Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero

The critics generally praise Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero for its inclusion of iconic battles from the Dragon Ball series and the incorporation of 'What if?' scenarios in the story mode. Critics like But Why Tho? and ZTGD appreciate how the game captures the essence of the beloved series with fidelity, offering battles and stories that fans have seen before but with unique twists. IGN Brasil and Pure Xbox commend the game for presenting Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super stories in an accelerated manner, providing branching paths that lead to alternate outcomes and fresh twists to familiar events. Additionally, ComicBook and GAMINGbible highlight the branching paths and 'What if' scenarios in the story mode, which add depth and replay value to the narrative. On the other hand, some critics express concerns about the storytelling in Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero. Digital Trends criticizes the disjointed and unevenly paced delivery of the story, lacking buildup and weight in presenting iconic moments. GamesHub and Push Square mention that the narrative pieces of the game feel undercooked, with a campaign mode that relies too heavily on static cutscenes and exposition, making it challenging for players to get invested in the plot. IGN Deutschland also criticizes the story for being lackluster and disjointed, not meeting the expectations of fans of the series. These criticisms indicate a consensus among some reviewers that the storytelling in the game may not fully deliver on the expectations set by the Dragon Ball franchise. Overall, while Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero receives praise for its inclusion of iconic battles, 'What if?' scenarios, and branching paths in the story mode, there are concerns about the storytelling execution. Critics like Siliconera and VG247 appreciate the alternate outcomes and narrative choices that tap into fan speculation, providing a refreshing twist for Dragon Ball fans. However, the criticisms from reviewers like Digital Trends and Push Square regarding the disjointed storytelling and lackluster presentation suggest that there is room for improvement in how the game delivers its narrative. Despite these criticisms, the overall consensus seems to be that the game offers an engaging experience for fans of the Dragon Ball series, with its mix of familiar story arcs and hypothetical scenarios providing some interesting narrative twists.

The majority of critics praised the gameplay of Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero for its positive aspects. Critics like IGN Brasil highlighted the dynamic and challenging combat mechanics, while COGconnected and Noisy Pixel appreciated the smooth and responsive gameplay with satisfying depth in combat mechanics. Gamepressure and SpazioGames commended the silky smooth fighting game engine that offers a variety of defensive options and faithfully replicates the fast-paced battles seen in the Dragon Ball series. Additionally, critics like Digital Trends and GAMINGbible emphasized the depth beyond button-mashing, requiring players to master techniques and customization for rewarding combat experiences. On the downside, some critics pointed out certain negatives in the gameplay of Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero. Gaming Age and Voxel criticized the lack of depth in combos and character differentiation, leading to a tedious and repetitive experience for some players. ZTGD mentioned issues with hit detection and the lack of a proper lock-on mechanic, impacting the overall immersion and gameplay experience. GameSpot highlighted how the gameplay could devolve into button-mashing exercises with limited depth, potentially reducing the overall engagement for some players. Despite some criticisms, the overall consensus among critics is overwhelmingly positive regarding the gameplay of Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero. The game is praised for its depth, variety of moves and techniques, and the vast roster of characters that offer unique playstyles. Critics appreciated the balance between familiar mechanics and fresh innovations, providing a high learning curve but ultimately rewarding combat experience. The majority of critics found the gameplay to be engaging, immersive, and faithful to the Dragon Ball series, with a focus on strategic depth and replay value. In conclusion, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero's gameplay is widely regarded as very good by critics, offering a mix of fast-paced action, diverse combat possibilities, and a satisfying level of challenge that resonated positively with the majority of reviewers.

The majority of the critics unanimously praised the Graphics and Visual Design of Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero, highlighting various positive aspects. Critics like IGN Brasil, Pure Xbox, and ZTGD commended the game for its grandiose and spectacular visuals, with vibrant colors, high-def graphics, and detailed character designs that closely resemble the anime. They also appreciated the dynamic environments, familiar voices from the series, and the stunning special move effects that enhance the overall spectacle. Additionally, critics such as COGconnected and ComicBook lauded the game for its visually stunning 3D character models, animations, and visual effects that showcase the capabilities of Unreal Engine 5. The faithful recreation of the anime's style, authentic moves, and dynamic camera angles were also highlighted by Digital Trends, Gamepressure, and Gaming Age. On the flip side, some critics did mention a few negatives regarding the Graphics and Visual Design of the game. IGN Brasil pointed out that camera issues could hinder visibility in the large 3D arenas, while Gamepressure noted that Episode Battle cutscenes condensed the plot too much. GamesHub and GLHF on Sports Illustrated mentioned instances of camera clipping that could detract from the experience, and IGN Deutschland highlighted chaotic battles with debris flying around. Despite these minor drawbacks, the overall sentiment from the critics leans heavily towards the positive aspects of the game's graphics and visual design. In conclusion, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the critics regarding its Graphics and Visual Design. The game was praised for its stunning visuals, faithful recreation of the anime's aesthetic, impressive character models, and dynamic weather effects. Critics appreciated the attention to detail, vibrant colors, and the immersive environments that make the game feel like a playable anime episode. With a majority of critics commending the game for its top-notch graphical quality, animations, and special effects that enhance the super moves, it is evident that Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero has successfully captured the essence of the beloved franchise in a visually appealing and engaging manner.

The Sound Design and Music of Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero has received a generally positive reception from critics. Many reviewers praised the game for its stellar sound design and music, with COGconnected mentioning the "stellar sound design and music" that combined new and familiar elements to enhance the overall experience. Digital Trends highlighted the "amazing voice performances" and authenticity of signature attacks, while Gamepressure appreciated the variety of music and sound effects that immersed players in the Dragon Ball universe. Gaming Age and Hey Poor Player both commended how the audio successfully transported players back to the nostalgic era of watching Dragon Ball Z, enhancing the overall experience. On the other hand, some critics did have reservations about the soundtrack of Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero. Voxel criticized the soundtrack for being generic and lacking identification with the franchise, mentioning missed opportunities to include iconic original music. PlaySense also noted that while the soundtrack featured electric guitar tracks that complemented the intense battles, it lacked some iconic anime songs available only through DLC. These criticisms suggest that there may have been a missed opportunity to fully capitalize on the iconic music associated with the Dragon Ball series, which could have enhanced the overall immersion for players. Overall, the consensus among critics is that Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero excels in its sound design and music, effectively capturing the essence of the Dragon Ball universe. Critics like Impulsegamer appreciated the consistent sound design with energy-boosting effects, while Inverse highlighted how the audio complemented the visual spectacle, making battles feel epic with impactful sound effects. While there were some criticisms regarding the generic nature of the soundtrack and missed opportunities to include more iconic music, the majority of critics found the audio design to be a strong aspect of the game, enhancing the overall gameplay experience and nostalgia for fans of the series.

The voice acting in Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the critics. Pure Xbox, Digital Trends, Hey Poor Player, Noisy Pixel, PlaySense, and Worth Playing all praised the voice performances in the game. Pure Xbox appreciated the familiar voices from the series, contributing to the immersive experience. Digital Trends specifically highlighted the amazing voice performances, including most of the original cast from the English dub. Hey Poor Player mentioned the returning voice actors from previous Budokai Tenkaichi games, which added to the overall audio design. PlaySense also commended the solid voice acting and the option for players to choose between English and Japanese voices. Worth Playing considered voice acting a strong point, with actors reprising their roles and adding depth to the characters. Despite the overall positive sentiment towards the voice acting, there were some criticisms raised by Gamepressure regarding the power balance in the roster affecting the voice acting experience. Gamepressure pointed out that while characters come with their own set of voicelines, the power balance in the roster is highly unbalanced. This imbalance could potentially impact the overall immersion and enjoyment of the voice acting for players who notice discrepancies in the character portrayals. In conclusion, the critics unanimously agree that the voice acting in Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is a standout feature of the game. The inclusion of familiar voices, amazing performances from the original cast, and the option to choose between English and Japanese voices were highlighted as positives. Despite Gamepressure's concerns about the power balance affecting the voice acting experience, the overall consensus is that the voice acting contributes significantly to the immersive and engaging nature of the game, enhancing the overall gameplay experience for fans of the Dragon Ball series.

In terms of technical performance on the Xbox Series X, Pure Xbox praised the smooth frame rate and stunning visual effects in Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero. This positive sentiment was echoed by other critics who played the game on the PS5, such as Hey Poor Player and PlaySense, highlighting the smooth gameplay experience at 60 frames per second and dynamic loading screens on the PlayStation platform. However, there were notable technical issues reported across both gaming platforms. XboxEra mentioned UI transitions causing stuttering on the Xbox Series X, while ZTGD noted hit detection issues and unresponsive controls, impacting the overall gameplay experience. On the PS5, critics like Impulsegamer reported stilted animations and wonky camera problems, while Voxel highlighted frame rate drops, progression bugs, and AI opponents freezing after being thrown. Overall, the consensus among critics for Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero's technical performance is mixed. While some critics, like ComicBook and Inverse, found the game to run smoothly with occasional minor hiccups, others, such as Gaming Age and Voxel, pointed out significant performance issues that detracted from the overall experience. The varying opinions suggest that while the game showcases impressive visuals and maintains stable performance in some aspects, there are notable technical shortcomings that need addressing across both the Xbox Series X and PS5 platforms.

The majority of critics unanimously praised the replay value of Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero, highlighting its extensive content, diverse gameplay modes, and customization options. But Why Tho? commended the game for its engaging experience, various modes, and character interactions, making it fresh and enjoyable. IGN Brasil noted the vast amount of content, including 181 playable characters, alternate story outcomes, and custom challenges in Creator mode, enhancing replayability. Pure Xbox emphasized the huge roster of over 180 fighters, multiple modes, custom battles, tournaments, and online multiplayer, providing limitless replay value for Dragon Ball fans. XboxEra also acknowledged the multiple modes of play, character customization, and rewards system as factors contributing to the game's replay value. While the overall sentiment towards the replay value of Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero was overwhelmingly positive, some critics did point out potential drawbacks. GameSpot mentioned limited depth in the core battle scheme and repetitive gameplay, which could limit long-term replay value for some players. Voxel highlighted repetitive gameplay and a cumbersome user interface as factors that may deter prolonged engagement, despite the hours of gameplay the content offers. Push Square noted that online play was unbalanced, which could affect the overall replay experience for competitive players seeking fair matchups. In conclusion, the consensus among the critics is that Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero excels in providing a high level of replay value, with the majority of reviewers praising its extensive content, customization options, and diverse gameplay modes. Critics like COGconnected, ComicBook, and PlaySense appreciated the abundant content, customization options, and online tournaments that ensure players always have something challenging or exciting to experience. Despite some minor criticisms regarding repetitive gameplay and unbalanced online play, the overall sentiment leans heavily towards the game offering a compelling and engaging experience with substantial replay value for fans of the Dragon Ball franchise.