Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, the upcoming singleplayer story-based RPG from Bandai Namco, is releasing soon. The game is based on the popular series Dragon Ball Z, where players will experience the adventures of Goku and friends but now in a different light. Ever since its initial announcement, Bandai Namco has released tons of information about the game that is releasing this Friday for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Now, before players dive into the wonderful world of Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, here's everything we know so far about the upcoming game.
Story Sagas
Throughout its development cycle, Bandai Namco confirmed that Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot will be featuring all of Dragon Ball Z's main story sagas, which will include the Saiyan Saga, Frieza Saga, Cell Saga, and Buu Saga. Most recently, the game released a preview trailer that brought back the classic narrator from the anime series, which definitely brought back nostalgia among longtime fans of Dragon Ball Z.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot will also be based on the anime, so there will be some variation to the classic manga. Apart from the canonical storylines that players will relive in Dragon all Z: Kakarot, Bandai Namco will also include non-canonical storylines through side quests. The game will also look into the background story of some of the series' supporting characters, allowing players to have a better understanding of their personalities and motivations. Furthermore, it has been recently revealed that Xenoverse's Mira will appear in DBZ: Kakarot to some capacity, although it's currently unknown as to how big of a role the antagonist will play.
Playable and Supporting Characters
Apart from Goku, which will be the main character that players will control in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, players will also be able to take command of several of the anime's Z Fighters. Currently, Bandai Namco has confirmed that Goku, Piccolo, Gohan (Kid, Teen, Adult), Vegeta, Trunks, Vegito, and Gotenks will be playable characters in the upcoming game. The number of playable characters was sort of a surprise as compared to what we saw in Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2. Â
There will also be a few support characters in DBZ: Kakarot, which includes Krillin, Chiaotzu, Tien, and Yamcha. Three other support characters that include Goten, Kid Trunks, and Android 18 will be unlockable at some point. Players will also be able to interact with other NPCs and powerful bosses. Most recently, Bonyu, who is a former member of the popular "Ginyu Force", joined the roster of characters for Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot. Her involvement in the game will be tied to a special training mission for players who have pre-purchased the upcoming game.
Character Progression
At the start of the new year, Bandai Namco released a trailer that detailed the character progression in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot. In true RPG form, players will level up in the game by earning experience through battles. Defeating enemies and completing various tasks will allow players to earn experience to level up and increase their stats for HP, Ki, Attack, and Defense. During battles, both the player's main character and their support character will earn experience and level up.
The game will also feature a skill tree that will earn Goku and friends new Super Attacks and improve their existing abilities. Skills can be obtained by earning Z-orbs that are scattered all over the open-areas of Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot. At certain points through the game, players won't be able to progress until they complete a certain training task. These tasks comprise of fighting against certain enemies and obtaining D Medals, which are also scattered around the world but are harder to find than Z-Orbs.
Food will also play an important part in character progression in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot. Cooking and eating food in the game will reward players with temporary and permanent bonuses. Food can be found throughout Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot's vast open world and can be cooked by the player at camps, or made by chefs in cities or other locations.
A vast semi-open world
Although Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot will contain open areas, it is technically not an open-world title. The game will mostly feature linear progression gameplay with some open areas that resemble an open-world. Nonetheless, players can still expect a vast environment where they can travel to multiple areas and embark on interplanetary travel, just like in Dragon Ball Z, on which the game is based on.
Pre-Order Details
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is currently up for pre-order at most major retailers. Players who pre-purchase the game will be rewarded with a handful of in-game bonuses. These bonuses include a new sub-quest called "A Competitive Party with Friends", and early access to Bonyu's training, and 1 cooking item. Players who will pre-order the game via the PlayStation Store will be getting a special Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot theme for the PS4 on top of the previously mentioned pre-order bonuses.
Currently, Amazon and Walmart are offering the cheapest pre-order deal for Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot. Both retailers are offering the physical PS4 and Xbox One copies of the game for $50.99, which is 17% off its original list price of $59.99. Although the discount is not as massive as we'd like, Amazon and Walmart's offerings are currently the cheapest pre-order price for Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot.Â
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot releases on January 17, 2020, for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
