TheDragon Ball: Sparking Zerotrailers have been a blast to watch. Bandi Namco has been meticulous with its releases,slowly unveiling the game’s characters, features, and mechanics with each new trailer. At first glance, fans might think that these trailers mostly focus on the game’s graphics, animations, and characters, without offering much information about the finer details of the game. However, eagle-eyed viewers will notice that there’s a lot more detail hidden within them,only apparent to those who watch closely.
The trailers reveal far more than just the characters and maps. Bandai Namco has cleverly sprinkled all kinds of details that hint at exciting new features, like a new story mode, improved cutscenes, and much more. When fans realize how much these trailers reveal aboutSparking Zero,their excitement will soar to even greater heights.
5Animated Cutscenes
More Lively Than Ever
The previousBudokai Tenkaichigames had an amazing story mode that allowed players to experiencepractically every saga ofDragon Ball. However, they fell short in one key area: cutscenes. The animations were minimal, with characters simply standing in their fighting stances for most of the scene while the dialogue played out.
Sparking Zerois ready to change that. The latest trailers revealed that the game will feature animated cutscenes,akin to those in games likeDragon Ball Z: Kakarot.This improvement will add a massive layer of depth to the game’s story mode. Gamers can not only play throughDragon Ball’sepic arcs, but also experience them through beautiful and dynamic cutscenes. Even more exciting,Sparking Zeroboasts some of the best graphics ever seen in aDragon Ballgame. Fans will have the chance to see their favorite scenes from the show in a gorgeous new art style.
4Choose Your Own Adventure Mode
A Fresh New Take On The Story Mode
Ever sinceSparking Zero’sannouncement, fans have been curious about its story mode. Will it follow in the footsteps of its predecessors, or will it introduce something fresh? With the latest trailers, fans have finally gotten a peek at whatSparking Zero’s story mode aims to bring. The game will featurea “choose-your-own-adventure” type story mode, where players will have the freedom to make important decisions that will make significant alterations to the story.
For example, one trailer showed a what-if scenario where Goku gets the choice to either fight Raditz with Piccolo or battle him alone. The latter option completely deviates from the canonical story, and those who remember the Saiyan Saga know how big of a change this decision could bring. If players are allowed to make these types of decisions throughout the story mode, the possibilities for unique and engaging storylines will be endless.
3Shenron and Super Shenron
The Mighty Shenron Returns And Brings Super Shenron With Him
A highly underrated feature of theBudokai Tenkaichiseries is the ability to summon Shenron.Budokai Tenkaichi 3made the most of this feature by letting players unlock new stages, equipment, and even special charactersusing Shenron’s powers. But since he hasn’t made a direct appearance in theSparking Zerotrailers, fans may have believed that the Namekian dragon wouldn’t be returning in the series' latest installment. For those fans, the release date announcement trailer brings some amazing news. At the very end, Shenron is advertised as part of the Season Pass Bonus. But that’s not all —Shenron’s much mightier counterpart, Super Shenronis advertised as part of the Ultimate Edition Bonus.
This fantastic news, as it confirms the return of Shenron and also introduces Super Shenron to the series. However, it begs the question: What will they offer? While it’s likely that Shenron will offer similar perks to the ones he did in the previous games, Super Shenron opens up a whole new realm of possibilities. Fans can only wait until the game is released to see what the dragons have in store for them.
2Team Ultimate Attacks
A Brand New Ultimate Attack Mechanic
Sparking Zero’s gameplay showcase gave fans a ton of information about the game’s mechanics, but one key feature many fans missed in the trailers was the introduction of Team Ultimate Attacks. In theBudokai Tenkaichiseries, characters have always had a wide array of special attacks in their arsenal. However, previous installments never had a Team Ultimate Attack mechanic where characters could synergize together to fire off a combined attack. In theSparking Zerotrailers, fans can spot characters like Caulifla and Kale, as well as Goten and Trunks, pairing up toblast their opponents to smithereenswith a Team Ultimate Attack.
It’s impossible to overstate the excitement that this new mechanic brings, as countless possible character combinations could use Team Ultimate Attacks. Canonical pairs like Dyspo and Toppo, Android 17 and Android 18, and Piccolo and Gohan would only be the tip of the iceberg. Imagine the thrill of seeing non-canon combos like Frieza and Cooler teaming up to decimate their opponents with a combined attack.
1Locked Characters
Players May Not Have Access To All The Characters From The Start
Up untilBudokai Tenkaichi 2,most of the characters in the roster would be locked at the start of the game, requiring players to progress through the game’s story to unlock them.Budokai Tenkaichi 3abandoned this idea, where almost all characters were unlocked right off the bat.
But fans who watchedSparking Zero’s release date trailer all the way to the end will have noticed that the different forms of Gogeta and Broly appear as part of the game’s Pre-Order Bonus. This hints that the game will likely reintroduce the concept of character unlocks. It may be a bit of a bummer for some fans, since it means that they might not be able to play with their favorite characters like Beerus and MUI Goku right from the start. However, does serve as a fun way to incentivize players to explore the game’s campaign and other modes in hopes of unlocking new characters.
