Asymmetrical games are all the rage again it seems with the Xv1 model hitting a sweet note with players right now. From Dead by Daylight, to Evil Dead: The Game – this genre seems to be growing and growing by the month. The latest game to join the asymmetrical gang is a bit of an odd ball offering. But trust us, Dragon Ball: The Breakers works really well.
Osaka based developers Dimps have brought us a truly random creation that takes the world and lore of Dragon Ball and blends it together with the gameplay of Dead by Daylight.
Stop, Citizen
If you’re expecting to fill the boots of a Super Saiyan in this outing, I’m going to stop you right there as you play as an ordinary citizen.
You and six other players fill the extremely normal shoes of ordinary dull-as-dishwater people. People who are trying to survive an attack by one of the series’ legendary bad guys.
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The likes of Cell, Frieza, and Buu are all out to hunt you, an ordinary peasant, down and evolve into an unstoppable force at the same time.
That core mechanic, while not particularly groundbreaking, actually works to create an interesting game loop. It all sits well in the context of the Dragon Ball universe.
If you have seen an episode of the show, you have seen a big bad lad ripping up a town or city for hours before the heroes roll in to stop them. You are those helpless paeans but this time, perhaps unwisely, you are standing your ground.
For the most part the game sticks to the core idea i.e. Dead by Daylight but with a Dragon Ball skin. Although there are a few interesting tweaks along the way, but most of them are based on the Dragon Ball side of things.
A Poor Start
Things start out with a prologue/tutorial which is dreadful on all fronts. The opener tries to shoehorn in why things are happening, while teaching you the ropes. The limited budget is telling in this introduction as its not effective at either of those goals.
However, the tale is a really just an afterthought. You’re really here to survive or destroy as a Raider – the game’s name for the baddie of the round.
As a citizen, you have to work together to power up points and find keys to unlock a time machine that will let you escape the map. The Raider is there to stop you at all costs and is, of course, overpowered.
Time is of the essence for the townsfolk as the Raider is hunting them while increasing in strength.
Tricks and Loops
Citizens do have a few tricks up their sleeves, like finding wish-granting Dragon Balls or even becoming a Super Saiyan for a short time, by powering up a special meter that can and will buy the other citizens time to get out.
There are some issues. Ranging from controls being too floaty, to the HUD being hard to read at times, to the camera system being wild.
Dragon Ball: The Breakers has more than a few rough edges but the game nails the most important element. It’s fun. Whether you’re a citizen trying to escape or a Raider unleashing hell, The Breakers is a blast.
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If you’re a fan of Dragon Ball or asymmetrical games, there is definitely something here for you and given its budget price it’s well worth a punt, if only out of curiosity or a weekend’s fun.