Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot - 10 Tips For The First 10 Hours

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot isn’t as simple as it might appear. This is a huge, in-depth RPG — don’t let the presentation fool you. It might look like a straight-up brawler, but there are layers of systems, collectibles, items, and unlocks you’ll need to wade through. After 10 hours, we’ve barely scratched the surface of this game, and there’s still so much to discover.

To help you unravel this game, we’re here to train you in the ways of DBZ:K. Like Master Roshi, we’ll teach you the ways of the warrior — or at least share a few pointers that just might make your life easier. There’s so many tutorials and menus, it’s easy to get lost when you’re not punching invading Saiyans. So here’s all the tips and tricks we’ve discovered in our early gameplay.

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#1: Grinding Is Optional

You don’t need to grind for XP and gain levels. The game provides you with enough XP to stay strong enough for almost every challenge — you don’t have to fight enemies unless you really want to. The only reason to grind is to unlock Super Abilities. Some of these are very, very useful! But for the most part, you don’t need to grind just to finish the story.

Seeing as this is an RPG, it’s pretty important to know. For the beginning acts, don’t worry about grinding unless you really want to unlock skills earlier.

#2: Dodging Is Better That Blocking — A Perfectly-Timed Dodge Is Even Better

It’s better to time your dodges precisely — press [A / Cross] right before a melee attack, and time will slow. That gives you an opening to counter-attack. Save your Ki and only use Burst or Vanish for special occassions when you can’t just dodge.

While there’s a tutorial for Burst and Vanish Attacks, I don’t blame you for not totally understand them. Use Burst Attacks at close range to cancel an opponent’s move, and use Vanish Attacks at a distance to instantly teleport behind your enemy and attack! Bursts Attacks only use a small amount of Ki, while Vanish Attacks use lots of Ki. Naturally, perfect-timed dodges use the least amount of Ki.

#3: Complete Side-Stories ASAP Or You Might Miss Out On Soul Emblems

Complete all the side-stories you can! Earning Zeni and XP is great, but Soul Emblems are what you’re really after. Soul Emblems are rare character cards — they’re basically how you can level up your passive support. The better Soul Emblems you have, the more bonuses you’ll earn from the Community Board. And certain Soul Emblems are only available for a limited time in the story — usually at the start of an arc, then they’ll stick around until major milestones hit.

Assigning characters to the Community Board and leveling them up is a great way to improve your experience. You can earn extra money, improve cooking success, and unlock better fighting bonuses. Community Boards only provide small percentage improvements, but they’re worth keeping an eye on!

#4: Use Gifts To Level Up Your Friendships & And Become A Better Fighter

So, what are gifts for exactly? You’ll find them everywhere! Gifts are for giving (duh) — hand them over to your Support Characters from the Community menu, on the Soul Emblem screen, to increases their Friendship level, which increases their total Support Gauge. Often, you’ll team up with playable character — when they’re on your team, but you aren’t playing as them, they’ll provide unique bonuses.

That means you’ll charge their automatic assists and other abilities faster. There are three different types of characters — Offensive, Defensive, and Special. Offensive characters enhance your Super Attacks, Defensive characters keep you safe, while Special characters refill your HP and Ki.

Other Soul Emblems can also be leveled up with gifts. Instead of helping in fights, they’ll level up in one of the seven Community Board types. The higher your Community Board levels, the more passive upgrades you’ll unlock. Reaching Friendship milestones will also unlock special rare prizes, but you’ll have to discover those for yourself.

#5: How Do You Give Gifts? How Do You Access The Skill Tree?

To give gifts and upgrade your Soul Emblem community level, enter the Soul Emblem menu — press [Y / Triangle] to access the Soul Emblem Details, then press [A / Cross] to give a gift and increase Friendship. Every Soul Emblem has different material rewards or bonus skills — so don’t forget to level up your friends with the best gifts!

It’s oddly confusing. Once you get the hang of it, it makes perfect sense. But until then, we were pretty lost with gifts. Navigating the menus in general is actually a little tricky. When you select a character in the Character Menu, you need to press [Y / Triangle] to access their Skill Tree. That’s where you can spend Z Orbs to unlock new skills and upgrades.

Check the next page for 5 more tips and tricks to help you become Earth’s Greater Warrior.