It's hard to believe it, but Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot turns one year old today. Over the course of the last year, the game has undergone some big changes that add more content and increase the scope to levels that fans didn't foresee when it first released. There's no better time than its anniversary to look back on how Bandai Namco and CyberConnect2 have grown Kakarot from the ground up in just a year's time, and to look forward to what comes next for Dragon Ball Z games as a whole. In total, there have been at least two major changes made to the game in the form of its DLC.
For those that jumped on the Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot hype train late, Bandai Namco released the game initially on January 16th of 2020. Now that the world has collectively survived that year and January 16th is here yet again, players have the chance to celebrate the first anniversary of this daring and bold Dragon Ball Z game. It would be wrong to say that no other game has done what Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot attempted, but few could argue for another game that did it so well.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot's Initial Release
When Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot was first announced, fans were admittedly a bit skeptical. Dragon Ball Z games as a whole had slowly started separating themselves from the worn-out story of Dragon Ball Z in favor of unique takes on the franchise's history like Dragon Ball Xenoverse. There are countless video games that have retold the story of Dragon Ball Z, and as beloved as it is, fans were getting a bit tired of it. As Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot began to show more and more, that skepticism quickly turned to anxious anticipation.
The game was so detailed in its portrayal of the original story that one of the only mistakes fans could find in trailers was that Android 18 broke Vegeta's right arm instead of his right. With that as the precedent, players were finally ready to relive the nostalgia of the anime in a way they never had before, and Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot delivered on that. Though it skipped over some minor parts, it gave the single most comprehensive look at the Dragon Ball Z story that any game has ever done in the past. Some fans even compared it to watching the anime again.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Time Machine Update and DLC 1
While eagerly awaiting more news about Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot's first DLC, fans were instead treated to an update expanding the role of the time machine. This device already played an important role in the story and allowed players to use Future Trunks after beating the game, but now it would also let them replay story missions. The time machine wasn't without its flaws, but fans appreciated the chance to go back and relive epic moments from Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, even being able to play Vegito and Gotenks again.
When Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot released its first DLC featuring characters and events from the Battle of Gods arc in Dragon Ball Super, the world of the game was opened up dramatically. With the introduction of more gods, the stakes were no longer mortal, and Goku and Vegeta had to train to be up to the task of defending Earth. Players were now able to use the Super Saiyan God form, eclipsing the power of Super Saiyan 3 and leveling the playing field between Goku and Vegeta. It also provided players a new way to level up more quickly and a fun but challenging boss battle against Beerus.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Card Warriors and DLC 2
Once again, Bandai Namco and CyberConnect2 decided to give fans an update between DLCs to hold them over, this time in the form of Card Warriors. Though unexpected, the new game mode added a lot of replayability to a game that was otherwise lacking in that department, and introduced the first traces of online multiplayer. One of the most surprising things about Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot initially was its lack of online multiplayer, but fans still didn't expect it to take this form.
DLC 2 once again rocked the foundations of the game, adding the Super Saiyan Blue form for both Goku and Vegeta as well as a breadth of new challenges. Since DLC 1 was criticized for being so short, the second expansion delved into the story of Resurrection F much deeper than its predecessor, adding Golden Frieza and hordes of Frieza Force soldiers as enemies. This boss battle proved interesting just like Beerus', and the new horde battle mode created the ultimate challenge for players wanting to see just how many enemies they could take down. Now, all eyes are on DLC 3, which Bandai Namco still hasn't teased the contents of.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot One Year Anniversary Celebration and DLC 3
Unfortunately, there weren't any in game events or other celebrations in regards to the game's anniversary, so players don't have anything new to do in the game. Oddly enough, the publisher didn't even make a tweet about the one year anniversary on its UK or US Twitter accounts, preferring to keep the introduction of Super Baby 2 in Dragon Ball FighterZÂ front and center instead.
DLC 3 may still be a ways out, but that hasn't stopped players from speculating on what it will entail. As a new story arc, it's expected to be much longer than the previous two DLCs, but fans still haven't been able to pinpoint what movie or anime arc it will adapt. The most likely Dragon Ball story arcs for DLC 3 at this point are the Universe 6 tournament, the Future Trunks Arc, Dragon Ball Super: Broly, or an original story altogether, but it's honestly too early to know. With any luck, Bandai Namco will let fans know what to expect soon, as it's already been a few months since the release of DLC 2.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.