Dragon Ball: The Breakers May Be the Strangest and Truest DBZ Game Yet
Bandai Namco has been attached to many infamous video game franchises, but one of the most expansive universes covered throughout their game has been Dragon Ball for a long time, and it doesn’t appear that will change anytime soon with a highly experimental type of DBZ game incoming that will more than likely attract fans of the anime and non-fans with its unique theme. The upcoming game, titled “Dragon Ball: The Breakers” was announced in 2021, and since has been given a release date of 2022 but the different genre and playstyle compared to other Dragon Ball video games have already made this game stand out greatly, similar to how “Kakarot” changed how DBZ games could be perceived. Below, we’ve gone into detail on the upcoming survival game, everything we know about it, and how exactly “Dragon Ball: The Breakers” may be the strangest and truest DBZ game yet.
What is Dragon Ball: The Breakers?
“Dragon Ball: The Breakers” will be a 7v1 asymmetrical online multiplayer and co-op survival game, similar to “Hello Neighbor”, “Dead By Daylight”, or “Friday the 13th”, where players will play either the single Raider or one of six Survivors that must survive by hiding very cleverly, and fighting, as a Survivor or hunting as a Raider. The exact description per the official website states, “Caught in by an unexpected temporal phenomenon, seven ordinary citizens find themselves stranded in a Temporal Seam: they share their imprisonment with the Raider, a menacing enemy from another timeline with an overwhelming power. Their only hope for survival is to break out from the Temporal Seam with the Super Time Machine, but the Raider is on their tracks and becomes stronger minutes-by-minutes.” So while the overall theme of “Dragon Ball: The Breakers” may have seemed far from a true survival game, like the ones referenced above, depending on the gameplay and general feel of the game this may truly be the strangest, and truest DBZ game yet, from the perspective of the villain or a terrified citizen and considering how massively inspirational Dragon Ball has been over its lifespan, fans have plenty to look forward to.
Dragon Ball Characters in Dragon Ball: Breakers
The genres associated with “Dragon Ball: The Breakers” and the franchise of Dragon Ball itself may not have ever seemed to need to come together but as what may be the strangest and truest, DBZ game yet, especially in the new context in which we will be able to play the characters Frieza, Cell, or Majin Buu, as the game appears to be taking place before any event of Dragon Ball Super. Other characters that will be encountered within “Dragon Ball: The Breakers” as the Survivors, so far, have so far been noted as Bulma, Oolong, and customizable characters, as well as unnamed NPC civilians. Additional characters that can be used include Goku, and unannounced others, who can be summoned by the player to use an ability of the summoned hero, with the Dragon Change item, to help extend survival against the Raider. Shenron can also appear to players, should they collect the Dragon Balls, and be granted a wish to help them survive as well. The official website also stated that “Dragon Ball: The Breakers” shares the same universe as “Dragon Ball Xenoverse” and saves from “Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2” will be linkable as well, so what exactly that could mean remains to be seen but it’s likely to include customizable options or exclusive DLC at the very least. Overall, with the characters and the saves from the previous time-related Dragon Ball video game, “Dragon Ball: The Breakers” may be the strangest and truest DBZ game yet.
Items in Dragon Ball: The Breakers Help Ensure Survival
As with the characters, and everything else, “Dragon Ball: The Breakers” has several different maps, and within each map will be various items for hiding, attacking, escaping, and transportation to ensure that players can do everything in their power as a Survivor to triumph against the Raider. Items shown on the official website have been scooters, Dragon Ball radars, Dragon Balls themselves, and Transpheres, which players will use to summon the abovementioned Z Fighter with the Dragon Change move, but will be limited to three per character per game. Ultimately, the most important item in “Dragon Ball: The Breakers” can already be noted as the Super Time Machine, as it is the machine that will allow players to escape or die, and Power Keys, which are used to place around the map in order to be able to access the Super Time Machine. Overall, items can be found by looting Time Patroller emergency supply boxes, scattered throughout the map, and additional items referenced on the official website for “Dragon Ball: The Breakers” include “vehicles, weapons, grappling hooks, and more.
Locations
While many elements from the Dragon Ball world we know have been implemented into “Dragon Ball: The Breakers” to make it simultaneously something incredibly fresh for the franchise, and familiar to older fans of it, such as the locations. As of right now, beta users have only played with Cell as the Raider and on an Earth map, but it’s likely that Frieza could include a Namek setting, while Buu could be anything between the two, but likely also Earth. Overall, each location in “Dragon Ball: The Breakers” may reflect a familiar part of the Dragon Ball universe, Raiders will have the ability to decimate sections of each map in order for them to win against the Survivors.
Character Abilities
The specific abilities of each Raider, except Cell due to beta testing, have yet to be revealed but each Raider has the ability to evolve or transform based on the NPCs and players that they absorb or eliminate, giving them enhanced, and additional abilities. However, players, Survivor or Raider, will be able to customize their progression path and unlock perks, skins, and more to make each playthrough uniquely theirs. Overall, while each game can play differently, nearly every time you play, everything from the map to the items, abilities, characters, and more reflect the world of Dragon Ball in ways that most Dragon Ball games never could, or have, which ultimately may make it the strangest and truest DBZ game yet.
