Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is a game that instantly grabs attention – especially if you grew up with Goku, Vegeta and the others. Hardly any other franchise has so many fans worldwide, and that’s exactly why the expectations for this action RPG were sky-high. The developers didn’t just want to deliver another fighting game, but a full adventure that lets you play through the entire Dragon Ball Z story from start to finish. But does it really succeed? Let’s take a closer look in my review.
A journey through the familiar story
Anyone who knows Dragon Ball Z knows that it’s about more than just epic battles. It’s about friendship, constant new challenges, and that unstoppable drive to get stronger. That’s exactly what Kakarot tries to capture – and to be fair, it actually does it pretty well.
You start in the Saiyan Saga, experience Raditz, Vegeta and Nappa, then move on to Freezer, Cell and Majin Buu. Everything is included, and the game sticks very closely to the original. Many cutscenes are extremely faithful to the anime and instantly spark nostalgic feelings. Especially fans who used to watch the series on TV will feel right at home here.
But let’s be honest: there are hardly any surprises. If you know the story, you know exactly what’s coming – and sometimes it feels more like watching an interactive series than playing a full game. Sure, it’s fun to fight the big battles yourself, but the real tension of a completely new story is kind of missing.
Also interesting: One Piece Odyssey Review
Gameplay between action and downtime
The combat system in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot looks pretty cool at first glance. You can fly, fire off Kamehamehas, transform into Super Saiyan forms, and knock enemies across the arena. It just feels good – fast, action-packed, and spectacular. Especially in the big boss fights, the real Dragon Ball vibe shines through.
The problem: after a while it gets a bit repetitive. The fights look great, but gameplay-wise there isn’t that much variety. Most of the time it comes down to spamming the same move, dodging, and waiting until you can unleash the next energy attack.
Outside of fights, there’s a lot more to do. You can take on side quests, which often tell small stories, collect Z-Orbs, cook with Chi-Chi, fish, train, or just fly around the open world. Sounds like a lot, but in practice it sometimes feels more like filler. The open world itself is nice to look at, but not as lively as in other RPGs. Often it feels like too much filler content was added between the exciting story moments.
That said, fans will still enjoy exploring, because you can visit many iconic places – from Kame House to Planet Namek. If you love the series, you’ll simply be happy to see and travel to these locations yourself.
Technical side and nostalgia factor
Visually, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot makes a good impression. The cel-shading style fits perfectly with the source material, the characters look authentic, and the effects during battles are a real highlight. Firing off a Kamehameha or a Spirit Bomb in full glory just feels amazing.
The soundtrack also adds a lot. Many tracks strongly resemble the music from the series, and the Japanese voiceover is a must for true fans (though the English one is decent too). The voices fit, the dialogue stays true to the original, and it all feels very much like Dragon Ball.
But: technically the game isn’t perfect. Especially on older consoles, there are frequent frame drops, and loading times can be painfully long. The camera can also be annoying in hectic fights, not always showing what you actually want to see.
What definitely needs to be said: the nostalgia factor is huge. This game thrives on sending you back to your childhood or teenage years. For someone who never watched Dragon Ball, Kakarot is probably a solid action RPG, but for fans it’s a massive time machine.
My Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Review Thoughts
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is a game that focuses on one thing above all: fan service. The developers faithfully recreated the story, staged many iconic moments, and gave players the chance to finally step into the shoes of Goku and friends. The battles are fun, the world is big, and the presentation is spot on.
On the flip side, you notice the weaknesses: repetitive gameplay, lots of filler activities, and technical issues. If you’re just looking for a pure action fighting game, this might not fully hit the mark. But if you love the series and want to relive it interactively, you’ll definitely get your money’s worth.
In the end, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is a good, though not perfect, game. Nostalgia-driven fans shouldn’t miss it – everyone else has to decide whether the familiar story is enough or if they need more variety. Did you enjoy my review? Feel free to leave me your feedback.
