Bandai Namco
Dragon Ball Gekishin Squadra: a MOBA loaded with nostalgia
Always in pursuit of the Dragon Balls.
When a franchise becomes so important and is found in the world of video games, it is easy to find it in other areas where it would fit perfectly. Dragon Ball is a franchise that has taken advantage of fighting games and action RPGs, although in recent years we have seen it in very different genres, while retaining that essence that has allowed us to relive the entire story of Goku and company once again. This time, Dragon Ball comes to MOBAs in a release that, beyond wanting to be the standard-bearer of the genre, seems to seek to squeeze the most out of the vast number of characters that exist.
Dragon Ball Gekishin Squadra is a MOBA that pits two teams of four players against each other on a symmetrical battlefield where they must defeat the gods of destruction and be the first to obtain the Dragon Ball located on the other side of the map. The game features a total of 22 characters at launch, ranging from classic heroes and villains from the series, such as Goku, Vegeta, Cell, and Krillin, to newer characters such as Hit or Gamma 1 and 2. The game divides these characters into three categories: attackers, tanks, and technicians, each with different abilities closely related to their class and, of course, their difficulty.
A cast to remember
The game simplifies the MOBA concept, with only two lanes to move through and few mechanics to worry about. At the beginning of each level, two powers will be randomly selected that will affect our adventure on the battlefield, and we will also have to choose an assistant character, but we’ll get to that later. Our characters will have to advance and face certain minions to level up before facing other players or more complicated challenges. If you’ve played a MOBA, you’ll have a rough idea of how to progress, with each level giving you a new power, as well as expanding your energy bar to survive more powerful attacks.
The movements are simple. You move with the stick; you can go a little faster if you press one side twice. With the rest of the buttons, you can access your attacks and special techniques. Some characters, such as the Saiyans or Cell, to name a few, will have the option to change their appearance and become stronger through a transformation once they have reached a certain level.
As we progress, instead of knocking down towers, we will have to defeat gods of destruction, with each team having 4. These towers, when we are on our side of the map, can heal us until we recover our energy. However, the basis of the game is that, from time to time, Zeno will start to walk down the lane and arrive with his hammer to knock it down. This is where we have to catch the opposing team off guard and attack. The attack is a special technique that we will have to charge up, so it won’t be such an easy task. After a certain amount of time, if we fail to deplete all of his energy, the god of destruction will recover, and we will have to look for our next window of opportunity. Once one of the lanes is completely clear, we will be able to attack the opposing base in order to reach the Dragon Ball and claim victory.
A parade of nostalgia
Apart from this, we find ourselves with a fairly simple MOBA, but it is the franchise, nostalgia, and powers that carry the weight. Powers, abilities, and much more Dragon Ball paraphernalia are more than present. And if you’re a fan, you’ll find certain mechanics that make sense for each of the characters. Dragon Ball Gekishin Squadra manages to make the most of the franchise in an exercise in nostalgia, bringing back from memory lane several characters that seem to have no place in a MOBA, and yet there they are. When choosing our character, we will have the option of having an assistant character related to our class. Do you remember the King of the World? How about the farmer who appears in each of the Dragon Ball Z sagas? Well, those are some of the characters who will be making an appearance as part of our character’s assistants.
But it doesn’t stop there. Once we’re on the battlefield and our characters are facing off, we’ll encounter all kinds of minions. Cell Jr., soldiers from Frieza’s army, or how about Nappa arriving with the Saibaman? The battlefield becomes a parade of characters we remember but who don’t usually make appearances like this unless a very specific moment in history is captured. Heck, even characters like Jaco the Galactic Patrolman, part of a manga that is part of the Dragon Ball canon, make an appearance in the game.
Cosmetics and battle passes
As for the game, we’ll encounter a battle pass that will allow us to obtain characters, as well as a store where we can get skins. Some skins are interesting, while others are color variants of the costumes already included. In addition to this, we’ll have the option to level up our characters by spending coins that we earn after each game.
Dragon Ball Gekishin Squadra isn’t a MOBA that redefines the genre, but it is one that clearly makes good use of the Dragon Ball license. Although our playtime wasn’t long enough to really determine whether it’s a balanced game or whether it meets the strictest competitive rules, it’s clear that this is a fun title that can be enjoyed for short periods of time. Its roster of characters is varied enough to keep you constantly trying out different characters and teams. Time will tell whether this is a title that will go far or not, but its availability on multiple platforms could give it enough life.
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