STACK #184 Feb 2020

GAMING REVIEWS

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DRAGON BALL Z: KAKAROT

GENRE: ACTION/ADVENTURE

PLATFORM: PS4, XBOX ONE

MULTIPLAYER: NO

Dragon Ball Z has been a pop culture phenomenon since 1989.With several outstanding fighting games under its belt, how well does an open world RPG Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot fit into the series? Like all Dragon Ball Z games, Kakarot revolves around the story of the manga/ anime. You’ll mainly play as Goku,

the central character of the series, who is also known as Kakarot. You’ll re-live the entire Dragon Ball Z series, starting from Radditz taking his brother

HAVING A BALL! Not only can you play the main story, but you can also complete side quests, such as getting your driver’s licence (the best episode of Dragon Ball Z !), exploring caves, fishing using your tail, and even eating mountains of food to buff your stats.

entertaining, but you’ll find Z orbs floating around the various areas which, when collected, can be used to buff existing attacks or unlock new ones. The key focus of any Dragon Ball game is combat, and Kakarot has got that covered. The camera shifts from its exploration mode to an over-the-shoulder style that’s similar to the Xenoverse series, allowing you to lock on and focus in on foes. Main enemies in the game are stronger than Goku in most instances (just like the anime/manga) and will require you to fight smart. Graphically, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is gorgeous and by far the best-looking Dragon Ball game to date. Ultimately, this is an outstanding first open-world entry in the Dragon Ball gaming universe. AD

Goku’s son hostage, through to the Buu saga (seasons one to nine of the anime). What sets Kakarot apart from previous Dragon Ball games is its focus on an open world with RPG mechanics. Earlier adventures may have had some minor exploration, or open world combat arenas, but Kakarot is much like 2018’s Spider-Man as compared to a Marvel vs. Capcom title. Exploring is not only

AO TENNIS 2

GENRE: SPORTS

PLATFORM: PS4, XBOX ONE, SWITCH

MULTIPLAYER: YES

From cricket to lacrosse to AFL, Big Ant Studios love making a big splash in small sporting ponds. This year they’re returning serve with a second crack at the “Happy Slam” in AOTennis 2 . At the core is some incredibly satisfying

gameplay. It’s a fast and furious mix of reactionary response and

structured tactics. Working your opponent around the court can be difficult, and you can immediately notice the difference in skill levels and attributes, especially when

ACE! Not everybody’s a gamer, and some sports games are just too complicated for the casual player. AO Tennis 2 has heaps of options to change difficulty from arcade easy, where it’s almost impossible to hit the ball out, right through to full-on, only-for-pros challenge.

shot went? You can spit the dummy. Think that your opponent got you good? Congratulate them. It adds to the flavour, and if you’re playing in career mode it can impact your reputation with sponsors – and your ability to get selected for invitational tournaments. Character movement has been accurately modelled against the athletes themselves, so you get a real feel for what it would be like playing as modern-day champs like Rafa or Ash Barty. Dive into the character creation mode and you can even borrow parts of their action to customise your own player. Timing is everything In AO Tennis 2 . From the gameplay to the release aligning with the real-life Australian Open event, everything’s lining up for a solid start to the year for fans of tennis – and sporting games in general. DN

competing with a higher levelled player. The career mode is where the magic happens – and the realisation kicks in that you’re not the next Fed Express! You’ll get the opportunity to grow a career from the very beginning, which takes time and patience. There’s a new reputational system that allows you to react to decisions made on the court. Don’t like the way that last

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