Occasionally questionable anime series aside, the Dragonball franchise has pretty resolutely stood the test of time. A long-running manga, the multitude of aforementioned anime productions and of course an enormous number of games has ensured that Toriyama’s original vision has continued to grace our screens for more than thirty years. Having played every single game in the series apart from the Japanese arcade exclusives, naturally I was quaking in my humble weeaboots when Xenoverse was released in 2015.
Of course real life inevitably came between me and this most recent of brawlers in the series, so only now have I been able to find the time for it. However, it’s been more than worth the wait; right off the bat Xenoverse tackles my oft-repeated criticism of modern Dragonball titles, namely simply following the plot of the first few anime sagas and offering relatively little substance aside from that.
Xenoverse conversely sees your avatar (a customisable fighter from one of five Dragonball universe races) join Trunks and the ‘Time Patrol’ on their mission to travel back to various points in the timeline to prevent the proper flow of events from being distorted. Some sinister-looking figures have been interfering in key battles and raising the power of the villains such that the familiar band of heroes could be killed off, drastically altering the timeline and throwing the entire universe into peril. Several quirky new characters are introduced to interact with, including the spunky Supreme Kai of Time and her pet bird Tokitoki, responsible for creating time within the world.
This story was a really nice way of pleasing the fans and providing nostalgia while bringing a completely new twist to the classic adventure. Of course in my opinion this does make Xenoverse unsuitable for newcomers due to lack of familiarity, but this series was in dire need of service for veterans.
In terms of gameplay it’s most reminiscent of the Budokai Tenkaichi series, featuring large immersive maps in beautiful cel-shaded 3D. Multiple fighters from opposing teams can all battle simultaneously, something I absolutely love about this title, as it creates an incredibly cinematic fighting environment. You have to keep your eyes on all the other fighters as well as your current opponent, as being caught by a Kamehameha launched from the other side of the map could spell trouble if you’re not careful.
Beyond the main story there are Parallel Quests, missions with specific objectives that afford you the chance to earn new skills and items for your character, which can also be purchased using Zeni in the shops scattered around the hub world. Some of these quests are online-only, and I highly encourage you to check them out, as playing with your friends online is an absolute blast. No pun intended.
Dragonball Xenoverse can usually be found in sales for around £15 including the three DLC packs, which each add new characters and parallel quests – it’s a great investment and by far the best game in the series for a very long time; perfect for any longtime fan of the Dragonball universe.
Occasionally questionable anime series aside, the Dragonball franchise has pretty resolutely stood the test of time. A long-running manga, the multitude of aforementioned anime productions and of course an enormous number of games has ensured that Toriyama’s original vision has continued to grace our screens for more than thirty years. Having played every single game in the series apart from the Japanese arcade exclusives, naturally I was quaking in my humble weeaboots when Xenoverse was released in 2015.
Of course real life inevitably came between me and this most recent of brawlers in the series, so only now have I been able to find the time for it. However, it’s been more than worth the wait; right off the bat Xenoverse tackles my oft-repeated criticism of modern Dragonball titles, namely simply following the plot of the first few anime sagas and offering relatively little substance aside from that.
Xenoverse conversely sees your avatar (a customisable fighter from one of five Dragonball universe races) join Trunks and the ‘Time Patrol’ on their mission to travel back to various points in the timeline to prevent the proper flow of events from being distorted. Some sinister-looking figures have been interfering in key battles and raising the power of the villains such that the familiar band of heroes could be killed off, drastically altering the timeline and throwing the entire universe into peril. Several quirky new characters are introduced to interact with, including the spunky Supreme Kai of Time and her pet bird Tokitoki, responsible for creating time within the world.
This story was a really nice way of pleasing the fans and providing nostalgia while bringing a completely new twist to the classic adventure. Of course in my opinion this does make Xenoverse unsuitable for newcomers due to lack of familiarity, but this series was in dire need of service for veterans.
In terms of gameplay it’s most reminiscent of the Budokai Tenkaichi series, featuring large immersive maps in beautiful cel-shaded 3D. Multiple fighters from opposing teams can all battle simultaneously, something I absolutely love about this title, as it creates an incredibly cinematic fighting environment. You have to keep your eyes on all the other fighters as well as your current opponent, as being caught by a Kamehameha launched from the other side of the map could spell trouble if you’re not careful.
Beyond the main story there are Parallel Quests, missions with specific objectives that afford you the chance to earn new skills and items for your character, which can also be purchased using Zeni in the shops scattered around the hub world. Some of these quests are online-only, and I highly encourage you to check them out, as playing with your friends online is an absolute blast. No pun intended.
Dragonball Xenoverse can usually be found in sales for around £15 including the three DLC packs, which each add new characters and parallel quests – it’s a great investment and by far the best game in the series for a very long time; perfect for any longtime fan of the Dragonball universe.
Occasionally questionable anime series aside, the Dragonball franchise has pretty resolutely stood the test of time. A long-running manga, the multitude of aforementioned anime productions and of course an enormous number of games has ensured that Toriyama’s original vision has continued to grace our screens for more than thirty years. Having played every single game in the series apart from the Japanese arcade exclusives, naturally I was quaking in my humble weeaboots when Xenoverse was released in 2015.
Of course real life inevitably came between me and this most recent of brawlers in the series, so only now have I been able to find the time for it. However, it’s been more than worth the wait; right off the bat Xenoverse tackles my oft-repeated criticism of modern Dragonball titles, namely simply following the plot of the first few anime sagas and offering relatively little substance aside from that.
Xenoverse conversely sees your avatar (a customisable fighter from one of five Dragonball universe races) join Trunks and the ‘Time Patrol’ on their mission to travel back to various points in the timeline to prevent the proper flow of events from being distorted. Some sinister-looking figures have been interfering in key battles and raising the power of the villains such that the familiar band of heroes could be killed off, drastically altering the timeline and throwing the entire universe into peril. Several quirky new characters are introduced to interact with, including the spunky Supreme Kai of Time and her pet bird Tokitoki, responsible for creating time within the world.
This story was a really nice way of pleasing the fans and providing nostalgia while bringing a completely new twist to the classic adventure. Of course in my opinion this does make Xenoverse unsuitable for newcomers due to lack of familiarity, but this series was in dire need of service for veterans.
In terms of gameplay it’s most reminiscent of the Budokai Tenkaichi series, featuring large immersive maps in beautiful cel-shaded 3D. Multiple fighters from opposing teams can all battle simultaneously, something I absolutely love about this title, as it creates an incredibly cinematic fighting environment. You have to keep your eyes on all the other fighters as well as your current opponent, as being caught by a Kamehameha launched from the other side of the map could spell trouble if you’re not careful.
Beyond the main story there are Parallel Quests, missions with specific objectives that afford you the chance to earn new skills and items for your character, which can also be purchased using Zeni in the shops scattered around the hub world. Some of these quests are online-only, and I highly encourage you to check them out, as playing with your friends online is an absolute blast. No pun intended.
Dragonball Xenoverse can usually be found in sales for around £15 including the three DLC packs, which each add new characters and parallel quests – it’s a great investment and by far the best game in the series for a very long time; perfect for any longtime fan of the Dragonball universe.
