Compare Dragon Ball FighterZ vs Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake

Reviewers repeatedly describe the game as unusually approachable for a fighting game, thanks to simple inputs, auto-combos, and shared commands, while still leaving room for deeper play.

Reviewers valued the difficulty options, markers, and other quality-of-life settings for making the old games easier to approach without fully erasing their classic feel.

Only one review clearly criticizes AI behavior, noting high-difficulty opponents leaning on the same few huge moves.

One reviewer criticized the automated battle behavior, saying the AI made poor choices rather than feeling genuinely wise.

Animation is one of the strongest consensus positives, with reviewers praising immaculate frames, authentic character motion, and anime-like 2D presentation.

Animation quality was praised in both battle and enemy presentation, with reviewers noting smooth movement and lively spell or monster animations.

Art direction earns very high marks for faithful cel shading, Toriyama-style character work, and deliberate anime framing.

The HD-2D art direction was strongly praised for respecting old JRPG roots while making the worlds feel striking and modern.

Bosses earned strong praise when they forced strategy and felt rewarding, though a few reviewers disliked specific frustrating fights.

Android 21 draws mixed character reactions: one reviewer found her characterization off-putting, while another liked the design and play feel.

Reviewers especially praised Dragon Quest II's party members for gaining stronger arcs, personalities, and interpersonal chemistry.

Roster reactions are generally positive around variety and team options, but several reviews complain about duplicate Goku/Vegeta variants, limited base counts, or DLC-heavy expansion.

The added Princess of Cannock and more useful party members were repeatedly praised as natural, valuable additions to Dragon Quest II.

Combat is the central strength: reviewers praise the 3v3 tag system, speed, accessibility, depth, and the way fights feel powerful and readable.

Combat was widely seen as engaging and more strategic, though several reviewers noted Dragon Quest I's solo fights could become frustrating or unfair.

Community features are praised when reviewers mention the active online community or the game bringing Dragon Ball and fighting-game players together.

Competitive balance is mixed: auto-combos are usually seen as manageable, but some reviewers say offense, homing attacks, or low-skill tactics can be too effective.

Content variety is mostly strong, with story, arcade, local, online, tournaments, training, and customization modes, though some single-player content feels padded.

Reviewers appreciated the expanded worlds, new mechanics, and added content, especially in Dragon Quest II.

Controls are widely praised as simple and responsive, especially with standard controllers, though Joy-Con play gets some caveats.

Local and couch play is viewed positively, especially on Switch, with local tournaments, tabletop play, and quick human matches called out as bonuses.

Crash stability is a concern in the PS5 port review, where crashes occurred while searching for opponents.

Cross-play support is criticized in the PS5 review because rollback netcode prevents play with PS4 users and there is no wider crossplay.

Dialogue and character banter are usually praised as fan-pleasing, humorous, and tied to team combinations.

Difficulty balance is mixed: arcade can offer welcome challenge, but story mode is often too easy and some arcade spikes are frustrating.

Difficulty split reviewers: many liked the tougher, more meaningful challenge, but several criticized RNG spikes, grinding walls, or frustrating solo encounters.

DLC value is mixed to negative in older and Switch reviews, with some useful roster expansion but complaints about expensive characters or forced DLC purchases.

The game lands strong nostalgic and emotional hits for fans through dramatic finishes, references, and the feeling of a long-awaited Dragon Ball fighter.

Multiple reviewers described unusually strong emotional payoffs, including poignant scenes and endings that made them stop, reflect, or cry.

Environmental detail receives a mixed note: recognizable backdrops exist, but one review says there is not much to speak for beyond that.

Environmental detail stood out through lighting, interiors, water, clouds, towns, and dungeons that made the world feel richer.

Exploration was generally praised for rewarding secrets, treasure, and open-ended discovery, though one underwater segment was called slow and awkward.

Faithfulness to Dragon Ball is one of the clearest strengths, with reviewers praising authentic moves, voices, dramatic finishes, and source-material care.

One preview emphasized the games' JRPG legacy as a reason to experience them, supporting their faithfulness to Dragon Quest history.

One reviewer highlighted sharing the remakes with children as a positive next-generation experience, supporting family appeal.

Fast travel convenience was one of the few quality-of-life choices criticized for reducing tension and undermining dungeon-exit magic.

Frame rate stability is excellent on Switch-focused reviews, with repeated praise for steady 60 FPS and no noticeable dips.

Frame rate impressions were very positive on Switch 2 and handheld play, with reviewers citing stable 60 FPS or no drops.

Fun factor is very high across reviews, from casual play to online battles, though some story and online problems blunt the experience.

Fun factor was very high overall, with several reviewers saying the remakes were hard to stop playing or simply a great time.

Overall gameplay mechanics are praised for being satisfying, accessible, deep, and rewarding across casual and serious play.

Reviewers praised Sigils, Scrolls, and other new mechanics for adding meaningful choices while keeping the classic JRPG foundation intact.

Graphics quality receives near-universal praise, with reviewers calling the game gorgeous, stunning, anime-like, and one of the best-looking Dragon Ball titles.

Graphics received near-universal praise, with reviewers repeatedly calling the HD-2D presentation brilliant, gorgeous, stunning, or full of life.

Grind level is a recurring criticism of story mode, where clone fights and route-clearing make progress feel padded or secondary to the actual story.

Grinding remained a concern for some reviewers, but others felt difficulty modes and balancing made the grind less draining than older versions.

Handheld suitability is a major Switch strength, with reviewers praising portability, commute play, and handheld practice despite occasional resolution or controller caveats.

Steam Deck play was praised as an ideal way to experience the remakes, helped by performance and save support.

Reviewers praised the presentation, music, and environments for making the adventure feel rich, magical, and immersive.

Learning curve is generally praised as gradual and manageable, though one reviewer stresses that serious mastery can take much longer than older Dragon Ball fighters.

Dungeon design drew criticism from one reviewer for feeling visually varied but structurally uninspired and light on distinctive traits.

Live-service support is a concern in the PS5 review because official support had already wrapped up, raising population worries.

Load times are a consistent negative where mentioned, especially around lobbies and match transitions.

Load times were praised in preview coverage as quick, matching the strong Switch 2 performance profile.

The loot system is tolerated when cosmetic or free, but reviewers dislike randomness and locked colors or cosmetics.

Lore depth is valued mainly through hidden scenes and fan-service details that reward Dragon Ball knowledge.

Map and navigation design is mixed to poor where discussed, with story maps and point systems sometimes feeling nonsensical or padded.

Navigation tools were praised for streamlining play, though objective markers could make some classic item hunts feel too rudimentary.

Matchmaking is one of the biggest recurring concerns, with long waits, hit-or-miss results, and awkward friend matching.

Menu usability is mixed to negative because the lobby hub often replaces a straightforward menu and makes simple mode selection feel cumbersome.

Mission design is criticized in story mode for tedious clone fights and maps that slow access to the interesting moments.

Mission variety is weak in story mode, where repeated clones and near-identical fights create filler.

Monetization fairness is mostly favorable for in-game currency and non-predatory loot boxes, with some reservations about loot boxes and DLC pricing.

Movement feel is praised for freeform dashes, mobility routes, super dashes, and the ability to move like Dragon Ball characters.

Multiplayer design is generally strong in mode variety, ranked/casual options, party matches, and local play, but online infrastructure hurts access.

Narrative quality is mixed to poor: some enjoy the fan-service story, but many call the plot lackluster, overstuffed, bloated, boring, or repetitive.

The expanded narrative was repeatedly praised for making the Erdrick trilogy feel richer, more cohesive, and less like a bare-bones relic.

Onboarding is often praised through practice tools, story-as-tutorial design, and beginner ramps, though tutorial quality itself varies.

Online stability is mixed: several reviews report smooth matches or solid netcode, while others mention lag, disconnects, crashes, or lobby problems.

Pacing is a story-mode weakness, with repeated easy fights, padding, and uneven progression dragging down otherwise exciting combat.

Pacing was one of the more mixed areas: some found the flow excellent, while others felt added content created bloat or uneven late-game stretches.

Performance optimization is a major strength on Switch, with reviewers praising near-parity ports, stable resolution, and no obvious slowdowns.

Performance optimization received praise from reviewers who reported smooth play and no major performance issues.

Platform-specific support is strongest on Switch, where Joy-Con play, 1v1/2v2 options, and controller flexibility earn praise.

Platform-specific support drew criticism from one reviewer because the Switch version lacked a paid upgrade path to Switch 2.

Polish was praised where reviewers found the remake approachable, refined, and modernized.

Progression systems are mixed: some enjoy RPG-like leveling, but others find stat bonuses, skills, or resource choices underused or costly.

Scrolls and character growth were praised for adding light customization and clearer progression without becoming overly complicated.

Protagonist appeal was mixed: the lone hero concept intrigued some reviewers, but silent protagonists felt bland to others beside voiced side characters.

The PS5 update/remaster quality is positive for 4K and rollback additions, though online wrinkles remain.

Remake quality was the clearest strength: reviewers repeatedly called these definitive, transformative, or thoughtful updates to foundational JRPGs.

Replay value is supported by deep combat, replay tools, arcade scoring, online play, and continuing experimentation.

Reviewer evidence supports replay value across the listed reviews.

Save reliability is a concern where story progress can be lost through missing autosaves or online interruptions.

Autosave and expanded save options were repeatedly praised for reducing frustration and supporting portable play.

Server reliability is questioned when beta or launch traffic crashes the game or causes early access problems.

Side characters were praised for compensating for silent protagonists and making the expanded story feel more emotionally alive.

Social features are mixed: chibi avatars, emotes, stickers, and lobbies add charm, but several reviewers find them limited or not functional enough.

Sound design is praised for impact, authenticity, and anime-like effects.

Soundtrack quality is mixed, ranging from great music tracks to forgettable and uninspired music.

The orchestral soundtrack was widely praised, though one reviewer found repeated tracks tiring over long play sessions.

Tutorial quality is sharply mixed, with some reviews praising comprehensive or intuitive training and others calling tutorials under-explained or repetitive.

Upgrade-system evidence is mostly negative or mixed, with story skills and stat bonuses often described as underused or barely noticeable.

User interface design is one of the clearest drawbacks, because the forced lobby hub and online-first structure often get in the way.

Interface changes, shortcut assignments, and UI overhaul were praised for making these old games easier to play.

Value for money is generally positive because reviewers see the combat, offline modes, and Switch portability as worth the price, despite DLC concerns.

Value was generally positive because two expanded remakes come in one package, though one reviewer wished the price were lower.

Visual effects are a major highlight, especially destructive finishes, energy beams, dramatic supers, and background destruction.

Visual effects were praised for making attacks and spells feel spectacular while preserving the nostalgic tone.

Voice acting is broadly praised for authentic English/Japanese performances and returning cast members.

Voice acting was usually praised for adding emotion and personality, with one reviewer finding the quality uneven but improved.

World-building is praised through the reviewer’s affection for Dragon Ball's broad world, character history, and lore appeal.

World-building was strengthened by expanded towns, lore links, and details that made Alefgard and the trilogy feel more alive.

Mini Medals and hidden interactables were praised for encouraging players to inspect the world more carefully.

Writing quality is mixed: some praise cheesy melodrama and charm, while others object to outdated or uncomfortable humor.

Writing and localization were praised for adding character, humor, and series-appropriate flavor to the remakes.