Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is taking a calculated risk by having DLC 3 go back and explore Future Trunks' timeline rather than continuing on into Dragon Ball Super content. It remains to be seen just how well this works out, but fans know at least one thing for certain at least: the fight with Androids 17 and 18 needs to be a compelling one. While many have discussed Kakarot's backwards difficulty curve in the past, most would agree that the first two DLCs did a good job of ramping up the difficulty. In order to give this game a proper send off, CyberConnect2 needs to make this final battle against the Androids one to remember.
If Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is going to accomplish this monumental task, there are a few things it will need to take into consideration. Some of these ideas were already implemented in previous boss battle DLCs, and they really helped to pump up the difficulty of the battle. Others take into account setting up the battle properly, as the third DLC will have a lot more time for story than either of its predecessors had. The story of Future Trunks is such a gripping narrative, so it would be a shame if it culminated in an easy battle.
DBZ: Kakarot DLC 3 - Understanding Power Levels
The first thing that Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot needs to do is understand the power levels of all the main players in DLC 3. For starters, it's important to remember that everything in Dragon Ball is relative. It would be easy to say that Frieza was powerful at the end of the Namek saga, but compare that to the threats that face Earth during the Android saga and that statement isn't true anymore. This applies to both Android 17 and 18 as well.
While the two characters may not be anything compared to Beerus or Golden Frieza, they are still powerhouses in their own right. When compared to the likes of Future Gohan and Future Trunks, they are practically an insurmountable foe. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot needs to take the time to set the stage for the player, reminding them that this is a time before God Ki and the multiverse. This is more of a narrative thing than anything, but it will help to set the tone for the battles ahead and get players prepared to face a true challenge. It's also a key way that this boss fight could be even more challenging than Beerus.
DBZ: Kakarot DLC 3 - Level Scaling
The lack of level scaling in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot has been an issue for a while now, but something definitely needs to be done about it for this DLC. It is still unclear how leveling up Future Gohan and Future Trunks will work, but if the Androids are to be any kind of threat, it needs to be limited. In the release date reveal trailer above, players see Future Gohan, Android 17, and Android 18 all at level 40, a far cry from the maximum level that players have reached already.
If players are allowed to grind experience for Future Gohan and Future Trunks, players could simply use brute force to reign victorious over the Androids. Whether the character levels are set based on specific points in the story, scaled down regardless of what level the player has reached for these pivotal encounters, or simply capped at a lower maximum, it's very important that the playing field is even. Another interesting option would be to provide level scaling for the Androids, allowing them to rise to whatever heights the player has reached at the time of the fight.
DBZ: Kakarot DLC 3 - No Items
This was established in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot's first DLC, but restricting the use of items adds another dimension to a challenging boss fights. By the time players have beaten the game and gone through both of its current DLCs, they no doubt also have a huge stock of healing items and Senzu Beans. Being able to use these freely trivializes even the most difficult fights in the game, which is probably why the Beerus and Golden Frieza fights restrict them. With this rule active, every hit the player takes actually means something, and there's a very real possibility of failure.
Even in the story, this would make a lot of sense for Future Trunks anyway. In Trunks' desolate timeline, there's no way he would have access to these kinds of resources. The game's healing items are one thing, but especially when it comes to Senzu beans, it's implied that they no longer exist in his timeline. This change fits both narratively and in terms of gameplay, as it would elevate every battle to another level. Players would have to be very careful not to sustain hits, and this could go even further if players couldn't heal between battles.
DBZ: Kakarot DLC 3 - Android 17 & 18 Teamwork
Aside from their raw, overpowering strength, part of what made the Androids such a huge threat to Gohan and Trunks was their numbers. In any given fight, Gohan would be outnumbered two to one, and Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot needs to make the player feel the same desperation to win as Gohan did. In the gameplay trailer showing the fight, it seems as though Android 17 focuses on melee combat and Android 18 provides support from afar, but they do also have some combo moves that they do together.
Numbers are the biggest advantage that the Androids have over Beerus or Golden Frieza as a boss fight encounter, so they should use it to their advantage. Players should feel overwhelmed by the dual assault of the Androids, and need to fight tactically in order to come out on top. With these features all implemented, the Androids could easily be a greater challenge than either Beerus or Golden Frieza were, even if they aren't as strong in terms of power level.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
