DRAGON BALL: XenoVerse

[vivisectvi]

Developer: Dimps | Publisher: Bandai Namco Games
Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3/4, Xbox 360/One | Release Date: February 24, 2015
Genre: Fighting | Modes: Single-player, Multi-player (Co-op and Versus)​

Plot
Unlike the previous games of the series that usually follow the original Dragon Ball canon, "XenoVerse" features an entirely new story, featuring the player's custom character. The story borrows many elements from Dragon Ball Online, including two villains manipulating time, and Time Patrol Trunks trying to restore the timeline with the player's help.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_Ball_XenoVerse#Plot

Gameplay
The game is set in full 3D destructible environments. Fighters can traverse the levels free-roaming in very large spaces and can be fighting on a platform, go in the air, and fight underwater. They run when on the ground, and swim while underwater. XenoVerse has dialogue while fights go on, and fighters show facial expressions when they strike an opponent or take damage. The players have some freedom to explore the planet Earth as it exists in the Dragon Ball universe along with a handful of other locations, including a mysterious new city, now revealed as Toki-Toki City, which is the point of origin for the game's new character. XenoVerse is also the third Dragon Ball game to feature character creation, the first being Dragon Ball Online and the second being Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi.

The game's new character is confirmed to be a player created character. With the character customization, players will now be able to customize their character's race, gender, head, build, voice, and clothing. You can also change the pitch and add voice effects to the character's voice. Voice effects include flanger, harmonizer, echo, and tremolo. These effects can be tweaked to the player's liking and more than one can be applied to the voice. Players can create characters from multiple races, with the ones available being Saiyans, Namekians, Earthlings, Majins and Frieza's currently unnamed race. Players will be able to visit the futuristic Toki-Toki City, meet up with other players and take on cooperative, time-traveling missions.

The PS4 and Xbox One versions of Dragon Ball XenoVerse also include unique gameplay features proper to this generation of consoles such as improved graphics. Players can also become apprentices of the original Dragon Ball anime characters to equip over 200 special moves and 450 costume items. As reported by ShonenGameZ, an Amazon Japan posting for the guide revealed that there will be at least 47 playable characters. There will be 12 Master Quests, 50 Parallel Quests, 200 skills and 400 pieces of equipment to choose from according to the guide. Players also have the option to equip varying types of the Ki Charge Ability, but at the cost of a Super slot. Additionally, Vegeta uses an alternate version of Super Saiyan and Super Saiyan 2, called Super Vegeta and Super Vegeta 2 respectively, which will mainly affect the user's Ki Blast stat instead of Melee. Custom Saiyans will also be able to use this special.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_Ball_XenoVerse#Gameplay

Roster

Spoiler

Goku: Regular, Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 2, Super Saiyan 3
Goku: Super Saiyan 4
Goku: Super Saiyan God
Kid Gohan
Teen Gohan: Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 2
Adult Gohan: Regular, Super Saiyan, Ultimate
Krillin
Piccolo
Yamcha
Tien
Vegeta: Regular, Super Vegeta, Super Vegeta 2
Kid Trunks: Regular, Super Saiyan
Future Trunks: Regular, Super Saiyan
Goten: Regular, Super Saiyan
Mr. Satan
Great Saiyaman
Videl
Gotenks: Regular, Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 3
Vegetto: Regular, Super Saiyan
Gogeta: Super Saiyan 4
Raditz
Nappa
Saibamen
Freeza: First Form
Freeza: Final Form
Freeza: Final Form 100%
Ginyu
Recoome
Guldo
Burter
Jeice
Appule
Raspberry
Cell: Complete
Cell: Complete Form 100%
Cell Jr.
Android 17
Android 18
Majin Buu
Super Buu
Kid Buu
Birus
Whis
Bardock: Regular, Super Saiyan
Omega Shenron
Super 17
Broly: Legendary Super Saiyan

Videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVd-cb6m4hM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87AyqyKJuK8

 

[vivisectvi]

The hype train totally got me on this one. There are some visual quirks to the game, but I'm having a blast with it, regardless. It plays really fast and the combat is addictive.. I keep saying "one more quest" or "one more match" and end up playing for another hour or so. One really cool aspect is the MMO-lite feeling the hub city has. You can enlist other players to form a team and go on time patrol quests, and even then you get the choice of enlisting players who are online and playing when you are, or enlisting CPU-simulated versions of other players created characters.

I ended up going Saiyan.. of course.

 

[Damaramu]

Can you play it in Japanese?

I really cannot stand the DBZ dub voices.

 

[vivisectvi]

Yup, it has a Japanese language track as well.

 

[Damaramu]

Is that your character in red? I'm going to Gamestop after I get off.

I think I'll be a Namekian.

I'm already engulfed by Shadow of Mordor, this sounds like it'll distract me just as much.

 

[vivisectvi]

My guy is the one on the left in purple, (with grey skin - Zombie Saiyan), or at least it's purple on my screen, lol.

 

[Damaramu]

My guy is the one on the left in purple, (with grey skin - Zombie Saiyan), or at least it's purple on my screen, lol.

Oh yeah, that's purple. My bad.

 

[vivisectvi]

Definitely check it out if you're a fan of the series. There's a ton of fan service in this game, and while DBZ games are rarely perfect, it's still really fun.

 

[Damaramu]

Is it a fighting game? You're talking about side stuff and exploration.

 

[DrVenkman PhD]

This is one of those things where in pictures, I didn't think there was a big leap over the last gen. I then saw some people on Twitch playing it and thought it looked really good, animation / movement wise.

 

[Damaramu]

So I bought this and the season pass. I've never done a season pass at release before. Does it just DL onto my ps4 when it becomes available?

 

[vivisectvi]

Is it a fighting game? You're talking about side stuff and exploration.

There is some exploration during the Parallel Quests.. basically material gathering.. but the main gameplay aspect of the game is fighting, yeah. There is also a classic versus mode where you can play as any character, etc.

So I bought this and the season pass. I've never done a season pass at release before. Does it just DL onto my ps4 when it becomes available?

Some games DL it automatically, but a lot have you go into the Store and hit the Download button on the new DLC once it's released. Either way the Season Pass will basically unlock it so that there is a Download option instead of the usual Purchase $9.99 option, or whatever.

 

[Kageho]

??? Okay, I've watched the trailer and some gameplay footage and while I haven't played another DragonBall game, this one seems to be growing on me.

Is it actually any good?

 

[vivisectvi]

Is it actually any good?

I've played three of the other DBZ games and none of them could hold my attention for more than a few fights before I got bored with them. It's something about the combination of an original story + the MMO-lite (think Destiny but no grinding) style of multiplayer and lobbies + the really fast combat gameplay has completely hooked me.

I don't want to say it's for everyone, so maybe it's worth a rental first.. or there may actually be a demo up in the store now that I think about it.

 

[Kageho]

Original story + MMO? Oh, so they scrapped the DragonBall Online and re-purposed it, didn't they? Yeah, I know about DBO. Was interested in it.

Is it anything like Budokai? I think that was the one that I played, my friend at the time owned it, and it was a blast. Though I never bought it and I'm not sure why not.

Oh! What moves can you learn exactly? I'm assuming there's tons to learn, after all, MMO!

 

[Damaramu]

I'm pretty pumped about this. When I turned it on and heard the remixed "Head Cha-La" I'm not going to lie, I popped a nerd boner. But I'm a one game at a time kind of guy and I'm embroiled in Shadows of Mordor.

 

[vivisectvi]

Oh! What moves can you learn exactly? I'm assuming there's tons to learn, after all, MMO!

MMO-lite, though! You can see the DNA of MMO games in this for sure, but it's still basically a multiplayer instanced game at its core.

Basically there is a lobby and a hub city where other players are running around and you can chat, emote, and form teams with them to go on 3 player "parallel time quests" ..which I guess you could equate with going on smaller dungeons in an MMO; or even going on daily duties/boss battles in FFXIVARR, if you ever played that..

These quests are basically side quests that run "parallel in time" to the main story.. and they actually serve a purpose to level you up for the main story since that one increases in difficulty and you can find yourself under-leveled quite quickly. I did one last night where, in an alternate timeline, I had to help Raditz beat the shit out of Goku and teach him a lesson about stepping to his older brother.

Character customization is pretty sweet too. You can buy gear, or get it rewarded from quests. I got a sweet Piccolo cape the other night!

Moves to learn - there are tons (see video below)! You can learn them as rewards for quests... OR, while running around the hub city, you will come across random DBZ characters who you can ask to train you. You become their student and start learning moves from them. Some will refuse until you are a certain level, and you can stop training with one character and become another characters student at any time when offered the chance. There is actually a trophy for maxing out training from all of the characters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMlGda2Gm7g

Honestly this was exactly the type of game I needed right now. It has enough depth for me to not be quickly bored with it but it also isn't something that I need to sink countless hours into every night in order to make any progress (unless I want to). A lot of games have been trying my patience lately with either how shallow they are or the amount of filler content they try to pass off as something worthwhile. DBXV hits that sweet spot and I'm just loving it.

More info/videos about character creation, combos and moves here: http://www.saiyanisland.com/2015/02/dragon-ball-xenoverse-created-character-races-genders-and-combos/

 

[Damaramu]

Do you have to do parallel level quests with other people?

 

[vivisectvi]

Do you have to do parallel level quests with other people?

Nope, you can do them solo, or with a team of real or CPU-controlled versions of players. I've only done them with CPU-controlled versions of other players characters so far.

 

[Angle-plex]

Is the fighting like the Budokai series?

 

[vivisectvi]

I can't really tell, to be honest, as I didn't spend much time with that series..


On another note, seems the server stuff may be getting better. I got into a multi lobby last night. TONS of players running around.

 

[Damaramu]

I hate PS handles with a ton of numbers after their name. I got that on Shadows of Mordor too. "Avenge STL2889893381's death."

 

[vivisectvi]

Cool thing about this game is that you can choose for it to show either the players PSN ID or their character name. I chose character name but I think a few of these guys must have used the same thing as their PSN ID's as well.

 

[Damaramu]

Oh man. I don't know if I can think up a catchy Saiyan or Namekian name on the fly like Toriyama. I'm going to have to ponder this for a bit.

Is there a difference in power based on what race you choose?

 

[vivisectvi]

Yeah each race has it's own benefit (or detriment) to health, stamina & ki. I think the Sayians have low health but a ton of stamina and ki.

 

[Kageho]

Considering how often Saiyans get taken out of a fight, low health makes sense.

I'd assume humans are balanced.

 

[vivisectvi]

 

[Kageho]

Well thanks. Honestly that was a big help.

With over 200 skills, I think you'd need to play a few different times to create the exact character you want to play. Assuming unlocks stay unlocked for the next playthough.

 

[Damaramu]

So I got this and I played it like crazy yesterday. I did every available parallel quest before moving on with the main story. I just finished beating Ape Vegeta. Then it unlocked the online play and now I'm having trouble with the game stopping because it's losing connection to the server. WTF?

 

[Smues]

So I got this and I played it like crazy yesterday. I did every available parallel quest before moving on with the main story. I just finished beating Ape Vegeta. Then it unlocked the online play and now I'm having trouble with the game stopping because it's losing connection to the server. WTF?

Modern video gaming is awesome isn't it?