Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Review

Publisher: BANDAI NAMCO StudioDeveloper: CyberConnect2Genre: RPGPlatform: PC, PS4, Xbox One

- Francis Kenna

While the wildly popular Dragon Ball series has had a constant influx of games based off it, it’s been a while since fans have last seen a title that retells the Dragon Ball Z story without deviation. Despite having an obvious admiration for the source material, being chock full of references and nods to the Dragon Ball universe, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot shows that passion alone isn’t another to deliver a wholly satisfying adaptation.

From the opening cinematic being set to the iconic “Chala Head Cha-la” tune, it’s obvious that Kakarot’s main demographic is those who grew up with – or are at least familiar with – the original anime/manga, and the game doesn’t shy away from pandering to that nostalgia.

Recognisable moments and characters aren’t just prevalent throughout the main story beats: side missions usually involve classic characters, and even certain main missions aren’t afraid to have a bit of fun with fan favourite scenarios, such as Goku and Piccolo being forced to earn driving licences.