Licensed anime games have entered an experimental period. The past few years have seen the space diversify with titles like aBlack Cloverarena shooter,Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Strikerwith an unusual MOBA format, andDragon Ball Xenoversefully integrating RPG and arena-fighter mechanics. Now, aJoJo’s Bizarre Adventurebattle royalehit arcades in Japan,One Pieceis getting a turn-based RPG, andDragon Ballis receiving an asymmetric multiplayer game calledDragon Ball: The Breakers. After arena fighters dominating the anime game space for decades, it seems license holders and developers have finally begun pushing for a change.
There is no other licensed anime game likeDragon Ball: The Breakers. The game is capitalizing onDead by Daylight’s team-versus-killer approach, with seven Survivors fighting against one Raider in the form of an iconicDragon Ballvillain. Given the Survivors are mostly normal humans,Dragon Ball: The Breakerswill host less fighting than mostDragon Ballproducts. Even so, the player-made Survivors have a lot of tricks up their sleeves to repel and escape the Raiders.
RELATED:Dragon Ball: The Breakers is Going to Be Very Different from Other DBZ Games
The Survivors' Goals
As is common for aDragon Ballgame, the setup forDragon Ball: The Breakersinvolves the series' convoluted timeline, but it’s a simple premise fit for a game that’s light on story. Temporal fluctuations have created a mysterious phenomenon called the Temporal Seam, andmajorDragon Ballvillainsare wreaking havoc in this paradoxical space. Many regular civilians have been transported to this nightmarish world, and the player controls regiments of them trying to escape.
At its core, the goal of the Survivor team is to escape the Raider’s wrath and leave the Seam using the Super Time Machine. Survivors must find and set a group of power keys while staying away from the Raider. After that, they mustdefend the Super Time Machinein the center of the map as it boots up. With the Raider attacking Survivors, the Time Machine, and even entire sections of the map, this is easier said than done.
Fortunately, even if the Super Time Machine is destroyed, there is still one final chance to escape. Beacons on the map allow Survivors to spawn a single time machine, but it will be up to a given player’s discretion if they want to take this easy out or strive for a team victory.
How The Survivors Can Eke Out a Win
SurvivingDragon Ball: The Breakersis difficult with a steadily strengthening Raider flying around the map, destroying everything in sight. However, with teamwork and resourcefulness, the Survivors can pull through. Having seven allied players instead of the usual five is useful, and for all the abilities that Raiders’ different forms can use, Survivors have even more. Survivors have access to skills that help them do everything from move around the map quickly with Saiyan Pods toOolong’s ability to change into inanimate objects. Combined with a grappling hook and whatever weapons or vehicles are lying around, the Survivors can defend themselves a lot better than one might think.
That goes double for characters using Dragon Change. After collecting enough Change Power, players can gain the power ofDragon Ballheroes includingKrillin, Piccolo, Vegeta, and Goku. These are temporary measures that likely won’t be enough to deplete the Raider’s massive health bar, but they could be used as effective distractions. Furthermore, gathering the seven Dragon Balls and placing them on an altar can summon Shenron to grant a wish. Various wishes can benefit the team, but a confident Survivor can also wish for Ultimate Dragon Change that essentially makes them a Z-Warrior with the power of a fully leveled Raider. However, players will need to think carefully about whether it will help or waste resources. In this high-stakes take onDragon Ballfighting, Survivors need to rely on wits over power to win the day.
Dragon Ball: The Breakerswill launch on October 14 for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
