Beat-em-ups have been a staple of the gaming landscape since the 1980s, with wonderful titles such as Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat paving the way for many more great fighting games. So it was inevitable that over the top, martial art based animes would get involved in this scene. The Dragonball series was a no brainer in this respect, finding instant success with fans and casual gamers alike. So when Dragonball Budokai Tenkaichi 3 rolled around, big things we’re expected and for the most part, it delivers.
In terms of how this title plays, it continues the usual open plan area for battles that the series has built its success on. So if you’ve played any previous instalments, expect more of the same. The closest comparisons outside of the series would be the Naruto Ultimate Ninja series or the more recent title, Jump Force which is a culmination of all the best anime fighters from each respective series.
Give me your power
Much like Goku and company do in the series, this title aims to harness the power of previous titles to deliver another reason for players to invest more money. This is a fun and polite way of saying that little has changed from the last title if you didn’t catch that. The changes include such unmissable additions as a few more playable characters, a day and night mode for each fighting arena and a handful of new skills and tactical considerations that as a whole won’t alter the game for the casual player in the slightest.
Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi, known as Dragon Ball: Ultimate Blast in Japan, is a battling feature gamebased on the Dragon Ball arrangement.The amusement was discharged by Bandai Namco for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles on October 25, 2011, in North America, on October 28, 2011, in European nations, and on December 8, 2011, in Japan. Dragon Ball has always been a very successful franchise, many video games have been created using a lot of inspiration from the original manga series which as many Dragon Ball Z Ultimate Tenkaichi PC Download animation fans know extended for several years and contained several chapters which added value and new opponents to the ever powerful Goku.
The game also aims to up production value by integrating scripted audio seamlessly. Though what this actually does is dilute the overall experience. Only two characters will be shown on screen at once due to performance restrictions, leading to script off-camera. It seems unnatural and pulls you out of the action. Not to mention the skimming that is done in the storytelling department. The game seriously cuts down on the less essential fights which simply lowers the content on offer for the player. These games thrive on the player being able to pin any fighter against each other and not making this fit into the story like in Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 2 is criminal. Real farm for mac.
Authentic DBZ experience
One thing that has never been questioned for this game series is its attention to detail aesthetically and this continues in Dragonball-Z Budokai Tenkaichi 3. This game has wonderful cell-shaded environments and flawlessly animated depictions of the anime characters. Each model is expertly captured and the subtle additions this time out such as wear and tear on armour and clothing when using fusions or going super Saiyan is phenomenal.
Then the special moves look brilliant too. They aren’t simply thrown together in a flurry of grunts, screams and blasts of colour. They look refined and polished, staying true to the anime in that respect. The sound quality is great too, the music ramps up with the battle, adding to the intensity as you edge closer and closer to a famous victory.
Fight the night away
One thing that has remained in this title from the last outing is the sheer volume of game modes. You have the main campaign jam packed with all the sagas from the anime. Then you have a tag tournament that sees you fight multiple opponents at once. You have the sim dragon mode that acts as a training arena and then you also have to collect all the Dragonballs too.While there is a cavalcade of stuff to keep you entertained, it has to be said that not all the content is riveting and can feel like a chore at times. For avid fans of the series, this will probably not be an issue but for casual player, this may be too much work to take on.
Kamehameha
Overall, it can’t be argued that this series was the benchmark for anime fighters for the time of release. Plus, it has stood the test of time very well due to its authentic presentation and art style. Though, it does fail to hit the heights of previous outings in some respects. The story content has been cut for a more essential and streamlined approach, which is not ever been the DBZ way. It takes at least five episodes to get one spirit bomb off so it all feels a little off brand.
The tight mechanics, new tactics, more characters do just enough to make this one worth purchasing for DBZ fans. Though for the casual player, it may be just as good to stick with the previous instalment.
Pros
- Great sound and visuals
- Tight mechanics
- A myriad of game modes
Cons
Dragon Ball Z Ultimate Tenkaichi
- Story has been cut down
- Some modes can feel like chores
- Not enough new features