At TGS 2019 I had the pleasure of reviewing a 20-minute demo of Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot. The game had a smaller showing at the Bandai Namco side of the event with only about 8 demo units available. However, it was also one of the most popular games Bandai Namco had to offer. Thus, it was quite popular at the event. As a lifelong fan of the Dragon Ball anime series, I always wished an RPG game would be released for the series.

Instead, we’ve been bombarded with fighting game after fighting game with a few eclectic titles like Dragon Ball Origins, and Dragon Ball Z: The Legend in between. Finally, we will soon have the open-world RPG we so rightly deserve with Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot.

Story

The story of the game appears to follow the original anime series verbatim. Thus, the story is one thing I believe fans of the original series will unanimously love. While I can only speak to what I saw in the demo, the game begins as the anime does with the Raditz story arc. Unfortunately, the review of the game ends once Raditz is defeated, so I can’t tell you whether or not the rest of the game will follow the original anime story. However, it’s likely that it will.

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot — Gameplay

The gameplay is where Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot truly shines. Again, the game is open-world. Thus, you are free to follow the main story quest as you like or pickup side quests along the way. Don’t feel like doing any of that? Fine. Go fishing, fly around the world of Dragon Ball or talk to the numerous NPCs you’ll find scattered along the map.

It is a bold statement to claim that this is the best DBZ game ever made. However, this is the first game in the franchise which allows you to freely explore the world as you see fit. It is the first game where you literally get to live your life as Goku.

Combat

I will note that the controls take some getting used to. The flying mechanics are simple, yet you’ll need some time to adapt to them. The combat feels fluid and does well to encapsulate the essence of Dragon Ball combat. Button mashing was sufficient for the first boss fight. Also, it’s quite simple to activate Goku’s teleportation skill and ki blasts. Flying during battles while keeping a lock on your target was fairly simple to do. For intermediate players the game has a short learning curve in terms of combat.

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot was one of the most fun games I had the pleasure of playing at Tokyo Game Show 2019. Its following of the original anime story, free open-world gameplay, and fluid battle mechanics make it a must-play game for both fans of the anime and RPG fans in general.

What do you think so far of Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot? Let me and my readers know in the comments below. Don’t forget to check out my other articles from TGS 2019:

Final Fantasy VII Remake Demos “Sold Out” by 12 pm at TGS 2019

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