DBZ: Kakarot Has A Beautiful World, But One That’s Spoiled By Endless Fights

Being a die-hard DBZ fan, it was a dream come true just to hear that name, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot. The anticipation could not have been higher for a vast, open-world game sprawling across DBZ; flying freely as Goku through exploring iconic places in this beloved game universe was an inspiring idea. Unfortunately, the game’s reality was much different from this dream.

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot offers a stunning world to explore, but constant and intrusive enemy encounters often disrupt the experience.

The Allure Of An Open World

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot offers a stunningly beautiful re-imagining of the DBZ universe. From the lush, dense forests to the spread-out plains, from the rocky wastelands to the lively cities, it encapsulates the feel of the anime that fans have come to love. Places such as Kami’s Lookout, Capsule Corporation, and the well-known Kame House are all a part of this world, which makes avid fans feel as if they are right at home on a digital tour of their favorite world. 

This game presents an open-world design that is very ambitious and allows the player complete freedom in exploration while interacting with elements of the DBZ universe. The idea sounds great, giving the player a vast world full of side quests, items to collect, and hidden secrets that may attract him to immerse himself in it. At this moment, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot shows its potential in offering an idea of what a perfect DBZ game could be like.

The Constant Enemy Encounters

However, the game ultimately flounders because of the constant enemy encounters plaguing every part of the map. Be it flying in the skies or running down on the ground, you are constantly being interrupted by enemy battles. This constant barrage of fight scenarios converts what is supposed to be a peaceful exploration into a frustrating experience. 

Does anyone else think there are too much enemies in this game?
byu/JahMajin inkakarot

These battles occur far too frequently, turning adventure into a grind rather than a pleasure. Every few steps, players get dragged into battles with low-quality enemies. Such interruption not only breaks the immersion but also makes the world feel less open and more like a series of combat arenas.

The Impact On Exploration

The overabundance of enemy encounters seriously undermines exploration in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot. Every exciting moment of finding new places, or sometimes just enjoying the sight, is constantly ruined because of the need to fight off aggressors. 

Ideally, the enemies should be placed so that the players are given the leeway to explore without too much fear of danger. The Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot experience, however, is utterly let down by an overdose of such frequent enemy spawns, and the game emerges as terribly disjointed for an open-world experience.

A Tedious Grind

Another issue the regular enemy encounters raises is the sense of grind and repetition it injects early on into the game. While fighting is a core component of any DBZ game, the sheer number of fights within DBZ: Kakarot borders on making them a chore. The fights quickly become repetitive, with several of the same types of enemies appearing and attacking with predictable patterns.

This line of work tends to blunt the intrigue of battle and turn the game more into a grind than an adventure. For many open-world players, the joy and fun in an open-world game come from having complete control of where they go and what they do. The constant attacks never let players relish this freedom in DBZ: Kakarot; it continually pushes them into a vortex of redundant battles, sooner leading them to burnout.

Missed Opportunities

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot had the potential to be truly great. The world-building and visuals are great, and the basic mechanics for gameplay are pretty solid. But once more, those constant enemy encounters are like Achilles’ heel.  

The constant enemy encounters and the repetitive nature of the gameplay detract from the overall experience, making it difficult to enjoy the open world and the story fully. It’s a game that had the potential to be great but fell short due to some fundamental design issues.

My Final Thoughts

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot could have been a fan’s dream come true. It’s appropriately constructed and very detailed, and the core concept of a Dragon Ball Z game with an open world is sound. The sad truth is that the experience is conflicted by relentless enemy encounters that break the flow of exploration and turn the game into a tedious grind.

As a fan, you just feel sad to see so much potential frittered away for some very terrible design choices. This game could have been a masterpiece, allowing players an extended exposure to the DBZ universe without constant irritation.