Dragon Ball: Xenoverse Review
You can only tell the same story so many times, and Dragon Ball games are well past their allotment. I've seen Raditz perforated by the Special Beam Cannon more than 100 times by now, and while I love the series' grandiose narrative and iconic moments, it has long needed a spark. Dragon Ball Xenoverse, in spite of its pronounced deficiencies, puts the beloved series back on track. What it lacks in mechanical depth it makes up for in scope and fresh story arcs, and even if you still see Frieza bring Namek to its knees and Cell crumble before a familial Kamehameha, the addition of a customized character shines a new light on scenes that were growing far too dim.
It all starts with your own unique Z Warrior. Instead of reenacting the well-worn script as Goku, Piccolo, or another member of the colorful cast, Xenoverse inserts your own hero into each of the classic scenarios. From his species to the shine of his boots, your character's presentation is entirely up to you, and the depth of the adjustable characteristics allows you to successfully craft your ideal fighter. If you want to make a blue-haired lady-Saiyan with a jet-black outfit, the tools are there to make it happen. While stylish, your protagonist is far from verbose--uttering little more than a grunt and the title of a special attack during battle--but it's hard not to grow attached to this silent soldier as he battles alongside the established heroes. As a child who too often pretended that he could shoot energy from his palms and grow golden hair with a flourish, watching my addition to the roster be acknowledged by Goku and company was an inimitable pleasure.
After establishing a persona, you're brought in by Trunks as a member of the Time Patrol, a team that travels from era to era, correcting hiccups in the timeline that could radically alter the course of history. The villains meddling within the different timelines create problematic circumstances, diametrically opposed to the regular flow of this world's history. What if Raditz broke Goku's grip and avoided Piccolo's shot to the gullet? What havoc could Frieza have wrought if he immediately transformed to his final form instead of brandishing each of his less impressive molds? It's up to you to battle major characters possessed by an indomitable power and restore the timeline to its rightful progression.
Most of what you see, though distorted, follows the established Dragon Ball Z order of events, and if you're unfamiliar with the show, you'll likely find yourself lost among all the spiky hair and massive explosions. Xenoverse expects you already to have an established relationship with the anime, but the latter story missions have characters and content that are entirely new to the universe. It's not always prime material, with the dialogue ranging from fair to dreadful, but it's still refreshing to do new things in a Dragon Ball game. There's a lot to see, and seeing it all through the eyes of someone outside the well-established crew had me rushing to see how the script would be flipped next.
Dragon Ball Xenoverse, in spite of its pronounced deficiencies, puts the beloved series back on track.
What I didn’t always look forward to were the battles, which, unsurprisingly, are the meat of the experience. The combat isn't broken or unpleasant, but it does feel incomplete. Dragon Ball Xenoverse fails to present you with enough effective offensive outlets to remain captivating from start to finish, and while the over-the-shoulder perspective and cinematic ultimate attacks effectively replicate the visual spirit of the show, they just weren't enough to keep me engaged. Employing basic strikes, special attacks, and earth-shattering finishers between your enemy's combos might be effective, but even efficient strategies tend to result in apathy. The more you play, the less novel fighting becomes.
On a basic level, combining heavy and light attacks and topping them off with a burst of energy feels satisfying. The fists, elbows, knees, and feet that do connect result in an authoritative thwack, sending bodies flying into splintering mountains. Even the most devastating ability takes no more than three button presses to unleash, so it's simple to pick up the controller and begin punishing your competition with thunderous, destructive skill. However, there's little substance behind the thick layer of theatrics, and pounding away at buttons as you watch enemy health bars slowly tick away grows more tedious over time. It's easy to pick up and easy to master, which makes for a flat, unchallenging experience overall.
It's not always prime material, with the dialogue ranging from fair to dreadful.
This problem is only exacerbated by the presence of more bodies, and Xenoverse often presents skirmishes with multiple fighters on each side of the battlefield. It's common to jump into three-on-three competitions where you spend too much time putting fist to face with little substantive support from your allies. The speed of the action already makes one-on-one combat feel loose, with your character sporadically swinging at air as your back's to the enemy, so adding two additional targets can make it difficult to control the chaos. When it all works, it's easy to appreciate the bedlam. But these moments of bliss are too often followed by monotony, made frustrating by a less-than-perfect targeting system.
The action disappoints, but the methods of progression are both vast and gratifying. Beyond leveling up and applying points to various statistics, you can purchase and use an assortment of clothing and special techniques to empower your fighter. The deeper you progress within the different sagas, the more options you have. It takes time and even a bit of grinding to become powerful enough to conquer Cell or the best Buu, and going from level 25 to 27 often isn't enough to turn the tide of battle. But that didn't stop me from testing new pieces of armor and altering skill sets to search for the most lethal combat concoction.
There's little substance behind the thick layer of theatrics, and pounding away at buttons as you watch enemy health bars slowly tick away grows more tedious over time.
Alongside the story missions are offline and online Parallel Quests, which act as supplemental scenes to the main narrative. Here, you might battle next to Frieza and his henchmen instead of the actual good guys or search for the Dragon Balls on planet Namek. Dozens of these mission open up over time, and they can be tackled alongside basic CPUs, recruited NPCs that cost money to employ, or online players that often provide a great deal more assistance than a mindless ally. These quests, coupled with additional jobs handed out by named characters in the overworld, provide longevity and act as a great way to train for the difficult end game.
There's local multiplayer as well as an online arena, but the combat just isn't strong enough to stand on its own. It's fun to test your unique characters against the competition, and two-man duels are substantially more entertaining than the dizzying melees found within the story and side missions. But without a narrative backbone, the basic fighting doesn't maintain attention for more than a few rounds. Additionally, I've experienced consistent issues connecting online, at times preventing me from finding opponents and even kicking me out of the overworld itself.
Structurally, this is the most interesting and involved Dragon Ball game in years. The new spin on tired stories provides enough intrigue to keep you playing through even the most tiresome moments, and the enhancements you can make to your created character keep you completing missions well after the natural narrative conclusion. It's rich in content, but the shallow battle system and unnecessarily bloated health bars of some foes make this feel more like a hesitant step in the right direction than a true home run for the franchise. Dragon Ball Xenoverse isn't a good fighting game, but it does have enough interesting supplementary features to make it a consideration.
Dragon Ball: Xenoverse Review
You can only tell the same story so many times, and Dragon Ball games are well past their allotment. I've seen Raditz perforated by the Special Beam Cannon more than 100 times by now, and while I love the series' grandiose narrative and iconic moments, it has long needed a spark. Dragon Ball Xenoverse, in spite of its pronounced deficiencies, puts the beloved series back on track. What it lacks in mechanical depth it makes up for in scope and fresh story arcs, and even if you still see Frieza bring Namek to its knees and Cell crumble before a familial Kamehameha, the addition of a customized character shines a new light on scenes that were growing far too dim.
It all starts with your own unique Z Warrior. Instead of reenacting the well-worn script as Goku, Piccolo, or another member of the colorful cast, Xenoverse inserts your own hero into each of the classic scenarios. From his species to the shine of his boots, your character's presentation is entirely up to you, and the depth of the adjustable characteristics allows you to successfully craft your ideal fighter. If you want to make a blue-haired lady-Saiyan with a jet-black outfit, the tools are there to make it happen. While stylish, your protagonist is far from verbose--uttering little more than a grunt and the title of a special attack during battle--but it's hard not to grow attached to this silent soldier as he battles alongside the established heroes. As a child who too often pretended that he could shoot energy from his palms and grow golden hair with a flourish, watching my addition to the roster be acknowledged by Goku and company was an inimitable pleasure.
After establishing a persona, you're brought in by Trunks as a member of the Time Patrol, a team that travels from era to era, correcting hiccups in the timeline that could radically alter the course of history. The villains meddling within the different timelines create problematic circumstances, diametrically opposed to the regular flow of this world's history. What if Raditz broke Goku's grip and avoided Piccolo's shot to the gullet? What havoc could Frieza have wrought if he immediately transformed to his final form instead of brandishing each of his less impressive molds? It's up to you to battle major characters possessed by an indomitable power and restore the timeline to its rightful progression.
Most of what you see, though distorted, follows the established Dragon Ball Z order of events, and if you're unfamiliar with the show, you'll likely find yourself lost among all the spiky hair and massive explosions. Xenoverse expects you already to have an established relationship with the anime, but the latter story missions have characters and content that are entirely new to the universe. It's not always prime material, with the dialogue ranging from fair to dreadful, but it's still refreshing to do new things in a Dragon Ball game. There's a lot to see, and seeing it all through the eyes of someone outside the well-established crew had me rushing to see how the script would be flipped next.
Dragon Ball Xenoverse, in spite of its pronounced deficiencies, puts the beloved series back on track.
What I didn’t always look forward to were the battles, which, unsurprisingly, are the meat of the experience. The combat isn't broken or unpleasant, but it does feel incomplete. Dragon Ball Xenoverse fails to present you with enough effective offensive outlets to remain captivating from start to finish, and while the over-the-shoulder perspective and cinematic ultimate attacks effectively replicate the visual spirit of the show, they just weren't enough to keep me engaged. Employing basic strikes, special attacks, and earth-shattering finishers between your enemy's combos might be effective, but even efficient strategies tend to result in apathy. The more you play, the less novel fighting becomes.
On a basic level, combining heavy and light attacks and topping them off with a burst of energy feels satisfying. The fists, elbows, knees, and feet that do connect result in an authoritative thwack, sending bodies flying into splintering mountains. Even the most devastating ability takes no more than three button presses to unleash, so it's simple to pick up the controller and begin punishing your competition with thunderous, destructive skill. However, there's little substance behind the thick layer of theatrics, and pounding away at buttons as you watch enemy health bars slowly tick away grows more tedious over time. It's easy to pick up and easy to master, which makes for a flat, unchallenging experience overall.
It's not always prime material, with the dialogue ranging from fair to dreadful.
This problem is only exacerbated by the presence of more bodies, and Xenoverse often presents skirmishes with multiple fighters on each side of the battlefield. It's common to jump into three-on-three competitions where you spend too much time putting fist to face with little substantive support from your allies. The speed of the action already makes one-on-one combat feel loose, with your character sporadically swinging at air as your back's to the enemy, so adding two additional targets can make it difficult to control the chaos. When it all works, it's easy to appreciate the bedlam. But these moments of bliss are too often followed by monotony, made frustrating by a less-than-perfect targeting system.
The action disappoints, but the methods of progression are both vast and gratifying. Beyond leveling up and applying points to various statistics, you can purchase and use an assortment of clothing and special techniques to empower your fighter. The deeper you progress within the different sagas, the more options you have. It takes time and even a bit of grinding to become powerful enough to conquer Cell or the best Buu, and going from level 25 to 27 often isn't enough to turn the tide of battle. But that didn't stop me from testing new pieces of armor and altering skill sets to search for the most lethal combat concoction.
There's little substance behind the thick layer of theatrics, and pounding away at buttons as you watch enemy health bars slowly tick away grows more tedious over time.
Alongside the story missions are offline and online Parallel Quests, which act as supplemental scenes to the main narrative. Here, you might battle next to Frieza and his henchmen instead of the actual good guys or search for the Dragon Balls on planet Namek. Dozens of these mission open up over time, and they can be tackled alongside basic CPUs, recruited NPCs that cost money to employ, or online players that often provide a great deal more assistance than a mindless ally. These quests, coupled with additional jobs handed out by named characters in the overworld, provide longevity and act as a great way to train for the difficult end game.
There's local multiplayer as well as an online arena, but the combat just isn't strong enough to stand on its own. It's fun to test your unique characters against the competition, and two-man duels are substantially more entertaining than the dizzying melees found within the story and side missions. But without a narrative backbone, the basic fighting doesn't maintain attention for more than a few rounds. Additionally, I've experienced consistent issues connecting online, at times preventing me from finding opponents and even kicking me out of the overworld itself.
Structurally, this is the most interesting and involved Dragon Ball game in years. The new spin on tired stories provides enough intrigue to keep you playing through even the most tiresome moments, and the enhancements you can make to your created character keep you completing missions well after the natural narrative conclusion. It's rich in content, but the shallow battle system and unnecessarily bloated health bars of some foes make this feel more like a hesitant step in the right direction than a true home run for the franchise. Dragon Ball Xenoverse isn't a good fighting game, but it does have enough interesting supplementary features to make it a consideration.
Tell Square Enix What Game You’d Like Them to Make
A recent survey being conducted by publisher Square Enix is collecting information from the gaming audience.
Throughout the 24-question survey, takers will be asked about their preferred video game genres, social media sites, and interest in eSports, among other things. At the very end, Square invites participants to tell them what one video game they'd like to see developed next. Those who take the survey have the option of entering in their email at the end to qualify for a $100 Square Enix gift card.
The survey can be accessed through Square's website.
Surveys like this are fairly common with publishers and are often used to collect consumer data to aid in business plans. Earlier this year, developer Harmonix hinted at the return of Rock Band with a survey sent out to gauge interest in the franchise.
Channing Tatum Could Star in New Ghostbusters
Sony Pictures is planning a Ghostbusters “cinematic universe” that could potentially include a Channing Tatum-starring, Joe and Anthony Russo-directed film.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the studio has put together “Ghost Corps, a collective headed by original Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman and star Dan Aykroyd.” Their goal is to oversee the expansion of the franchise into new movies, TV and merchandising opportunities.
The Tatum film would be “male-oriented” and would come after the female-led 2016 reboot that director Paul Feig has in the works with Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy.
James Gunn: No Marvel Studios at SDCC This Year
According to Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn, Marvel Studios won't be at San Diego Comic-Con this July.
Gunn was answering fan questions on Facebook this weekend when he made the following claim:
“@starglooms: @JamesGunn @DrunkenShots guys, he could be lying” I have never lied about anything to the fans, ever.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) March 7, 2015Battlefield Hardline Won’t Be 1080p on Console
Both the Xbox One and PS4 versions of Battlefield Hardline will not run at 1080p, according to Visceral Games.
Responding to a fan question on Twitter, Visceral said the Xbox One version will be in 720p, while the PS4 version will run at 900p. Both versions will be 60 frames per second, however.
A follow-up question from a different follower of the Visceral Twitter account asked about the game's resolution on PC. "Whatever your rig can handle," it replied.
EA recently announced Battlefield premium, an early-access buy in program that unlocks access and rewards. The details of the Battlefield Hardline premium program leaked out on Reddit at the end of last month before the official announcement.
Indie Platformer Freedom Planet Coming to Wii U
The previously Kickstarted indie platformer Freedom Planet will be making its way to the eShop on Wii U, developer GalaxyTrail announced.
Freedom Planet strongly resembles 2D Sonic, but the developers have made it clear that it is more of a successor than a clone.
"We were definitely inspired by Sonic when developing the characters and stages for Freedom Planet, but they are not exactly the same thing," they wrote in their FAQ. Its Steam reviews seem to corroborate that; they're overwhelmingly positive.
Freedom Planet was originally released in 2014 and is currently available as a direct PC or Mac download and on Steam. No Wii U release date has been set, but GalaxyTrail member Stephen DiDuro says they're aiming for the end of the year. If you need another acclaimed indie platformer on your Wii U in the meantime, we highly recommend Shovel Knight.
Out This Week: March 9, 2015
With so many new games and movies coming out, it can be hard to keep up. Lucky for you, IGN is here to help with a weekly round-up of the biggest releases each and every week. Check out the latest releases for this week, and be sure to come back next Monday for a new update.
Note: The prices and deals compiled below are accurate at the time we published this story, but all are subject to change.
Lucy Lawless Joins the Cast of Ash Vs. Evil Dead
In a bit of awesome Evil Dead news (that also doubles as Xena reunion news), Lucy Lawless has joined the cast of the Starz original series Ash Vs. Evil Dead, which stars Bruce Campbell as his franchise hero character, Ash Williams.
Original Evil Dead filmmakers Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert and Bruce Campbell serve as executive producers on the series, which is the long-awaited follow-up to the classic horror film franchise and revolves around Campbell's Ash as an aging lothario and former chainsaw-handed monster hunter who has spent the last 30 years avoiding responsibility, maturity and the terrors of the Evil Dead.
Lawless will play Ruby - a mysterious figure who is myopic in her quest to hunt down the source of the recent Evil outbreaks. The only problem: she believes that Ash is the cause of it all.
The 10 Movies That Inspired Mad Men
Mad Men wraps up this year, and creator Matthew Weiner has given more insight into the AMC series by listing the 10 movies that inspired the show.
Spotted by The LAist, the following 10 films were reportedly required viewing for the cast and crew and include David Lynch's Blue Velvet and Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest.
What's notable about the former film is that it's the only one released outside the 1950s and '60s, coming out in 1987 (that also makes it the newest flick of the bunch).