Fans ofDragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichiwere given an unexpected gift this past week, with the announcement of the series' first new entry in over 15 years. Announced during theDragon Ball Games Battle Hour Event, the currently unnamed title was confirmed to be in development by Bandai Namco. TheDragon Ball Z:Budokai Tenkaichiseries was renowned for its enormous roster of characters, spanning nearly the entire franchise. Given the addition ofDragon Ball Supercontent, the next title will have quite a lot of content to cover, should it attempt to build on the series' legacy. Therefore,Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi4is likely to get theXenoversetreatment, a constant stream of character DLC that maintains its longevity while introducing content in parallel with the anime series.
TheDragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichiseries introduced many Western gamers to the franchise’s video game offerings.Dragon Ball Z: Budokaiwas released for the PS2 in 2002, before evolving into the popularBudokai Tenkaichiseries. After receiving two sequels on the PS2 and Wii,Budokai Tenkaichiwas replaced byXenoverse,and, subsequently,Dragon Ball FighterZ. All these years later,Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4will attempt to rekindle its former glory. Adapting an approach similar toDragon Ball Xenoverse 2is likely the best way to accomplish this Herculean task.
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Dragon Ball Xenoverse DLC is A Blueprint for Budokai Tenkaichi 4’s Success
Dragon Ball Xenoversedebuted in 2015, but it’s the game’s sequel,Xenoverse 2, that cements the series' legacy.Xenoverse 2has been going strong for over 6 years, largely due to its incredible DLC support, which has introduced new playable characters in a constant stream since release. To the surprise of many, the title is still receiving fresh content in 2023, with the nextXenoverse 2DLC set to introduceDragon Ball Super: Super Hero’s Orange Piccololater this year.
By stretching out content and characters over an enormous span of time,DLC has ensured thatXenoverse 2remains relevantand rewarding for longtime fans. This approach to longevity provides an excellent blueprint from whichDragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4can hope to rebuild the series' epic roster. The last entry,Budokai Tenkaichi 3,features 42 unique characters spanning theDragon Ball,Dragon Ball Z, andDragon Ball GTseries. Many of these characters have additional transformations, offering players a plethora of options in play style. IfBudokai Tenkaichi 4hopes to follow in its predecessor’s footsteps, it will need to include characters spanningDragon BallthroughDragon Ball Super: Super Hero. By tackling this roster with aXenoverse 2-like approach to DLC, the title could actually succeed in reaching this goal.
Constant DLC Ensures that Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4 Can Evolve
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4is likely to be a 3D-arena-style fighting game, like its predecessors. This has led some players to questionhowDragon Ball: Budokai Tenkaichi 4can coexist withDragon Ball FighterZ, the immensely popular 2D fighting game. However, the two aren’t competitors. Rather, they offer DBZ fans two very different, and uniquely accessible, fighting game options. It is currently unknown howBudokai Tenkaichi 4plans to modernize the series' formula, but a constant DLC stream ensures that the title can evolve post-release to best support its fan community.
Thepopularity ofDragon Ball FighterZwill be hard to contend with, andDragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4has some large expectations placed on its shoulders. Receiving theXenoverse 2treatment will allow the title to grow and flourish at its own pace while meeting the expectations placed on its roster. In addition to characters, a steady stream of modes and story content could arrive with each update, allowingBudokai Tenkaichi 4to keep up with future additions to the anime series. It may be a while before Bandai Namco reveals additional details forDragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4,but fans are hopeful that more surprise announcements could arrive soon.
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 4is currently in development.
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