Pretty to watch... not so fun to play.
Having been a huge Dragon Ball Z game fan, you can imagine that when it came to the midnight release of this game (well, technically of Battlefield 3, but I knew what I was after!) I was well rested and ready for a long night of playing! Custom character creation, destructible worlds, a huge roster of playable characters- this game was sure to be a huge success!
First cracking the game open, it was pretty evident that the graphics would be phenomenal. Even the anime cut scenes look astounding on a 55" TV! With child like enthusiasm, I rushed to the highlight of this new game: the character creation! Now... don't get me wrong. It does exactly what it says it does: you can create a custom character, name him, and play through a story with him. Regardless of what anyone may say, this game is capable of at least that. But that is where the novelty ends. No race or gender options currently available (girls, stay away!) and the voices are downright horrendous. Still, you can make a custom character and name him... that's gotta count for something!
The tutorial was alerted me to how horrible my timing was at their little mini games. Whether my screen was de-synced or I just suck, when I had to time a button hit it required me to hit the button halfway down the timer line and NOT on the icon itself. Keep that in mind! Otherwise, though, the tutorial is very thorough, covering every base you could possibly need and then some.
Story mode time! I have to say, the story mode so far is amazing. High def and re-rendered anime cut scenes, decent voice acting and a pretty complete rundown of the DBZ story makes this a fun mode to play. If only the combat were so fun! Using your Dragon Radar, you find that you are not limited to just bouncing from battle to battle, but instead can search out fun and interesting side quests with which to entertain yourself for hours, including world tournaments! I strongly suggest looking around while you can, because there are plenty of Easter eggs to be found!
So, with all of this... how could I give it a 4.0? The combat, I'm afraid. For me, this is what I play DBZ games for. The combat has changed drastically from other releases, which was a welcome change! (Or so I thought). One of the first things you notice is that you not only have a ki meter but a "spirit meter" as well. The ki meter is used for your dodging and recovering, as well as other melee related abilities, while your spirit meter is used for super moves. When the battles start, your spirit meter is at rock bottom so no opening with Kamehamehas for you! Get in there and get some melee combat going! There are 2 "ranges" that the game takes place in. Melee range and blasting range. In melee range, no ki blasts are possible. In blasting range, obviously you wouldn't want to melee but again- not possible. You can switch between these two ranges by double tapping X.
Melee combat is really where my primary beef lies. Let's take an average battle in the game. The moment the battle starts, hold square to close in your combat distance and initiate melee combat. Upon initiating combat, after 3 successful physical square attacks you initiate a "chain". You have 2 choices- select square for a solid beatdown or triangle for a knockback. I can tell you, there is no point picking square. What it does is allow you to decrease your opponent's ki gauge with every hit, but because you can rush at the start of a fight, they have no ki to reduce! So, unless you make a mistake and let your opponent power up (which you shouldn't), triangle will often do comparable if not more overall damage AND builds up more spirit. Initiating a triangle chain and juggling your opponent constantly up will achieve nearly a full spirit gauge of power and separate you at blasting range. Pressing up on the right analogue stick will initiate your blasting range super move. For Goku, this would be your Kamehameha, for instance. After the solid beatdown early in the match, your opponent's ki gauge is non-existent, meaning that dodging, evading or blocking your attack is impossible. Once your move finishes, spam square OR double tap x and then spam square. You have initiated a combat chain again. Rinse and repeat infinitely until your opponent is no more. Shy of a few botched clashes, you should manage to perfect every fight! Give it a try on the hardest difficulty battle mode!
For me, this is a HUGE change from Burst Limit, where I nearly broke my controller in frustration during the final battle. Unfortunately, for me the game is a gorgeous letdown. It does have the Dragon Ball Z name; it does offer character creation; it does have amazing graphics... but this is where the enjoyment ends!
If you are a hardcore DBZ fan, you may enjoy this simply because it is a treat to watch. Otherwise, I suggest passing this one by.