Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
Developer(s)CyberConnect2
Publisher(s)Bandai Namco Entertainment
Director(s)Akihiro Anai
Producer(s)
  • Taichiro Miyazaki
  • Yuki Nishikawa
Writer(s)
  • Yasuhiro Noguchi
  • Shinsaku Sawamura
Composer(s)
  • Yasushi Asada
  • Noriko Murakami
  • Keisuke Ito
  • Eisei Kudo
SeriesDragon Ball
EngineUnreal Engine 4
Platform(s)
Release
January 16, 2020
  • PS4, Xbox One
    • JP: January 16, 2020
    • WW: January 17, 2020
    Windows
    • WW: January 17, 2020
    Nintendo Switch
    • WW: September 24, 2021
    Stadia
    • WW: October 26, 2021
    PlayStation 5
    • JP: January 12, 2023
    • WW: January 13, 2023
    Xbox Series X/S
    • WW: February 3, 2023
Genre(s)Action role-playing, fighting
Mode(s)Single-player

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot (ドラゴンボールZ カカロット, Doragon Bōru Zetto Kakarotto) is an action role-playing game developed by CyberConnect2 and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, based on the Dragon Ball franchise. It was released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows in January 2020, Nintendo Switch in September 2021, Stadia in October 2021, PlayStation 5 in January 2023, and Xbox Series X/S in February 2023. The game follows the main protagonist Goku and the Z-Fighters throughout the events of the Dragon Ball Z anime, including anime-original storylines and moments.[1]

The game received generally mixed reviews upon release. The game has sold over 4.5 million copies worldwide by December 2021.

Gameplay

Kakarot is primarily an action role-playing game with fighting game elements.[2] The player can battle opponents and do activities like fishing, collecting Z orbs, eating, driving in a hover car, training, and putting characters in soul emblems.[3] The game's plot follows the progression of the anime series, as the player interacts with the surrounding world as the different playable characters. Players can explore the world and complete side quests to progress the story. The game is broken up into four storylines: the Saiyan Saga, the Frieza Saga, the Cell Saga (where the player acquires their hover car), and the Buu Saga.

Bonus storylines can be purchased as downloadable content; including a retelling of the Battle of Gods and the Resurrection 'F' storylines seen in Dragon Ball Super. A DLC original storyline set after the events of Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks, featuring Future Trunks' confrontation with Babidi to prevent Majin Buu's awakening (a scenario briefly covered in both the Super Anime and Manga), was released on June 11, 2021.

There are seven playable characters in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot that the player will guide throughout the story. These include Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Piccolo, Future Trunks, Gotenks, and Vegito.[4] As the player progresses through the game, they will unlock new characters to play.

In addition to the playable characters, the player is able to select two supporting characters to aid in their battle each with their own special moves. These characters include Krillin, Yamcha, Tien Shinhan, Chiaotzu, Android 18, Goten, and Kid Trunks.[5]

The bosses that appear in-game include Raditz, Nappa, Vegeta, Cui, Dodoria, Zarbon, Ginyu Force, Frieza, Android 19, Android 20, Android 18, Android 17, Cell, Cell Jr., Pui Pui, Yakon, Dabura, Majin Vegeta, Majin Buu, Super Buu, Kid Buu, Beerus and Mira.[5] Bonyū (ボニュー), an original character designed by Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama for the game, also appears as a boss.[6]

Development

The game was announced in January 2019 via a trailer during Dragon Ball FighterZ World Tour Finals under the working title Dragon Ball Game: Project Z. Described as an action role-playing game, the game was said to be in development by CyberConnect2, known for their work on Asura's Wrath and Naruto Ultimate Ninja series, for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC through Steam.[7][8] Although initially targeting 2019 release, the final title, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, and the early 2020 release window were announced during Microsoft's 2019 E3 conference.[9]

The game was released for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles in Japan on January 16, and for all platforms in the west one day later on January 17, 2020.[10][11] The Nintendo Switch version of the game was announced in June 2021, and released on September 24, 2021.[12] It includes the base game and "A New Power Awakens" DLC. Versions for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S were announced in September 2022, set to launch in 2023.[13] While the former saw a release on January 12 in Japan, and January 13 worldwide, the launch of Xbox Series X/S upgrade and its coinciding DLC was postponed to February 3 due to a game-breaking technical issue where the save data from the Xbox One version would not readily work with the Series X|S version without converting it from the original version.[14]

Downloadable content

A downloadable content (DLC) season pass launched alongside the game in January 2020. In addition to a "Steaming-Hot Grilled Fish cooking item", the pass gradually added new modes and storylines over the course of the following year.

The first DLC for the game, titled A New Power Awakens - Part 1, was released on April 28, 2020. The DLC introduces transformations and characters seen in Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods and covers the events of the movie.[15]

A free update was released on the October 27, 2020, which added Dragon Ball Card Warriors, a card battle mode with online multiplayer support. Service for the mode is planned to be shut down in 2023 with an offline version being planned to release following after the servers shut down.[16]

The second DLC, titled A New Power Awakens - Part 2, was released on November 17, 2020. The DLC introduces a new mode where players battle 1000 enemies, including Golden Frieza, and is based on the events of Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F'.

The final DLC of the season pass, Trunks: The Warrior of Hope, was released on June 10, 2021.[17] The DLC adds a new storyline set in Future Trunks' timeline seen in Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks as well as an extra saga featuring Babidi and Dabura, briefly covered in Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai - Another Road and the manga version of Dragon Ball Super.[18]

During Tokyo Game Show 2022, a second season pass with three DLCs was announced for the game along with a free next-gen update for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S users. The first DLC, Bardock: Alone Against Fate, was released on January 13, 2023, and covers the events of Dragon Ball Z: Bardock – The Father of Goku along with a side story focusing on an infant Vegeta.[19] The second, The 23rd World Tournament, adds a new "Ground Battle" mode covering the Piccolo Jr. saga of the original Dragon Ball anime.[20] The final DLC for this season pass has yet to be announced.

Reception

Kakarot received "mixed or average" reviews for the Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One versions and "generally favorable" reviews for the Switch and PlayStation 5 versions according to review aggregator Metacritic.[21][22][23][24][25] IGN's Michael Saltzman gave Kakarot a score of 7, praising its combat and story presentation, but criticized its poor RPG elements.[42]

Kakarot was awarded 7/10 in GameSpot's review, with Heidi Kemps saying that its "modern, semi-open approach to telling the saga of DBZ - despite some minor issues - is a good one." Kemps concluded that "[i]f you're looking for an enjoyable way to see the life and times of adult Goku through a new perspective, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot will grant your wish."[43]

The game was the second best-selling game during its first week on sale in Japan, with 89,537 copies being sold, behind Yakuza: Like a Dragon.[44] In the United Kingdom, Kakarot debuted at number one on the sales chart.[45]

In a conference call, Bandai Namco revealed that the game sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide in its first week release, rendering it a commercial success.[46][47] By March 2020, the game had sold over 2 million copies worldwide, combining total shipments and digital sales.[48] By December 2021, it had sold over 4.5 million copies worldwide.[49]

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot was the best-selling game of January 2020 in the United States, and had the third highest-selling launch month for a game in the Dragon Ball franchise, behind Dragon Ball FighterZ and Dragon Ball Z: Budokai.[50][51]

References

  1. ↑ "Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Will Cover The Cell Saga And Filler Material, Including The Fan-Favourite Driving Test Episode". GameSpot. Archived from the original on August 19, 2019. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
  2. ↑ Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Review - IGN, January 21, 2020, archived from the original on June 27, 2021, retrieved April 18, 2020
  3. ↑ "BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America – More fun for everyone!". www.bandainamcoent.com. Archived from the original on September 1, 2019. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  4. ↑ "All Playable Characters in Dragon Ball Z Kakarot Guide". Gamer Tweak. January 18, 2020. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  5. 1 2 Simone. "All Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Playable Characters, Support, and Bosses - Full List - Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Guides - Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot". Games Atlas. Archived from the original on May 6, 2020. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  6. ↑ Moyse, Chris (August 22, 2019). "All-new character Bonyu will debut in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot". Destructoid. Archived from the original on October 28, 2020. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  7. ↑ "Dragon Ball Project Z Game Revealed, Check Out The First Trailer". GameSpot. Archived from the original on August 20, 2019. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
  8. ↑ Luster, Joseph (August 20, 2019). "It's Cell Saga Time in the Latest Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Trailer". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on August 20, 2019. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
  9. ↑ "Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot launches early 2020". Gematsu. June 9, 2019. Archived from the original on October 26, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot launches January 17, 2020 in the west". Gematsu. Archived from the original on September 20, 2019. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  11. ↑ "BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America – More fun for everyone!". www.bandainamcoent .com. Archived from the original on September 1, 2019. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
  12. ↑ "Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot + A New Power Awakens Set coming to Switch on September 24". Gematsu. June 15, 2021. Archived from the original on October 26, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  13. ↑ Bonthuys, Darryn (September 16, 2022). "Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Is Getting A PS5/Xbox Series X|S Upgrade And New Story DLC". GameSpot. Archived from the original on September 16, 2022. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
  14. ↑ Ruete, Borja (January 13, 2023). "Dragon Ball Z Kakarot 'next gen' delayed on Xbox X Series and Xbox Series S "due to a technical issue"". Diario AS. Archived from the original on January 15, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Dragon Ball Super DLC Is Coming To Kakarot RPG This Spring". GameSpot. Archived from the original on June 10, 2020. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  16. ↑ Tu, Trumann (December 10, 2022). "Dragon Ball Card Warriors is Shutting Down". GameRant. Archived from the original on July 15, 2023. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
  17. ↑ "DRAGON BALL Z: KAKAROT - TRUNKS - THE WARRIOR OF HOPE on Steam". Archived from the original on August 11, 2022. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
  18. ↑ "Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot – Next DLC Features Brand New Story Arc". Archived from the original on October 9, 2023. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  19. ↑ "Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot DLC '-Bardock- Alone Against Fate' launches January 13, 2023". December 13, 2022. Archived from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot DLC 'The 23rd World Tournament' – 'Ground Battle' trailer". July 13, 2023. Archived from the original on July 15, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  21. 1 2 "Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  22. 1 2 "Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on July 5, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2020.
  23. 1 2 "Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on July 7, 2021. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
  24. 1 2 "Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot + A New Power Awakens Set for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on January 8, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  25. 1 2 "Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot for PlayStation 5 Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on March 14, 2023. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  26. ↑ Carter, Chris (January 21, 2020). "Review: Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot". Destructoid. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  27. ↑ Romano, Sal (January 7, 2020). "Famitsu Review Scores: Issue 1623". Gematsu. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  28. ↑ Reiner, Andrew (January 24, 2020). "Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Review – Flawed But Still Enthralling". Game Informer. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  29. ↑ Faulkner, Jason (January 24, 2020). "Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Review – This dragon still rocks". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on June 16, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  30. ↑ Kemps, Heidi (January 24, 2020). "Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Review - Mondo Cool". GameSpot. Archived from the original on May 13, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  31. ↑ Coles, Jason (January 21, 2020). "DRAGON BALL Z: KAKAROT REVIEW: "NOSTALGIA'S NOT ENOUGH"". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on June 16, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  32. ↑ Fran, Soto (January 21, 2020). "Review: Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot". Hardcore Gamer. Archived from the original on June 16, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  33. ↑ Quesada, Daniel (January 16, 2020). "Análisis de Dragon Ball Z Kakarot, el juego de rol de acción con goku". HobbyConsolas. Archived from the original on March 22, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  34. ↑ Saltzman, Mitchell (January 21, 2020). "Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Review". IGN. Archived from the original on June 27, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  35. ↑ Fernández, Salva (January 16, 2020). "Dragon Ball Z Kakarot, análisis". MeriStation. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  36. ↑ "Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot + A New Power Awakens Set Review (Switch)". Nintendo Life. September 30, 2021. Archived from the original on November 7, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  37. ↑ "Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot (Switch) Review". Nintendo World Report. September 26, 2021. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  38. ↑ Henges, Liz (January 22, 2020). "DRAGON BALL Z: KAKAROT REVIEW". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on June 16, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  39. ↑ "Review: Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Is a Bloated Serving of More of the Same". Slant Magazine. January 30, 2020. Archived from the original on December 19, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  40. ↑ Ahmed, Sayem (January 16, 2020). "Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Review". Trusted Reviews. TI Media. Archived from the original on June 16, 2021. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  41. ↑ Leiva, Carlos (January 16, 2020). "Análisis Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, la leyenda de Goku (PS4, PC, Xbox One)". Vandal. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  42. ↑ Saltzman, Mitchell (January 21, 2020). "Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Review". IGN. Archived from the original on June 27, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
  43. ↑ "Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Is An Early Success". GameSpot. Archived from the original on October 9, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  44. ↑ Romano, Sal (January 22, 2020). "Famitsu Sales: 1/13/19 – 1/19/20". Gematsu. Archived from the original on January 23, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  45. ↑ "UK Sales Charts: Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Goes Super Saiyan with Number One Debut". Push Square. Gamer Network. January 20, 2020. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  46. ↑ "Dragon Ball Z Kakarot Sales Surpass 1.5 Million in Its First Week, Bandai Namco Announces". February 10, 2020. Archived from the original on June 16, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
  47. ↑ "Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Sells Over 1.5 Million in First Week". SCREENRANT. February 10, 2020. Archived from the original on June 16, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  48. ↑ "Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot shipments and digital sales top two million". Gematsu. March 10, 2020. Archived from the original on June 16, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  49. ↑ "CyberConnect2 to announce new game in February". Gematsu. January 2, 2022. Archived from the original on January 2, 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  50. ↑ Grubb, Jeff (February 14, 2020). "January 2020 NPD: Even Goku can't rescue game spending". VentureBeat. Archived from the original on February 15, 2020. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  51. ↑ Trent, John F. (February 14, 2020). "Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Tops Best Selling Video Game For January 2020". Bounding Into Comics. Archived from the original on October 9, 2023. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
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