Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 is poised to break free from the repetitive formulas that plague many anime fighters. Developer Dimps is focusing on player desire to embody favorite characters, enhancing raid gameplay, and introducing the impactful Soul Switching mechanic, as shown in a recent hands-on preview.
The game is set in the year 1000, an era long after many of Dragon Ball's most iconic figures, allowing players to carve out their own stories. This new setting is brought to life using material from the late creator Akira Toriyama and is central to the longest story mode in the series' history. This artistic and tonal shift, as well as the new setting, provides the team a distinct opportunity to establish this new era.
Xenoverse 3 builds upon the foundation laid by Xenoverse 2, which was notable for its online suite that transformed multiplayer menus into navigable hub worlds. This feature influenced subsequent games across genres, fostering digital third spaces that are increasingly important to online communities. The preview focused on co-op multiplayer, featuring sprawling lobbies and raid-style co-op levels.
Players can choose from five races: Human, Saiyan, Namekian, Frieza, and Majin, each offering deep customization options. The preview highlighted extensive character customization, allowing players to tailor costumes, build types, and even fighting animations and styles to their preferences. While these cosmetic changes do not affect stats, they enhance the player's personal connection to their avatar.
The Soul Switching mechanic allows players to temporarily channel the abilities and movesets of legendary Dragon Ball characters by filling a special meter. This system is designed to deepen the bond between the player character and the chosen soul, with rewards such as skill tree branches and unique voice lines for dedicating efforts to specific character pairings. Producer Masayuki Hirano emphasized that even with multiple versions of characters like Goku, they will possess distinct battle styles and movesets, providing players with a wide array of options.
Multiplayer gameplay was showcased through several mission types. The "50-Foe Fracas" involved defeating a large group of enemies, fitting Xenoverse's accessible combat system that balances power and speed. Another mission, "Communication is Key," focused on defending objectives, a potentially challenging task in a game that encourages aggressive play. Hirano acknowledged this by stating the game is tuned to allow players to "charge in headfirst and punch guys," while also enabling strategic team composition for specific missions.
A more complex mission resembled a mini-dungeon within an underground lab, featuring smaller, interconnected areas that required clearing rooms to progress and presented more challenging boss-like enemies. This mission showcased the game's PvE focus and its potential to provide a satisfying cooperative experience. This emphasis on multiplayer PvE appears to be the most promising direction for Xenoverse 3, potentially setting a new standard for the anime fighter genre.