Limiting the Immeasurable- DragonBall Z: Infinite Worlds Reviewed


Putting the word, “infinite’ into the title of a game is a precarious decision. After twelve hours of play, we had uncovered all we wanted from Infinite Undiscovery. With the exception of the GTA series and Little Big Planet, we can think of few action titles that captivated us past the thirty hour mark.

Yet, after playing DragonBall Z: Infinite World, there are some things that do truly feel limit-less and never ending with the game. Take the eight splash screens the player must watch, before the title screen appears. Or one of the mini-games that had us chasing a monkey through a virtual world composed of a never ending succession of a house, a tree, and a car. Another of the title’s minigames has us navigating a twisting walkway, collecting tokens, and jumping through gates. The only enemies present were a countdown timer and general tedium. Yes, that particular activity felt ‘infinite’ as we reached the three minute mark.


                                            "Enough talk, let's have at it, you mutant-looking Marge Simpson!"

All these diversions are part of the franchise’s latest addition- the ‘Dragon Mission’ mode. Players move across a world map learning techniques and playing mini-games that are both long and monotonous. To compound the situation, the environments look borrowed from a PS1 game; pop-in and textural blandness add further insult. Fortunately, the mode can be skipped altogether.

Most DragonBall Z fans will want to play the game for its fighting engine. Here, the title presents a competent, but not exceptional brawling system.  Players can pick one of forty-five main characters, to use in a battle system that balances melee combat with ki blasts that cross the screen. Players must carefully manage their energy levels, and employ the L1 button to gather ki. While lacking the complexity and move set of Street Fighter II or King of Fighters, the skirmishes are enjoyable, especially with another player. As the player learns the fundamentals of combat, combos play a larger role in battles.


                                                                In Infinite World, the monkey spanks you

Diligent players will be rewarded by unlocking new forms. Once the gamer gathers enough zenie, the game’s currency, the player can then purchase a capsule that allows a character to be transformed. Once fusions and transformation are counted, the game’s roster surges to over a hundred characters. Those who can spot the difference between Goku, Vegeta, Gogeta, and Vegeto will be ecstatic, while DBZ newbies will be bewildered by it all.

Graphically, Dragon Duel is much more realized that the mission mode. The title utilizes cell-shading to recreate the look of the anime. Infinite World includes twenty-five spartan arenas that offer diversity in lieu of graphical splendor. Sonically, the music is wonderfully upbeat and accompanies the on-screen mayhem well.


                                  "Marty, if we had 1.21 gigawatts of electricity, we could send you back."

The measure of Infinite World’s success is directly related to how much you enjoy the manga and anime. While DragonBall Z fans will be content with the fighting game, others will be perplexed by the monotonous Dragon Mode and myriad of character transformations. Although the amount of content of the disk may not be infinite, there is probably enough substance for the DBZ aficionado.



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Posted by DesertEagle at 11/6/2008 7:46 PM
Categories: PS2,Reviews
 

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