Rock the dragon. Bandai Namco’s newest Dragon Ball game has arrived today. Introducing asymmetrical multiplayer to the Dragon Ball universe, DRAGON BALL: THE BREAKERS has arrived for Steam, PlayStation, Xbox,. and Nintendo Switch, introducing a new kind of game for players, where a group works together to survive and one sees to absolutely destroy the entire world.
The launch was accompanied by launch trailers, showcasing what players can expect from the game. DRAGON BALL: THE BREAKERS is a different kind of game for the franchise, where a group of players play as Survivors and the others as a Raider. The survivors are a group of young warriors that must accomplish goal to escape via the time machine, and one player is the Raider, a classic Dragon Ball villain that has the power to eliminate players and destroy the entire map.
Each round is contained to a Temporal Seam, a small confined area that challenges players to think fast and move faster. With the Raider able to kill and destroy, survivors will have to works as a team to have a hope of surviving. At the end of each round, players level up their characters to unlock new skills and perks, as well as skins. It’s a battle for survival and strength as the world crumbles.
First hand experience
Having played this at PAX WEST, both as a Survivor and Raider, DRAGON BALL: THE BREAKERS is certainly enjoyable and immersive, especially if playing with a team. As a Raider, it was euphoric being the infamous villain Frieza, hunting down opposing players and wiping them out. Each elimination and dastardly deed, such as ending civilians, had Frieza evolve to become more powerful,. destroying entire sections of the map and eliminating the survivor group, which had put up a good fight. As a survivor, the teamwork was incredibly strong, especially as I had been downed several times and was rescued, thanks to the other players. It’s an entirely different tactic, of course, as Survivors cannot really defend themselves unless they are leveled up during the round. It becomes a risk rescuing civilians and securing energy, but every small reward has a thrill to it. While we had lost the round, it was still a heck of a fight.
Final thoughts
I really enjoyed this unique approach to the Dragon Ball universe, and do appreciate the experimentation with the material. Most games focus on 1v1 fighting or open-world action, but DRAGON BALL: THE BREAKERS is trying something incredibly bold and different. Whether it takes off with players is anyone’s guess, but with Overwatch 2 experiencing crippling launch woes and the lack of big releases for the Holiday 2022 season, DRAGON BALL: THE BREAKERS is looking to break in incredibly strong.
DRAGON BALL: THE BREAKERS is now available for $19.99.
