Common Sense Media Review
By Marc Saltzman
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based on child development research. How do we rate?
Anime adventure adds content, keeps tedious play.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Dragon Ball Z Kakarot + A New Power Awakens Set
What's It About?
Based on the 2020 game Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, but now exclusively for Nintendo Switch, DRAGON BALL Z: KAKAROT + A NEW POWER AWAKENS SET is an action-adventure hybrid with a dose of role-playing game (RPG) elements that lets you relive the story of Goku and other Z Fighters as you vow to protect Earth from menacing enemies. These villains include Raditz (a member of the Saiyan race, like Goku), Frieza (emperor of Universe 7), and Cell (genetically engineered by Dr. Gero), to name a few. There are several boss fighters, too, and aerial combat that tests your maneuverability skills along with your well-timed attacks to inflict as much damage as possible. But the game isn't a straightforward brawler, either, as there are quests to take on (such as collecting objects), some puzzle solving, flying through the skies or swimming underwater, fishing side quests, and more. For fans of the franchise, several dozen characters and interconnected storylines should strike a nostalgic chord, plus some of the conversations and missions may even answer some burning questions from Dragon Ball. In fact, the game houses a Z-Encyclopedia, which includes several unlockable items, videos, cards, and other content. This game includes DLC (downloadable content) from A New Power Awakens: Part 1 and Part 2, which brings 6 to 7 hours of new areas, training missions, items, boss fights, a few extra side quests and story elements (especially Part 2), and a new transformation for Goku and Vegeta. The first DLC is essentially an abridged and interactive version of the Battle of Gods movie/arc from the Dragon Ball Z anime, focusing heavily on a boss fight with Beerus. The second DLC is tied to the anime Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F,' and offers more content than the first DLC.
Is It Any Good?
While the extra content expands on the gameplay of 2020's game, the issues that remain in this first game are still here, making this a "jack of all trades, and master of none" kind of title. If you never played the original, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot + A New Power Awakens Set offers a lot of variety in game styles wrapped into one title. Fighting is fun, especially when you learn to link together damaging moves and combo attacks while simultaneously hovering in the air and avoiding enemy fire. But despite leveling up and facing new kinds of enemies and bosses, the action grows stale after a short while. Many of the side quests, like collecting items, can get tedious as you complete them over time. Worse, the open world isn't very open, so you'll hit invisible walls often and hear repetitive audio tied to completing your task. Some adventuring elements are fun, like racing, but others are boring (such as collecting apples). There are also several cutscenes you have to sit through, which include painfully fake dialogue with your son, spouse, and master. Also, the long load screens really start to annoy, and don't seem to have any explanation as to why they're so lengthy.
Gameplay does get more interesting when you encounter (and then play as) other fighters, and the story takes a few twists and turns. Again, there's a ton of content here, but by the time you get to the fourth section, Majin Buu Saga, you realize the game doesn't really build up to anything significant. For the most part, while the game's pretty, long, and easy to control, it eventually comes off as a somewhat bloated collection of gameplay mechanics that doesn't really excel at any one of them. One exception, perhaps, is the addition of Horde Battles, where you have a minimum of 100 soldiers to fight in battle, which makes you feel ridiculously strong and invincible, but you'll need to really master those combos to keep it going until the end. Overall, Dragon Ball Z: Kararot + A New Power Awakens Set is great for Switch owners to play for the first time, but don't expect to remain super engaged for more than a couple of hours.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about sex, gender, and body image. Should players be concerned that there are characters considered to be "perverts," that like reading adult magazines, and that have questionable approaches to women? Does it bother anyone that the main protagonist goes home and asks his wife to make him lunch? Is this fine, or are people concerned about this being too sensitive?
Is the impact of the violence in Dragon Ball Z Kakarot + A New Power Awakens Set affected by the lack of blood and gore? Would adding more realistic elements (including blood and gore) make battles more intense, or would it break an already fantasy-focused presentation where flying, energy blasts, and rapid dashes are the norm?
Game Details
- Platform : Nintendo Switch
- Pricing structure : Paid
- Available online? : Available online
- Publisher : Bandai Namco
- Release date : September 24, 2021
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Friendship
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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