Dragon Ball Raging Blast 2 Game Review

I loved Dragon Ball Z/GT as a child and still do today, so when a new game is announced i am always extremely interested to find out if they have finally managed to give the fans what we have been waiting for. Namco Bandi have released a string of games dedicated to the franchise but none have ever felt like the perfect Dragon Ball game, i always come away expecting more and wondering why certain characters, story missions, or items have been left out. This year we have the second in the Raging Blast series, Dragon Ball Raging Blast 2, and sadly it is just another disappointment.

Dragon Ball Raging Blast 2 is fairly similar to most other fighting games with a few twists that fit in with the Dragon Ball universe. You manoeuvre some of you're favourite characters from the TV show and battle on huge environments pulling off signature moves from the series. Characters scream and groan when powering up creating the authentic Dragon Ball feel, sound, and look in each battle. The transformations make this feel like every battle has been just ripped out of the the Anime and it will please fans.

There are a number of modes available in Raging Blast 2 but none are addicting, of course there is the standard versus match where you can face off against the computer AI or if connected to xbox live/PSN you can fight other players online. World Tournament mode is my personal favourite and always has been in Dragon Ball games, i love the competition and feeling i get after knocking out other characters just like in the TV show. The downside is Dragon Ball Raging Blast 2 has extremely poor controls which make the combat mechanics frustrating and this really takes away most of the fun.

The combat isn't done well, usually variety is a good thing but in Raging Blast 2 it just makes everything feel overly complicated. Characters have an array of attacks, special attacks, unique attacks, aerial manoeuvres, and grabs. What is most disappointing about combat is the fact that an experienced player can be defeated by someone who is just mindlessly button mashing. Although the game is easy to get into for beginners it takes away any of the rewarding feeling for players who take the time to learn all the special moves and unique harder attacks when someone can essentially just punch and kick their way to victory. The reason to play a Dragon Ball game rather than any other fighting game is the awesome spectacular unique moves right ?, but characters feel sluggish in between combos making it easy for button mashers to overpower talented players attempting to pull one of these moves off and this is the biggest problem with the game.

Fighting against AI alleviates most of the frustrating combat but it doesn't manage to hold you're interest for very long, soon becoming repetitive and at times too easy. The majority of characters feel almost identical when fighting and at times you may feel like the only difference is with their appearance. I'm sure this is because they wanted to include a huge roster of characters, but when they all feel the same what is the point.

They did manage to recreate the Dragon Ball universe really well with the appearance of characters though, characters look and act as if they should and it will be pleasing for fans of the series to see the level of detail in their favourite character. There is Japanese and English voice actors which also adds to the authentic feel of the TV show. The sad thing is the huge environments are terrible, they look bland, boring, and overall just not enjoyable to fight on. It really feels like a half-job when you see great looking fighters in front of poor backgrounds.

The game has a gigantic roster of characters at you're disposal, allot of which will be available at the start. To unlock the fan favourites though you will have to spend hours and hours in various modes which are not fun at all and instead it feels more like a chore. You might think these hours add to the value of the game but really when a game is this poorly made i doubt anyone will be happy to put in countless hours of unsatisfying time.

Overall Dragon Ball Raging Blast 2 feels like just another game taking credit from the Dragon Ball name and franchise with shinier graphics than it's predecessor. The game lacks any creativity and does nothing new for the fans, poor combat and bland visuals make it truly disappointing and the exclusion of the GT characters really feels cheap. I would recommend that you go play Budokai or Tenkaichi on the Playstation 2 for a more fulfilling experience, even Dragon Ball Z: Legend on the PS1 will feel much more enjoyable.

Dragon Ball Raging Blast 2 is a poor game which is really just for fans 5/10