Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4 was only recently announced, but it already looks to have great odds of success. As the return of a well-regarded fighting game series, it would be a hyped release in any scenario. The fact that Dragon Ball has been such a successful series in the gaming sphere as of late only makes the outlook for the game even more sunny. The Dragon Ball name is looking better than it has in years, and Budokai Tenkaichi 4 will continue that if it even remotely lives up to its lofty expectations.
The Budokai Tenkaichi titles were popular Dragon Ball Z fighting games long before the sales record-setting Dragon Ball FighterZ came along. With its expansive rosters consisting of many of the series' most memorable characters, almost any fan would be able to find a handful of their favorites. In addition to the constantly expanding character rosters, the gameplay itself managed to capture the spirit of a Dragon Ball-style battle, even if it isn't as complex as later games such as the Dragon Ball Xenoverse titles. Without the Budokai Tenkaichi games, then Dragon Ball may not have been able to establish such a strong position in the gaming industry.
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4 Already Has Good Momentum
One major point in Budokai Tenkaichi 4's favor is how strong recent Dragon Ball games have been, with FighterZ and Xenoverse 2 being most impressive. Dragon Ball FighterZ is an excellent 2D fighter with impressive graphics and some of the best characters in the series. In addition, the Xenoverse games combined a highly customizable player character with an egaging plot about time travel that takes place alongside the anime's story. Speaking of the anime, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot took players through Dragon Ball Z's most iconic arcs while adopting several elements of RPGs. From these titles, it's easy to see that the state of Dragon Ball in games is healthy.
Another important thing to note is how long it has been between the last game's release and Budokai Tenkaichi 4 bringing the series back. After three yearly releases from 2005 to 2007, only the portable game Tenkaichi Tag Team came out in 2010 before the series went dormant. That has left fans waiting longer than a decade for anything else to come from the series. True, there has been no shortage of Dragon Ball games, and elements from Budokai Tenkaichi have even appeared in some of the more recent titles. However, a proper new installment for such a popular series is a major event.
Dragon Ball's recent successes in the gaming industry have not been limited to its own game either. It was also the subject of a significant crossover recently with Fortnite. Fortnite's Dragon Ball Adventure Island brought the iconic Kame House to Battle Royale mode for an event, as well as several items. Players could glide across the island on a Nimbus Cloud, or even launch a Kamehameha to destroy building and deal massive damage to opponents. The crossover also included several characters as skins, including Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, and more. The collaboration led to fun gameplay additions and helped raise Dragon Ball's name recognition among players.
At the moment, it seems like everything is lining up in Budokai Tenkaichi 4's favor. As a long-awaited sequel for a franchise seeing plenty of gaming success, Budokai Tenkaichi 4 could match Xenoverse's acclaim. While the game still has to deliver on its hype, it would be difficult to deny that it is starting with a significant head start, especially with Dragon Ball fans. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4 has already stirred a lot of excitement, and it's easy to see it succeeding with everything in its favor.
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4 is in development.