Dragon Ball FighterZ is one of the most electric and exciting fighting games to hit the scene in years. The graphics and incredible art-style mesh really well with the Z fighter centric theme. Dragon Ball moves translate perfectly into a proper fighting game, and Arc Systems' dedication means half a decade after release, FighterZ is still one of the most popular and comprehensive fighting games players can find.
There is something special in this game, however, beyond just its setting, and that is how punishing and oppressive it can be. When a player catches another in a combo, unless they drop it, there is essentially no way out. To avoid this situation and to avoid becoming stuck in a combo loop, this list goes over some of the best defensive tips for newer players.
5 Fuzzy Blocking Is a Must
Blocking is essential in FighterZ; fortunately, unlike the likes of Mortal Kombat 11, there are very few true mix-ups or 50/50s in this game, so one of the best ways to exponentially improve defense is learning how to fuzzy block.
Also, sometimes referred to as option select blocking, this essentially means the player rotates between pressing the back and down-back keys in an attempt to block any low to overhead mix-ups. The best way to practice this is by loading up the practice mode and recording an AI of any character doing a basic offensive string. Players will eventually learn how to react to and recognize the strings to block. Learning how to option select makes your defense rock solid, especially against characters like Super Saiyan Goku.
4 Z Reflect
Z Reflect is a unique and exciting tool. If used right, it can lead to a solid punish dealing 20-40% of the opponent’s life bar. Whiffing or missing a Z reflect leaves players extremely vulnerable to being punished, so it’s a high-risk, high reward maneuver. On the plus side, a successful Z reflect can lead to punishes, beating frame-traps and just simply relieving pressure by pushing the opponent away, allowing the perfect pivot from offense to defense.
Z reflects can also punish certain moves that are impossible or extremely difficult to punish otherwise. On the downside, Z reflects need to be performed in a standing position, leaving players vulnerable to low attacks. So, it's all a balancing act but learning when and how to use Z reflects can boost a player’s gameplay significantly.
3 Guard Cancelling
This is one of the best tools available to players, it’s amazing to improve a player’s defensive game, but it also adds to offense in a way. It’s a little risky if players aren’t comfortable executing it properly, but after a few tries in practice mode, it becomes really easy.
Essentially, when a player is in block stun and presses forward and either of the 2 Z assist buttons, it lets players swap their characters out for the cost of one Ki bar. It essentially resets the game back to neutral and can be really useful in relieving pressure. Pressing forward with the medium and heavy buttons together (triangle and circle on PlayStation) lets players guard cancel and vanish to the other side; this can be really useful if the opponent’s string was high pressure.
2 Don’t Be Too Reactive
Whilst this may seem counter-productive it is really important. Having good reaction times for fighting games is essential, especially for fast-paced volatile games such as FightersZ where there is so much happening at once. But it's also equally important not to get too comfortable just reacting to what the opponent does.
Players should take risks, try to predict moves, or call out what their opponent is going to do next. Moreover, players should have a basic plan in place at least halfway through the battle, pressure is everything in FighterZ and instead of soaking pressure for 4 minutes per game, stepping up on the offense and keeping others on their toes is vital to get better at this game, especially if a player is trying to climb the ranked ladder.
1 Recognition
A lot of fighting game players mash buttons, and a lot of fighting game players do extremely unsafe moves and hope their opponent doesn’t notice, messes up the punish, or just reacts too late. ArcSystems has added a ton of movement and defensive options to FighterZ, and tons of different ways to relieve pressure through assists and whatnot.
The most important thing for players to do is learn to recognize the weaknesses in the opponent's block strings or pressure. For example, block strings which involve vanishes can be punishable. If the opponent does not use a Z string to add pressure, players can punish their opponents after vanishing, either by back dashing away or by deflecting a few times and taking control. Albeit the former does not work against some of the characters with better range such as Cell, Broly, and Cooler.
Another example is cross-ups. Opponents can push their offense by switching sides, it's important to recognize this and swap the key players are blocking with, such as switching from the back arrow key to the forward arrow key. Recognizing what characters are safer or unsafer than others in their offense can be key to honing a rock-solid defense.
Dragon Ball FighterZ is available now on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch