Dragon Ball FighterZ Review

Fist Of The North Star: Lost Paradise Review

Dragon Ball FighterZ: the long awaited jewel

Dragon Ball and video games have had a conflictual relationship for almost 30 years now. From the first attempts on 3rd generation consoles, to the stuttering of the first three-dimensional fighting games, adaptations of Akira Toriyama's work were not lacking ... but we had to wait for the series of Budokai, then Tenkaichi to finally honor the sacred monster that is Dragon Ball. If some disillusioned fans thought that we would never do better, it is probably because they were miles away from suspecting what Arc System Works and Bandai Namco were secretly preparing for them.

Switch, scare me! (by Aymeric Lallée)

Dragon Ball has always been one of my favorite series and each dedicated game is always good news, even if sometimes the disappointment is present in the end. With Dragon Ball FighterZ, produced by Arc System Works and Bandai Namco, the universe of Toriyama, perfectly transcribed, is a marvel, especially as it is associated with a very high quality fighting game made by lovers of the kind. No doubt reading the full test from my colleague Epyon below that you will be convinced. But today, it's time to look at the Nintendo Switch version, so much demanded by fans when the title arrived on PS4, Xbox One and PC. An astonishing and explosive assessment!

FIGHTERZ IN THE POCKET

Dragon Ball FighterZ: the long awaited jewel
Let's not waste time, everything there is in DBFZ on other media is on this Nintendo Switch version. Everything but a decor. who knows why ... but everything else is there, from gameplay to little onions through the characters (even the latest, C-17 and Cooler that will still have to be paid because the Season Pass is not included in the price of the basic game on Switch), the game modes (online or offline), story mode, etc. In short, everything. And that alone is already a technical feat! Especially since the intensity of the brawls of this FighterZ version on mobile are just as striking. At first glance, it's a perfect success that makes Dragon Ball FighterZ one of the best fighting games on the Nintendo console. But as you can imagine, everything is not as rosy as Buu.

An imperfect feat

Dragon Ball FighterZ: the long awaited jewel
Sticking Dragon Ball FighterZ on Switch was a real challenge and the developers achieved it (1080P in dock and 720p in portable), but at the expense of some small technical concessions. First the Framerate, which flourishes almost all the time with 60fps solo. Sometimes it goes down a little more, especially when you launch different special attacks and several characters are on the screen (apart from the two basic wrestlers), but it goes largely. Where Arc System Works has been clever, it is a drop in the smoothness of certain characters, possibly of certain parts of the decor and explosions at the time of graphic overload to lose as little as possible fluidity. An excellent result, even if the textures are obviously less beautiful than those on PS4, Xbox One or PC in general. But rest assured, the rendering is very good no matter what! Obviously, online, between the FPS who suffer a little and the inherent lag, it sometimes happens that the game drops to 40fps, which obviously changes the rhythm of the games. But it is quite rare and with players having a good connection, we are between 50 and 60 fps for an excellent result and clashes worthy of the series.

Another important point to note, and not least, the Joy-Con. If the buttons are a bit small to carry out certain attacks, the real concern is on the left stick which does not allow to be as precise as with an arcade stick or a directional cross. Suddenly, you will sometimes miss your low guard (since there is no corner direction on an analog stick). After a hundred fights, I'm getting there now, but it took me a little time to not miss it. This is why we recommend that you play Pad Pro or Stick Arcade Switch, if you have one. You will then lose the nomadic game bonus, but you will be more effective in online gaming. You must know this. Last element, the loading times which turn out to be a little bit longer than on the other supports. Nothing bad all the same, don't worry.

Dragon Ball FighterZ: the long awaited jewel

In the end, Dragon Ball FighterZ on Switch is not as exceptional as on the other platforms, in particular because of a more difficult gameplay at Joy-Con and some technical concessions. But it is still just as playable and enjoyable, both in terms of gameplay and overall achievement, on the Nintendo console. It could even claim the title of best fighting game on Nintendo Switch as it is generous and offers deep gameplay with a real margin of progression, and this without counting on the impressive number of characters (even if 8 of them are paid ) and game modes. This is why we decided to keep the score at 18/20, as on the other supports. It is a sure value in terms of fighting games which also benefits from one of the best Dragon Ball packaging ever seen on console. A must on Nintendo Switch if you like the series and you like the genre!

THE COMPLETE TEST OF DRAGON BALL FIGHTERZ ON THE LOUNGE CONSOLES AND ON PC BY EPYON (JANUARY 22, 2018)

Only a few days before E3 2017, the editors of Jeuxvideo.com received an email from Bandai Namco France which contained some screenshots of a new Dragon Ball game. This was to be presented for the first time during the mass of the video game, in Los Angeles, and we were necessarily curious. The few images suggested that it was an old-school, 2D fighting game; we were also very curious to see what Arc System Works could offer this time, to whom we already owed the very sympathetic Supersonic Warriors, and more recently Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butôden. We were far from imagining, at that time, the slap, what am I saying, the ryuken that we were going to take in the gums. As you can imagine, since its announcement, Dragon Ball FighterZ has shown itself in all its facets, and the question is no longer even really whether it is a good Dragon Ball game, but s 'It's not the best Dragon Ball game of all time. Yes, downright: the words are strong, but the level of excellence reached by Arc System Works with this Dragon Ball FighterZ does not call for half-measure.

STREET FIGHTERZ

Before going into the details of the game, let's quickly stop on the basics of the game, for those who have slept in the room of Spirit and Time in recent days. Dragon Ball FighterZ is therefore a fighting game in 2.5D, understand by that that if the characters and the decorations are indeed modeled in three dimensions, the fights take place only on two axes. We are therefore much closer to a Street Fighter V or Marvel V fighting game. Capcom 3, than that of a Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, or even of a Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3. And since we were talking about Capcom's baby, let's also specify that FighterZ stages fights opposing teams of three characters (as in a Marvel Vs Capcom 3, for example), which can be exchanged in the middle of a fight, or come to support the fighter in the ring, on an ad hoc basis.

Side buttons, the game is ultimately quite simple. There are three keys for typing (fists and feet without distinction), Light / Medium / Heavy way; two keys for exchanging characters or calling them up for support; and a last button called "Super", which allows you to send small energy balls, Kamehameha energy projections, etc. The right triggers (RB and RT, or R1 and R2) are configured by default as shortcuts: the first (Light + Medium) allows you to take a mug, while the second (Heavy + Super) allows you to perform a " homing attack ", a super powerful dash which will allow your character to find himself in an instant in contact with his enemy. It is also possible to teleport by pressing Medium + Heavy at the same time, in the same way as it is possible to reload your Ki while holding Super + Light. So much for the basics: it may seem a little complicated, on paper, at least for those who are not used to fighting games, but joystick in hand the controls are very quickly assimilated: the game is quickly taken in hand and reveals its flavor in seconds.

The flavor that comes first from its sumptuous realization, which we will talk about a little later, but also from the intensity of the battles, and their fidelity to the universe of Dragon Ball. FighterZ may be a 2D fighting game but it is extremely fast and nervous, miles away from anything that has already been done in the genre. The goal of the game is quite simple: find a flaw in the defense of the enemy, and succeed in the longest and most devastating combo possible, by intelligently combining the different attacks of its fighters, with the teleportation system, homing attack and especially the switch system between characters.

PASS ME THE CELL

Because as we said above, FighterZ is played three against three and players aiming for excellence must necessarily take this parameter into account. Of course, each character has their own attacks, but this is also true for support attacks which are more or less effective. You must also ensure the complementarity of your characters, to maximize your chances of performing the most powerful combos possible. Your first hours of play will therefore probably consist of a few experiments in Training mode, in order to find the trio with which you feel most comfortable. Upon launch, Dragon Ball FighterZ offers 21 characters, and three more can be unlocked simply by playing, bringing the total to 24 playable fighters. Some Dragon Ball fans will find that the number is too low, and that some favorite characters are missing; on this last point, they cannot be denied. However, we must keep in mind that Dragon Ball FighterZ, unlike the Xenoverse, Tenkaichi, and other Budokai, is a real fighting game. As such, and in order to avoid duplication and especially imbalances, it is better to limit the size of the roster. It is obvious, however, that the Tenkaichi series has set a precedent in the history of Dragon Ball video games and some fans of the series may find it difficult to return to a "normal" number of playable characters.

However, one of the strengths of this Dragon Ball FighterZ lies in its casting and its team gameplay. In Dragon Ball FighterZ, all the characters are equal and offer their own gameplays. This allows characters like Yamcha or Nappa to compete with the Super Saiyans like Gotenks SSJ3 or Son Goku, for example. Lack of realism? Maybe, but to tell the truth, we don't care. Because beyond the interest that this represents for a fighting game of this ilk, we must also think of fans of Tenshinhan, Krilin or Piccolo, to play without being massacred by more powerful characters in the canon of Dragon Ball . Unlike the Tenkaichi, therefore, who offered perhaps 90 playable characters, but where only one was used in their early twenties, at best. So certainly we would have liked to see some additional characters and some fans will wonder, rightly, "Where did [insert the name of your pet] go? ", But the answer could well be found in the few DLCs already announced for the title.

THE WAR OF THE BUTTONS

Dragon Ball Fighter Z is beautiful, Dragon Ball FighterZ has a nice roster, but in game, what does it give? Well we would be tempted to say that Arc System Works managed to create the app that will make everyone agree: the game able to seduce fans of Dragon Ball who would not necessarily be used to "real" games de combat, and aficionados of VS fighting. The first will appreciate the breathtaking dynamism of the title, resting a good part of their actions on the auto-combos, more or less long, which can be launched by tapping the keys Light, Medium, or Heavy. It is enough to strafe one of its keys to make a more or less long combo, according to the chosen key. By progressing, they will learn to mix the thing a little, and to take advantage of the possibilities of sequences, between the auto-combos, the switches of characters and the super attacks of these. It will also be noted that from one character to another, the inputs are generally the same and are not necessarily complicated to produce. Most of the special attacks are made from quarter circles and the Light, Medium and Heavy keys, while the most powerful attacks use the right triggers, always with quarter circles. Suffice to say that the adaptation, from one character to another, is rather easy, at least in terms of learning the commands: it is not necessary to retain a billion different key combinations to excel at Dragon Ball FighterZ.

More experienced players and fans of fighting games will discover a much richer game than it seems at first glance. For example, we were talking about auto-combos just now, but we quickly understand that they are certainly easy to make but that it is possible to do much more damage with combos created from scratch, after spending a few hours in Training mode. We then gradually discover a hybrid between Marvel Vs Capcom and Guilty Gear; it borrows from the first the operation of its four Light, Medium, Heavy and Super keys, and from the second its "Dust" key, here the Heavy key, which above all allows you to throw the enemy into the air, and therefore serves as a launcher to most of your combos. We also note that the Light, Medium and Heavy keys allow you to execute the same attacks but at a different level of intensity. For example, Son Goku's 236L (front quadrant + Light) allows him to make an extremely powerful smashed punch; same thing with its 236M, where we find the same punch, but which inflicts more damage; the 236H consumes a bar of Ki and allows Goku to teleport to inflict his attack.

We must therefore take these possibilities into account by keeping an eye on the ki bar, which fills up when we defend properly, or when we touch the opponent. Note that it is possible to reload your Ki, but at a high level it should not be very used: handling takes time and there is a slight delay between the moment you release the dedicated keys (Super + Light) and when the animation cuts off, leaving you particularly vulnerable. Note that teleportation and special moves also consume one ki bar, while ultimate attacks consume up to three. You have to keep it in mind since when launching your most devastating combos, the ki gauge can hold you back, or conversely, allow you to launch everything you have. This is even more true when we know that by carrying out a super attack, like Piccolo's infernal grenade, it is also possible to call in reinforcement your support characters, who for a bar of ki each, will be able to also launch a great attack.

A PART OF NON-NEGLIGIBLE SUBTILITY

The game gradually fills with many subtleties, where it is possible to respond to almost every action of his opponent, which at a good level has a most positive impact on the part "mind-game". We quickly discover that it is possible to use the Homing Attack to counter small projections of kikoha, while the mug can itself be countered by another mug. We also find, on all the characters, a real counter (4S on Goku) which allows to repel most of the attacks, but also to make the enemy back away, far enough to then punish him. We also note the presence of many feint possibilities, as on Gotenks, capable of canceling the projection of his Avenging Cry, while Cell can maintain his 4H, which offers many possibilities.

What impresses most, ultimately, is the richness of this combat system which gives pride to air combos, in which it will be necessary to find solutions to keep your opponent in the air as long as possible. This requires a total knowledge of the characters used, the range of each of their shots and a real mastery of timing. The best technicians should, logically, do well, succeeding in combos that are as violent as they are technical, but also extremely long. Beware, however, of damage reduction, which occurs depending on the case, in particular following a teleportation; damage reduction, which limits the amount of damage that can be inflicted on certain combos, has the advantage of rendering certain sequences obsolete, it will therefore be necessary to favor others, more effective but more difficult to access. Beginners will be delighted to discover, via the Combo Challenge, some bases for which will then allow them to make some more personal combos. However, we note that certain manipulations can be applied from one character to another, and serve as bases for other combos, such as: L, L, 2M, M, 2H, Dragon Rush, L, M, and once in the air, use jump cancel to extend the combo depending on the characters available. This is how the game manages to combine richness and subtlety of gameplay, with rare accessibility for a title of this kind ... but which is particularly welcome, since we are talking about Dragon Ball, one of the most enormous pieces of popular culture of the 20th century. It is therefore fashionable that the game is not elitist and allows everyone to have fun, depending on their level or the time that we want to invest in the game.

REST OF CONTENT

And if some are primarily interested in clashes between friends locally, or online against strangers, other players have little taste for the thing and are more interested in solo play. And, frankly, they may be a little disappointed.

In addition to the Arcade mode and the Story mode, Dragon Ball FighterZ does not offer much more in the current state of things, not even the solo game modes like Time Attack or Survival, which would have been welcomed with pleasure. Fortunately, the two game modes mentioned at the beginning of the paragraph are worth a look. Arcade mode emphasizes performance while Story mode tells a new original story. Goku and his friends must face an army of clones of themselves and their main enemies (Freezer, Cell, etc.), who were resurrected for the occasion. Before discovering that a mysterious cyborg is responsible for all this chaos, and therefore defeating it. If you go around in a short day, this Story mode will remind some of Dragon Ball Z Budokai 2, the strategic aspect of travel less. The interest is therefore more limited, especially during the first chapters, in which the AI shows relatively little resistance.

Without saying too much, keep in mind that this first Story mode, if it is the longest, is not necessarily the most interesting; when finished, it gives you access to another Story mode, then to a third. The story told overall remains the same but from different points of view. It is all the more interesting as the challenge gradually increases, which is not to displease us. However, this original scenario should not be remembered, for lack of a rather unimaginative writing, which we guess trapped in the rigid shackles of the necessities of a real fighting game. There are still some rather funny jokes that will make Dragon Ball fans smile and even laugh, especially when reference is made to past events known to all.

THE DRAGON BALL GAME

And the references, precisely, that's it. Dragon Ball FighterZ was designed with great respect and love for Akira Toriyama’s work. Beyond the artistic direction, absolutely fabulous, FighterZ multiplies the winks, when it is not traced squarely, image on image, on the manga or the cartoon. The characters, animated by hand, resume with a loyalty never seen before in a Dragon Ball game their favorite attacks, the most emblematic as well as the most anecdotal. We are not talking here simply about Kamehameha, Super Ghost Kamikaze Attack and other Final Flash, but also more lambda shots: 2H Gotenks? Directly taken from this sequence where he and Super Bou hit each other on the head. Vegeta's 214L? Watch Prince Saiyan's fight against Cell again, after he has absorbed C-17. And we could go on like this for a while. Everything in Dragon Ball FighterZ seems to have been worked down to the smallest detail, right down to the fighters' movement animations, or their interactions, during or outside the clashes. We also appreciate the custom finishes, which of course depend on the fighters, but also on the places where they compete. So if Trunks confronts Freeza in the rocky area and beats him, the tyrant will end up cut and disintegrated by the Super Saiyan, just like in the original work. We leave you the pleasure of discovering for yourself the different combinations, and as much to tell you, they are worth a look.

And your eyes will thank you. Dragon Ball FighterZ is perhaps one of the most beautiful fighting games ever made and it only takes a few fights to take full measure. The animations, the camera movements, the choice of colors, the effects of particles, light, explosions, projections ... We had never seen anything like it, at least not in a Dragon Ball game. In fact, it's simple, never has Toriyama's work been so beautiful on a screen, whatever the medium. Going back to Dragon Ball Super after playing FighterZ for a few hours is not going to be easy.

The notes
+ Positive points
Incredibly beautiful
Character animations
A super efficient, ultra dynamic gameplay that pays homage to the cartoon ...
... accessible and fun even for beginners ...
... and rich enough to catch fans of fighting games
The many references to the manga
A limited but varied roster

-Negative points
Slightly weak in solo content
Forgetable Story Mode

The best Dragon Ball game ever. Simply. Yes, some may feel that a few characters are missing, but let's face it: a Dragon Ball game has never benefited from such an achievement, such attention to detail. FighterZ is successful from start to finish, in its artistic direction until the realization of its intentions. Her frantic and hypnotic action is sublimated by a masterful artistic direction, which honors the work of Akira Toriyama. But more than an excellent product for fans of the series, it is also a superb fighting game, both rich and inventive, clever and brutal. With Dragon Ball FighterZ, almost 30 years of waiting have been rewarded: the ultimate Dragon Ball game is finally here.