At attempt at bringing Dragon Ball Z's fights to life in a different way, Budokai Tenkaichi is unlike contemporary fighting games in that it uses an over-the-shoulder camera, placing fighters in a wide arena that they can fly freely around. It's an ambitious concept, but unfortunately it's not well executed here. Many of Dragon Ball's imagery and ideas are recreated, such as powering up, rapid-fire melee, and a bevy of signature attacks, but it's odd that not everything is right - after all, these kind of games live or die on their accuracy. There aren't quite enough ideas to make each fighter distinct, many of them blurring together, especially with many sharing special moves. Budokai Tenkaichi is a classic example of a great idea hampered by a poor execution.

Reviewed on Apr 05, 2024


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