Dragon Ball FighterZ is finally here! Many fans argued that there hasn’t been a good Dragon Ball game since Budokai Tenkaichi 3. That was back in the PS2 days! However, FighterZ is different as it brings all the action a Dragon Ball fan could want.
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If you’ve seen the gameplay, it might be a bit hard to make sense of because there’s a lot going on at the same time. The controls may seem overwhelming at first but the game tutorials make sure you get the hang of it. However, knowing the controls is not enough when it comes to online multiplayer matches. You’ll find some amazing players online, so here are a few tips that’ll help you stay on par with such players.
Choosing the right team
DBFZ allows for a 3v3 team battle where you can tag in teammates and also perform team combos. Many people would choose their favorite characters and get on with the match. However, not all characters gel perfectly with each other. There are some characters whose styles and moves would be a much better fit for a team than others. Therefore, a good team can be the deciding factor when matched up against a skilled player.
Each character has a unique assist move when they’re tagged in. For example, Adult Gohan’s uppercut attack that sends the opponent flying. Attacks like these can help if you have characters selected that can perform attacks which can damage airborne enemies. Some characters’ attacks work well with every character. For example, Krillin gives a senzu bean assist. This can become crucial during a heated battle where your main character is low on health. Therefore, it’s always best to think about the characters available and which of those character’s attacks would work well with each other. That will ensure a good solid team which will lead you to victory.
Use your Ki wisely
You simply can not do special attacks such as the Kamehameha or energy attacks in general without Ki. It’s crucial to efficiently manage your Ki during battles. If done correctly, you can use your Ki to build up super attacks which can turn the tide of the battle in your favor.
Most special attacks take up to one bar of Ki while others take more. Given the situation during a fight, try to use as less Ki as possible so that you have more special attacks left to dish out towards the final stages of the fight. Ki can be built up through a number of ways such as attacking your opponent, dashing, blocking or even getting attacked. The easiest way to build Ki super fast is through powering up by holding the light energy and attack buttons.
However, your opponent won’t just stand there and let you power up so be careful when you decide to power up. It’s best to take an opponent down and use that split-second to slightly power up.
It’s easy to lose track of your energy bar as a lot of things you do drain your Ki, especially during an intense fight. Therefore, Be wary of your energy meter at all times and use your Ki attacks whenever you need to, not sparingly. Better Ki usage will help give you an edge in the final moments of a match.
The Dragon Rush
Many people don’t like to take part in close-combat. They’d rather prefer spamming special attacks over and over again. However, as discussed previously, efficient Ki management can go a long way in leading you to victory. So what can you do other than Ki attacks? The Dragon rush is the answer.
Press the light and medium attack buttons together to enter a dash which, if it connects lands a number of consecutive hits dealing a considerable amount of damage. Although Dragon Rush requires you to find an opening for the initial dash to connect, when done correctly, it can be the difference maker. Once the series of hits are over, the opponent is launched into the air thus making the opponent vulnerable to your next attack as well.
Dragon rush is quite useful, however, you must time it right.
Keep a lookout for the Dragon Balls
The whole point of the Dragon Ball series used to be to collect all seven Dragon Balls and summon the dragon to get any wish granted. This concept is present in FighterZ as well. Both players try to unlock a dragon ball by performing a bunch of combos. The Dragon Balls collected are stored in a shared pool at the bottom of the screen. Once six of the seven are collected, the player with the highest Ki unlocks the seventh Dragon Ball and is able to summon Shenron. See? Efficient Ki management is everything.
Once you summon Shenron, you have four wishes to choose from in under five seconds. The options are: reviving a downed character, fully filling your Ki meter, giving your character auto health regeneration or restoring your current character to full health. As you can tell, all four options can give you a big advantage in an intense fight. Imagine both you and your opponent are down to the last health bar and you regen your health, you’ve pretty much won the match at this point.
The Dragon Balls can be a game changer but keep in mind Dragon Balls are hard to find and you need to pull off a lot of combos to unlock them in the first place. A Shenron summon is rare in the average DBFZ match, however, when summoned it can provide you with an overwhelming advantage.
Training
Of course, training is on this list, why wouldn’t it be? Each character in the game has a unique move set which requires time in order to be fully mastered. Practice is required in order to effectively hit combos. However, practice doesn’t end there. In fact, just spamming combos will make you a predictable fighter. DBFZ’s training feature is made for much more than that.
The training feature offers you to explore a character, allowing you to take your time with them. Some characters may not be suited to your play style. You can identify strengths and weaknesses of a character. Some character’s moves are more useful in certain situations than others. You can use all of this to make a perfect team as well, and as we discussed earlier, a good team can make all the difference in a fight.
You can learn to mix different attacks and create combos of your own as well. For example, you can teleport behind your opponent (when dodging or otherwise) and hit them with a series of light attacks and then call in an assist from your teammate characters for an insane combo. Invest some time in learning a few characters and you’ll stand a better chance against skilled players.
Dragon Ball Fighter Z is now available on Ps4, Xbox One and PC, you can purchase it from here. Best of luck!