Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 takes what was a unique formula and expands on it by adding some more engaging modes and a stupid amount of unlockable content. Arguably the most useful mode that has been added to the game is an interactive tutorial. In the previous title, the tutorial was only a talking head and the manuel was not particularly helpful, so the learning curve was higher than it should have been. While it’s rather dense and the segmenting of different attributes to learn can be overwhelming (because there is a lot them), the game is much better off thanks to this inclusion.
Replacing the Z Battle Gate is the Dragon Adventure. While it essentially does the same thing, it’s more engaging. Basically, you play through the virtual ENTIRETY of the Dragon Ball Z story, including movies and Dragon Ball GT and you partake in virtually every major battle that occurred. Each battle comes with an objective, some special, though most require you to simply win the battle. The major twist is that before each battle, the character in question can fly around an overworld and explore before going in for the fight. This gives you the opportunity to meet up with other characters and find “Z Items”. This mode alone has potential for a very high number of gameplay hours. We're talking RPG lengths here.
Transformations add a new dimension
On top of this, “Ultimate Battle” has been changed into “Ultimate Battle Z”. Rather than fighting 100 opponents, one after the other, you can now unlock a series of ladders, that are reminiscent of the old Mortal Kombat ladders and each has their own theme. For example, the first ladder is known as “Kakarot Road”, where you fight eight of Goku’s nemeses in chronological order. As for the other modes, you’ve got an assortment of tournament options, item organizing/fusing/customizing modes and a couple that give you encyclopedic information from the entire Dragon Ball Z saga. It’s a dream come true if you’re a Dragon Ball Z fan, though the appeal is diminished for anyone else.
In terms of the actual gameplay, Budokai Tenkaichi has a unique approach to brawling. Some will call it clunky, while it’s actually the most accurate depiction of how the action plays out in DBZ. Rather than fighting on a 2-D plane, the action shifted to a mix between third person and over-the-shoulder camera. This left the game open for nice, big battlegrounds, just like in the show, and a rather dynamic style. It relied heavily on “dashing”, both towards and away from your opponent, as well as, relying much more on heavy ki-blasts, rather then melee. The melee is used to knock away your opponent, so that you can charge-up and prepare for the blasts. It takes a little while to get used to and despite the token familiar move lists, its actually very deep and intricate. Now, with the better training mode, it’s a lot easier to understand. Furthermore, it's actually the most accurate representation of the way that battles are played out in the actual anime. A little rigid but authentic and enjoyable nonetheless.
At its core, the system remains unchanged from last year. If you hated it, it’s unlikely to change your mind this time around. However, there have been a few tweaks and additions to spruce it up. The camera work is much cleaner and you now have control over it with the right analog stick. The controls feel as if they’re a bit sharper and more finely tuned, though there are still occasions where they are found wanting. Additions to the system include the ability for characters to transform. As such, most of the characters who could, now can turn into Super Saiyans (though some need for this ability to be unlocked). While the mini-game sequences for Budokai 3 aren’t present, there are few added in for good measure. Finally, the game has added the option of playing tag-battles. These add a fair bit of chaos and variety to the game.
Everyone is here, even the GT characters
As has been the case in previous (modern) DBZ games, you are likely to spend a large amount of time unlocking things. Most items can be found throughout the Dragon Adventure and the main unlockables are the multitude of characters. There are over 100 characters in the game to unlock, on top of the 20 or so that are available from the get go. These characters cove almost every nook and cranny from the DBZ (and DBGT) universe. It’s rather satisfying as you proceed to unlock them all. On top of this, Z Items will allow you to customise your characters. This will become essential, as characters like Goku, will have their transforming abilities locked at the start of the game. Furthermore, you can fuse Z items to form better ones or to unlock even more characters.
All this makes for a game that is deeper and even more engaging than an already impressive original. However, the sequel has inherited some of the flaws. In terms of gameplay, the camera will still become a nuisance and you’re in trouble whenever you get stuck in a corner. Again, there are three AI level, though the 1st is fair enough, it feels as if there should have been a level added between the 1st and 2nd. Basically, the AI on the middle/2nd level is monstrously brutal. It will own all week and twice on Sundays. Furthermore, it feels like they’re cheating, because they’ll pull off moves and combos and you’re powerless to do anything, not even press a button. It doesn’t help that the game mechanics can’t handle the pace at this level. It’s disappointing that this wasn’t resolved.
Outside of this, once you start pushing the character limits, you find that of the hundred-plus characters with identical move lists, many are a little too familiar to each other (some are the same character!). The storyline stalwarts suffer the least because their special moves and traits such as speed and movement will differ. Small characters like Kid Buu and Kid Gohan are quick, Goku and Vegeta are balanced while Android 16 and Great Apes are slow. It’s the fringe characters that are left to look ordinary, generic and too familiar. Still, it’s better that they have been included rather than not. This style of fighting doesn’t offer itself that well to one-screen multiplayer, so it’s odd that an online mode doesn’t feature. Given the huge amount of content, the menus at times feel clustered and in need of better organization. Finally, older DBZ fans are likely to get annoyed by the overtly “childish” direction that the game takes. It’s still not something that we can get used to, even after all this time.
Fusion dance mini-game
Graphically, the game is very similar to its predecessor. The characters look as fantastic as ever, though the environments are larger, more varied, more faithful and most importantly, more destructible. The action feels a bit more bombastic, with special moves looking bigger and better than before. The presentation is very faithful and vibrant. Sound-wise, the game features some excellent musical tracks and completely faithful and immersive sound effects. There are both the English and Japanese voices, though the English voices are simply awful. Switching to the Japanese is OK but then you’re stuck with dialogue that seems to have been written for seven-year-olds, re: it’s not that good. In fact, it sucks. Big time.
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi is a positive sign that the developers are taking their license seriously and it’s great to see the strive from improvement. The gameplay is only slightly refined but it’s great that the experience had been made more engaging and the content has once again outdone itself. The only real issue is that unless you’re a fan, this game is almost definitely not for you. That is unless you’re a fighting game fan searching for variety. Either way, it’s the greatest tribute to the Dragon Ball Z series and great game to match.
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