Review for Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot. Game for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the video game was released on 31/12/2019
It is very difficult to remain objective when playing with feelings. It always has been and, to make good nocturnal fatalism, it always will be. What has gone through us and still goes through our minds is exactly this while, also thanks to the icy climate of recent weeks that grips our already tried bodies, stunned by Pandori, Befana socks and various sweets and much more we set out to write the review of Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, one of the most anticipated games for this 2020. Because, like most of the young people (but not that much) of the generation between the 80 'and 90' has inevitably grown to bread, Nutella (if I say jam is that okay?), Bim Bum Bam and of course Dragon Ball, in all its sauces.
And for this reason, when the first signs of what would be the target of production began to appear, our hearts began to leap more and more strongly, waiting for the fateful January 17 2020, the day when the spasmodic and at times unstoppable wait would be over.
Fortunately, the big day has finally arrived, but what we found by the hand is not exactly what we would have expected or maybe yes, but with the necessary clarifications. To get rid of the elephant in the room immediately, we want to reassure fans of the saga about the narrative and thematic quality of the production, which is far above all expectations. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is certainly the best tie-in so far dedicated to Toriyama's work from the point of view of fidelity to the original material, which you can breathe deeply starting from the introduction to the end credits, in an endless vortex of emotions. On the other hand, on a playful level we are faced with something that does not succeed - but probably does not even try - to truly innovate a style that is now stale, repetitive and at times almost sketchy. The gameplay of the CyberConnect2 child certainly amuses, but it is never truly exclusive and satisfying, due to a decidedly less cared for work from a playful point of view. It is a pity because the formula chosen, on paper, had great potential, partially dispelled by a not entirely satisfactory result. In any case, however, if you are passionate about the brand you will have bread (and a lot) for your teeth.
From zero to one hundred
The long journey in the company of Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot begins in the sign of nostalgia, with a strong and precise message. The historic opening of the original series catapults the player into those atmospheres so dear to fans of the saga, showing with so much swagger a sometimes solemn and maniacal loyalty towards the original material. The work of CyberConnect2 has fully succeeded in setting itself the ultimate goal of retracing the entire “Z” saga on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC, without neglecting any aspect, indeed, adding others.
Toriyama himself has packaged small novelties, additional portions of story useful to integrate the narrative part with the playful one, a combination not always easy to satisfy. On the narrative level, in fact, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is a real tribute to every self-respecting fan, carefully treating every single aspect of the incredible imagination created by one of the most famous mangaka in circulation, and it is also felt in the small gestures.
Explore places of remembrance, view postcards that help relive those memorable and long-forgotten sequences, or simply witness the scene where the little one Gohan it strikes the fearful without any awareness of its actions Raditz screaming "leave my dad alone!" it's a real blow to the heart and we want to give you a little spoiler, in that sense: it will be like this from start to finish.
This more than functional path to the (re) discovery of one of the most incredible stories in the world of videogame anime and manga is marked by an overall fast pace, but which manages to make the player anticipate all those memorable moments related to the brand. The story is in fact told through well-kept interlude scenes and embellished with useful mini-summaries between one chapter and another. The "script" is in fact divided (a bit like it happens in manga) in various sagas, among which it is possible to take a break from the main activities, and therefore from the story itself, and devote oneself to other factors such as the exploration and completion of the various secondary missions, wisely embedded in the general mechanism.
The latter then have the great merit of withdrawing some of those characters who have remained a bit on the back burner (such as Nam, Android # 8, etc.) and thus broaden a simply gigantic range in terms of writing and character design.
This apparently idyllic picture is clearly not free from defects and, indeed, is forced to collide with important problems, impossible to ignore in the overall evaluation of the product.
A world full of ...
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot not only aims to revive the entire saga most loved by fans of the series, but also to bring a breath of tangible fresh air in terms of the game formula. Unlike its (many) predecessors, the new tie-in wants to tell the story of Son Goku and all the other unforgettable protagonists under the fascinating guise of an action - adventure complete with role-playing mechanics and a basic structure basically open-world, albeit with the due limitations.
The good intentions of the software house cannot be said to be fully successful, since the game shows its main defects from a playful point of view. Once the game has started, you immediately feel an unpleasant sensation in controlling the character (Goku, of course), who seems to slide without restraint into a world that sprays Toriyama from every pore. The game controls, in fact, both those in combat and those related to exploration, are actually not very immediate, at first, even if they are never elaborate or complex to memorize. The general "poverty" of the combat system, fast and dynamic but overall very elementary, is further aggravated when one realizes that it is not varied when one character or another is used.
Using Piccolo or Gohan, in short, will offer very similar overall feedback, with all due respect to those who expected greater expertise in this respect. The situation does not change that much if you look at the general challenge level, which tends to be dangerously set downwards. Often and willingly, if we exclude some decidedly unbalanced fights, most of the fights are done in a few seconds, due to the huge amount of damage that our alter ego is able to impart to the opponent as much as the difference in terms of base level starts to rise.
Precisely the progression, then, seemed to us less stratified than expected. By leveling up, the stats automatically increase, leaving the player the simple choice of unlocking certain skills or not, in one skill tree anything but elaborate. This is bound to the exploratory component of Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, one of the most enjoyable of the whole package, which is also essential to enhance the characters themselves.
During the crossings through the vast areas that make up the game map of Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, separated by a sort of selection of the chosen level, it is possible to find, in addition to objects such as food and ingredients used for crafting (also after all simplistic), also the Spheres Z, characterized by a different color according to their location. Depending on the color, they are used to enhance the abilities of one or the other "Z" warrior, who form parties of three members divided into a main character and two support characters. The large number of players in battle, however, leads to a result that is often chaotic, also aggravated by an unstable camera and at certain times bordering on the unmanageable.
Finally, unfortunately, it must be noted that the beautiful (to see and but not so much to "live") game world created by CyberConnect2 offers a small number of ancillary activities, such as hunting, fishing and training, all very simplified, which fail to be interesting or in any case necessarily fun enough to be "experienced" regularly between one fight and another. Incredibly, this does not change even with the fascinating introduction of the discovery of Dragon Balls. Finding them, in an elementary way since they are marked in plain sight on the map, the player will be able to basically express the same desire to the dragon: to face the enemies defeated previously, or to receive a huge source of money.
The highlight: the kitchen!
If the combat in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot system fails to surprise, precisely due to an excessive simplification of the commands, which are quickly reduced to a more reliable and rapid button mashing, and the elements of "role" are sometimes too much sketched, to snatch a smile is the introduction of a very particular mechanic: the Community bulletin board. Interacting with the various characters unlocks their "medals", which have very specific parameters in a certain field.
In Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot there is in fact a sort of management mechanic, which allows with the use of the right characters in the right role to enhance more and more different aspects of the game. Talking with Bulma, for example, it turns out that she is the leader of the team Inventors or with Yajirobe who is the head of the Scouts section. Once you have obtained the various heroes' medals and put them in the right division, new bonuses are gradually unlocked, which range in every direction, in a way that is in any case consistent with your own sphere of belonging. Upgrading the training team faction will earn bonuses such as more experience received in battle and so on, reflecting a certain dedication to crafting a fairly fresh and innovative mechanic for the series.
The real gem consists in the exploitation of the Culinary division, headed by the inevitable Chichi. The wife of Goku (but not only), with the right ingredients, he can prepare all sorts of dishes: from desserts to sandwiches, from grilled fish to meat soups, which offer active and passive bonuses that are very advantageous in battle if eaten before each fight. This set of things is certainly one of the most successful aspects of the game, as well as a pleasant diversion to break the monotony of a rhythm that, basically, alternates animated sequences with mandatory fights.
As for the secondary assignments, the map is also full of casual encounters with increasingly difficult enemies, which offer a good amount in terms of drop but very little in terms of exp. In short, leveling is perhaps excessively linked to the main missions, thus raising in the player that feeling, altogether ephemeral, of being in full control of the advancement of their favorite hero.
To me the eyes!
Also from a technical / aesthetic point of view, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is divided a little in two, in a waltz in which the merits are contrasted with various defects, more or less evident. Excluding the speech already addressed of the camera, the game proves to be quite modest on a strictly technical level. The Unreal Engine 4 that moves the exploits of the “Z” heroes offers an overall picture that is beautiful to look at and exciting for its care and respect for the original material, but it cannot completely hide the many technical limits of production. Low-resolution textures, frame-rates in some uncertain sections and more generally a recycling of assets both of the environments and of the enemies are the most evident elements of a title that certainly does not make graphics power its best weapon. This is also aggravated by the annoying presence of long uploads that during scenario changes or between one mission and another come to bother the player's patience a lot, inexorably breaking the general pace of the action.
Closed the discussion of a technical nature, we can not reopen that linked to the stylistic sector. Never before has a tie-in - and not just those of Dragon Ball - been able to bring such meticulous and accurate work to the screen, a real hymn to dedication that is revealed with every single detail, not just aesthetic.
In Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot every detail, including the original music itself, dusted off specifically for the production, is strongly linked to the imagination of Toriyama-sensei, and we are sure that any self-respecting good fan will struggle not a little to hold back the emotions of in front of such a sumptuous work that, among other things, it will take you away further 35 hours of play, which can easily double in case you want to give yourself to healthy completism.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is undoubtedly the definitive Dragon Ball tie-in, if it is in particular a discourse of fidelity - aesthetics and narrative - to the original material. CyberConnect2's playful adaptation of Toriyama's work is a real tribute to the many fans, in which every single detail breathes the air of dragon balls at every corner. All this, however, is not adequately supported by a playful sector of the same level, in which everything appears excessively simplified and repetitive. Overall, however, it is an excellent action adventure in general and a must have for all fans of the brand, provided, however, that you turn a blind eye to the listed defects and to a technical sector that is not up to the situation.
► Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is an Adventure-RPG game developed and published by Bandai Namco for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the video game was released on 31/12/2019
