Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Review and Gameplay Guide

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot gave anime fans the chance to relive one of the most iconic action series ever created through a massive RPG adventure packed with battles, exploration, and emotional story moments. Released in 2020, the game was developed by CyberConnect2 and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment as part of the long-running Dragon Ball gaming franchise.

Unlike many previous Dragon Ball fighting games, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot focuses heavily on storytelling and open-world exploration. Rather than jumping straight from battle to battle, players can freely explore environments, complete side activities, train characters, and experience quieter moments between major story arcs.

Set within the Dragon Ball universe created by Akira Toriyama, the game adapts many legendary moments from the Dragon Ball Z anime. Fans can experience famous battles against villains like Vegeta, Frieza, Cell, and Majin Buu while also exploring the world beyond combat.

Because of its RPG structure and cinematic presentation, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot feels more like an interactive retelling of the anime rather than a traditional fighting game. That approach helped the title stand out among previous Dragon Ball adaptations.

Story and Setting

The story of Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot follows Goku and his allies throughout the major sagas of the Dragon Ball Z series. Players begin with the Saiyan Saga before progressing through the Frieza Saga, Android Saga, Cell Saga, and Majin Buu Saga.

One reason the narrative works so well is its commitment to faithfully recreating emotional moments from the anime. Major character sacrifices, intense rivalries, and dramatic transformations all receive cinematic treatment that captures the spirit of the original series.

At the same time, the game expands beyond the anime’s nonstop action by including smaller slice-of-life moments. Players can fish, eat meals, train with friends, and interact with supporting characters across the Dragon Ball world. These additions help make the universe feel larger and more immersive.

The Dragon Ball universe itself is filled with colorful environments, futuristic cities, deserts, forests, and alien planets. Flying across these areas creates a strong sense of freedom that previous Dragon Ball games sometimes lacked.

Additionally, the game balances emotional storytelling with humor, which has always been a core part of the Dragon Ball franchise. Characters frequently joke with each other even during dangerous situations, helping maintain the series’ lighthearted tone between dramatic battles.

Publisher and Development Details

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot was developed by CyberConnect2 and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. The collaboration made perfect sense because CyberConnect2 already had extensive experience creating anime-based action games with cinematic storytelling.

The development team focused heavily on authenticity. Character models, animations, music, and attack effects were carefully designed to resemble the anime as closely as possible. Because of this attention to detail, many scenes feel like interactive episodes from the original series.

Bandai Namco Entertainment also positioned the game as a major celebration of the Dragon Ball franchise. Instead of targeting only competitive fighting game fans, the publishers aimed to create an experience that would appeal to longtime anime viewers and RPG players alike.

One major challenge during development involved balancing large-scale battles with open-world gameplay systems. The team needed to ensure that exploration, side activities, and progression mechanics felt meaningful without slowing down the main story too much.

Visually, the game uses cel-shaded graphics that closely replicate the anime’s art style. Special attacks like the Kamehameha and Spirit Bomb look especially impressive during combat, delivering the flashy energy blasts fans expect from Dragon Ball.

Gameplay Features

The gameplay in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot combines RPG mechanics, aerial combat, exploration, and character progression into a large-scale anime adventure.

Combat takes place in open battle arenas where players can fly freely while launching melee attacks, energy blasts, and special abilities. Battles are fast-paced and highly cinematic, often recreating iconic moments from the anime with dramatic camera angles and explosive visual effects.

Each playable character has unique moves and transformations inspired by the series. Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Piccolo, and other fighters all feel distinct during combat, giving players variety throughout the campaign.

Character progression also plays a major role. Players level up fighters, unlock skills, improve abilities, and equip support bonuses that strengthen the team over time. These RPG systems help create a stronger sense of growth throughout the adventure.

Outside combat, exploration becomes surprisingly important. Players can hunt animals, collect resources, race through the skies, complete side quests, and interact with familiar Dragon Ball characters. Although these activities are simpler than those in some massive open-world RPGs, they help the game world feel more alive.

Boss battles are easily among the game’s highlights. Major fights against villains like Frieza and Cell deliver massive explosions, transformation sequences, and cinematic attacks that capture the scale of the anime perfectly.

The soundtrack and voice performances also strengthen the overall presentation. Combined with the game’s visuals and storytelling, they help create an authentic Dragon Ball experience for longtime fans.

Release Date and Platforms

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot launched in January 2020 and became available on multiple gaming platforms, helping the game reach a wide audience worldwide.

The game released for:

• PlayStation 4
• Xbox One
• PC

Later versions also launched for:

• Nintendo Switch
• PlayStation 5
• Xbox Series X|S

The newer console versions improved loading times, frame rates, and visual performance, making combat and exploration feel smoother overall.

Because the game focuses heavily on cinematic presentation and large-scale battles, the upgraded hardware helped showcase the colorful visual effects and fast-paced action even more effectively.

Why Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Stands Out

One reason Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot remains popular is its clear passion for the Dragon Ball franchise. Rather than simply creating another arena fighter, the developers focused on building a complete RPG adventure that celebrates both the action and emotional storytelling of the anime.

The game also succeeds because it balances nostalgia with accessibility. Longtime fans can relive iconic moments from their childhood, while newcomers can experience the story in an engaging and approachable format.

Exploration adds another layer of immersion that helps distinguish the game from previous Dragon Ball titles. Flying freely across the world while discovering side content makes the Dragon Ball universe feel larger and more interactive than ever before.

Most importantly, the combat captures the excitement of Dragon Ball’s legendary battles. Energy blasts, transformations, high-speed movement, and cinematic clashes all work together to recreate the over-the-top action fans expect from the series.

For anime gaming fans, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot delivers one of the most complete and faithful adaptations of the Dragon Ball universe ever released.