Dragon Ball is one of those franchises that seems perfectly attuned for gaming adaptations. The visually distinct characters, absurd battles, and over-the-top worldbuilding lend themselves well to the format, especially if players get the chance to jump between fan-favorite characters. Since 1986, there have been over 70 video games adapting the characters and concepts, ranging from the earliest days of Goku to the latest adventures from Dragon Ball Super.
Still, there’s one game that stands above the rest in terms of raw execution. Released January 26, 2018, Dragon Ball FighterZ was a deft mix of tight fighting gameplay and perfectly realized execution. Almost a decade later, it remains one of the most critically acclaimed entries in the franchise. With new titles like Dragon Ball Project AGE 1000 set to take the series in new directions, it’s worth looking back at what exactly made FighterZ so good.
Dragon Ball FighterZ Is Top-Tier Fighting Games At Their Most Entertaining
Developed by Arc System Works, Dragon Ball FighterZ is one of the most critically acclaimed game adaptations of the Dragon Ball franchise ever — and still stands out as the ultimate gaming experience. Debuting in 2018 on PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One before making the leap to the Nintendo Switch later that year, Dragon Ball FighterZ was a deceptively ambitious project from the team that created Guilty Gear Xrd. The gameplay, which is broken up through single-player and multiplayer matches, feels like a mixture of Marvel vs. Capcom‘s tag-team fighting system with the speed of a Guilty Gear.
Utilizing bedrock principles of the genre leaves FighterZ room to refine the style and make it its own. Whereas other Dragon Ball games have embraced the massive scale made possible by entirely 3D settings, FighterZ uses a 2.5D fighting game mechanic that it has honed it all to great effect. With a strong roster of selectable characters (that was practically doubled through DLC releases), the game pulls elements and characters from the entirety of Dragon Ball Z, as well as sequel shows like Dragon Ball Super or tie-in movies like Dragon Ball Super: Broly.
Having already developed other Dragon Ball fighting games, producer Tomoko Hiroki embraced the concept of a tag-team mechanic that could naturally reflect sudden arrivals or group attacks that occur in the original anime. It all works because of just how refined the execution is, both in terms of presentation and gameplay. The combat is incredibly tight, with Vanish Attacks and Ki Blasts feeling like perfectly tailored additions to the somewhat familiar fighting game formula. The animation and visuals are also keyed into the specific art style of the franchise, lending it all a sense of authenticity that other games lacked.
The Android 21 Saga Works Really Well As A Dragon Ball Story
Another element that makes Dragon Ball FighterZ extremely compelling is the way it doesn’t just revisit the history of the series. Plenty of video games that adapt the franchise lean on big moments from the anime, to the point where some of the most exciting adaptations have been the ones like Dragon Ball Xenoverse or Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero that openly establishes alternate timelines and story paths. By contrast, FighterZ tackles an entirely original narrative that nevertheless feels perfectly attuned to the overarching worldbuilding of the series. Taking place during a deliberate point in the Dragon Ball Super continuity, the game introduces Android 21 as the new leader of the Red Ribbon Army.
Using an armada of clones and the villains she resurrected with the Dragon Balls, Android 21 sets about her scheme to lock away the heroes of Earth while contending with her dark side. The story mode incorporates plenty of tropes from the show’s earlier storylines, all while playing with themes about heroism, revenge, and the balance between someone’s good and light sides. It even plays with the franchise’s long-running themes about redemption, with the former villain turned ally Android 16 playing a major role in the narrative. It also finds simple ways to bring back everyone for the fighting game experience, all without throwing off the established continuity. It’s all a tricky feat, but one the game succeeds at with the same level of charm and excitement that has always defined Dragon Ball.
Why Dragon Ball FighterZ Is The Best DBZ Game
Dragon Ball FighterZ was embraced almost immediately by critics and players alike, who universally gave the game strong reviews. It has a Metacritic score that ranges between 85/100 and 87/100 based on platform, making it the highest-ranked video game adaptation of Dragon Ball available. Pro players also complimented the gameplay, citing the tight design as one of the reasons it could stand out in a crowded field. While the online mines weren’t as well-received and some characters (like 21’s second form) were criticized for being overpowered, the title’s positive reception led it to win several awards.
It’s also one of the best-selling games in the franchise, having moved over 10 million copies in 2023 even before the game received a formal PS5 and Xbox Series X/S update. For fighting game fans, the distinct roster and tight gameplay made FighterZ stand out. For Dragon Ball fans, it felt like a great chance to live out the battles seen across decades of television, with an emphasis on new characters and unexpected team-ups that felt like the best kind of fan service. For fans of both, Dragon Ball FighterZ remains a high mark that has yet to be crossed, even by other compelling Dragon Ball games that have come out in the decade since FighterZ debuted.