Over a decade later, Freedom Wars returns in remastered form, yet the landscape is utterly different. Mobile has overtaken handheld gaming, and several action RPGs boast massive open worlds and stellar production values. The closest comparison would probably be Monster Hunter Rise on the Nintendo Switch, and that experience translates to current-gen consoles without much trouble. Even if it’s more streamlined comparatively, does Dimps’ classic still hold some modicum of appeal today?

"The other off-putting aspect is the new English voice-acting for Percy Propa (the mascot of the committee running your Panopticon) and your Accessory, an android monitoring your every move who can assist in combat."

The answer will doubtless vary. If you remember the original and feverishly waited for it to return, then Freedom Wars Remastered may speak to you (on console, but more on that later). Those curious about all the fuss will discover an action RPG of highs, lows, and antiquated – albeit intriguing – design.

Set in the far future, where humanity’s resources have dried up and every little thing is a crime, you control a Sinner who’s committed the ultimate offense: Being born. Countries have ceased to exist – there’s only the Panopticons competing against each other for what little remains.

The story begins in the middle of an operation, where your character has lost their memories, and a mysterious individual named Aries M. appears to tease a pivotal event. It’s back to square one afterwards, packed into a nondescript cell, adding to your nearly one million-year-long sentence for even walking more than five steps.

There’s honestly a lot to take in, and Freedom Wars’ writing sometimes does it no favors due to some long-winded dialogue. The other off-putting aspect is the new English voice-acting for Percy Propa (the mascot of the committee running your Panopticon) and your Accessory, an android monitoring your every move who can assist in combat. Their dialogue sounds like it’s been generated by a text-to-speech program, perhaps meant to match the Japanese voice-acting from the PS Vita version but sounding much worse. The performance by actual humans is decent, though some characters like Mattias sound a bit low at times.

"However, the loop devolves into entering a mission, slaying enemies, gathering resources, customizing and improving your loadout, and repeat."

Nevertheless, the world-building is fascinating, as you earn Entitlement Points from completing missions and donating materials. Some resources are outside your level at first – only by qualifying and passing the CODE Exams are you permitted to keep them. The same goes for earning other privileges, like the right to wander outside your cell, sprint and even get some distance from your Accessory.

Learning more about citizens, those with rights above the Sinners, and encountering rival Panopticon members is one thing, as you must tussle with the mysterious Abductors. Even with its idiosyncracies, the overall pacing of the story is pretty quick, and it’s not long before you encounter Beatrice, and things really get going.

Though there’s a lot of info from the outset, the overall gameplay will be familiar enough to fans of action RPG hunting games. You have different weapon types, with melee and ranged options available (which can be improved with Modules). You also have different Thorns – tools that serve as grapples but can also immobilize enemies, boost your team’s defense, and even heal when charged up. Their main purpose will be to attach to the Abductors, and either topple them or sever parts with enough button mashing. During combat, you can issue commands, instructing your Accessory to perform necessary tasks (which I found somewhat finicky at times).

However, the loop devolves into entering a mission, slaying enemies, gathering resources, customizing and improving your loadout, and repeat. Higher CODE Levels grant tougher missions but the variety is sorely lacking. Also, between flat desert plains and a few ruined cityscapes with structures to grapple to, the environments don’t serve to mix up the gameplay.

"Even as you work through the story and unravel the world’s happenings, it’s not long before the gameplay starts to feel overly repetitive."

The Abductors can be intriguing since you can break off different parts and collect them. Some objectives may also require rescuing citizens from their grasp, which means targeting their central pod. If an Abductor has a shield, grappling onto those components and severing them is key.

You may even blow up certain parts like missile launchers to deprive an Abductor of its more lethal weapons, but that’s more or less it. Most other times, you’ll alternate between heavy and light attacks to execute simple combos, fire from a distance, execute a grapple strike and maybe chuck a grenade or two. I would have liked to be able to set the camera back farther.

Transitioning between different attack functions isn’t the most fluid, though it’s not a lost cause. It’s somewhat surprising how responsive the combat can feel. Shredding through an Abductor’s armor can feel satisfying, and newer options, like animation cancelling by activating Thorns, certainly add more nuance.

If only there was a greater variety in enemies or more mission types (how do so many citizens end up needing to be rescued anyway?). Even as you work through the story and unravel the world’s happenings, it’s not long before the gameplay starts to feel overly repetitive. Nevertheless, for those who can get into it, there are enough upgrades and unlocks to keep you playing for dozens of hours.

"If this is really the first step towards reviving the series, I’m keen to see what the team can achieve with more contemporary mechanics and design."

Aside from quality-of-life features like Module Synthesis and a higher difficulty in Deadly Sinner mode, the other defining aspect of Freedom Wars Remastered is the visuals. While it sticks to the same anime-esque aesthetic with the listless color palette befitting a future of surveillance and despair, the 4K resolution and 60 frames per second performance make a significant difference. The details are crisp, and on PlayStation 5, I didn’t encounter any performance issues (which is reportedly not the same story on PC, so beware if you’re looking to get it on Steam).

Again, the visual fidelity isn’t going to compete with your Wuthering Waves or Zenless Zone Zeroes, but it’s a unique atmosphere, unlike so many other titles. Oppressive, yet oddly jubilant, perhaps in part thanks to the soundtrack. The mix of orchestration and edgy rock feels just right, lending some much-needed gravitas to the overall presentation.

On the surface, Freedom Wars Remastered doesn’t seem like it aspires to much more than simply bringing the classic to current-gen platforms. That itself is noteworthy, and the quality of life features are appreciated, though I can see action RPG connoisseurs rightfully demanding more, even at this budget price point. If this is really the first step towards reviving the series, I’m keen to see what the team can achieve with more contemporary mechanics and design. For now, this is a remaster that will be most appreciated by long-time fans, best experienced on PS5.

This game was reviewed on PlayStation 5.

Set in a dystopic version of Earth, nations are replaced by Panopticons as most of the populace suffers from prison sentences. The protagonist is sentenced to one million years for the “crime of living” and must undertake missions to battle Abductors and hostile Panopticons to reduce it.

While Freedom Wars Remastered offers the same gameplay and aesthetic, it supports resolutions up to 4K and 60 FPS, a new difficulty level, quality of life features for progression, and improvements to combat. For example, movement speed is faster, and you can cancel attacks with Thorns. You can also remap the controls.

Multiplayer also offers new options, while all previous cosmetic DLC are available for customization. The character voices have also been refreshed. Check out the systems trailer for more details.

More noteworthy upgrades include increased movement speed and animation canceling when activating Thorns. Players can also look forward to renewed controls, including full remapping. There are also some quality-of-life features, like modules functioning as separate items, letting you attach and detach them from weapons as necessary.

Module Synthesis has also been added to upgrade modules, with the success rate increasing if you take help from rescued citizens. Those seeking a challenge can engage in Deadly Sinner mode, which increases the years of sentence from penalties, while all previously released cosmetic DLC is included for customization.

Freedom Wars Remastered launches on January 10th for PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC. It also features various graphical improvements, including 4K resolution and 60 frames per second support.

The premise involves a far-flung future where humanity is confined to Panopticons, fighting over resources. As a Sinner, you have a one million-year sentence to serve and must participate in combat operations against the Abductors to fight for freedom. While it retains the same combat and story, Freedom Wars Remastered features a 4K resolution, 60 FPS support, and improved textures on PlayStation and PC.

Alongside difficulty settings and a revamped crafting system, it also features “refined” controls. The eight-player co-op remains intact, though it remains to be seen if the League of Panopticons online feature carries over. Stay tuned for more details on Freedom Wars Remastered, and check out some extensive gameplay below courtesy of Famitsu.

Characters that will be a part of the Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero roster include Beerus, Whis, Gohan (Adult), Videl, and Trunks (Sword). Including all of the characters revealed through previous trailers and announcement, this brings the game’s roster count up to 42 playable characters, including variants.

For the sake of context, the version of Gohan revealed through the magazine is Future Gohan from the Dragon Ball Z movie The History of Trunks. This version of Gohan had to endure quite a bit of hardship as they world got essentially taken over and humanity got massacred by Android 17 and Android 18.

A trailer released for Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero last month showcased other characters, including Nappa, Jeice, Super Saiyan Broly, and Super Saiyan Kale. These characters join iconic Dragon Ball characters like Goku, Vegeta, Krillin, Perfect Cell, and Tien, among many others.

Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero is slated for release on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.

NEW SPARKING ZERO CHARACTERS! Beerus, Whis, Gohan, Videl, Future Gohan, and Trunks (Sword) pic.twitter.com/nq0u2ns8un

— SLO (@SLOplays) April 16, 2024

The DLC will revolve around Fu, who is seemingly experimenting with super villain energy. The DLC, titled Future Saga, doesn’t yet have a release date. It will be released in four parts over time, with the trailer teasing Chapter 1.

Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 is currently available on PC, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. A current-gen version for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S is slated for release on May 24. Those who already own the previous-generation version of the game can get the new versions for free through PlayStation Free Upgrades and Xbox Smart Delivery.

Since its original release back in 2016, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 has proven to be quite successful for publisher Bandai Namco and developer Dimps. Back in May 2023, the publisher revealed that the game had sold over 10 million copies.

Transferring save data from the PS4 and Xbox One versions of Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 on to the equivalent current-gen console will be a more involved process, however, and detailed instructions will be revealed later.

While Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 is making its way on to more platforms after having been out since back in 2016, Bandai Namco is keeping releases based on the Dragon Ball franchise strong. The publisher is currently working with Spike Chunsoft on the spiritual successor to the Dragon Ball Tenkaichi Budokai series of games, dubbed Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero.

Dragon Ball FighterZ also recently got a new leash on life with its recent release on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, as well as addition of rollback netcode to the fighting game. Both Dragon Ball FighterZ and Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 have been incredibly successful, with Bandai Namco having revealed last year that the two titles had sold over 10 million copies each.

DRAGON BALL Xenoverse 2 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S releases May 24, 2024!

PS5 and Xbox Series X|S owners can upgrade/use Smart Delivery and transfer saved data from PS4 and Xbox One! #DBXV2

*Detailed upgrade and save data transfer instructions will be announced at a later date pic.twitter.com/Q6Ble0F7Ow

— Bandai Namco US (@BandaiNamcoUS) March 1, 2024

Taking to Twitter, Bandai Namco recently announced that 2016’s Dimps-developed action RPG Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 and 2017’s Arc System Works-developed fighting game Dragon Ball FighterZ have both now sold over 10 million units each across all platforms. At last count, less than a couple of years ago, both games had sold over eight million units, so both have clearly seen sustained sales over a pretty lengthy period.

Dragon Ball FighterZ will also be adding rollback netcode support in the game’s Steam version later this year.

Dragon Ball FighterZ and Xenoverse 2 are both available on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC, while the former is also available on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

#ゼノバース2 #ファイターズ
【全世界累計出荷本数1,000万本突破！】
これまで支えてくださった皆様のおかげで、両タイトルそれぞれ1,000万本を達成！
感謝の気持ちを込めて本日より1,000万本記念キャンペーンを開催！

詳細①➡https://t.co/x27P4SHtOl
詳細②➡https://t.co/o9NKklesGa pic.twitter.com/rg24QC2KIE

— 「ドラゴンボール」家庭用ゲーム公式 (@dbgame_official) May 10, 2023

The tweets, in Japanese, can be loosely translated by the help of online tools, with admittedly a fair number of errors.

“In addition to 3D Sonic Games, Sonic games also have side-scrolling Sonic games, so please look forward to the!” said Kishimoto in the tweet, while also confirming that Dimps was the developer behind Sonic 4.

Sega revealed in a recent earnings report that Sonic Frontiers had sold 2.9 million copies since its release. Back in December, the studio had revealed that 2.5 million copies had been sold since its November release.

Sonic Frontiers is available on PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Here’s our review for more details.

こんにちは。日本語に翻訳していただきありがとうございました。ディンプス社が制作したソニックゲームですね。ソニックゲームは、3Dのソニックゲームとは別に、横スクロール型のソニックゲームもあるので、楽しみにしていて下さいね！

— Morio Kishimoto (@moq_46) February 12, 2023

However, I don’t think even given that variety, and the series’ typical penchant for trying out a wide array of different styles of games, anyone would have expected Dragon Ball: The Breakers. Seriously, at what point did anyone sit down and say, “you know what I really want, I want a Dead by Daylight game, but Dragon Ball”? Because that’s what The Breakers is — taking the by now extremely well trod and popular style of asymmetric multiplayer gameplay popularized by that game (and others like it), and pretty much just applying a Dragon Ball skin to it.

The funny thing is, it works. The Breakers doesn’t really try to upend genre conventions much — the few things it brings to the table (most of them tied into the imagery and lore of the franchise it is based on) are additive and do add some wrinkles, but aren’t massive game changers that will cascade on to the rest of the genre from here on out or anything. It’s a pretty straightforward take on the “Dead by Daylight but Dragon Ball” elevator pitch (which, admittedly, isn’t a straightforward pitch in and of itself, but that’s water under the bridge at this point).

"I really do think that prologue sucks, by the way. It’s not just bad as a tutorial (which it is very bad at being), but the attempt to tell a story explaining how or why you ended up with “Dead by Daylight but Dragon Ball” doesn’t really work."

After a short prologue – which does a positively ghastly job of onboarding you and getting you to grips with the mechanics of the game to the extent that you’d probably be better pressed just skipping it and figuring stuff out on the fly for yourself as you go along — you’re basically free to dig in. I really do think that prologue sucks, by the way. It’s not just bad as a tutorial (which it is very bad at being), but the attempt to tell a story explaining how or why you ended up with “Dead by Daylight but Dragon Ball” doesn’t really work.

That failure isn’t actually to do with the story, where the game does a surprisingly decent job of tying the game’s premise to the series and the lore and history associated with it. It’s more to do with how badly it is told. The Breakers is not a full price game (we’ll get back to this shortly), and the very clearly tight budget it was made on is at full display in this prologue, which is the heaviest on storytelling and presentation this game ever gets. The cutscene direction is limp and flaccid, the voice acting is terrible, and there is almost no weight to anything that happens, no sense of properly framing the action or pacing the cinematography. It is legitimately horrible, almost as if they accidentally shipped the game with placeholder cutscenes they put in in the pre-alpha stage and had meant to replace with something, not even better, but actually complete. Right now, the storytelling is so bad it doesn’t even feel complete in how it is put together.

The actual premise (one that sees you play as not one of the series’ many iconic heroes or villains, but as plain old regular folk who live in the Dragon Ball universe and get sucked in — literally — into the mess that the aforementioned heroes and villains keep creating) is a pretty promising one, so it’s actually a little disappointing to see it squandered here. I certainly hope this isn’t the last time a Dragon Ball game attempts to go down this road, I’d love to see something more focused on the narrative and story side of things set in the universe and following this conceit in the future — hopefully with a higher budget too.

Honestly though, as bad as the storytelling in this game is, and as bad go a first impression as it does make, it really doesn’t matter for much (or at all) when it comes to The Breakers. As I said, the prologue is probably the heaviest on story the game ever gets, so once you are done with it, or skip it, you really don’t have to deal with that part of the game and all of its myriad of shortcomings, any more. For almost the entire time you spend with Breakers, you will be playing asymmetric multiplayer games, and whether or not you like The Breakers will come down to a) how much you like that concept and b) how much you like how this game specifically goes about it.

"If you are a fan of the IP, the concept, and/or both, then very honestly, in spite of my griping, there’s enough to like here. It is legitimately fun, and just kicking back and playing a couple matches daily can more than cover for the cost of entry."

As far as the concept itself goes, it is obviously a fun one, and there is a reason it is so enduring and popular. You either play as one of the series’ iconic villains (called a “Raider” in this game), or as one of seven civilians; as a civilian, your goal is to activate several objectives around the map (power points for the super time machine you can use to escape the map, charged with various keys strewn around the map that you can collect) to activate an escape point within the time limit. If you’re playing as a Raider, you’re super powerful, and your goal is to do whatever you can to stop the civilians from escaping.

There are, obviously, other considerations — you find pickups across the map that can help you traverse and fight, there are secondary and tertiary objectives, the map itself keeps you on your toes, you can collect Dragon Balls to grant yourself a wish that can have some pretty major impacts on the flow of a game, and you can even charge up a super meter that lets you temporarily channel a Dragon Ball hero (such as Goku) and use their power to take on the Raider directly and hopefully hold them at bay while the other Raiders do what is needed to win.

This is the part of the game where it — well, not shines, that’s too strong a word, but this is where it’s at its strongest. A lot of that probably has to do with the central concept being fun, and The Breakers being at the very least a competent take on it. It still has several shortcomings here — the controls are way too floaty, the HUD and UI isn’t the best at communicating what needs to be done, the UX is far too obtuse for some very basic functionality, and the camera is just baffling —but in spite of these issues, the core concept is fun, and whether you are trying to slowly sneak your way around the map building up your arsenal, powering up the super time machine, and only getting noticed by the time it’s too late for anything to be done about it, or you are playing as a raider and showing those pesky civilians who is boss, you’re going to enjoy yourself sufficiently. It’s almost worth the cost of admission, in a vacuum — until you remember it’s also about the same price as other games in the genre, which do what this does, but better. It’s still enjoyable, and the Dragon Ball flavouring may be enough to beef the game up in the eyes of fans of that series, and certainly enough to make up for its shortcomings elsewhere. But that is a question you need to ask yourself, are you a big enough Dragon Ball fan that you a) want a Dragon Ball skinned Dead by Daylight style game, and b) want that enough to put up with some stumbles. 

If you are a fan of the IP, the concept, and/or both, then very honestly, in spite of my griping, there’s enough to like here. It is legitimately fun, and just kicking back and playing a couple matches daily can more than cover for the cost of entry. The monetization in the game feels mostly fair (there is a “dacha” loot box style RNG driven system, and there is a Battle Pass, though the latter is explicitly free, albeit allowing you to “buy” ranks). In my opinion, the compact format of the game, and the inherent funness of the concept, make playing a few matches a day daily engaging enough that you automatically end up engaging in a lot of “the grind” that locks away a lot of some of the more cool stuff — but, again, this will come down more to your personal tolerance for grinding than anything.

If you do manage to sit through all of the game’s many, many, many failings, you will at the very least enjoy the core here on a fundamental level, and definitely something that’s enjoyable thanks to how it reconciles its bizarre elevator pitch with the trappings of a beloved IP. I have a lot of complaints about The Breakers, but I still like it enough that I plan to keep playing a game or two daily for at the very least the foreseeable future. It obviously does enough right at a base level to remain engaging, if nothing else.

This game was reviewed on PlayStation 5.