Dragon Ball: Sparking Zerois currently set for release on May 17, 2025. As the long-awaited successor to theBudokai Tenkaichiseries,Dragon Ball: Sparking Zerohas 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 Zerois a fighting game with a mind-boggling roster of 182 characters. Developers have taken every opportunity to exploreevery corner of theDragon Balluniverse, 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 thatSparking Zeroisn’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, theBudokai Tenkaichiseries is highly acclaimedfor dodging many pitfalls of the genre. Regardless, one principle remains clear;Sparking Zerois intended for a casual audience.
There are a few obvious indicators, namely the size ofDragon Ball: Sparking Zero’s full rosterand 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 Zerocan be accurately summed up as a gargantuan game. Of course, the elephant in the room is the number of playable characters, withSparking Zerosporting thelargest roster in theBudokai Tenkaichiseriesand 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 Zerouses What If scenariosto 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 completingSparking Zeromay 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 Zerohas already confirmed DLC plans, so this is also something to keep in mind before buying. Players that pre-order the game will receiveDragon Ball Daima’s version of Gokuas a bonus. Meanwhile, the first full-blown DLC characters will be Gamma 1 and Gamma 2 fromDragon 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 unclearwhat to expect fromDragon Ball: Sparking Zero’s DLC. The game has deliberately exceeded expectations so far, such as in the reveal trailer forDragon Ballmovie characters. It’s possible that DLC could add additional story lines, even likely considering the track record of otherDragon Ballgames. For now, it is simply safer to assume that adding more characters will be the primary focus.
Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero’s greatest appealwill 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 whetherDragon Ball: Sparking Zeromeets their expectations or not.
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero
WHERE TO PLAY
DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO takes the legendary gameplay of the Budokai Tenkaichi series and raises it to whole new levels. Become a super warrior and experience the earth-shaking, limit-breaking power of DRAGON BALL battles!Unleash the strength of over 180 fighters from DRAGON BALL Z, DRAGON BALL Super, DRAGON BALL GT, and selected DRAGON BALL movies, all in the base game! Each character comes with their own signature abilities, transformations, and techniques.Make the destructive power of the strongest fighters ever to appear in DRAGON BALL yours!Engage in heart-pounding, high-speed 3D battles that stay true to the anime and video game series, with breathtaking visuals and authentic combat moves like beam clashes, rush attacks, movements too quick for the eyes to see, and planet-razing ultimate attacks.Challenge other players online to test your skills, or sit down with friends offline to hone your skills exclusively in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber! Fight your way to become a champion across various tournament modes and victory conditions.Conquer the action-packed battles from the beloved original story, or discover and unlock new encounters for your favorite Z-Fighters and more. Relive your favorite moments from the series through cutscenes you can experience from the perspectives of eight characters!Recreate your favorite battles from throughout the DRAGON BALL story, or set up your dream story battle with your favorite characters! Share your creations with other fans and experience the battles brought to life by imaginations around the world.
