Publisher Bandai Namco Entertainment has promised that Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot will be the most in-depth telling of Goku's story to date, but beyond the narrative, the game is an action RPG at its core. Players will be able to train multiple fighters, level them up, and do battle with some of the greatest Dragon Ball Z villains, all while managing their skill trees and soul emblems. While both of these have had musings in the past, a few concrete details have recently emerged about them.
Based on the skill tree images, it seems that every fighter will have their own skill tree, meaning that each individual will have skills tailored to their combat style (the melee-heavy Gohan or the Ki-heavy Vegeta) instead of general skills that affect all characters. To acquire skills on Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot's skill trees, players will collect Z Orbs from across the map. There are three colors associated with where they can be found (Grassland = green, Land = red, Water = blue), with each advancing the skill tree in different ways.
These will also grant "passive skills," and as such, this doesn't seem to be the primary way that players will gain access to more moves. That seems to be regulated to in-game training, but these skills - as they are not specified - could perhaps do much to improve the effectiveness of many Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot moves. Soul Emblems come into play in this regard too, with these earned by doing the story mode and sub-stories found throughout the game.
Placing Soul Emblems on the Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot community board will grant players different benefits, with certain combinations used to get special power-ups, although these have once again not be specified. Regardless, these features seem as if they are designed to shake up the core formula and combat, perhaps bringing much needed replayability to the game.
After all, while it is the most detailed telling of Goku's story, it is still the story of Dragon Ball Z, one that fans have seen and played time and again. Hopefully, with the various mini-games and additions to the game, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot will live up and exceed Bandai Namco's promise.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot releases January 17, 2020, for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Source: Ken Xyro