With only a few weeks left until the launch of Dragon Ball Sparking Zero, fans can’t wait to get their hands on it and see whether it lives up to the hype. With the newest trailer, a “divisive” part of the franchise was finally confirmed to be represented in the title, which means that every major anime the franchise has had is now within the game. In a special interview at Gamescom, Producer Jun Furutani did a detailed interview about the game, its various modes, and the inspirations behind making it and continuing the Budokai Tenkaichi line that many loved.
He notes that even the name is a reference to the previous line, as “Sparking Meteor” was the Japanese name of the third title of the series. He noted that one of the experiences that he wanted fans to have was to play the game and feel like it was just the next installment of the franchise versus something completely different. While he admitted to “adapting” the original battle system, he also made it clear that they evolved certain mechanics and then added new ones on top of it to make it an even more “immersive experience.”
One of the more “immersive” elements to the game is how Dragon Ball Sparking Zero delivers effects in real time. For example, when a character like Goku powers himself up or transforms, you’ll see the world reacting around him, just like it would in the anime. Then, if he unleashes an attack that sends an opponent flying, the environment will react to whatever impact the hurt character has. So if they hit a building or a mountain, you’ll see the structure react to that. They couldn’t do that in past games, but due to modern advances, they are able to render it in true reaction to what the player and their opponents are doing.
Furutani also remarked on how certain elements of the game were created to reflect the anime, such as how teleportation could get you from one place to another quickly or how characters could do instant counters despite having just gotten hit. The “Revenge Counter” was added to the game to reflect that, and other elements are also there to make the gamers feel like they’re truly in the anime’s world.
When you put this together with a roster that truly spans decades of the series life and growth, you can tell that this title is meant for all fans no matter their age or power levels.
