Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit (PS3) Review

Posted by Mark Salmela on 07.28.2008

How does the latest DBZ fighter handle? Find out in the full review.




Well if it isn’t the first Dragon Ball Z game to appear on next-gen *current-gen* consoles? To be honest I’m surprised it took this long, but then again there have already been two DBZ games on the Wii. I’ll say it right now, other than the upgrade to HD, there’s really nothing new here in terms of gameplay. Sure, there’s online, but other than that Atari has been coasting on the same old gameplay mechanics that they have been in the Budokai games for years now. I used to be a fan of the DBZ series when I was younger *one of the few anime’s that I actually liked* and I would have loved some DBZ action back in the day *sure there were a couple games, but I was a Genesis man*. Hopefully there are some kids who are still into DBZ, because unless you’re a big fan of the series, stay away from this game. This is a game for the fans, and no one else.



Graphics

I’d say that the main reason to pick up this game is because of the graphics. The game looks just like the cartoon, and that’s a good thing. While I won’t say the graphics are “amazing” because there are some issues, mainly with variety. There are very few stages, and for a game where the stage is nothing but a backdrop for the characters, I expect more. The animations are also slick, although not immune to clipping. There are a lot of bright spots with how great this game looks, but it isn’t perfect.



Gameplay


Believe it! Oh wait, wrong series…


While the graphics may be very good, the gameplay on the other hand, is not. While some people may like the fighting style of DBZ, I don’t. I don’t find it interesting nor do I find it fun to play. I can throw fireballs and a bunch of other crap at my opponent, but more often than not I just ran up to the CPU and mashed buttons hoping to out-mash the CPU. Which brings up another problem, all of the characters’ basic moves are the same. Besides the special attacks everyone pretty much plays the same, and that is not a good thing. I like variety in my fighters, and Burst Limit is severely lacking in variety.

Now there are some tricks to the fighting system for those who are looking for more than my general opinion. First off is the Ki Gauge, which is basically your “super power up”. Save up enough Ki and you can unleash a devastating attack *a super Kamehameha for instance* or use it to protect yourself from your opponent. It does add a little bit of depth, but this is a gameplay mechanic that has been in fighters for over a decade now.

One thing I’d like to complain about however is the counter system. Now I get that they were trying something different, but in my opinion it doesn’t work. You see, if two players ran up and started button-mashing at each other, the player who presses last wins out. This is basically the opposite from other fighters, where the player who performs a move first often executes it. It’s nice to try something different, but in my opinion it doesn’t work, and only leads to frustration.

Another failed gameplay mechanic is the fatigue system. The fatigue system in theory will punish players who sit and block the whole game, forcing them to go on the offensive. The fatigue system works in that any missed attack, or landed hit drains your fatigue meter a little, with using the block button draining more fatigue than anything else. The problem comes in that it’s too forgiving, and players will rarely ever drain their fatigue meter on accident. If you do manage to drain your fatigue meter your player simply becomes stunned for a few seconds, allowing the enemy to get a combo on you.

The only gameplay mechanic that I really liked was the drama system. Players can choose up to 3 drama pieces before a fight, which adds depth to the gameplay. By activating a drama piece players will either call in another fighter to absorb a blow for them, regain a little health, or dig-deeper for a little extra “oomph” on an attack. Drama pieces can be cheap, but they do help keep the action quick and fierce, and can change the tide of battle at anytime.



Sound


It’s Super Sonic! Oh wait, wrong series again…


Burst Limit sounds just as you would expect it to. There’s nothing that’s going to set the world on fire in terms of sound effects, but it does manage to do one thing right, and that’s imitate the show. All of the appropriate sound effects and voice actors from the show are present, and adds to DBZ experience that Atari was hoping to create. Just like the graphics they’re good, but not great.



Lasting Appeal

Since Burst Limit is a fighter, the lasting appeal pretty much depends on how likely you are to play offline with a friend. Sure, there’s an online mode, but unless you and the person you’re battling are relatively close to each other and both have great internet connections, you will have severe and game-ruining amounts of lag. I have yet to see a fighter that truly works perfectly online, and Burst Limit is no exception to that.

The single-player mode is relatively short, with players reenacting battles from the show. There’s no real replay value in the single player, so unless you can find another friend to play with you, you won’t be playing Burst Limit for long.



Fun Factor


And we are HOT HOT HOT!


As I’ve said before, I’m not a fan of the DBZ fighters. I’m really not. I wanted to give Burst Limit a challenge, but the gameplay is simply flawed. There are a few redeeming qualities, and I’m sure there are fans of the series who will completely ignore this review and claim the game is awesome. That’s fine. But from my standpoint the single-player is nothing but a nostalgia trip, and the multiplayer is considered weak in comparison to great fighters such as Virtua Fighter, Tekken, and Soul Calibur.



The 411

Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit is a game made for fans of the show only. If you don’t like DBZ already, this game will do nothing to turn you into a fan. The gameplay is boring, and in my opinion a glorified button masher. The online mode doesn’t work, and the single player is nothing but a nostalgia trip. If you like the show then by all means go and pick up Burst Limit. But for everyone else, don’t go any further than a rental.

Graphics	8.0	It looks just like the show. The graphics can look pretty awesome at times.
Gameplay	5.0	A flawed fighting system. The drama system is alright, but that's about it.
Sound	7.0	It sounds just like the show.
Lasting Appeal	5.0	The online is terrible. The single player is short. You better have friends to play with locally.
Fun Factor	6.0	If you are a fan of the show you will probably enjoy this. if you are not, than stay away from this game.
Overall	6.8   [ Average ]

Screenshots
All 3 Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit Screenshots