Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO Review – Further Beyond Expectation

Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO Review

Dragon Ball Sparking Zero is an outstanding achievement from studio Spike Chunsoft. You can feel their love and reverence for the series in every aspect. It includes nearly everything I could hope for in a Budokai Tenkaichi follow-up, with beautiful graphics and excellent gameplay.

It’s been a long seventeen years since Budokai Tenkaichi 3. I love this series. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed it until getting my hands on this game. Spike Chunsoft charged their Ki to develop what I gladly describe as the franchise’s Ultra Instinct form.

Sparking Zero is downright fun to play. It’s designed to ensure every moment is engaging and worthwhile. I’m a simple man; I want to play as my favorite characters in various “what if” scenarios. The Budokai series has long provided that, and Sparking Zero takes it to the next level.

Characters Galore 

At launch, there are over 180 characters in the game. That number is slightly deceiving, as there are duplicates of each character spanning across their respective arcs. However, each version of every character includes different super attacks, ultimates, and transformations. I’ve played nearly 25 hours and am not remotely tired of it.

Having played most of the characters, I can confidently say that Spike Chunsoft has painstakingly worked on balancing the roster. Every character has the same base move set but varies in speed and damage dealt.

Smaller, more agile characters attack significantly faster, while larger characters are slower but hit much harder. I love that it isn’t complicated. The combat is easy to grasp but features satisfying depth for those who wish to master the mechanics.

The training mode is substantial and invaluable. You can miraculously button-mash your way to victory, but working through the training mode is worth it. Spike Chunsoft does an excellent job presenting everything at your disposal thoroughly and intuitively. 

Fun & Addicting

I love the risk and reward factored into every decision you make. There’s a way to block, counter, dodge, and follow up every attack. Deciding when to launch super attacks is critical. You’re vulnerable to a costly follow-up attack if you miss your opponent. 

Powering up to sparking mode increases attack speed and strength and activates your ultimate abilities. It looks sick visually and feels intense in your hands due to the Dualsense controller’s trigger resistance and haptic feedback.

Ultimate attacks are the game’s most impressive visual showcase. They vary depending on the era of the character you play. For example, there are several versions of Goku, all with different ultimates. Two of my favorites are “Angry Kamehameha” and “Point-Blank Kamehameha.”

It’s a highly stimulating experience. You’ve gotta be locked in to prevail, especially on higher difficulties. I love games that require my full attention, specifically competitive ones. While it’s an entirely different genre, Doom Eternal is a close comparison in that it demands that you quickly think and react to every moment. 

Successfully chaining combos together is incredibly satisfying between the animation, sound design, and controller feedback. I’ve long admired fighting games, but this series is the only one I’ve played significantly. The Dragon Ball IP, excellent game design, and stunning presentation make for a truly addicting experience.

Phenomenal Mechanics

Sparking Zero feels phenomenal to play. It’s smooth, responsive, and brutal. The game features the classic control scheme and the new standard control scheme. I haven’t touched any previous Budokai games in years, so my muscle memory is gone. I’ve stuck with the standard control scheme, and I love it. It remaps the controls to accommodate players who may approach the game with a more modern fighting game sensibility.

Battle Mode is the series’ bread and butter and unequivocally my favorite. As always, you can play one one-on-one or up to five-on-five. My fondest memories of this series have been spent in battle mode with friends. I’ve had a blast playing solo, and I’m confident it’ll be even better with pals.

At launch, there are twelve stages, with a few featuring multiple times of day. The traditional stages are there, but I’d like to see more. Kame House is at the top of my wish list. Spike Chunsoft plans to add more content to the game over time, and I imagine that includes additional stages.

Multiple modes complement the core experience. Sparking Zero is a huge game without filler or fluff. It offers the best of the franchise for both casual and hardcore fans.

New Spin on Story

Episode Battles feature story highlights of beloved characters across their arcs. I expressed some minor disappointment with the Episode Battle presentations in my initial preview. The cutscenes are barely animated and include many still shots with voiceovers.

Having played multiple characters’ stories to fruition, I’ve softened that criticism. This series has never been known for its immaculate retelling of these storylines. That can be considered an excuse, but I believe it’s an intentional choice. It may be disappointing for newcomers, but most of us have read or watched these stories countless times over the last thirty years.

Spike Chunsoft acknowledges that gameplay is king. The Episode Battles spend minimal time explaining the story beats and get you expressly into the next fight. It’s the right call. It could be better, but it’s not necessary. I can find silver linings in anything. The basic animation on the character’s faces when they speak is charming, as if watching a 3D version of the anime. The still shots are like reading a colorized version of the manga.

The only missing piece I desperately wish had been included is the English anime narrator, Doc Harris. It’s wild that his passing closely aligns with the release of this game. His legend lives on. May he rest in peace.

Copious Content

Players who wish to immortalize their original scenarios can do so with Custom Battles. Many developer-made Bonus Battles are available at launch, but Sparking Zero’s player contributions are the mode’s lifeblood. You can choose the characters, environment, music, and many effects that alter the core experience.

It’s a brilliant addition. It ensures that players always have something challenging or exciting to experience. I like that you can only add your original modes to the World Library after you’ve conquered them yourself. If you’re stoked about a battle you’ve played, you can save the replay for theater mode and even upload it to the World Library for others to see.

Tournament Mode returns. From all the tournaments between Dragon Ball Z and Super to the chaotic Yamcha Games, there’s a lot to play with. You can also create your own tournaments to share with the world. Online tournaments have been some of my most fun with this series.

I’ve played several online matches, including an entire tournament, and I’m stoked to say I’ve mostly had a solid connection without latency issues. During early access, I’ve found matches quickly. However, I encountered one error that landed me in a frozen lobby, and I had to restart the game to escape. Apart from that one bind, it’s been smooth. 

I’m a lifelong competitive multiplayer fan. Online battles are thrilling for me. Nothing makes you feel like a real Saiyan like training offline to test your skills against players worldwide. I’m proud to say all my time training offline paid off in several initial victories online, and I even made it to the finals in my first tournament. 

So far, I have a Goku-like attitude, as my narrow loss only motivates me to continue training and grow stronger. 

Play Your Way

Sparking Zero includes satisfying progression and customization without inhibition. You aren’t forced to play a particular mode to unlock anything. You can freely jump between modes to earn Zeni and dragon balls.

As expected, dragon balls summon the dragons who grant a single wish. Think of them as rewards for playing the game. They can increase your player level and give you new outfits or characters.

You use Zeni to purchase capsules, characters, outfits, and bonuses like voice lines, music tracks, strategy items, and player cards. Thankfully, Zeni isn’t monetized and is only earned through gameplay. That’s the case at launch, at least. You can also unlock characters, outfits, and capsules by playing all modes without spending anything.

I love the variety of costumes for each character. Capsules are particularly interesting, as they slightly alter gameplay and are designed to reduce difficulty. I only hit one roadblock with the difficulty. I played through Goku’s Episode Battles first. You fight Great Ape Vegeta near the beginning.

A Helpful Tip

Right now, I consider myself an intermediate, moderately advanced player. The Great Ape fight was initially impossible to beat, even at a reduced difficulty. His attacks deal massive damage, and his spammed super attacks make it incredibly frustrating. Here’s a note that may help you: Increase your player level.

Your player level is increased through playing any mode. The higher the level, the more access you have to capsules that tweak gameplay. Some examples include increasing your rush power, the damage of your ultimate attacks, and reducing the energy spent on Ki Blasts. Generally, I like the options. You aren’t forced to use capsules, but they’re available to those who want them.

Zen-Oh and Whis offer many simple challenges that reward you with Zeni, dragon balls, and titles. If it isn’t clear, you can enjoy Sparking Zero however you want. I’m a battle and tournament mode junkie myself, but I appreciate being able to earn rewards regardless of what I do.

Lore Overload

Sparking Zero includes a thorough encyclopedia of the whole roster. It tracks your data associated with each character, such as time played, number of ultimates used, average battle time, and more. There’s an amusing feature you can activate called “Girl Talk” that has Chi-Chi, Bulma, and Videl commenting on whoever you’re looking at.

You can also look into your most minute data to see everything you’ve done. It’s a great inclusion I don’t need, but it’s nice to know it’s there. Ultimately, Spike Chunsoft has gone “even further beyond” what’s necessary. They didn’t have to include half of the features in this game, and it would still be an excellent experience.

Most importantly, the core gameplay is polished. Apart from some rare, minor frame drops during the most chaotic moments, this game sticks to a constant 60fps. There’s usually a slight delay when switching characters in team battles. Some combos incorporate switching characters on the fly to get the drop on your opponent. Sometimes, they’re smooth, but the game briefly pauses other times. It may be intentional to avoid disorienting players, but I’m unsure.

Overall, It’s impressive that it keeps up with the speed and ferocity of gameplay combined with frequent, beautiful animations and destruction. I haven’t encountered a single glitch over 25 hours. Considering all that’s happening on screen and under the hood, it’s remarkable.

Browsing the menus is an absolute joy. Goku travels to multiple environments filled with his friends and family, who regularly make off-handed comments. Admittedly, I’ve left the game running in the background a few times and noticed they repeat themselves too often. That doesn’t matter if you don’t hang out in one area too long.

A Visual Spectacle 

Sparking Zero doesn’t include visual options like “quality” or “performance.” Whether this game is presented at native 4K or a checkerboard-rendered version, it looks gorgeous. Courtesy of Unreal Engine 5, the 3D character models and animations look the best they ever have, along with stunning visual effects between super attacks, Ki energy, smoke, and destruction. The way the character’s hair moves in the wind is a nice touch, along with clothing physics.

I’m a fan of damage reflected on characters in any game. The more carnage you inflict, the more the character’s appearances are altered. Visual details like that further emphasize the intensity of battles. Spike Chunsoft has also implemented stellar sound design and music between the new and familiar.

I’m having so much fun with Sparking Zero. It’s essentially everything I want in a Dragon Ball game. There’s more than enough content to keep you busy at launch, but it’s exciting to think about what Spike Chunsoft will add down the road. For coverage on Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero’s future content, stay tuned to COGconnected.

***PlayStation 5 review code provided by Bandai Namco***