In essence, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is an okay role-playing game with a fantastically fun combat system attached. It's in the battles that it shines brightest, with projectiles flying all over the place and fighters yelling while they charge up for their next special move. At first it seems quite simplistic, with dedicated melee and ranged buttons begging to be mashed vigorously. When combined with a selection of super moves specific to each character and defensive options like a burst that repels enemies, the encounters never become too stale or repetitive.
It only gets better as you progress. New unlockable attacks can be swapped in and out at your pleasure, a partner system lets you call in assistance, and a transformation mechanic allows you to further boost your power - all of this built on a foundation of responsive movement options. Not once was I frustrated when attempting to close the distance or dodge a ranged attack.
Dinosaurs would appear to provide some extra challenge, but taking one down is as simple as lobbing a dozen ki blasts in its direction. So many of the periphery activities available quickly become repetitive and simplistic, and it soon becomes a grind. Thankfully, it's largely a grind you can avoid. While fishing and hunting allow you to create meals that boost your stats, I never felt as though I was forced to grind out these boosts to progress through the story. The same goes for upgrade orbs, which are so saturated throughout the zones you explore I found I had more than enough simply by picking them up as I completed quests.
I was also a big fan of how you acquire and improve characters in these community boards. You obtain emblems that represent characters through story and side quests. No grinding, no fuss. If you do happen to miss a side quest that would provide one such emblem, you can use a time machine later in the game to head back to previous parts of the story and grab anything you miss, albeit at a cost. The act of upgrading, like acquiring emblems is just as easy. Throughout your time playing you are given items that boost certain stats on your emblems. So, let's say I have an item that boosts the stat used in the cooking community, giving that to Chi Chi will boost her cooking stat and thus improve that board while she's in it. It's a neat addition to the community boards that allows you to either pamper your favourite characters with gifts and treats, or spend hours determining the most efficient way to boost stats with strategic item use.
This intense adoration for the subject matter reaches its pinnacle during big fights at the end of each story arc, where the game goes from looking pretty good to downright dazzling. Every "iconic" scene you could think of, from Yamcha lying dead in a crater to Buu killing everyone on earth, is recreated brilliantly.
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