Every attack, standard or special, connects with satisfying sound effects and animations which are typical of the anime. While they offer the freedom of movement that's always been prominent in the source material, it means that as long as an enemy is locked-on, they can hurl projectiles at you completely unopposed, which makes closing long distances between you and an opponent a tedious chore.Īs a result, Battle of Z's mechanics may not be the best or the most polished, but there's still a lot of fun to be had in grouping your dream team of Dragon Ball heroes or villains and smashing the daylights out of anyone who stands in your way. Compounding the issue is map size: from the grassy plains of the Earth to the damaged Namekian homeworld, the arenas are all suitably huge and open. The four-versus-four battles mean that it's possible for an entire team to attack you and you alone, which can be frustrating when you're forced to watch your computer controlled allies do all of the work while you're pinned in place by every attack imaginable. You'll likely find yourself holding the shoulder button down much more than any other input, as you'll also need to press it in when flicking the left stick to perform dodges, which happen to be the only truly reliable way to avoid getting caught in long combos and deadly beams of energy.ĭespite its basic implementation, though, going on the defensive is something that you'll need to do constantly. This can mean that battles end up seeming quite repetitive, and it doesn't help that your only means of defence is a bland block that's mapped to L. If you're being barraged by a ki blast class, you'd best try to get in close, while the opposite is true if you're being chased across the map by a rampaging melee type. That said, there aren't really that many strategies to employ. The strict limitations that are applied to the cast's styles can seem slightly stifling, but the problem is offset by a large character roster, so fans and newbies alike are bound to find a favourite who suits their method of play. Trying to deal out large amounts of damage with a support type is never going to be as potent as rushing your adversaries with a melee-based combatant, and spamming energy blasts with an up-close-and-personal brawler will leave you wide open due to their slow-firing projectiles. The two remaining types are interfere and support, both of which play a less substantial role in direct combat, but are able to put a stop to troublesome offensives and heal their comrades respectively.Īll of the classes involved adhere to the same control layout, but their skills demand that they be played in a specific way in order to be effective. Meanwhile, a ki blast warrior is adept at causing damage from range, and can quickly restore their energy bar through pelting enemies with shots of ki.
A melee fighter like Goku unsurprisingly specialises in close combat, and his energy bar – a gauge that depletes when using special attacks – is refilled faster when he lands physical attacks.