Review: Save the DBZ timeline with Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2

Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 is the sequel to the popular Xenoverse. It expands on the original game adding tons of new characters and scenarios for you to play through. The premise of the game remains the same in that you have to protect history from being changed. Two demons by the name of Towa and Mira are creating havoc in the Dragon Ball timeline by trying to alter history by making the villains more powerful than they ever were before. This is where the Time Patrollers come in. The player is helped by the Elder Kai, the Supreme Kai of Time and Future Trunks as they try and protect history the way it was originally intended it to be. You have to come in and beat up the overpowered villains. Even though Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 is a sequel, you still have to play through some of the same scenarios that you have experienced over and over again. You get a sense of déjà vu as the same Dragon Ball Z storylines still take place. For example, you have to face Raditz, Frieza, and Vegeta all over again. It gets quite repetitive as it's almost like playing through a re-run. Although developer Dimps has tried its best to vary the scenarios up as additional villains to appear to make history a little different from before. Some of the new things include the fact that you have to face Frieza's brother Cooler on Namek too. An ape version of Nappa also appears with the ape Vegeta. It's great to also see that the Dragon Ball Z movies have scenarios in the game as well. Fans will recognize characters such as Turles, Lord Slug, the aforementioned Cooler and also Bardock. One disappointing aspect of the storyline is the fact that scenarios from Dragon Ball Z mainly appear. You don't get a chance to play anything from the original Dragon Ball TV series and Dragon Ball Super (Universe Tournament and Goku Black arcs) are not included either. Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 was in development before Dragon Ball Super aired which is a shame. The only thing Super fans can look forward to are getting to a chance to play as some of the characters. Hit, Goku Black and Future Trunks have been added to the game with more being on the way as future DLC.  In terms of gameplay, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 is definitely not a game that beginners are able to grasp. The fighting mechanics are way too fast as the learning curve is quite high. Not to mention you are forced to level up constantly or else you will get beaten up quite easily if you are too underpowered. One of the main gripes I have with this game is the structure of the missions in the main story and the fighting mechanics do feel a bit clunky at times. There's a moment in the game where you have to repeatedly beat Metal Cooler multiple times and it gets repetitive really fast.   Overall, the fighting mechanics are a mixed bag as well. There are often times the action goes way too fast and you will constantly miss your target. The lock-on feature doesn't seem to work as effectively as it should. As for the main campaign, the story progression gets halted because you may have to level-up or do boring fetch quests to continue on.   At times, Dragon Ball Xenoverse feels more like an RPG than a fighting game. You're allowed to roam a city that acts as your hub called "Conton City" where you can do extra missions and buy items to replenish health and more. The addition of Conton City is pretty cool as it adds an extra layer of immersion. You really feel like you belong in the Dragon Ball universe because you can visit famous locations such as Capsule Corp to even Hercule's house. The excellent production values don't stop there because most of the original North American voice actors return to reprise their roles in the game. There is a lot of voice acting in this game and everybody says their lines with enthusiasm. Dimps also added new anime style cutscenes for you to gawk at too. Sadly, the anime cutscenes are few and far between because most of the action is told through the in-game graphics. The 2D game graphics are not bad, but they look exactly the same as the first game. I didn't see any huge improvements on that end. As a whole, Dragon Ball Xenoverse is faithful to the anime and many fans will love seeing their favourite characters again. Sadly though, the gameplay still needs refining and it would have been better if the single player campaign was more fun and original.  Verdict: 7.0/10