Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot – Ultimate Edition

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot – Ultimate Edition is an action role-playing game that immerses players in the epic Dragon Ball Z universe, following Goku and the Z-Fighters through the Saiyan, Frieza, Cell, and Buu sagas while incorporating anime-original storylines. Featuring a blend of combat, exploration, and activities like fishing, training, and collecting Z orbs, the game faithfully adapts the iconic anime narrative with a roster of playable characters including Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, and Piccolo, alongside support characters like Krillin and Yamcha.

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot – Ultimate Edition: Review

Introduction
For decades, Dragon Ball fans have experienced Goku’s journey through manga panels and animated episodes. Now, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot – Ultimate Edition offers the most ambitious reimagining yet of the Z saga—a sprawling action-RPG that trades frenzied competitive combat for immersive storytelling. As both historian and critic, this review posits: Kakarot transcends typical licensed-game tropes by honoring Akira Toriyama’s universe through exploration, character depth, and cinematic spectacle, despite its mechanical unevenness. Its Ultimate Edition bundles the base game, season passes, and exclusive extras, delivering a comprehensive vault of Dragon Ball’s legacy.

Development History & Context
Kakarot emerged from CyberConnect2—a studio revered for their Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm series and Asura’s Wrath. Announced as “Project Z” in 2019, it marked CyberConnect2’s first foray into Dragon Ball. Their vision was bold: pivot from arena fighters (Budokai, Xenoverse) toward an open-world RPG where players “live” Goku’s life beyond battles. This ambition carried risks, notably adapting a 30-year-old story saturated in gaming.

Built on Unreal Engine 4, Kakarot targeted hardware limitations of its era (2019-2020). The PS4/Xbox One generation enabled lush open zones but constrained seamless world design. Post-launch support expanded with next-gen ports (PS5/Xbox Series X|S in 2023) featuring 60fps fidelity, faster loads, and updated assets.

Contextually, Kakarot debuted amid fatigue with Dragon Ball’s fighting-game formula. FighterZ’s esports momentum (2018) proved fans craved depth but ignored casual audiences. CyberConnect2 seized this gap, blending accessible combat with RPG progression—a gamble that paid off commercially, selling over 8 million copies by 2024.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive
Kakarot retells DBZ’s four core sagas—Saiyan, Frieza, Cell, and Buu—with unprecedented granularity. Unlike earlier adaptations, it integrates filler arcs (e.g., Goku’s driving test, Gohan’s high school life) as side quests, enriching quiet moments often glossed over. Voice acting is re-recorded, imbuing iconic lines with nostalgic resonance from Sean Schemmel (Goku) and Christopher Sabat (Vegeta/Piccolo).

The narrative’s triumph lies in character interiority. Piccolo’s mentorship of Gohan unfolds through wilderness survival quests; Vegeta’s pride simmers in optional dialogues with Bulma. DLC expansions (included in Ultimate Edition) stretch lore across timelines:
– Trunks: The Warrior of Hope adapts the apocalyptic future saga, intensifying Trunks’ grief.
– Bardock: Alone Against Fate humanizes Goku’s father through his doomed revolt against Frieza.
– The 23rd World Tournament revisits original Dragon Ball with young Goku versus Piccolo Jr.
– Goku’s Next Journey bridges Z’s ending with Uub’s mentorship.

Yet distortions exist. Key fights (like Trunks vs. Semi-Perfect Cell) are omitted. Cutscene quality fluctuates—Cell’s self-destruct mirrors anime grandeur, while early sagas suffer stiff animations. Overall, Kakarot is less a replacement than a celebratory “director’s cut” for devotees.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems
CyberConnect2 fuses RPG immersion with arena combat:
– Fighting System: Battles weave spectacle and strategy. Melee combos use single-button flows, while Ki management governs vanishing steps, Super Dashes, and transformations. Boss fights incorporate anime-accurate gimmicks (e.g., Frieza’s planet-destroying energy ball). The “Surge” mechanic lets players chain ultimate moves (Kamehameha x3) for cinematic finales.
– Progression: Skill trees unlock via Z Orbs (collected through flight) and combat trials. Cooking dishes (permanent stat boosts) and Soul Emblem boards buff communal stats—e.g., placing Piccolo and Gohan together boosts defense.
– Exploration: Zones like Namek or West City promise freedom but deliver fragmented landscapes. Flying captures DBZ’s exhilaration, yet environments feel underpopulated. Activities—fishing, baseball, racing—charm initially but lack depth.
– Ultimate Edition Perks: The Tao Pai Pai pillar (an instant-travel item), stat-boosting meals, and Music Compilation Pack (11 anime OSTs) streamline progression.

Flaws persist. Side quests devolve into fetch tasks (“Collect 3 robot parts”); RPG systems like fishing and Community Boards feel undercooked. Enemy variety plateaus post-Saiyan saga, and DLC power scaling trivializes main-game bosses.

World-Building, Art & Sound
Kakarot’s world radiates nostalgic fidelity. Environments mirror anime cel-shading with PS5-enhanced lighting—sun-drenched plains, Namek’s alien flora, and Other World’s ether. Character models animate transformations fluidly: Super Saiyan hair flares golden; Vegito’s fusion sequence erupts with particle effects.

Sound design echoes symphonic anime roots. Keiichi Okabe’s score blends with Yamamoto’s classic themes (rearranged post-controversy). English/Japanese VAs return, though repetitive field dialogue (“Great apples!”) grates. The Ultimate Edition’s Music Pack elevates immersion with tracks like “Cha-La Head-Cha-La.”

Atmosphere thrives in slice-of-life vignettes: Gohan studying in Satan City, Piccolo grocery shopping. These moments, coupled with Toriyama’s creature cameos (e.g., Pilaf Gang), cement DBZ not as a fighting backdrop but a lived-in universe.

Reception & Legacy
Kakarot garnered mixed-to-positive reception:
Jaw-dropping visual emulation of classic DBZ animation style?
– Critics (Metascore: PS4/73, PC/73, PS5/76): Praised combat and story presentation (IGN: 7/10, “a great way to relive the DBZ saga”) but criticized RPG shallowness (GameSpot: 7/10, “unremarkable side content”). The Switch port (78) was hailed for portability.
– Commercial Impact: Topped UK sales charts at launch; moved 1.5M copies in its first week en route to becoming Bandai Namco’s fastest-selling DBZ RPG.
– Legacy: Cemented “lore-RPGs” as viable for anime licenses. Its DLC strategy—mining Super, movies, and OG Dragon Ball—blueprinted expansions for Xenoverse 2. Unlike FighterZ, Kakarot targeted mainstream fans over competitive players, widening DBZ’s gaming audience.

Crumbs persist: Repetitive design drew criticism, yet its 8 million sales (by 2024) underscore enduring appeal.

Conclusion
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot – Ultimate Edition is a flawed masterpiece of adaptation. It stumbles in RPG depth and quest design, but triumphs as an interactive museum of DBZ’s soul—elevating character moments, iconic battles, and Toriyama’s humor into a 50-hour homage. The Ultimate Edition’s bundled DLC (notably Bardock and Super arcs) justifies its premium, offering definitive access to gaming’s most complete Dragon Ball chronicle. For fans, it’s an essential time capsule; for historians, a benchmark in anime-RPG storytelling. Though not every system soars, Kakarot channels Goku’s spirit: earnest, exuberant, and unafraid to reach for the stars. 8/10