Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO Hands-on Preview
It’s surreal to have spent three hours hands-on with Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO. I’ve been a casual and, at times, hardcore fan of Dragon Ball since childhood. Most of my adoration is for the iconic anime arcs and the original Budokai games. It’s wild that it’s been nearly twenty-two years since the original game’s release.
If I traveled back in time Skynet style to tell my nine-year-old self that I’d previewed the series’ revival following a seventeen-year hiatus, I’d probably go super Saiyan from excited disbelief. Sparking Zero evokes a deep sense of nostalgic, youthful joy. It features everything beloved from the original series, notably Budokai Tenkaichi 3 and more.
Mechanical Prowess
Most importantly, the game feels excellent to play. Mechanically, it’s easy to grasp, but there’s significant depth. I love the constant sense of risk and reward. There’s a way to defend, counter, and follow up every attack. I spent the first forty-five minutes of my demo enduring the lengthy training mode. It isn’t mandatory, but it helps you understand everything at your disposal.
There were instances when I entered a prolonged flow state where the game’s AI and I repeatedly dodged, countered, and teleported against and around each other’s combos. It was like the anime brought to life when two similarly powered characters face off. I recognize this aspect has existed throughout the Budokai series, but I’m stoked it feels better than ever in Sparking Zero.
Speaking with producer Jun Furutani, I learned that the development team worked incredibly hard to design a secondary control scheme. The classic control scheme is back, but the new standard control scheme remaps the controls to accommodate players who may approach the game with a more modern fighting game sensibility.
Crafted for Veterans & Newcomers
I haven’t played any old Budokai games in over a decade, so I can’t recall the classic control scheme. Jumping into Sparking Zero using the new controls feels natural and intuitive. You aren’t inhibited when activating a super ability or transformation. Fortunately, I played what’s essentially the final build. I can confidently say Sparking Zero feels polished, at least on PlayStation 5. The game keeps up with everything you’re doing without lag or visual hiccups, all at smooth 60fps.
One of the most significant additions to this game is Sparking mode. Charging your Ki to full power enables it, strengthening and increasing the speed of all your attacks. Sparking mode also powers your ultimate ability. Each character has several ultimates to use. The state of transformation they’re in, or the era they’re from, determines what they unleash. Using ultimate abilities is a visual spectacle between animations, effects, and the destruction inflicted on characters and the arenas in the aftermath.
It’s a Looker
On the subject of visuals, this game is graphically gorgeous. This series has always impressively adapted the franchise into a 3D environment. Characters and the arenas look outstanding. I dig the sway of their signature hairstyles in the breeze and during combat. The animations are top-tier, along with stunning visual effects.
The remarkable presentation extends to the high-quality sound design, including all the classic sound effects you expect and fantastic performances from all the actors in many languages.
Battle Mode is the series’ bread and butter, but Sparking Zero has many modes to enjoy. Tournaments return along with several variants to spice up the brackets. The most intense fight I experienced was a five-on-five battle that came down to the final two fighters. You can swap characters in your roster in and out of the battle at any moment. Some of the more creative moves I’ve witnessed feature players dealing hits and swapping in a teammate mid-combo. It’s tricky to pull off, but it’s effective when done successfully.
Balancing the Masses
Sparking Zero includes 181 characters at launch. Granted, many of the characters in that stat are variants of themselves across arcs. However, each version of the characters features abilities exclusive to the arc they’re from. For example, kid Trunks’ super abilities and transformations differ from his adult self. 181 may technically be an inflated number for marketing, but I can say that there’s enough gameplay diversity across character variants to keep battles interesting.
The team at Spike Chunshoft has worked diligently to balance the giant roster. Pitting Yamcha against great ape Vegeta raises questions. Larger characters are designed to move slower but hit significantly harder. Likewise, two similarly sized characters may attack around the same speed, but their supers or ultimates may deal different levels of damage.
What’s fun is not only playing as your favorite characters in “what if” scenarios but investing time into understanding how to play them most effectively. Learning the pros and cons of 181 characters is daunting, but it’s a worthy task for players who aim to be the best.
Fun! With A Catch
Sparking Zero’s story mode arrives as “Episode Battles.” The development team chose characters from the series with the most exciting storylines. Each character features many iconic battles that explore the high points of their stories.
I experienced episodes from the perspective of Goku, Frieza, and Goku Black. I only had time for a couple of episodes for each character, but it was fun to play from their perspectives. My only minor gripe from my time hands-on was during the episode battles.
The graphics remain impressive, but the story presentations could be better. The cutscenes have simplified coverage and include many shots that are freeze frames with dialogue. I’m not trying to find excuses for what some players may consider lazy development. However, I can see the silver linings in anything.
Depending on the goals of a game, I consider gameplay king over everything else. In that department, Sparking Zero soars. Regarding the episode battles’ presentations, they are relatively insignificant to the game overall.
It may be a minor disappointment to series’ newcomers, but it’s safe to assume that most players are long-time fans or familiar with these iconic arcs, at the least. Most of us have seen these stories in multiple mediums over thirty years. Could they be better? Absolutely. Do they need to be? Not necessarily. What matters is the fun factor; in my experience, the episode battles are a blast to play through.
Forge Your DBZ Tall Tales
Custom Battles return in Sparking Zero with some rad new options. With 181 characters ranging between multiple eras, there’s a lot to play with. If you can dream it, you can create it. Between the robust Normal mode, Simple mode, and Copy mode, custom battles let you create original battle scenes, even down to the music, cutscenes, and effects.
I never dabbled in the depth of custom battles in previous games, and I couldn’t go hands-on with Sparking Zero. However, custom battles interest me today more than ever. I created my own head cannon playing these games as a kid. I’m stoked to play around with all the game has to offer in that respect.
Here’s some great news: Sparking Zero includes some progression. Every mode in the game grants you Zenny for playing. You can cash in Zenny for many unlocks, including costumes and “unique rewards.” I don’t know what those unique rewards are, but I’m here for the costumes. For now, you can unlock everything with the in-game currency exclusively.
Sparking Zero is a profound revival of an iconic series. Spike Chunsoft has lovingly crafted what I believe is an excellent experience for fans. I’m stoked to see more of what the game offers at launch and beyond. Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO launches on PS5, Xbox Series X and S, and Steam on October 11th. For more on the game, stay tuned to COGconnected for our full review closer to release.
***Travel, hotel, and access to preview event provided by Bandai Namco***
