
To those of us in the West it may not seem like it, but Dragon Ball and Nintendo have always been cozy. Nearly every Nintendo console, home or portable, has been host to at least one if not several Dragon Ball games. Unfortunately, the Wii U was one of the few Nintendo consoles not to receive a Dragon Ball game. Bandai aims to rectify that with Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, but does it succeed? In a word, yes.
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 is the follow-up to the lauded last-gen 3D fighter, Dragon Ball Xenoverse, the main draw of which was the ability to create your own character and let them join the Dragon Ball universe, taking part in iconic battles in a sort of alternate timeline that plays with the canon in a clever way.
Before we get into the particulars of the game, let’s talk about how Xenoverse 2 survived the conversion to the Switch. In short, it actually looks pretty good, though there are some obvious compromises that were made in order to cram such a large game onto the diminutive device. The most noticeable among these is the drop from 60 to 30 frames per second on the hybrid system. If you’ve played Xenoverse 2 on a competing platform this will be the first thing you’ll likely notice. We also noticed some minor stuttering when bringing up the pause menu, but ultimately it didn’t hinder our experience. If you’ve never played this game on another platform it'll likely seem absolutely fine, as the performance is rock solid throughout. We did note one strange choice, as one-on-one battles between players are actually 60 frames per second, which felt jarring after spending quite some time playing the main story mode. If anything, we feel Bandai would have been wise to keep this locked across the board, but let's not complain too much about one mode being that bit smoother.

Beyond the dip in framerate, some visual tweaks had to be made as well for the Switch version of Xenoverse 2. It seems as though there is no anti-aliasing on characters and environments, which can lead to a little bit of shimmer on some of the finer details on characters’ outfits, such as the lines in Vegeta’s armour. That said we’re told Xenoverse 2 runs at 720p in handheld mode and 900p when docked, and it looks fantastic. The anime style visuals really pop, thanks in part to the gray filter that plagued the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game being removed on the Switch. Because of this we actually prefer the visuals on Switch to those of its larger cousins, but it's all subjective.
The Switch also has the distinction of having added motion controls to the experience. Yes, you can perform Goku's signature Kamehameha by pantomiming the motions required with a Joy-Con in each hand, but will you want to? It's a novel way of performing moves, but beyond being good for a laugh we just don't see many wanting to play this way, apart from young children. On the upside, controls using any of the traditional methods feel great, so there's little harm in these optional motions.
Otherwise, Xenoverse 2 on Switch does a great job of replicating the frenetic battles from the source material. Battles are fought mostly with the four face buttons, with two melee attacks, a projectile and a jump putting the inputs to work. After a brief tutorial you'll be flying around smashing people into craters; the inputs and combos are simple to learn but can be difficult to master. Even the simple button-mashing combos should be enough to get you through the story if that's all you're interested in, however. Xenoverse 2 fully understands the spectacle of Dragon Ball and as such its Ultimate techniques are incredibly flashy, eye-catching affairs that will impress onlookers. It's not quite at the level of the gorgeous Dragon Ball Fighterz, but it will turn some heads.

Xenoverse 2 focuses on the adventures of your custom character throughout Dragon Ball’s history. You can create a saiyan, human, namekian, majin or Frieza race character. Each class has its own advantages and disadvantages, but the game doesn’t do the best job of explaining these. Ultimately, the differences in each race are minor and your choice will come down to personal preference.
Customising your character is the key to doing well in Xenoverse 2. For a fighting game there are actually some deep RPG-like elements woven into its core mechanics. Each fight nets your character experience, which will in turn level you up. When you level up you will be awarded skill points which can be used to boost your attributes; your stats are broken up into HP, stamina, ki, base attack, striking supers and ki supers. The game does a great job of explaining what each of these stats are for, though their names are mostly self-explanatory. Your clothing also has its own attributes, with each piece either adding points to or removing points from a specific stat. As a general rule of thumb, if a number of points is added to one stat from your clothing, another stat is losing the same number. This isn’t true of all clothing, but it is for the vast majority.

To negate some of these effects you can dump unwanted clothing into a machine you find later in the game to create a QQ bang. QQ bangs are items you can equip that override the stats of your clothing, giving you a set boost so you can customise your character’s look without worrying about the impact to your stats. Silly names notwithstanding, we found the QQ bang system to be something of a waste, as there’s seemingly no rhyme or reason to how it creates these items. Putting two identical outfits into the machine yielded two very different results. If you’re willing to spend the time to grind away at this you could end up with some really great results, nevertheless.
You’ll start your game off in a hub world dubbed Toki Toki City, which is huge but sparse. There’s a central square with merchant stalls for buying clothing, techniques and items, all of which are helpful; if you’re feeling generous, you can use the Timespace Delivery booth to send unwanted items to a friend in need, which is a nice touch. There a lot of areas surrounding this, but they’re not used for much. Random NPCs litter the entirety of the city to randomly give you items or side quests, though these side quests often involve little more than a single one-on-one fight.

Toki Toki City is so large that getting around on foot is something of a chore. You’ll be gifted a hover platform to move around early on, but movement still feels cumbersome until you unlock the ability to fly around town later in the game. With flight unlocked it becomes clear why the area is so large; flying just feels right. In fact, it’s a shame that there isn’t more to do on the ground. Various characters from the Dragon Ball universe, heroes and villains alike are positioned all around the city waiting to teach you their trademark moves. Each one of them will have you complete a series of quests that usually involves using their moves in order to move forward in their quest chain. Old favourites like Krillin and Yamcha are available alongside new faces like Whis and Beerus.
In the skies above Toki Toki City there are several time rifts which you can travel through to experience different parts of Dragon Ball’s story through mini storylines and quests. For instance, you can enter one such rift to board Frieza’s ship and join the Frieza force for a series of side missions that see you help the evil galactic emperor assert dominance over Goku and friends. Another such rift takes you to Guru’s house on Planet Namek to defend his home planet from Frieza and his minions, in exchange for an increase to your level cap.

These objectives are on a timer, meaning you can do one part of these side stories, then continue on your way through the main story before taking a break to return to these. The story mode, however, is the best part of Xenoverse 2. Xenoverse 2’s story spans from the beginning of Dragon Ball Z, when Raditz comes to Earth and teaches Goku of his Saiyan heritage, to the end of the series when... well, let's leave you to find out.
Ultimately an evil force is altering history in an attempt to change the outcome of the most pivotal moments in Dragon Ball’s history, and it’s up to your character - a time patroller - to right the records of history by averting disaster and setting things right, often by assisting Goku and company in defeating whatever evil they face. It’s a clever way to let you play through the same storylines that have been presented on Nintendo consoles since the NES days, with a new twist to keep them fresh.
The original Xenoverse never saw the light of day on a Nintendo platform, so Bandai thoughtfully included the entirety of the original story mode for Nintendo loyalists that haven't yet played it. To access them, once you've beaten a saga in Xenoverse 2's story you'll find a helpful little bot that will let you play that same saga the way it was presented in the original. It's a thoughtful addition that Bandai certainly didn't need to make, but is definitely welcome.

Beyond the story mode, which can only be played solo, Xenoverse 2 offers a number of alternate-universe missions called Parallel Quests. In a Parallel Quest you won’t get any kind of narrative cutscenes, but you’ll be placed often on the opposing side of an iconic battle, such as helping Frieza defeat Super Saiyan Goku, or helping Cell defeat Gohan. You’ll also participate in some non-canon battles such as those found in the Dragon Ball GT series or in any of the movies.
Parallel Quests, as well as any other non-story mode content, can be played with a few friends in a party. Unfortunately Xenoverse 2 has no voice chat support in-game, but it’s also a game that doesn’t require much by way of strategy or coordination, as it’s a simple fighting game. Joining up with a friend is as simple as putting their name in a terminal in Toki Toki City and registering them within the game. Once you’ve done that you’re good to go.
Online play was mostly lag-free in our tests, but we did experience some occasional hitching when playing with fighters overseas. This is par for the course with the other Xenoverse releases on competing platforms and is something we suspect is an issue with the netcode used for these titles, though few games can boast seamless play across oceans. It’s worth noting that lag only appeared in our player-versus-player matches. Co-op content ran without a hitch across all the events we were able to test.

As of this writing we’ve been unable to test Xenoverse 2’s invasions, as none have happened in the time we’ve had the game; we’re confident based on what we have seen so far that they will work as well on the Switch as they have on other platforms. Invasions are Xenoverse 2’s equivalent of end-game content, in which high-level bosses appear in the city through large time rifts and large groups of players team up to take them down. They’re functionally the same as other co-op content, albeit with a limit of six players.
Conclusion
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 was a massive game on other platforms and is even bigger on the Switch. The visual downgrades were expected, but the removal of the gray filter present on other platforms actually makes the Switch version look better overall, in this scribe's opinion at least.
The brilliantly rendered cutscenes, deep character customisation and fine-tuned fighting mechanics make for a title that is easy to pick up but hard to put down. This is another case of a game that makes one wonder just how much developers can do with Nintendo's diminutive console. Fans of fighting games and Dragon Ball alike should look forward to picking this one up.
Comments 101
Quite looking for this one.
Getting later, got Pokkén to deal with first.
This game has no shame. It's a late port but has no problem charging €60, not just that but insists on charging for DLC on top of that.
Should be delivered tomorrow...
@SLIGEACH_EIRE : Bandai Namco is shameless, yes. The game is less than half the price on other platforms, and the PS4 deluxe edition (which includes a season pass) is also AU$30 cheaper than the Switch release.
Waiting for the "30fps is a joke. Developers are lazy etc etc"
@sillygostly @SLIGEACH_EIRE can you give me an example of when publishers have released games on other systems at a later date for the current reduced price of original platform?
Xenoverse is not a Fighting game, it is a button masher.
But if you like DBZ, it's good fun.
Still waiting for FighterZ though. The real fighting game.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE
Oh no. Another port. Oh boo.
I want to but only just bought - lego worlds, binding of isaac afterbirth +, monster hunter stories and steamworld dig 2......ive got no more money left 😭
Its annoying when you've been waiting forr something to play and they all come out in one month!
Great work by the developers. Looks fantastic on the switch screen
Day one purchase for me , Ive been looking forward to this one . Thanks for the review.
Nope, I am waiting for Dragonball FighterZ...I can dream can't I?
People asking for Dragon Ball Fighter Z on Switch need to make sure they make this game a success first. Because whether we like it or not, money talks.
Still not sure whether I buy this, Pokken Tournament, or ARMS. Does anyone know which one has the best single player experience?
I think it is cool how they essentially released a 1 and 2 pack since they give you access to the main story. That is almost...almost enough to make me buy it.
@gaby_gabito If we are talking Single Player and you like DBZ this one beats both of them. If we are talking mechanically Pokken and ARMS takes the cake.
That and this game also has the entire first game single player so it is even longer than the PS4/Xbone version
@gaby_gabito This, by far. The other two are more oriented to the competitive multiplayer, and while this game also offers that, there's also a ton of content on the single player experience. Just getting every technique, completing every mission and passing all the lessons with every mentor will take you a really decent amount of hours without even considering the online aspects.
Logged in for the first time in over a year to comment on this and coincidentally had a Dragon Ball avatar, lol.
I'm choosing to get this over Pokken Tournament DX. I loved the first game even though it is a little grindy and the fighting isn't very advanced, it's just a fun game to play through if you're a Dragon Ball fan. I'm not sure if I'll play it immediately but this is definitely one of those cases where I want to support it in hopes we get FighterZ.
I am not too upset about this, but I am wondering is the DLC available to purchase for this version?
Wow, wasn't on my radar, but figured I'd check out the review. Sounds right up my alley. Thanks for the review!
@scubydo I checked the Japanese eShop since it's out there and yeah you can buy all the DLC. Looks like there's a bundle with everything or you can buy it all separately
Thanks, I figured as much. Not a problem for me really. I will just save up and get the full dlc bundle.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE it's actually 49.99 in the eShop, not too bad.
@scubydo All DLC launches alongside the game Friday. Same price as the other platforms.
If I didn't have so many games to play right now I'd love to get this. I freakin love Dragon Ball Z, maybe I'll watch some right now...
Hope that this does well so Dragonball Fighterz can come to Switch
@SLIGEACH_EIRE - you just unfortunately live in the wrong place financially......I can get this off Amazon right now for $39.99. What is that......34€?
Sorry about the prices......I use to think you were just being whiny........but costs like that would ruin my days too.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE If you never got the first game it's a steal, as it has all the story stuff from the first one. That and it's portable so...
Funnily enough, I've been playing it since the 20th now, my retailer has a tendency to ship early for some reason. Great game, and I was under the impression that it was region-locked servers, but it seems I was wrong, as I came across Japanese avatars to fight during missions.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE I think you should go on Google and search for Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 on PS4 and Xbox one.
Come back and let us know the retail price compared to switch.
@kobashi100 thank you for your wisdom good sir, these guys make me want to put my head through a wall sometimes.
@kobashi100 : I'm not suggesting that they should reduce the price, however, late ports should include some (if not all) DLC at the very least. A complete edition on cartridge would have made a far better value proposition than what is issued here.
Incidentally, Bandai also withheld 2GB of data from the game so that they wouldn't have to use a higher capacity cartridge.
@sillygostly guess they could have released a complete edition. But like I said few posts back the price is pretty much inline with PS4 and Xbox one
@sillygostly So that's what that patch was about...
@Kalmaro Portability is not automatically a + for everyone, keep that in mind.
@N8tiveT3ch If you want FighterZ, you're gonna need to show Bandai Namco there's a market for it on the Switch.
@TheMadPolarBear they will release z fighters on switch regardless.
@UmniKnight I know, that's why I mentioned it last.
This is just another ports wait for a sale. this wont sell well at this price. Ill wait for 29.99
@Kalmaro Well fair enough then
Definitely getting this, alongside Pokken Tournament DX. I played the first one a fair bit on my PS4 and enjoyed it until the final boss, who I cannot beat...ever.
I'm a little bummed that NA and EU versions won't get the "unlock all non-DLC fighters" DL code that Japan is getting as a preorder. That would've truly sold me on the game.
Edit: Oh, never mind. That code is now possible. Happy man!
@Agramonte The significant amount of people in Japan seem to disagree, and I get a feeling that the West agrees on that part. The game runs well docked, I've no complaints about it, and I've been playing it near-non-stop for about 2 days now.
@brutalpanda We will see. Third parties are naturally reluctant after the poor sales on the Wii U. If Xenoverse 2 doesn't profit on the Switch, Bandai Namco will justifiably have no reason to port FighterZ.
Tell me how you convince shareholders to invest in a port that will make you lose money? Granted, FighterZ will likely sell well but it is not a convincing argument when previous investments do not turn a profit.
@gaby_gabito Definitely Xenoverse 2 no question
@UmniKnight 25k in japan are not good numbers, and it is already almost out of the top 20 in japan. it cant even break the top 30 on Amazon in the States. this will be on sale by Christmas, no reason to pay full price now. if I really was in a rush I could just have bought it for $30 at the PSN sale a few weeks back for the PS4
Had a great time with the first Xenoverse, liking the second. Hope you guys have a good time, too.
Absolutely love Dragon Ball so I'll definitely grab this.
@Agramonte That 25k surpassed Bandai Namco's expectations. The massive drop on the charts is due to lack of stock - the game isn't getting another shipment until the end of the month.
Definitely look more forward to Dragon Ball FighterZ, but if getting this, helps ensure that FighterZ will get released for Switch, then I'm game.
Def in my collection.
A good DBZ game on my favourite console? Gonna have to find some money somewhere.
Dragon Ball Fondlers
Amazon should be dropping off my pre-order tomorrow!!!
This game looks horrible on the switch been playing the Japanese version for a while now. I do however love being able to play the game at work.
Planning to get this once my next paycheck comes.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE it does have Xeno 1 missions doesnt it though? Havent read through the entire review I completely agree about the DLC thing though.
@chatsworth "it's actually 49.99 in the eShop, not too bad."
Currency?
@chatsworth "it's actually 49.99 in the eShop, not too bad."
Currency?
@SLIGEACH_EIRE It's a fantastic game! Easily worth the money!
Downloaded it last week on my Japanese SWITCH account - All my friends have! local play, Internet play - Story quests - it's a real blast!
This looks awesome! So we buy this and get Fighters yes?
Ordered this from Amazon over a month ago and it still hasn't been sent for release day 😕 - hopefully that is good news for NB sales, but I don't get to play it until it arrives...
@Agramonte someone needs to research the shipment numbers.. sold out in Japan
This game isnt that much cheaper then on other consoles. I see it for ps4 at 44 euros minimum up to 49 euro. Xenoverse for Switch around 54 euros so Wow Switch is doomed😒(sarcasm)
I'll consider buying this only if Switch doesn't get FighterZ or another 2.5D Dragon Ball game.
Hey @Steve_Bowling, nice review thanks. I'd like more discussion about the motion controlled moves. They look really fun - can you offer any insight as to how well they work?
@UmniKnight : I was actually referring to the Xenoverse 1 story mode, which is a separate DLC download as opposed to being on the cartridge as that would have pushed it over the 8GB threshold.
@sillygostly Ah well fair enough, I just noticed there was a patch, had no idea what it was for.
@Agramonte I could've easily paid less than that on a Steam sale, but one must also consider how lively the community on Steam is, and in my case, I wanted to play with friends, which is also a fairly big factor. That, and Switch can definitely use the support.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE I paid only $49 for a physical copy here in the states.
@gaby_gabito I would say this one because it has an actual story and you can explore around.
If ever a game needed a demo, DBX2 is one of them. I wasn't convinced by Pokken at all until I played the demo. I am still on the fence about Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, though I like that it caters so well for a single-player experience.
US eshop price is $49.99, UK eshop price is £54.99. someone at namco cant do maths.
Purchase US version for around £20 saving. I got the same saving by getting from amazon with a voucher, but they didnt get stock in time for day 1 delivery so I am stuck waiting.
Bought this earlier today. Hadn't quite finished downloading when I had to leave for work (with my Switch, of course). Looking forward to it...
I'll pick it up later today. I played Xenoverse 2 on PS4 mostly through remote play on my Vita, so I put up with lag and low FPS anyway. It's not a great game to play Vs other people but it's fun for story mode and co-op. Plus you get Xenoverse 1+2 story mode to play, which will be new to me.
I'm tempted, price isn't the concern like some want to whine about. I'm just not sure how much time I'd personally invest into it at all as i'm not big on fighting games anymore like 20 years ago. Do love the SuperDBZ, DBZ, and DB stuff a lot though so it would help.
Looking forward to picking this up later today. Love DBZ, and unfortunately never got to play Xenoverse 1 or 2 due to continously putting it off. Seems this was the reason all along.
Prob won't get the dlc till a slae though, unless it is cheaper compared to the PS4/Xbone season pass already.
Looks pretty good but all of the dlc should've been included for free with the game.
You could get rid of the gray filter on the PS4 version (that's the only other one I've had), they just put that option in the video settings is all.
"The visual downgrades were expected" always visuals downgrades man? switch really lacks power.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE
Well, in the states it's $49.99 = port that includes story campaign from the first game + portability + plus local ad hoc co-op + optional motion controls for special moves. I think those that choose to make the purchase will get their money's worth.
@Neferupitou
Switch will always receive "slight" visual downgrades for current gen ports. This is the price we pay for portable complete home console experiences from third parties. We should be thankful that the Switch provides some parity with the current generation consoles and third parties are actually excited to work on a Nintendo console again. Like, we got Square Enix publicly interested in getting a FFXV port on the Switch! This is a complete 180 from the Wii U situation and I think Nintendo fans should be more optimistic.
@gaby_gabito That depends on what you like. For DBZ fans, I'd recommend this. Otherwise, ARMS offers the best experience.
@Turbo857 I do hope we see more upgraded 360/ps3 gen ports. Current gen is fine, but Switch could have the definitive version of so many games Nintendo fans have missed out on.
@GrailUK
Agreed. I'd be all over ports of Red Dead Redemption and Resident Evil 5!
@IceClimbers yeah, that is like I says "I was expecting an F" so its ok I failed. Not sold out in the UK or USA... and not tracking all that great regardless even if stock available - that is just an excuse
this was not a must have on PS4 either. just because on a console that says nintendo on it changes that.
"Not sold out in the UK or USA... and not tracking all that great regardless".
It's been out less than a day dude... give it some breathing room.
@Agramonte lol you funny bro like Turbo857 said it just came out today in the US and U.K., you kno that means hours ago right... good job!
Just got it in the mail. Will pop it in tonight. I feel that this game is a big deal because for me it demonstrates the ability of the system to have a PS4 / XBOX1 game ported to it. I can live with a lower frame rate as long as it is smooth.
Hey Guys,
Gonna buy this today but not sure if I'll buy cart or digital. Cart is cheaper but I can't find online if it comes with the Xenoverse 1 story mode. Has anyone bought the physical release already and confirm it it does or doesn't please?
It’s taking me all day to download the story mode free dlc from xenoverse 1. Not sure what the deal is. Been on different wifis to test it out. Kind of a bummer. Excited to play, but to need to play that first. Anyone having an issue?
@gaby_gabito Xenoverse 2 has a story, so I would certainly vote for it as a single player game.
Anyone know if it is easier to find rooms on this version compared to the pc version?
The lower FPS bothered me at first, but i'm used to it now. I'm actually having a lot of fun revisiting this, and it is pretty addicting. Helps that we still have free online access for now, whereas with Xbox One, I had no Gold Membership and couldn't so much as interact passively in-game
@Draxa The ranking includes all the pre-orders - not just few hrs on sale. It gets a bump on day1 and goes down from there
No idea what is the point of pretending these 2nd tier games are must have just because they make it to the Switch. It had a 73 Metacritic score on PS4 and a 73 on Switch.
used or sale, 19.99/29.99 - pick it up.
Just came in to say it took some getting used to, but I love this version. Hits the perfect mix of singleplayer content and online content, love playing solo in portable mode then starting an online parallel quest when getting home.
Spent the whole weekend playing it - few thoughts: Some truly ugly environmental graphics/renders/textures in Canton City/hub world. Some extremely disgusting looking grass, especially! But because the characters look and animate so completely on the mark, you get over some of the environments quickly. But after playing Breath of the Wild and Splatoon 2, it's kind of jarring (both those aim for anime) to see really crappy looking, basic things. Can't stress how great the characters are though. I also thought that the beginning of the game, starting out and setting up, was a bit oblique. Just wanted a straight up, simple, cut and draw overview of what this game was offering me. That said, I had a blast playing this and by the time sunday night rolled in I couldn't put it down. Officially addicted to it. Gameplay and controls are tight, some minor camera issues in spots, the Ozaru fight was one - only stuttering I experience was in docked mode around trees. Customizable BGM music selection has some really great tracks too. If you're a DB fan it's awesome and an absolute purchase.
@gaby_gabito If your looking for a single player experience Xenoverse 2 is by far the winner. What they dont say in this review is that even though the story is fun, its not really the selling point, as you will spend almost all your time on the PQ's.the alternate fights are fun and can be quite difficult, as well as great for leveling up and its also where you gain the best equipent and abilities. you can even take two AI allies into battle with you if you'd like (though i prefer going solo). Arms is an amazing and fun game, if you have others to play with. the AI is a little too aimboty, but online is a blast, especially with motion controlls as they are just better. I know lots of people will probably disagree with me since its pokemon, but pokken is an absolute travisty. its nothing more than a flashy techdemo, and is disapointing by far in comparison to the other games cyberconnect2 and bandai have made, such as xenoverse 2 and Naruto SUN Storm 4, which are both finaminal in almost every way. (though i think pokkens bandai team was more of the tekken producers and less the team that made the other two). so in my opinion (as i have played all of them) xenovers 2 would be the best for a single player fighter. also if you want to try pokken for yourself get the demo first and see for yourself, as your opinion may vary. sorry for the long message, and i hope i helped!
I'm happy with my purchase of this game, it runs and plays great!
@StephenYap3 I own the game in North American and can confirm there is a free "currently" dlc that unlocks some free fighters.
@Robohock Yeah, I noticed. I'm a happy man now. Thanks.
I really, really didn't care for Xenoverse 1, I thought battles felt drawn out and clunky (Loved the Team Four Star Let's Play though). But I saw this on sale during Black Friday and decided to give it a shot.
I don't know what they changed, it probably was just some minimal tweaks, but they add up making the game feel a lot more smooth, cohesive, and a heck of a lot less frustrating. I'm having a lot more fun with this one.
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