans with Goku, Gohan, and Goten, mix and match characters and discover tag combinations. Also, its Story Mode plays into the timeline of the Dragon Ball Super anime, specifically between the Universe 6 and Future Trunks arcs.
Hailed as a near-perfect Dragon Ball Z, it caters to hardcore fans of fighting games and of the franchise. However, this also means that it’s not as accessible to new players, especially because of the AI difficulty it has. Its AI fights apart from the Story Mode require a steep learning curve. Additionally, a good part of its roster is only available through paid DLCs.
Anticipated public beta testing
The developers of DRAGON BALL FighterZ are launching an open beta test to showcase the game's new Rollback Netcode. This beta phase is scheduled from November 30 to December 11, 2023 (UTC), and is available exclusively to players who have purchased the game on STEAM. For a seamless process, the developers have provided a straightforward guide to help players make the switch.
Interested players are required to navigate to their STEAM library, right-click the title, and choose Properties. Next, they should proceed to the BETAS tab and choose public-beta-test from the options listed. This action should trigger an automatic download of the necessary data. If "public-beta-test" doesn't appear, players should switch to the LOCAL FILES tab within the Properties window and select "Verify integrity of game files" to address the issue.
Before joining the Steam-only beta test, players should be aware of certain conditions. Ownership of the full version of the game is necessary to participate. It is important to understand that any progress or data from this test will not transfer to the main game, nor will the main game's data transfer to the test. Additionally, personalized assistance for any problems encountered during the beta will not be available.
One of the best in the series
DRAGON BALL FighterZ is highly recommended as an anime fighting game, and for a lot of reasons. The game is committed to bringing beloved characters to life with a story that can be easily considered canon, plus the near-limitless combinations through its three-on-three format. However, it has restrictions in terms of AI difficulty and the need for battle passes and DLCs. Still, it’s still a must-try.
