Not everyone knows that the Dragon Ball manga makes no distinction between the so-called Z series and everything before it: the work of Akira Toriyama It is a single story and only the anime has the very popular suffix. Curiously, however, Toei did not make a logical and clear division between Goku's adventures as a child and those as an adult, so the first Dragon Ball anime includes the narrative arc of the twenty-third martial arts tournament - Tenkaichi, for purists. - in which we see an adult Goku for the first time, and ends with five filler episodes about the life of the protagonist and his beloved (?) Chi-Chi.
It is equally curious, therefore, that CyberConnect2 has chosen to tell that same Dragon Ball chapter in the new DLC Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot. The story structure perhaps lent itself better to additional content that was more linear and not too demanding in terms of creative efforts: in our review of Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot - The 23rd World Tournament Therefore, we will explain to you whether it is worth adding it to your collection or not.
The content of the DLC
It took CyberConnect2 a little while to find the right fit with Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, but after the first disappointing DLC of the A New Power Awakens pack we were able to play some really good additional content, namely Trunks: The Warrior of Hope and Bardock : only against destiny. Let's say that in this case, also given the lower cost Compared to the previous DLC, we expected a less ambitious product and, in a sense, our test proved us right.
In fact, the 23rd World Tournament begins even earlier than expected, featuring the (playable) clash between Niño goku and the demon Piccolo – an iconic battle that also serves to contextualize the narrative of the actual DLC. As the stones must also know, in fact, Piccolo reproduces before dying and, while our people celebrate the peace found thanks to the little protagonist, a new enemy is born on Earth.
The 23rd World Tournament is a DLC packed with narrative, often told through long cinematics that almost perfectly replicate the original anime, in direction and dialogue. The start is quite slow, but after a long introductory sequence we find ourselves controlling an adult Goku on a completely new map: the island of Papaya, which houses the temple and the arena of World Tournament. It's a well-built city, surrounded by mountains, hills, and bodies of water that offer multiple hiding places to search and collect collectibles, as well as the inevitable Z-spheres scattered throughout. Obviously you can run like crazy or call the golden cloud Jumping high: a nice touch of class that reminds us that Goku still hasn't learned to fly at this point in the story.
Aside from that, and a few side quests that reward you with a handful of items and delve into the Tournament's lore, Papaya Island doesn't offer many alternative activities to the main campaign, at least not until you complete the DLC and beat the credits.
The campaign, in fact, tells the narrative arc of the Tournament, making us play only a few games. We appreciate the addition of a playable flashback as Tenshinhan, and we wonder why CyberConnect2 didn't think of a side mission of the same type for Chi-Chi or Yamcha: their battles, however, are told only through cinematics or illustrations, just like those of Divo (Shen) and Krillin . Ultimately, the entire Tournament campaign boils down to a handful of battles where you only control Tenshinhan or Goku. The most important confrontations are characterized at least by a different dynamic than usual, but the level of difficulty is very low and the special rules of these fights - you can't use items and you can lose if you end up outside the ring - you don't even realize it.
The bell It is completed in a couple of hours., if you don't immediately dedicate yourself to searching for collectible objects, and after the final credits you can continue playing as a newly married Goku who can hunt criminals on behalf of the police, repeat the games with increasing difficulty or complete a short chain. of side missions which are based on their past and future adventures.
Summarizing...
As you've probably guessed, The 23rd World Tournament is a decent DLC that has to do with the nostalgia and for long-time Dragon Ball Z fans. CyberConnect2 tells the story with carefully designed cinematics that are very faithful to the original anime, adding something of its own, but the main offering is quite thin and, ironically, we found the side campaign missions almost more interesting at the end of the game than the actual main campaign. As for gameplay, then, The 23rd World Tournament is a real extension of the base game, where you basically do the same things: power up Goku, learn new passive or combat-use abilities, and collect collectibles to upgrade. the skills learned and Emblems of the community.
Il reworked combat system replaces flying with jumps and dodges that force melee on the ground and give the battles a slightly more frenetic flavor: those who have already dedicated several hours to Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot and the previous DLCs will have to familiarize themselves with the new dynamic, but in a few minutes you will immediately feel at home and appreciate the way the developer has designed the new battles. In this sense, perhaps The 23rd World Tournament could have been a little more daring, but if you are a true fan of Akira Toriyama's masterpiece - and the title CyberConnect2 - we can only recommend purchasing it.
Conclusions
Tested version PlayStation 5 digital delivery PlayStation StoreHolygamerz.com
Readers (38)
7.5
your vote
PRO
- Recall one of the most memorable chapters of Dragon Ball
- interesting extras
AGAINST
- The main campaign is short and sparse.
- You only control Goku and Tenshinhan.
