Dragon Ball Sparking ZERO: 5 reasons to play (or not) this new DBZ video game

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It was in 2007, PS2 players discovered the brand new opus of the Dragon Ball Z Budokai video game saga, with the unforgettable Tenkaichi 3. Since then, several games have come to satisfy fans of the license, with quite a few very dispensable titles, but also some gems, like Dragon Ball FighterZ or the very good Kakarot. Alongside the brand new Daima series (which is coming this October 11th on ADN and a few days later on Netflix), the Dragon Ball saga is finding its place again on our video game consoles, with Sparking Zero, which is intended to be the direct sequel to Tenkaichi 3. But should we blindly fall for this new episode ? Then yes, but we think it is appropriate to qualify certain aspects.

Yes for the return of Dragon Ball and this visual spectacle in the style of a “childhood dream”

It was a few years ago now, Dragon Ball fans were eagerly awaiting the new Budokai, then the new Tenkaichi on PS2. Titles that are increasingly refined over the episodes, the ultimate consecration being for many fans Tenkaichi 3. With Sparking Zero, the publisher wanted to “take the frenetic gameplay of the Budokai Tenkaichi series and take it to unrivaled heights of power”.

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At this level, it's hard to be picky, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is very impressive visually speaking, with this impression of literally living the anime. In addition to the arenas (more than a dozen) of well-known and larger than ever fights, fans will undoubtedly be delighted to discover various details, such as the fighters' clothes that fall to pieces during the fight, or the possibility of destroying the scenery, without forgetting of course to perform extraordinary ultimate attacks.

During the first minutes of play, it is indeed difficult to deny one's pleasure in the face of what is presented as “the best Dragon Ball game” never proposed. However, as untouchable as it seems at first glance, and if Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero will clearly satisfy many fans, others will however be a little more critical, or even less disappointed, with certain aspects of the game.

Yes for the gigantic roster (but with many variations)

In addition to its ultra-realistic clashes, one of the great strengths of this Sparking Zero is the number of fighters offered. Think about it, the game allows you to embody more than 180 characters from the different arcs of Dragon Ball. It's huge, and even a form of “childhood dream” for all DBZ fans in reality.

Beyond Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Gohan and other Trunks, the catalog of characters also includes fusions, but also Master Roshi, Freezer, Cell and Boo, without forgetting the whole Ginyu team, but also the cyborgs, Broly, Beerus… In short, everyone is there, even those we don’t expect (and that’s a bit of a problem)…

As huge as this roster is, there are also a few absentees, often in favor of totally dispensable characters like the soldier of Freezer's forces, Ribrianne, Toppo or even Kakunsa. Finally, how can we not be put off by the selection screen of these same characters, of a total sadness while we expected a screen exuding class and the effluvia of sweaty Saiyans…

Also, it is appropriate to qualify this gigantic roster a little, since the latter takes into account about twenty iterations of Goku, about fifteen for Vegeta, about ten for Trunks or even Gohan… Most of the characters are offered in various forms, and sometimes depending on their origin (DBZ, Dragon Ball GT, Dragon Ball Super…). Note that the missing characters are to be unlocked from the game’s store, via the precious Zenis.

Yes for the gameplay, but no for the general interface

After Dragon Ball FighterZ and its 2D approach and Dragon Ball Kakarot and its RPG side, this Sparking Zero goes back to basics, the latter being the direct sequel to Tenkaichi 3 launched on PS2 more than 15 years ago. This translates into very nervous 3D gameplay, which is relatively accessible, but which will nevertheless require going through the Training box to really master all the aspects, including counters, teleports, dodges… In short, everything that makes Dragon Ball so special.

This new Sparking Zero does not have the balance of a FighterZ. It also does not have the qualities of a Kakarot when it comes to Story mode. The game by Bandai Namco actually aims to meet a certain demand, namely to find the 3D combat style of the PS2 episodes (Budokai/Tenkaichi), and finally redo what we did “before”, with modern graphics and in much better conditions.

The gameplay has some excellent surprises in store for those who take the time to assimilate all its subtleties, with essential Ki management, not to mention a complexity and depth that are quite phenomenal for those who take the time to tame all its aspects. Similarly, some characters are much more enjoyable to play than others, and the difference between them is truly palpable.

Don't panic though, even with an “average” level, you will constantly be as close as possible to the anime, with the help of Big Bang Attack, supersonic counters and other teleportations, enough to provide great emotions to those who still try to trigger a Kamehameha when they are out of sight.

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At this level, the fights are nervous, very nervous… too nervous sometimes. The action is very fast, so much so that the camera sometimes struggles to keep up, making some fights quite messy. Graphically, Sparking Zero is generally superb, even if seasoned eyes will flinch at the rendering of the landscapes that are too realistic compared to the characters (not to mention the cutscenes with a strangely low resolution) or a few small display bugs here and there.

An “edgy” side that is also found in the general interface, very dynamic, very (very) busy. So yes, it is full of winks, but it is also sometimes a little messy there again. A little sobriety and calm would not have gone amiss here. And once again, what a shame not to have taken care of the character selection screen at least a little bit… It would so deserve to be corrected soon during a game update.

Yes (and a little no always) for the Story mode

In addition to the ability to fight the AI at leisure or a friend on the living room couch or online (and even to have two AIs fight each other), Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero offers a “Story” mode. The latter focuses on several characters from the saga (Goku, Vegeta, Freezer, etc.) retracing the adventures of each through short sketches. It is very faithful to the anime, but it is also very quickly dispatched to focus on the essentials. On the narrative side, we are entitled to a few cutscenes, but the whole is very often illustrated by slideshows, with scrolling text at the bottom of the screen.

What an excellent idea, however, to be able to switch to first-person view during certain sequences, and experience seeing Radditz's death with his own eyes or feeling like he's being crushed in Vegeta's hands when he transforms into a giant gorilla. Excellent!

Similarly, the game sometimes offers “What if”, or alternative story branches. For example, it is entirely possible for Goku not to be killed by Piccolo during the fight against Radditz, which opens access to a small alternative scenario. Nice, even if the conditions for accessing these same What If are not always very clear…

Relive some legendary sequences in first-person view ( FPS) is pretty awesome © Presse-citron.net

In terms of difficulty, the game remains accessible, even if some fights will have to be restarted several times. This will be the case in particular against Vegeta in his giant gorilla form , but also against Freezer. Nothing insurmountable, but hammering buttons will clearly not be enough to advance (unless you lower the difficulty level).

However, we regret that the Story mode will gradually tend to recycle certain confrontations, to (re)live through the eyes of another character. A recycling aspect that artificially lengthens the lifespan.

Is it possible to save Yamcha from his famous certain death ? Maybe… © Presse-citron.net

Note that the game also allows you to participate in many Bonus fights, but also to create your own scenarios (and discover those of players around the world). In addition to this, there are various tournaments (the championship martial arts, Cell Games…) which are also very enjoyable to play.

As for local multiplayer, it is indeed present, but is currently limited to a single arena (the room of time and spirit), not to mention an interface that is once again very poorly thought out. The developers' priority was clearly not this local multiplayer, and we feel that it was integrated in a hurry. No doubt that an update will also come to optimize this aspect.

No, because Sparking Zero puts pa$$ion before passion a little too much

In its content, Dragon Ball Sparking Zero is generous, very generous even. However, if the fan service is very present in the game, the publisher has also been a little heavy-handed when it comes to access to the game, especially for those who want to enjoy a complete experience. Available in a standard edition at a price of €79, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is also offered in a Deluxe version (€109.99) and an Ultimate version (€119.99). The latter two allow you to integrate a Season Pass, but also some bonuses to use directly in the game.

Already prohibitive prices, which do not prevent the publisher to offer DLC, namely… the music from the anime! Indeed, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero does not include the original music, and you therefore have to pay no less than €30 extra to get the two Anime Music Packs. And even for some die-hard fans, the capsule is hard to get through…

Obviously, over the months, the game will offer new DLC (some of which are paid), which will further increase the bill. We are (unfortunately) used to this kind of practice, but from an economic point of view, this Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero (like the majority of titles stamped DBZ elsewhere) insists a little (a lot) too much on fan-service.

Our opinion on Dragon Ball Sparking Zero

It's impossible to be picky about this Dragon Ball Sparking Zero. Yes, this sequel to Tenkaichi 3 is a godsend for fans of the license, who will enjoy a nervous 3D fighting game, very successful visually, with a ton of content and endless fan service as a bonus. Still, the game is not perfect, with a roster that includes a lot of variants for the same character (and which has a few absent subscribers), a rather indigestible interface (and this character selection screen…), a camera that sometimes makes the fights a little messy anyway, not to mention this unfortunate tendency to play a little too much on the fans' passion. An excellent title despite everything, which will undoubtedly make the majority of fans of the license happy, but which will also make quite a few people angry, in addition to requiring (in our eyes in any case) a few updates to refine certain portions. You have been warned.

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Teilor Stone

Teilor Stone has been a reporter on the news desk since 2013. Before that she wrote about young adolescence and family dynamics for Styles and was the legal affairs correspondent for the Metro desk. Before joining Thesaxon , Teilor Stone worked as a staff writer at the Village Voice and a freelancer for Newsday, The Wall Street Journal, GQ and Mirabella. To get in touch, contact me through my teilor@nizhtimes.com 1-800-268-7116