We Could Open Dragon Ball FighterZ Loot Boxes All Day

If you're looking for an example of a game doing loot boxes the right way, look no further than the Z Capsules found in Dragon Ball FighterZ

"Loot box" is a pretty dirty phrase at the moment that fills players with concerns about pay-to-win mechanics and slim chances of ever receiving what you actually want, but neither one of those feelings exist in Arc System Works' latest take on the growing trend. Immediately after starting the game and hopping into a lobby that'll be populated by other players once the game launches, players are met with a quick guide to thumb through explaining the lobby's various points of interest. Following the explanation, you're given a bunch of Z Capsules for free which are tossed on-screen before exploding into a list of loot that you've collected.

Where other games would then reel you in by letting you know how to purchase more with real money, Dragon Ball FighterZ simply directs you to a small booth where you can purchase Z Capsules for in-game currency. Your money's no good here in Dragon Ball FighterZ, and that's a wonderful change. It's not like the Z Capsules are hard to come by either with each one priced at just 1,000 Zeni. You can also purchase 10 of them at once for an equally adjusted cost of 10,000 Zeni, but even that amount is one that you'll reach with ease.

Dragon Ball FighterZ isn't stingy with the Zeni with the game throwing it at you almost every step of the way. Complete a quest? Here's some Zeni. Play some arcade matches? Here's some Zeni. Practice your favorite fighters' combos so you don't get wrecked online? Sure, have some Zeni for that too. Trying out everything that you can is a quick way to accumulate tons of Z Capsules, especially if you want to learn character combos. Each fighter has a 10-part walkthrough that shows you various combos, and completing just two challenges awards you with enough Zeni to buy 10 Capsules.

The Capsules' contents only improve on the system. Unless you count changing the fighters' colors in matches, the contents have no effect in your battles at all. Titles for your profile, Z Stamps to show off your personality, and other loot can be gained, but the best feeling is getting a new lobby character. You can select a character from the Dragon Ball franchise to use as an avatar with various colors out there to earn, and they aren't restricted to playable characters either. We're proudly boasting a Whis avatar with a Mr. Satan waiting in the loot inventory to be swapped out if we run across another player using Majin Buu in a lobby.

You'll see an option in the game's store that does direct you to your platform's online store, but it appears that it's only for DLC. Even if it wasn't, paying real money for such an ideal loot system is hardly something we'd be objected to.

Dragon Ball FighterZ releases for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on Jan. 26.