The Dragon Ball Universe has been the setting for a lot of fighting games but not every single game turned into the best thing ever. Year after year, a new Dragon Ball Z game launched and it was a constant rework of the previous game within the series. In the beginning, each game offered the same content but with some extra features and a graphical update. Even though the different games felt good, it was always missing something and that’s when Dragon Ball Xenoverse jumped into the fray to give us a game that contained everything we wanted, except for some of its flaws. This year, Xenoverse 2 is upon us and let’s see if the game is fresh from the start or just some big upgrade with some new features…
Dragon Ball Xenoverse surprised the community with a lot of interesting features contained within its content. Xenoverse was a stunning game with the crispy visuals and light color panel but it was repetitive after a few hours. The story still stays the same, since the game is using the same storyline as the anime. Then again, it was a big step forward when it comes to a fighting game set in the Dragon Ball Z universe.
The story is still the same as the previous Xenoverse. You’re starting a career as a Time Patroller and It’s your job to keep the original Dragon Ball history safe and sound. Any rippling within the timeline should be stopped! Often, you’ll have to defeat one of the common bad guys to rewrite time and get it back to its original state. You start off with the character creation mode. You can choose between different elite races such as Earthlings, Saiyans, Majin, Frieza, and Namekian. You’ll modify your looks, voice, armor colors and choose a way of fighting. You’re fighting skills can go from long distanced to even up and close. You’re the new favorite of the Supreme Kai in time and he needs your help.
The whole story line follows the anime TV series but with a little twist. Enemies are much more powerful thanks to some mysterious dark energy and they kick our heroes ‘butts. This makes up for some cool new storylines and hard battles along the way. Enemies such as Raditz, Frieza, Cell, Lord Slug, … will return to the scene in the storyline of Xenoverse 2. This approach makes the players familiarize with the twisted original story of our heroes and their powerful foes but your very own Time Patroller will make a re-appearance as well if you played the first one and you’re able to transfer your saved data to Xenoverse 2. You probably figured it out but the game isn’t THAT different from the original. It’s just a reworked version of the first but better.
It’s just a reworked version of the first but better
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 is very keen on the eye with its fantastic cell-shaded graphical style with a lot of detail and flashy colors. This graphical update suits the awesome battles or the super moves within this game perfectly. The game runs smoothly at 60 frames a second and there hasn’t been any stuttering at all during battles. Dragon Ball Z is all about the fast pace action with catastrophic super moves and this takes the reworked version of Dragon Ball Z Xenoverse to a whole other standard. Fans will really appreciate Dimps for listening to the community because the game feels a lot more balanced than before. The game also offers a lot more playable characters, around 88.
One of the biggest changes in the game is the reworked battle grid of Xenoverse 2. Just like the original, the game offers each player a KI-bar that’s being used for special moves but there’s also a Stamina bar that uses up the energy to dash, teleport, and block. The KI bar can be refilled by battling your opponent or even by charging up and the stronger you are, the more Ki blocks you’ll have. Unfortunately, the Stamina bar doesn’t refill by battling or charging up. Some Ki-based moves can be used to refill your Stamina bar but most of the time, it will fill up automatically but don’t expect a fast recharge. This whole system brings the battles to a whole other level. You’ll have to keep an eye out for your Stamina bar or it won’t take long before “Defeat” flashes on your screen. This gives the game a more tactical approach. You can be like the Super Z warriors but you’ll have to strategize.
This strategic approach will definitely reach its height during multiplayer matches because it’s definitely a skill based game but most of the time, you don’t need to be strategic to defeat the opponents during your offline storyline. Eventually, you’ll earn your victory by hitting fast and hard but this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t think about your approach. A couple of misplaced super moves and the game will backfire. Even though this might seem a bit boring, the matches become harder during your playthrough.
Speaking of, multiplayer matches… Xenoverse is an MMO in a way that the game offers some gameplay experiences with the help of other players. The central hub is now called Toki Tori City instead of Conton City and it is much bigger than the original hub. The hub is a place where you buy costumes, items, skills and set up single player or even multiplayer matches. In the beginning of your storyline, the City might feel a bit overrated but it becomes more vivid when you’re getting close to the end content. Conton City does eventually feel like a place where everything’s happening. It’s a place to meet up with friends and go on side quests or settle a score with a spectacular battle. There are even interesting characters that offer some words of wisdom and even fighting techniques such as Krillin, Vegeta, and Piccolo.
Multiplayer matches seemed to be set up very nicely. Going online offers the players an opportunity to form a team. This team can go online and battle against the computer or real players. Another mode is to play iconic battles with your friends. Battle against the Ginyu Force of Sayians or even the Great Apes. If you don’t have a stable internet connection, don’t you worry because the game offers offline battles as well. Unfortunately, the game still doesn’t offer co-op during the main story missions which is kind of a bummer.
Conclusion:
Xenoverse 2 is definitely worth buying if you’re looking for an amazing time with your friends. Players who are familiar with the franchise will probably already have bought this game but this doesn’t mean that other players shouldn’t give it a try as well. The game offers you a 20-hour campaign with lots of side quests and multiplayer modes. It’s a great plus that multiplayer sessions can be played offline and online. The game runs smooth and the graphical presentation is a joy to look at. Some people might not look into it, thinking the game doesn’t need skill but I beg to differ. Creating your own character with its own set of skills can be challenging and getting those fluent combos is a pain the ass but once you get the hang of it, you’ll feel like a true Dragon Ball Z warrior!
