Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero | Review Thread

[John Elden Ring]

Game Information​

Game Title: Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero
Platforms:

• Xbox Series X/S (Oct 10, 2024)
• PlayStation 5 (Oct 10, 2024)
• PC (Oct 10, 2024)

Trailers:

• DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO - IGNITE THE SPARK Trailer
• DRAGON BALL: Sparking! Zero - The Moment Trailer
• DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO – Power VS Speed Trailer

Developer: Spike Chunsoft
Publisher: Bandai Namco


Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 83 average - 89% recommended - 9 reviews

MetaCritic - 85/100 - 17 Reviews

Critic Reviews​

Checkpoint Gaming - Victor Tan - 8 / 10

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero captures the fighting experience of the franchise better than the previous fighting games. The graphics are amazing and hold up to the intense movements. Several opportunities to play online and offline mean there's always something to do and an opponent to test your mettle against. There are some combat kinks to work out and some features only appeal to the hardcore fanbase. But for anyone who has an interest in Dragon Ball, this is a game you must have.

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Gameliner - Rudy Wijnberg - Dutch - 4 / 5

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero delivers an epic Dragon Ball experience with a massive roster and solid gameplay, but its simplistic controls may lack depth for competitive players. Fans and newcomers will still have a blast!

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Gamer Guides - Callum Self - 83 / 100

Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is an excellent Dragon Ball game that delivers plenty of deliciously intense arena fights, with a great amount of content too. It feels familiar yet remarkable, but the performance issues are problems that need to be quickly rectified.

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MonsterVine - Spencer Legacy - 5 / 5

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is an incredible comeback for the Budokai Tenkaichi series. The roster is packed, the gameplay is satisfying, and the breadth of content is impressive, to say the least. This is the Dragon Ball game so many have been waiting for, and I can’t wait to see what content we get throughout the game’s assuredly long life.

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Press Start - Matthew Zimmari - 8.5 / 10

Picking right up where it left off with Budokai Tenkaichi 3, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is a return to form and a celebration of everything Dragon Ball. Reinvigorated with characters and transformations from Dragon Ball Super as well as your favourites from Dragon Ball Z, the game feels both brand new and classic as it brings fast-paced action and eye-popping graphics into the new generation. While some players may be frustrated or overwhelmed with the learning curve of the controls, the rewards lie in mastering your favourite characters, and crafting an experience that blends your imagination and classic Dragon Ball.

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TechRaptor - Robert Scarpinito - 8.5 / 10

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is the ultimate Dragon Ball sandbox, giving you all the tools needed to satisfy your wild imagination. Filled with iconic fights, flashy animations, and delightful easter eggs, it's arguably the final form of Dragon Ball arena fighters.

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The Outerhaven Productions - Scott Adams - 4.5 / 5

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero evolves the Budokai Tenkaichi series into the modern era of gaming: Faster-paced fights, and more dynamic than it has ever felt before.

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WellPlayed - Mark Isaacson - 8 / 10

As Dragon Ball games go, Sparking! Zero stands as one of the better translations of what it feels like to be a super powered hero, Goku or otherwise. It's not for everyone, but with a great set of modes and roster of characters, fans should find plenty to enjoy.

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Here's my colleague's in-depth review (8/10) with lots 4K screenshots and 4K videos: https://www.pcmrace.com/2024/10/07/dragon-ball-sparking-zero-review-pc/

Spoiler

 

[zapmaxvevo]

17 years in the waiting, at least for me will be 10/10 in my heart

 

[Pey]

Here's my colleague's in-depth review (8/10) with lots 4K screenshots and 4K videos: https://www.pcmrace.com/2024/10/07/dragon-ball-sparking-zero-review-pc/

Spoiler

 

[ethomaz]

It is a Dragon Ball fighting game.
The first time it was interesting but after so many it become very generic imo.

 

[voke]

It is a Dragon Ball fighting game.
The first time it was interesting but after so many it become very generic imo.

Dragon Ball Fighterz will never be topped...... goated game tbh

 

[Say1nMan]

Glad to see it's reviewing well. However, love how these types of games are reviewed by games media. They praise the game for being a worthy successor to the long running franchise yet when you look back at the reviews of said franchise they chalked those games up as average to mid. Feel like some of them are just applying nostalgia FOMO.

 

[quest4441]

This is the next 10+ million seller , early access launch hitting 100k ccu lol

 

[Al Catone]

It is a Dragon Ball fighting game.
The first time it was interesting but after so many it become very generic imo.

Yes, but this particular is a sequel to the Budokai Tenkaichi games from 17 years ago, so its well over due.

 

[Evilms]

Steam CCU

• Dragon Ball Sparking Zero - 91.005
• Street Fighter VI - 70.573
• Tekken 8 - 49.977
• Dragon Ball FighterZ - 44.303
• Mortal Kombat 1 - 38.129
• Mortal Kombat 11 - 35.147
• Guilty Gear Strive - 31.156
• Dragon Ball Xenoverse - 22.850
• Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 - 19.416
• Tekken 7 - 18.966
• Mortal Kombat X - 15.743
• Street Fighter V - 14.783
• Soul Calibur VI - 14.684
• Injustice Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition - 10.344
• Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja STORM 4 - 8.466
• King Of Fighters XV - 8.226
• Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection Arcade Classics - 6.072
• BlazBlue Centralfiction - 4.773
• Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja STORM 3 - 4.713
• Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 - 3.455
• Dead Or Alive 5 - 2.827
• Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 - 2.487
• Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R - 2.383
• Injustice 2 - 2.131
• Dead Or Alive 6 - 2.107
• Guilty Gear Xrd Sign - 1.971
• Street Fighter X Tekken - 1.302
• King Of Fighters XIII - 1.100
• Killer Instinct - 847
• BlazBlue Continuum Shift Extend - 340
• BlazBlue Calamity Trigger - 269
• Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja STORM 2 - 189

 

[Evilms]

 

[Systemshock2023]

Glad to see it's reviewing well. However, love how these types of games are reviewed by games media. They praise the game for being a worthy successor to the long running franchise yet when you look back at the reviews of said franchise they chalked those games up as average to mid. Feel like some of them are just applying nostalgia FOMO.

I feel it was the agenda since this game was announced... Muh Budokai Tenkaichi 4!!! Nostalgia!!!

I am just seeing a run of the mill 3D dragon ball game.