Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
begins right where the anime does: introducing us to Goku and his son
Gohan just before the Saiyans are set to invade earth, revealing Goku's
true Saiyan heritage and setting off a chain of events that threatens
the entire universe. It's a story we've seen played out in many Dragon
Ball Z games over the years, but unlike recent examples, Kakarot tells
its tale by way of a narrative-driven RPG rather than a strictly
combat-focused game. It gives life to the world and story of DBZ in a
refreshing way, offering us a glimpse into what life is like for Goku
and his many companions outside of battles to decide the fate of the
universe.
All of Dragon Ball Z's major story arcs are
contained here: the Saiyan invasion, the showdown with Frieza on planet
Namek, the Androids, the fight against Cell, and Majin Buu's story. But
among all of these massive, earth-shattering sagas and intense fights
are numerous smaller stories and character interactions that many games
have simply glossed over.
The game's structure is split into parts:
free-roaming/exploration sequences with a semi-open world, battle scenes
against foes big and small, and cutscenes where you watch some of the
most dramatic story moments of DBZ play out in gorgeous in-engine
renditions. There's a good balance between all of these; it rarely feels
like you're spending too long watching a cutscene or that you're thrust
into constant battle without being able to take a moment to catch your
breath. Sometimes the exploration sequences can seem overlong, but a lot
of that depends on how much time you want to spend doing side quests
and hunting collectibles like power-up orbs, food supplies, and
materials for side pursuits like cooking and crafting. It's not
essential to spend a lot of time on side pursuits, but it does provide
benefits--and while you're flying around the big, vibrant environments,
it's easy to be swept up in exploring the DBZ world itself, which is
filled with giant fish, rampaging dinosaurs, and futuristic cities.
One
striking thing about DBZ: Kakarot is how it showcases the large cast of
the anime. You begin the game as Goku, but as the story progresses, you
assume control over several other characters, like Gohan, Piccolo,
Vegeta, and Trunks, to name a few. Familiar faces like Krillin, Tien
Shinhan, Yamcha, and Android 18 also appear to aid you in combat as
assistants. Many of the other supporting DBZ cast members make cameos in
side quests and story scenes as well. Building friendships with
characters through questing and giving gifts rewards you with a
character emblem, and by placing it on a “community board” that
represents a group of Goku's companions, you can earn assorted boosts to
combat, item-gathering, cooking, and other adventurous pursuits.
But
these rewards are only part of what makes DBZ: Kakarot's adventuring
feel satisfying. Dragon Ball Z is a series where character relationships
and interactions are important, and that really comes through in the
non-combat story bits. You see Piccolo warm up to young Gohan, Chi Chi's
tough mother role, the fighters bonding outside of battle, teenage
Gohan doing his goofy Great Saiyaman shtick, and much more. Even
relatively minor characters like Yajirobe, Launch, and Puar have side
quests that showcase funny interactions, silly scenarios, and genuinely
sad and touching moments. Seeing so many DBZ characters given their
moment to shine is great, and it helps you forget that a lot of the side
quests are fairly typical RPG kill-these-enemies or collect-this-item
affairs. As someone who thinks some of the “filler” and comedy episodes
of DBZ are among the series' best, I really appreciated an increased
focus on these stories in DBZ: Kakarot.
Of
course, it wouldn't be Dragon Ball Z without combat. While the 3D,
action-driven combat takes some getting used to at first, once you've
got a decent handle on the controls, you'll be flying around, shooting
off ki blasts and Kamehamehas like a pro. You control a single character
who has two basic attacks--up-close melee strikes and ranged ki blasts.
If you have companions in the fight, the CPU will control them, and you
can command them to make use of special attacks. Besides your basic
strikes, you have several powerful special skills, a boost to get up
close to the opponent, several defensive techniques to guard, dodge, and
catch an attacking opponent off-guard, and even (eventually) the
ability to transform into stronger forms. Many of these abilities cost
ki, which can be charged mid-battle but leaves you vulnerable when doing
so, making ki management very important. A tension gauge fills over
time, and when it's full, you can send your warrior into a superpowered
state where you can chain special attacks into each other, causing some
serious devastation.
It's
an intriguing combat system, and the 3D aerial movement element is
unique, but there's a lack of depth--most normal enemies and even a few
bosses can be patterned to make fighting them much easier. On top of
that, enemy variety outside of main story battles tends to be lacking,
particularly the annoying cannon-fodder foes that will interrupt you
during times when you just want to explore. But fighting still has some
standout moments during big boss fights when enemies whip out massive,
incredibly damaging energy attacks that force a rapid change in
strategy. Overcoming some of the nastiest things Dragon Ball Z's iconic
villains toss at you with skillful dodging and well-timed attacks is
immensely satisfying, and it somewhat makes up for all of the combat
time wasted punching the same robots over and over again.
Dragon
Ball Z: Kakarot's modern, semi-open approach to telling the saga of
DBZ--despite some minor issues--is a good one. Zooming around the
environments and seeing the world up close is a blast, and it's great
being able to interact with so many fun DBZ characters and see stories
that usually get passed over for game adaptations. And even though
combat can be a bit lacking, when the big battles happen, they feel
suitably epic and engaging. If you're looking for an enjoyable way to
see the life and times of adult Goku through a new perspective, Dragon
Ball Z: Kakarot will grant your wish.
