Dragon Ball FighterZ is easily one of last week’s bigger surprises, a 2D fighting brawlfest that looks like it’s going to be the DBZ game that we’ve all been waiting for. But there are some who feel that the 2D fighting tactics may be overwhelming to newcomers. Don’t worry, it won’t be.
Speaking with Game Informer, producer Tomoko Hiroki explained that the team wants casual fans to “realize how fun a genuine fighting game can be,” and should have options that will cater to them. “We’ve actually focused on making it accessible for those casual fans as well. One of our big goals is to have those Dragon Ball casual fans realize how fun a genuine fighting game can be through this game. And we want eventually, those guys, to become actual fighting game users. So that’s where this project all began. So, we’re constantly thinking about satisfying obviously the core fighting game audience, but also Dragon Ball fans well.”
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As for why the series is making the jump from the typical 3D territory to a 2D plane, Hiroki explained that the 2D medium was “very hype” at the moment, particularly with tournaments, and Bandai Namco was looking to appeal to general fighting fans, along with the DBZ faithful. “This time around, we’re focused on this highly anticipated expression, and so we wanted to combine 2D and 3D,” he explained. “So, the game looks 2D, but the characters are based on a 3D model, so that you can change the angle of the camera and reproduce the famous scenes of Dragon Ball.”
It’s still going to be a while until we get our hands on Dragon Ball FighterZ, but it looks very good at this stage in development, and promises to deliver a lot of fighting tactics that the 3D games couldn’t. And the fact that rookie players will be able to join in and enjoy the game as well is icing on the cake – let’s just hope the online lobbies are balanced so players in the right skill sets are matched up together.
Dragon Ball FighterZ will release early next year for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.
