Now that Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is out, fans have the answer to the question of whether it will feature Super at launch or not. The action RPG takes players through the epic sagas of the Z Story, crosses over with other Dragon Ball Z games, but ultimately, it does not include anything hinting at the inclusion of Dragon Ball Super now or post-launch. This may disappoint fans who want the "ultimate" DBZ game that piles everything into one, but playing through the game poses one very interesting question: does it need Super, and more importantly, would Super even work in this format?
If there's a reason that DBZ games are often fighting games, it's the ever-escalating brawls of the series, but Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot manages to capture the essential story and add a lot of emotional weight to it. While the game's not perfect (as no game is), it feels like a complete and rewarding package that even comes complete with a secret boss fight that practically caters to fans of the game. In other words, it has everything a Dragon Ball Z fan could want in the Z saga, so adding Super into the mix really doesn't fit the bill.
Of course, depending on where the game stands in terms of popularity in a few weeks, it wouldn't be impossible to rule out a sequel that explores another section of Dragon Ball in the same vein, with the obvious choices being between GT and Super. Of the two, GT's structure actually fits the style of the game a little more, as the Black Star Dragon Balls, Baby, Super 17, and Shadow Dragon sagas are filled with similar content that could easily be broken up by intermissions. There are plenty of environments to explore and could really serve that aspect of an RPG like Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot.
GT becoming an official game on its own seems unlikely. It's controversial, to say the least, but Super is harder to pin down. There's the God of Destruction Beerus, Golden Frieza, Universe 6, the Future Trunks Saga, the Universe Survival, and the Galactic Prisoner Patrol sagas. Not only is this more widespread, but generally, it's a bit "emptier." While there would be times for side quests or even fishing as Whis, there would need to be more intermissions, and there's less fights that could be skipped and fit the story naturally.
Then, there are certain story arcs that would likely play out in a faster, straight forward direction due to the sheer number of fights. In other words, there's so much open space and time, and so much combat, that it may not translate as well to a full-blown video game like Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot (though we would gladly welcome it if so).
It seems it would play better as a more elaborate fighting game than an action RPG, but ultimately, it's far off if even at all possible. Sadly, there's no hint that Dragon Ball Super DLC will appear in the season pass, as a recent Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot datamine has revealed hidden content that focuses on a conversation with Videl, Broly, and the dragon balls. So, as it stands, it seems the first and second original Broly movies could be coming to the game, which would be fun to play through even if it isn't Super.
So, it's not in the base game, it's not likely to be DLC, and it all means that Super's full-blown entry into the gaming world hasn't been plotted out yet. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot doesn't really need it, so hopefully sooner or later, Super becomes its own thing, whether that be a fighting game or a try at another action RPG.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.