Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is 2020’s first big release of the year. It gives us something to play before the flash flood of games to come in Spring. You might have considered trying Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, simply because there aren’t many other new games. Once you thought about it, though, you might have scared yourself away because you aren’t familiar with the series, I know I did. Dragon Ball is a series that has been alive and well for over 30 years. It isn’t easy to jump onto a series after so much source material has already been put out there. Luckily for myself, I got to play Kakarot for free because of game sharing on my Xbox. After putting 30 hours into the game, however, I can say that it is well worth the price tag.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Gameplay
DBZK is a game that covers four significant sagas throughout the Dragon Ball Z timeline. It consists of the Saiyan Saga, Frieza Saga, Cell Saga, and Majin Buu Saga. If you are like me and have never watched the show before, then you have no idea what those four things are. Fear not though, it is simple. All 4 sagas are named after the major protagonist of each chapter. The game follows the same story that the show does through these four periods of time. They do add some original material through side quests, but mostly everything sticks to what was initially shown on TV. Playing through these four sagas will net you enough knowledge to have at least somewhat of a clue when someone talks to you about Dragon Ball. The only hard part of following along is the various characters that you meet in such a small amount of time. The main story, however, is incredibly simple. Bad guy shows up, gets stronger, then you get even STRONGER. While that may sound diminishing, the story is actually quite charming.
From the very get-go, you are introduced to the combat in DBZK, and that can be pretty fun at times. There aren’t combos quite to the level of Mortal Kombat, but there is a wide variety of super moves that you can equip for your character. Super moves are a step above the primary attacks. They require a certain amount of Ki to use that you can refill mid-fight, by holding a particular button command. The super moves themselves can be leveled up throughout your playthrough, by training against A.I opponents, or leveling them up in your skill tree. Combat is really the main crux of the game, each cutscene is just setting up the next fight, with a little exploration mixed in here and there.
When it comes to the RPG elements of Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, there isn’t much to speak of. There is leveling up, and a skill tree, but it isn’t very fleshed out. The real joy in the progression is when you learn an enemy’s move set, then dominate them in a fight. When compared to the RPGs of this generation, Kakarot is more like a last-gen title. The same goes for the graphics at times. Some of the cutscenes look better than modern cartoons, while free-roaming though, it can seem downright bad. It is safe to say the looks of this game aren’t its strongest attribute.
Overall Rating of Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
While I have highlighted the good and the bad of DBZK, there is no denying that it is an excellent all-around game. Even though I had no prior experience with Dragon Ball, I felt like I understood what was going on just fine. The story did an excellent job of making me care for the characters of this universe. I enjoy going into a pop culture section now at a store and being able to point out some of my favorite DBZ characters. When put into perspective, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is an excellent jumping-on point for any want-to-be fan. If you have any reservations, I’m telling you that it is worth it. DBZK is a game that is ripe with great character and joyous moments. Now is as good a time as any, so jump in before this Spring if you want to learn more about the world of Dragon Ball.
