Kamehame-rent
posted by Kronotross (CHICO, CA) Feb 22, 2012
Member since Feb 2012
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The combat resembles the Tenkaichi series more than the Budokai series, but it also the most unique DBZ game I've played in the past two generations.
The one critical flaw in the combat system is that it relies heavily on a "rock paper scissors" type of mechanic, where the success of your attack or counter is dependent on whether or not the attack type is guessed.
All things being even, that means a 50% chance for each melee combo or range transition to work.
Against another person, there is a sort of a high-level rock-paper-scissors dynamic this allows for, especially considering that the two attack types have different offensive and anti-defensive characteristics. When the fight starts, there is no point in me trying for the purple-themed combo that removes my enemy's ki, because he hasn't had a chance to charge any yet, but he also knows that and so he is more likely to counter it. Unless he knows that I know that he knows, so on and so forth.
Against the AI? It's either obvious because the enemy is always picking one color, or a complete crapshoot.
So the combat is competent, enjoyable, has some degree of depth, and actually replicates the feel of DBZ fights quite well. What is there to do with it?
The main story is surprisingly accurate up through the Cell Saga, then skims through Buu, a few movies, and the end of GT. The AI will cheat in an attempt to make fights hard that were losing battles in the show, but if you play defensively it's never frustratingly difficult. There are some fights against giant enemies (Oozaru, Hildegarn, etc) which overuse Quick Time Events, but are also enjoyable in their own way.
There is also a mode where you create your own Saiyan and do a less structured storyline that reads like a bad fan fiction. It has more flaws than I have space here to detail, but it shows a lot of potential and has its own grindy charm to it.
A solid rent for DBZ fans.
A difficult buy, even as I own six others.
For the everyman? Give it
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