Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is currently set for release on October 11, 2024. As the long-awaited successor to the Budokai Tenkaichi series, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero has had significant anticipation surrounding it since the day it was announced. With the game’s launch just around the corner, there are a few things to know before buying it.
First and foremost, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is a fighting game with a mind-boggling roster of 182 characters. Developers have taken every opportunity to explore every corner of the Dragon Ball universe, which shows in the game’s story as much as its roster. However, it’s important to consider the finer details before committing to picking it up on day one.
Everything to Know Before You Buy Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero
Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero Isn’t Meant for Competitive Play
It’s important to recognize up front that Sparking Zero isn’t a traditional fighting game, it’s an arena fighter. While arena fighters have a bit of a rocky reputation among the fighting game community, the Budokai Tenkaichi series is highly acclaimed for dodging many pitfalls of the genre. Regardless, one principle remains clear; Sparking Zero is intended for a casual audience.
There are a few obvious indicators, namely the size of Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero‘s full roster and the subgenre itself. In fact, Sparking Zero‘s lead developers have even said that this direction was intentional. Specifically, it was stated that the roster would be designed with canonical power in mind, rather than any kind of balancing. This certainly makes the game much less compatible with any sort of competitive play, although it may make the game more exciting for casual fans of the series.
Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is a Huge
Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero can be accurately summed up as a gargantuan game. Of course, the elephant in the room is the number of playable characters, with Sparking Zero sporting the largest roster in the Budokai Tenkaichi series and having 182 characters to choose from. However, this larger-than-life design philosophy extends far beyond the game’s roster size.
The game also comes with a seemingly robust story mode, which puts more meat on the bones in a number of ways. Sparking Zero‘s roster features several major campaigns, each starring a different character. Furthermore, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero uses What If scenarios to bolster the story’s runtime and replayability even more. Fans concerned about content can be sure they’ll be getting their money’s worth, but completing Sparking Zero may be too daunting of a task for someone without a lot of time on their hands.
Expect Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero DLC to Make the Game Even Bigger
Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero has already confirmed DLC plans, so this is also something to keep in mind before buying. Players that pre-order the game will receive Dragon Ball Daima‘s version of Goku as a bonus. Meanwhile, the first full-blown DLC characters will be Gamma 1 and Gamma 2 from Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. This means that the already huge game will be getting even bigger at launch, meaning players may have more to look forward to in the near future.
Aside from these characters, it’s currently unclear what to expect from Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero‘s DLC. The game has deliberately exceeded expectations so far, such as in the reveal trailer for Dragon Ball movie characters. It’s possible that DLC could add additional story lines, even likely considering the track record of other Dragon Ball games. For now, it is simply safer to assume that adding more characters will be the primary focus.
Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero‘s greatest appeal will be to casual players that will have plenty of time to explore everything the game has to offer. By contrast, certain aspects of the game’s design may be off-putting to competitive players, and even intimidating to others. Such a robust game carries a few cons with the associated benefits, and each player can assess whether Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero meets their expectations or not.
