It’s been a while since we’ve seen a release of a new Dragon Ball Z game. However, Bandai Namco hasn’t been sitting down and taking an extended vacation. Older games are still getting patched or even supported with new content due to the release of the latest movie Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. Xenoverse 2 is getting new playable characters (along with a new skillset) such as Son Gohan and Gamma 1. Dragon Ball Fighter Z also got a big patch that balanced the fighters and made the game more accessible online. Dragon Ball Z Kakarot will also get a new DLC that’s been built around Bardock’s Legacy and in the near future, we’ll also get a next-gen version of Dragon Ball Z Kakarot. But that’s not all…
Dragon Ball: The Breakers is the latest addition to the game’s franchise. It’s an asymmetrical multiplayer game where you can play as one of the villains (as the raider) against seven survivors. This type of game is pretty new and this type of game is getting a lot more fans due to the unique approach of the developers… Popular games such as Dead By Daylight or Evil Dead started the trend and haven’t been out of the picture since. Let’s talk a bit more about this unique game…
“You’ll eventually end up on a former known planet where you’re being chased by the main villain.”
The game’s storyline is fairly simple. You wake up as a “normal being” that has no recollection of whoever you’re supposed to be as well as no recollection of where you were headed. You’re being awakened by your friendly neighborhood purple-haired friend Trunks who is in the Time Patrol Agency. It seems that temporal streams are occurring everywhere and they’re sucking you in. You’ll eventually end up on a former known planet where you’re being chased by the main villain. Trunks just ask you to go along with it, so he can figure this all out on his own. That’s where the story kinda ends.
When you first start the game, you’ll be able to create your own character that’ll fit the style of the DBZ universe perfectly. You’ll then be exported to the tutorial where Trunks learns the “simple” basics of the game but doesn’t go too advanced. In other words, you’ll probably will learn how to play the game when you’re actually playing. Trunks will also grant you some story background but nothing worth mentioning. After the tutorial, you’ll be sent to the Time Patrol social hub where you can run around with a couple of other online players, where you can chat with some NPC, and where can buy in-game stuff such as attributes, clothing, etc.
“Traversing the area isn’t easy when a raider is on the loose.”
How does the game actually play? Well, the game will eventually put one player inside the body of a super-strong raider (Cell, Buu, or Frieza) and this person will have to compete against weak seven survivors. The survivors can win the game by collecting all Time Keys, activating them to power up the Time Machine to help them escape the temporal stream. Each map (7 different areas) has different regions and hosts a time key that anyone can activate at a certain spot around the map. After activating the keys, the Time Machine will descend and will need some time to power up. If the machine is powered up, the survivors can escape. If the raider blows it up, you’ll have to find another way to escape the temporal stream. The moment when only 2 or 3 survivors are left, trunks will send out a quick-escape time machine that players need to get to in order for them to escape. If this one also blows up by an attack of the raider, the game will result in a win for the Raider.
Traversing the area isn’t easy when a raider is on the loose. That’s why all of the survivors can equip a certain amount of skills that can help them with a confrontation with the raider. These skills are all about heightening your chances to escape instead of heightening your chances to defeat the raider. Skills are “equipping a grappling hook”, “Smoke Grenades”, “Kaio-ken rush”, and “Solar Flare”, … During your search for the Time Keys, you’ll be able to loot items that can help you along the way: Dragon Ball Radar, Time Key Radar, Weapons to stun the enemy, food, shield items, Saiyan Pod, …
“The battles are chaotic but filled with fast-paced action.”
You can also try to kill the raider by using Transpheres. Transpheres are items that are filled with Z energy. By consuming these Transpheres, you’ll be able to harness the power of this Z-energy. You’ll be brimming with energy and harness the fighting skills of one of your favorite Z-Fighter. This change of power is only for a brief moment of time, so use it carefully and try to use it alongside another group member. Your combined attacks will do so much more when fighting alone.
Of course, the raider can also power up by consuming different survivors. By using their energy, the raider will be able to change into another power form and get closer to its ultimate form. Each time the Raider levels up, he’ll be able to perform a destructive power attack to wipe out a region of the area. Each Raider has its own set of skills and mechanics that’ll make any battle unique. There are even mimics that are referring to the series moments. For example, Buu can eventually let all the survivors fight him, inside of him thus releasing his strongest form. The battles are chaotic but filled with fast-paced action.
“Dragon Ball: The Breakers is definitely worth checking out, especially for a DBZ fan.”
Each survivor can level up to a maximum of 3 and each Raider can level up to a power level of 4. Power Level 4 is the ultimate form of the raider and can’t reach any level after that. A survivor can only break through the level cap of 3 by searching all dragon balls, placing them, and summoning Shenron. By gaining this extra level, you’ll heighten the damage of the Z-fighter within you.
Technical speaking, the game runs okay but you can tell that the developers were more focused on a decent gameplay experience than a more graphically polished game. Don’t get me wrong, some points made the game look good but most of the time it’s decent. Not too many bugs, a quick refilled matchmaking system, and a desired “role” system make up for a pleasant game. However, I do believe they can do the player base a favor and allow a crossplay matchmaking system. This will make the user experience a lot better. The developers also have a matchmaking system in that any type of level can be put against each other. I have seen low-level raiders that can pack a punch and even high-level survivors that can outrun the raider when they want to. This whole matchmaking system with all-around skill-leveled players can sometimes make the game feel a bit chaotic but fun as well.
Conclusion:
Dragon Ball: The Breakers is definitely worth checking out, especially for a DBZ fan. It might be a unique gameplay experience that takes some distance from what Bandai Namco would normally produce but it does the job. It gives you an awesome experience where you can play as the villain or run away from it. The 3 main villains have their own set of skills and truly feel like decent boss battles. The graphical part could have been polished a bit more but it can definitely be appealing. It’s also a game that has a lot of potential that the developers can build upon. Hopefully, the game will be polished along the way and get better by the month. Try it out!
