DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO
Last updated: 2026-02-12
- Visually impressive graphics
- Excellent combat system
- Fun and engaging gameplay
- Clunky and complex combat
- Lack of offline content
- Poor story mode
Emotions
The game's story mode and overall content are underwhelming compared to previous entries in the franchise. Players are disappointed with the lack of content, repetitive gameplay, and various performance issues. The game's mechanics, AI behavior, and balancing issues do not meet the expectations set by previous titles in the series.
Players are frustrated with the game's combat mechanics, which are shallow and lack depth, making competitive play less enjoyable. The game's steep learning curve, aggressive AI, and various technical issues, such as poor online netcode and performance problems, contribute to this frustration.
Technical issues, poor game design, and lack of content are major sources of anger for players. The game's poor quality, matchmaking issues, and perceived focus on monetization through DLCs further exacerbate this emotion.
Players enjoy the game due to its fun and engaging gameplay, as well as the availability of mods that enhance the experience. The game's design and visuals are also appreciated.
The game's single-player content, combat, and variety of characters and modes generate excitement among players. The enjoyment of countering strategies and beating higher-ranked players also contributes to this emotion.
Verdict
Mostly negative
Summary
Positive 19% · Negative 81%. Score: 81 / 100
Verdict
Predatory Monetization
Summary
The game is heavily criticized for its monetization practices, including overpriced DLCs and season passes, lack of content and updates, and significant amounts of content locked behind paywalls. Users feel that the game does not provide good value for money and express disappointment with the technical issues and design choices. The overall sentiment is that the game feels abandoned by the developers and is seen as a cash grab. Score: 85 / 100
Top points
- Overpriced DLC and Season Pass - High
- Lack of Content and Updates - High
- Character and Content Locked Behind Paywalls - High
- Poor Value for Money - High
- Technical Issues and Poor Design Choices - Medium
Verdict
Tinkering Required
Summary
The Steam Deck experience for this game is marred by several significant issues. Controller problems, online play errors, and performance issues are the most impactful themes. Users frequently report having to adjust settings significantly to achieve playable performance, and there are notable complaints about the durability and responsiveness of controllers. Online play is particularly problematic, with many users unable to connect or experiencing errors. Visual issues and mixed feelings about the controls also contribute to a less than optimal experience. Score: 55 / 100
Top points
- Controller Issues - High
- Online Play Issues - High
- Performance and Optimization - High
- Graphical and Visual Issues - Medium
- Gameplay and Controls - Medium
Positives:
- The game is praised for its stunning graphics, beautiful visuals, and impressive artistic style, making it visually appealing to players.
- The combat system is fluid, smooth, and engaging, with amazing animations and effects that enhance the overall gameplay experience.
- Players find the gameplay to be solid, fun, and enjoyable, whether playing solo or with friends, making it a standout feature of the game.
- The game is highly recommended for both casual and hardcore fans of the Dragon Ball series, as well as newcomers to Dragon Ball games.
- The game features a massive roster of over 200 characters, including many fan favorites and a wide variety of transformations and costumes.
Negatives:
- Many players find the combat system to be clunky, overly complex, and unsatisfying. The controls are reported to be laggy and unintuitive, making the gameplay experience less enjoyable.
- Players express a significant lack of offline content, including PvE modes, single-player content, and additional maps. This lack of content leads to boredom and a feeling that the game lacks longevity.
- The story mode is criticized for being poorly designed, disjointed, and lacking in detail. Players find it to be of low quality and not worth their time.
- Many players feel that the game and its DLCs are low-effort cash grabs, not providing enough value for the price.
- The game suffers from severe lag and poor FPS performance, which negatively impacts the gameplay experience.
Gameplay:
- The game offers a range of multiplayer options including local PvP, online multiplayer, and offline modes.
- The game features various single-player modes such as campaign gameplay, story mode, and character campaigns with branching storylines.
- Combat mechanics are reminiscent of older games but lack depth and polish. Winning strategies often rely on simple tactics like getting behind the opponent.
- Players can select from a variety of characters, including exclusive ones, but some classic characters are missing.
- The game features a flashy gameplay style reminiscent of Budokai Tenkaichi, with emphasis on flashy attacks and animations.
Performance:
- The game experiences significant FPS drops, even in menus, and runs poorly on various hardware configurations. Players report frequent frame rate drops and stuttering issues.
- Players encounter laggy button inputs and delayed responses, which affect gameplay. This includes issues with vanishing mechanics and overall input delay.
- The game lacks various graphical settings and optimizations, such as no native ultrawide support, no upscaling, and no fullscreen option. Players also report issues with VRAM and throttling.
- The game has several crashing issues, particularly in custom battles and during transition screens. There are also compatibility issues with Windows 11 and other technical problems.
- There are known bugs in specific game modes, such as Mission 78 causing immediate loss after character intros, PvP synchronization or server bugs, and tournament mode bugs.
Recommendations:
- The game is primarily recommended for hardcore Dragon Ball fans, especially those who enjoy the nostalgia or are dedicated to the series.
- Many players suggest that the game is only worth purchasing if it is available at a significant discount, often 50% or more.
- Several players recommend other games like Dragon Ball FighterZ, Xenoverse 2, or even previous titles in the series over this one.
- The game is seen as suitable for casual play, especially with friends online or locally, but not for long-term competitive play.
- Some players find the game more enjoyable with the use of mods, suggesting that mods can significantly improve the gaming experience.
Miscellaneous:
- Players have expressed dissatisfaction with the DLCs, mentioning that they are mostly negative and do not meet expectations.
- There are complaints about features and content that were announced as free but were later offered as separate DLCs or not delivered at all.
- The game has significant performance issues when played on the Steam Deck, leading to a subpar gaming experience.
- Some reviews compare the game to Dragon Ball Kakarot, possibly indicating that players have expectations based on other similar games.
- Players have mentioned the refund process, which could indicate dissatisfaction with the game leading to refund requests.
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