Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit

THE BAD:

SUMMARY:
Okay, here, I will try my best to give you an unbiased review of the game, dealing with different aspects of the game.


Dragonball Z: Burst Limit is the game which marks the entry of the famed DBZ series onto next-gen consoles. Unfortunately, it is not the game which tries to provide a unique and new style of fighting. Far from it, it simply cobbles together some new aspects with the old Budokai style of fighting, along with a little gloss.

The story mode:

The story mode in Burst Limit(hereon referred to as BL) is called "Z chronicles". It goes back to the traditional Budokai 1 type, taking away all the free roam feature of Budokai 3. Something which many will be pleased to find, I'm sure. The cutscenes are quite gorgeous, with next gen graphics.



However, it does a horrible job of conveying the story. A non-DBZ fan won't be able to get head or tail of what is going on. However, getting down to the actual fighting...

Gameplay:



As mentioned before, the fighting in BL is just an upgrade from the fighting in Budokai 3. You've got your basic punch and kick(known in the game as rush and slam), ki attack, and guard. Going deeper, there are a great number of Ki techniques, like the famous Kamehameha, or the Galick Gun. Then, you've got your Aura spark (similar to the one in Budokai 3), which you have to enter into to perform high speed rushes. The Ki system has been revamped. Players do not need to stand back and charge their Ki, rather, the Ki level increases on its own, enabling the player to focus on the fighting itself. When the Ki bar is full, you can enter Aura spark at the touch of a button, and unleash Kamehamehas and Spirit bombs. A new addition is the Aura burst, which enables to launch more powerful moves. Also, there is the teleport attack, referred to as the "Ready Stance" in the game, with which you can disappear and reappear behind the opponent, if the timing is right. Lastly, many of the characters have their own transformations, which increase their attack and defence powers, as well as the length of the Ki guage. The transformations have been well done, with lots of lighting effects to show off their aura.

A pretty good system, which could have been put to good use only if the characters were more different. Sadly, a problem which has been carried over in all the DBZ games: All the characters handle the same. If you've mastered one character, you've mastered them all.

Drama pieces are another addition to the series. Now, how they affect the gameplay is a matter of opinion. Traditional fighting game fans, will find them quite cumbersome, whereas fans of the series, in general, will probably find them good addition. How do they work? Well, satisfy certain conditions in battle, and a cutscene will play, which will effect you and sometimes your opponent too, by changing attack power, defence power, Ki regeneration, etc. By "conditions", I mean taking a certain amount of damage, or letting a specific amount of time pass, or something similar. The cutscenes themselves, of course, are quite polished.

Graphics:

As mentioned before, the graphics are fantastic, and the motion of the characters, the lighting, and the cut scenes are very impressive.



Online:

Ah, the cream of the game. Online gaming is loads of fun, and if you have a Brodband connection, you'll find yourself quite addicted to fighting online with competitors all over the world.

Replayability:

Very low. After completing the story once, I couldn't be bothered to play through the whole story again and again to get a perfect ranking on all difficulties. True, the survival and other modes will keep you amused for a time, but you'll find that online gaming is the best entertainment you'll get after beating the story. After all, the average human 13 year old is a lot smarter than the game AI.

Conclusion:

A game made more for the fans of the series. Casual gamers will not be able to appreciate the story, and the gameplay is not fancy enough to attract a greater range of gamers. Go for the game if you've got some spare cash, but Grand Theft Auto 4 or Metal Gear Solid 4 would be far better buys.