Is this a battle worth fighting?
I must admit, I’ve played several Dragon Ball Z/Naruto titles and have absolutely no idea what is going on story-wise, which I assume that others unfamiliar with the franchises would be as well. Despite that, the past games have been good to average in terms of quality, content and control. But how does Battle of Z hold up?
The game is different to past titles, for example you don’t just fight one enemy in a small arena and move onto the next, and instead you’re placed on a rather open and large area and face off against several opponents, sometimes solo and sometimes with some AI assistance. There’s also a 4 player co-op mode for those who are interested, but it’s the 8 player versus modes that will keep the players’ attention the longest.
Having said that, it’s not exactly deep in terms of combat. The controls are basic and the amount of moves you can pull off is very limited, it doesn’t help that it becomes increasingly repetitive and fast. Once you’ve mastered the controls, you should breeze through without much trouble. The art style looks decent to stand up to the source material, but the levels themselves lack depth in design and are far too simplistic in the visual department.
The Verdict
For the price tag, Battle of Z feels shallow in its content compared to past Dragon Ball Z games. The combat is basic and limited in its design, the co-op and multiplayer modes are fun but become repetitive quickly and the visuals are a mixed bag between good and sub par. It’s still a decent addition to the DBZ game library, it’s just not a spectacular one.
