"DBZ: Battle of Z" (360/PS3/Vita) On-Going Discussion Thread

[Drev]

Not sure if this has been talked about yet, but Famitsu gave the game a 32/40.

Let it be known that they had previously given Ultimate Tenkaichi a 31/40.

Famitsu votes NEVER count. 31 is like 8,8,8,8. I can't think of 4 people that give 8/10 to Ultimate Tenkaichi. Come on. They are totally random.

[dbboxkaifan]

This game will probably get a 6/10 or at max a 7.5/10 because it doesn't deserve a higher score.

Famitsu might've been bribed to give this game a positive score like IGN does.

[Daimo-Rukiri]

I don't think the game is an 8/10 but I think it is worth 7/10 or just average, it's not a bad game but there was obviously limitations which the next gen consoles should solve if there is a sequel.

[Insertclevername]

But what is this game trying to do that they ostensibly can't do on PS3 & 360?

[Xeogran]

But what is this game trying to do that they ostensibly can't do on PS3 & 360?

Transformations. PS2 couldn't do them with BT1, PS3 can't do them with BoZ and I'm certain that there will be a PS4 game with no in-game transformations as well.
Seems that it must happen once-per-gen

[Hellspawn28]

I don't see the game getting anything higher then a 5/10. The post-BL games either get average reviews or awful reviews.

[Super Sayian Prime]

I'm not saying you shouldn't trust Japanese game journalists, but what I'm saying is that Famitsu has a mini-site for this game. http://www.famitsu.com/sp/140116_dbzboz/

[Insertclevername]

I'm pretty sure the lack of transformations is an intentional design choice rather than some hardware limitation.

[dbboxkaifan]

But what is this game trying to do that they ostensibly can't do on PS3 & 360?

Transformations. PS2 couldn't do them with BT1, PS3 can't do them with BoZ and I'm certain that there will be a PS4 game with no in-game transformations as well.
Seems that it must happen once-per-gen

Tenkaichi 2 could and it only took one additional year to get it in the game, however, in Battle of Z which has took over 2 years is unable to do so.

[LordMoonstone]

Why are in-game transformations so important to you guys? You know they changed it to balance characters, right? So that all of them can play differently? I know it feels great transforming in battle. Trust me, I was disappointed when the first Budokai Tenkaichi kept you from doing it, but everyone felt very same-y there. This game is entirely reliant on the moveset and cards of a character. By limiting slots for super strong characters, and balancing their moves, the upper echelon is balanced with what the lower characters are capable of (hopefully). Also you can't all just be super powerful SSJGod Goku because no one would be healing or reviving and you would be losing all of your SP. A balanced team needs someone that's supporting, and characters like Super Saiyan 1 Gohan do that, while Super Saiyan 2 Gohan is pure offense. Does this make sense? I think many are approaching this game in the wrong mindset, but it's not really your fault, since Namco-Bandai is quite intent on marketing this as a crazy brawl-fest. It's more like an MMO in certain respects. Everyone wants to play DPS so that gets saturated, but every team needs a tank and every team needs a healer if they don't want to just die. I recommend finding someone for every role that you enjoy playing as so you can fill any spot in a team!

I also don't understand why this not being next-gen is a detriment. The PS3 install base is massive, why wouldn't they target that? The PS4 can use some titles, but this game is focused on multiplayer and grinding, something that plenty of Japanese PS3/Vita owners are familiar with from Namco-Bandai's other titles as well as things like Soul Sacrifice. These games might not go over well internationally, but I think many critiques are entirely unwarranted because it's not what you expected. There hasn't been a good DBZ fighting game since Super DBZ so I don't know where your assertions of expectations are coming from.

tl;dr: this game is about partying up and grinding and it's not a fighting game. In-game transformations can't work due to cards.

[SparkyPantsMcGee]

Yea given that the transformed versions of certain characters offer different job classes(Gohan for example), I imagine this was a design choice. But I still think there were some limitations as well. While I'm more than sure the PS3 could handle it, I don't think the servers dedicated for this game would have been able to handle the loading in and out of multiple characters. With the sparking games at least(though I'm sure Budokai was the same), the game would load out the old form and bring in the new one. That's why there was a small powering up delay, it was masking the load time. Imagine that happing 8 times per player(and then multiple times per transformation). That's a lot for the game to process especially over the internet. Especially with the history of Dragonball games, the lag time would be crazy!

[Drev]

I'm pretty sure the lack of transformations is an intentional design choice rather than some hardware limitation.

exactly, and i'm fine with it, because different gohan/freezer have different roles. And it wouldn't be fair if guldo has one role (because he can't transform) while freezer could have 5 different role possibilities. It's like a moba game in a certain way, it wouldn't be fair if i have a support character, while another can change among support/carry/initiator/tank, don't you think?

Yea given that the transformed versions of certain characters offer different job classes(Gohan for example), I imagine this was a design choice. But I still think there were some limitations as well. While I'm more than sure the PS3 could handle it, I don't think the servers dedicated for this game would have been able to handle the loading in and out of multiple characters. With the sparking games at least(though I'm sure Budokai was the same), the game would load out the old form and bring in the new one. That's why there was a small powering up delay, it was masking the load time. Imagine that happing 8 times per player(and then multiple times per transformation). That's a lot for the game to process especially over the internet. Especially with the history of Dragonball games, the lag time would be crazy!

i don't think that would be a problem, you just need to pre-load those 3d models and features and then do instant transformations

[JeffJarrett]

Why are in-game transformations so important to you guys? You know they changed it to balance characters, right? So that all of them can play differently? I know it feels great transforming in battle. Trust me, I was disappointed when the first Budokai Tenkaichi kept you from doing it, but everyone felt very same-y there. This game is entirely reliant on the moveset and cards of a character. By limiting slots for super strong characters, and balancing their moves, the upper echelon is balanced with what the lower characters are capable of (hopefully). Also you can't all just be super powerful SSJGod Goku because no one would be healing or reviving and you would be losing all of your SP. A balanced team needs someone that's supporting, and characters like Super Saiyan 1 Gohan do that, while Super Saiyan 2 Gohan is pure offense. Does this make sense? I think many are approaching this game in the wrong mindset, but it's not really your fault, since Namco-Bandai is quite intent on marketing this as a crazy brawl-fest. It's more like an MMO in certain respects. Everyone wants to play DPS so that gets saturated, but every team needs a tank and every team needs a healer if they don't want to just die. I recommend finding someone for every role that you enjoy playing as so you can fill any spot in a team!

Except Super Saiyan Gohan wasn't a healer in the series. If they give jobs to certain characters, they should at least give them to the proper characters: Dende and Kibito as healers, along with Yajirobe or Korin healing with Senzu, Old Kai, Guru, and Babidi to give power boosts, etc. But no, they randomly chose who would be healer, who would be an inervention type, etc.

While I'm more than sure the PS3 could handle it, I don't think the servers dedicated for this game would have been able to handle the loading in and out of multiple characters. With the sparking games at least(though I'm sure Budokai was the same), the game would load out the old form and bring in the new one. That's why there was a small powering up delay, it was masking the load time. Imagine that happing 8 times per player(and then multiple times per transformation). That's a lot for the game to process especially over the internet. Especially with the history of Dragonball games, the lag time would be crazy!

Tenkaichi Tag Team had 4 characters on-screen and allowed in-game transformations, and it's a PSP game.

[VegettoEX]

Except Super Saiyan Gohan wasn't a healer in the series. If they give jobs to certain characters, they should at least give them to the proper characters: Dende and Kibito as healers, along with Yajirobe or Karin healing with Senzu, Old Kai, Guru, and Babidi to give power boosts, etc. But no, they randomly chose who would be healer, who would be an inervention type, etc.

But then you're just going to end up with a gazillion fighter characters and "lame" ancillary characters no-one wants to play as.

I really like the approach they're taking here. Kinda forces/tricks people into playing roles that they might not expect to take on.

[Insertclevername]

I just wish the game would better telegraph whose a healer/fighter/etc better than it already is. I didn't even know the depth of this game prior to listening to the demo podcast.

[GogetaSSJ2]

Is there a guide somewhere on the internet telling us which role each character in the game is? I know Goku and Nappa are Melee types for examples...but for the other 70 or so characters I have no flipping clue

[Silkman3003]

SNIP

[LordMoonstone]

It's literally that simple, and takes no skill. It punishes the person going on the attack, and makes guard breaking pretty useless considering the options the opponent has on block. If you even attempt to do something like kaioken, you know what i'm going to do? Keep dashing out, so it's really useless and contributes to the game being a turtle.

Then you use a blast when they dash. They aren't consistently invincible. You can do plenty of damage if they dash. I agree guarding is incredibly overpowered, as well as the guard cancel limiting things; however, using those options you mentioned takes SP, and people run out all the time unless someone's playing as the battery. Even then you are..

3. Terribly limited combat system. Budokai + Tenkaichi aren't the best fighters at all, obviously, but my lord this game makes them both look like gods. In Tenkaichi and budokai you had both far bigger movesets it isn't even funny. In Tenkaichi you could charge your attacks. Smash them nearly anywhere to the map. Had a better combat system. Had actual throws. Each character had an ultimate.

comparing this to a game that it isn't. I'm sorry you expected a fighting game. Have you played a game like Monster Hunter, Soul Sacrifice, or God Eater?

It relies too much on the team aspect, that without it it really is that shallow. Argue that it doesn't matter, but this game deserves every bit of criticism it gets. People have expectations for gameplay that's good, and boy can it be argued that this gameplay isn't really that good.(and i'm really being nice with my choice of words here)

It relies too much? That's what the entire game is. If you don't want to play with a team, you aren't going to enjoy this game. You have trouble with an opponent? That's what inference types are for. You coordinate with your team and plan attacks. The thrill of the game is in how you work with them, not in how you're going solo. I'm championing it because I think it'd be a blast to play with more people and get a huge group playing -- but obviously it's not for everyone, and that's just fine. I just think there are a lot of criticisms stemming from expectations and comparisons that the Dragonball playerbase doesn't know what to do with. I'm curious how popular this will be in Japan, because that will affirm or deny my theory that this type of game just doesn't jive with a lot of Western players.

[Silkman3003]

SNIP

[sangofe]

Not sure if this has been talked about yet, but Famitsu gave the game a 32/40.

Let it be known that they had previously given Ultimate Tenkaichi a 31/40.

Scan somewhere?

I'm not saying you shouldn't trust Japanese game journalists, but what I'm saying is that Famitsu has a mini-site for this game. http://www.famitsu.com/sp/140116_dbzboz/

You saying they were paid to give the game a good score?