What makes a “perfect” video game? That is a question that many people have asked over the years, and many would say that it’s “impossible” because “perfection” is incredibly subjective, which is true. Not to mention, there’s always SOMETHING that someone finds about a title to point to why it’s “incredible, but not perfect.” For Dragon Ball Sparking Zero, one could’ve made the argument that it was the “perfect title” in the series solely because of what it’s doing. It’s a beautifully rendered game that plays like the best video game series within the franchise, and its roster honors both canon and non-canon shows and movies!
That doesn’t even touch on things like the “custom battles,” where you can have dream matches with certain characters to see how they interact with one another and so on. So, what could possibly weigh this game down? The simple answer is crossplay capabilities. Yeah, in today’s gaming age, people love doing crossplay with other systems or PC, and many multiplayer-focused titles feel “empty” without the capability sometimes.
In a chat with IGN, Dragon Ball Sparking Zero producer Jun Furutani was asked about crossplay in the title, and his answer was uninspiring:
“One of those touchy subjects, that’s very difficult for him to explain. The short professional answer is, yeah, there’s a difficult that we have to go through to get cross play to work.”
That might not be the answer that people want, but it’s not entirely hopeless. Not unlike other games in the franchise, you can bet that Bandai Namco will constantly update and adjust the game to fit certain needs. Heck, as big as the roster is right now, it’s possible that even MORE characters could arrive, as there are a select few that are missing from the massive lineup. As such, we could get crossplay in the future, should they decide it’s worth the time and effort.
Plus, even with the lack of crossplay, the game is still packed with action and modes to do with others on the system you choose to get the game on. As of yesterday, it was confirmed that over 180 characters are in the lineup, covering all the main TV shows and films that have emerged over the years. Getting to play as some of these lesser-known characters is incredible, and when you add in the episodic content that can let you change how the anime’s narrative went at times, the possibilities are endless.
