A fighting/RPG hybrid game released October 25th in the US on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Steam, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 lives up to the legendary property’s hype. Published by Bandai Namco and developed by Dimps (Dragon Ball Xenoverse, Street Fighter V, Street Fighter X Tekken), the game comes during a huge resurgence in popularity for this media franchise thanks to the current Dragon Ball Super anime series running in Japan.
Even if you’re not familiar with Dragon Ball Super, there’s still lots for longtime Dragon Ball fans to enjoy. Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 draws on story elements from Dragon Ball incarnations including the original manga from 1984, Super, and even GT (which we don’t talk about). DBX2 gives players the chance to become part of the Time Patrol, whose purpose is to keep Turles, Lord Slug, and other baddies from changing history. Trunks and the Supreme Kai of Time are your Time Patrol liaisons, assigning you missions and quests to make sure those Dragon Ball stories we know and love play out at they should. That’s where the fun begins.
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 has a robust roster of 68 playable characters to choose from. To unlock a majority of these characters and their over-the-top move sets, players use their very own create-a-characters made with the in-game engine to complete missions. Characters can be one of five races, including Earthlings, Saiyans, Namekians, Majin, and the Frieza race, each with their own strengths. Completing missions also earns you points to raise your stats, such as health and ki, which is a key to victory.
As far as presentation is concerned, DBX2 is as impressive as a Saiyan powering up before a fierce fight. The character models are sharp and faithful to the source material, and the animated cut scenes use the same voice actors from the Dragon Ball shows we’ve been watching for decades. The game’s overworld, Conton City, is a vibrant hub that is seven times as big as Toki Toki City from the previous Xenoverse game. There, you can find vendors to buy special moves, clothing, and items with in-game currency, as well as trainers to give you pointers on getting better in the game.
The fighting gameplay in Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 is frantic, but requires real practice and strategy to master. Button mashing won’t get you far in these aerial fighting scenarios, whether facing off against a single opponent or multiple towering Great Apes with the power to crush mountains. This fact is doubly important when playing online, where a moment’s hesitation can cost you a match. So long as you take the time to practice offline and get accustomed to the game’s story missions and quests, you won’t be considered the Yamcha of your online squad.
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 is the ultimate fanservice game, offering tons of replay value in the form of offline and online battles, character customization, item crafting, and Raid Events which require cooperation from entire 300-member servers to conquer. If you’re a Dragon Ball fan, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 is a can’t-miss game. Even if this be your first venture into the world of talking pig men, shapeshifting aliens, and martial arts masters, DBX2 is a joy to play.
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 is now available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows.