Dragon Ball Sparking Zero brings Budokai Tenkaichi back with a Big Bang

We went hands-on with Dragon Ball Sparking Zero at Gamescom LATAM and even with just a small taste, there is no denying that the beloved Budokai Tenkaichi is back and better than ever.

The iconic Dragon Ball Z: Budoki Tenchaichi franchise is finally making a return after almost two decades. Spike Chunsoft is once again working on a Dragon Ball game and the community has been ecstatic since the big reveal.

During our hands-on preview, we were given the chance to play through the game’s Battle mode, a great way to build up your skills and test out the different move-sets of each character, as well as to get a feel for the controls.

As someone who has played many hours of the original two Budokai Tenkaichi, combat felt like catching up with an old friend, familiar in many ways but brand new in others.

Destruction mechanics have never been better in a Dragon Ball game

One aspect of Dragon Ball Sparking Zero’s gameplay we were excited to put to the test was just how destructive moves and combat could be. 

After all, the ability to destroy structures was also a mainstay of the franchise. It’s safe to say Sparking Zero has doubled down on this feature spectacularly. 

The more powerful the move used, the more destruction it caused. While punching the likes of Vegeta into a boulder was a quick way to destroy the surrounding area, Ki-based attacks such as Galic Gun or Special Beam Cannon disintegrated any items or structures in the area, caused craters to form in the ground and most importantly, left visible damage on enemies.

After hitting Goku with a powerful attack, his gear was visibly damaged and signs of battle wear and tear could be seen in his movement and actions, this small attention to detail going a long way in making the game feel more immersive than ever.

Each Dragon Ball character is unique and plays completely different 

The in-game scaling of characters is some of the most accurate any Dragon Ball game has ever seen. During the preview, we decided to test our luck against Super Saiyan Broly using Krillin.

While we love Krillin, there’s no denying Broly packs up much stronger munch in DBZ lore, our battle reflected this in a big way. Furthermore, playing as Great Ape Vegeta, a powerful character, reactions were limited and much slower than a faster-moving character.

All promising signs that the devs have truly nailed each and every character, rather than simply minimizing unique talents and skill sets.

A Dragon Ball video game has never felt more like the anime

As someone who has played almost every Dragon Ball game, it’s no small thing to say that Dragon Ball Sparking Zero is shaping up to be one of the best experiences when it comes to feeling like you’re playing through the anime.

Sparking Zero perfectly blends fast-paced action with cinematic, the animations for big moves, power-ups, and more all feeling as though you are directly involved in the anime. 

At one point in the preview, we decided to play as baseline Goku, then power him up to Super Saiyan and later, Super Saiyan God. While each power-up animation was unique, more impressive was that each reflected the increase in strength, showcasing the difference in each unique transformation.

What’s more, character design and dialogue feel authentic to each and every iconic figure on the roster we tested, with unique interactions setting the stage to make each battle feel authentic and nuanced, even during the Battle mode.

Dragon Ball Sparking Zero is set to release on October 11, 2024 and if the final version plays like our preview, it’s sure to be a hit. Before then, be sure to check out Dexerto’s hub as well as our full character roster guide.