[Review] Dragon Ball: The Breakers Review

[FazzNoth]

For years now, I’ve been telling anyone that would listen just how much I’d love for the Dragon Ball games on console to do something different other than release another fighter. Obviously fighting is a natural component to showcase the best bits, but the franchise needs a freshen up. I never expected Bandai Namco and Dimps to devise an asymmetrical multiplayer survival concept however, which is what Dragon Ball: The Breakers brings to the table. Will this Dead by Daylight kind of setup work for Dragon Ball: The Breakers though? The short answer is no. The longer answer is no, because the implementation of the core idea for Dragon Ball: The Breakers is sub-par. Now please end my pain and suffering.

An extraordinary occurrence in the space-time continuum has seen ordinary folk dragged from their daily lives and into a Temporal Seam. Here, they’re set to be imprisoned and tormented by menacing foes from another timeline. Fortunately, Time Patrol’s Trunks has come up with a plan for the people to make their escape; they just need to survive long enough to execute it. Welcome to Dragon Ball: The Breakers.

That’s the premise as told through the prologue/tutorial, with the scene set for the asymmetric multiplayer action which sees seven Survivors pitted against a fearsome Raider. It’s a set-up that should be covered by the basics, but The Breakers only delivers the bare minimum of what you need to know from the perspective of a citizen. There’s so much left unexplained, leaving you at a disadvantage almost immediately. As far as the Raider is concerned, a few sections of the in-game manual is all there is; it’s another case of learning on the job and that makes for quite a bewildering experience. 

Before analysing the 1v7 antics, the matchmaking must take centre stage. You can set preferences for whether you wish to play as a Survivor or a Raider, before launching matchmaking. While searching for a match, it allows you to wander around a small base of operations and you’ll become very familiar with this place as much time is spent waiting there. During the evenings and weekends, the average wait is anywhere from five to fifteen minutes, while other times it’s far longer. 

Is there a shortage of players willing to fork out for Dragon Ball: The Breakers? Possibly, but whatever the reason for the matchmaking struggles, the boredom kicks in pretty quickly – there’s only so much fun to have in the base, jumping about and running around in circles. Once you actually get a game, I can’t guarantee much improvement to your enjoyment, especially if you’re a Survivor.

While in the role of the Survivor, you’re going to be extremely vulnerable as it doesn’t take much damage from a Raider to put you down. Hence, sneakiness is crucial during the search for Power Keys, the use of which leads to the eventual appearance of the Super Time Machine. When you factor in the heartbeat sound effect too, kicking in when the villain edges closer, there’s a decent amount of tension created. So it’s a shame that most of the other aspects are pretty bad.

Controlling the character and attempting to traverse the vast environments is an absolute chore. The camera is loose, making it a challenge as you’re constantly trying to keep it in line with your movements. Due to the verticality of some areas, climbing is often necessary, which doesn’t always work as intended in terms of transition into the action. Unfortunately it gets worse if you intend, or need to, launch an attack because the combat mechanics are poor.

Yes, despite being a puny human, you can throw a few punches or fire off a shot to antagonise the Raider who could be defeated with enough damage dealt. To really stick the boot in however, you must garner power through various means in order to temporarily acquire the powers and moves of a Super Warrior. Expect to be able to pull off the Kamehameha like Goku, perform Krillin’s Destructo Disc, or even channel your inner Namekian with Piccolo’s Special Beam Cannon. 

It’s a great idea on paper and does look very cool, so what’s bad about it? Well, the locking on system is awful and it’ll be a miracle as to whether any of the attacks even connect. Given how the Dragon Change ability doesn’t last long, the confrontation is over in the blink of an eye and it’s usually a fruitless effort. This means your best bet is to spam the skills to either stun the big bad or cause a commotion with smoke, before fleeing the scene as soon as possible.

https://www.thexboxhub.com/dragon-ball-the-breakers-review/