Dragon Ball Z Kakarot is a remarkably faithful representation of Dragon Ball Z, carving out its own niche in a market that already has some very good Dragon Ball games available. Nostalgic fans who want another iteration of the familiar story they know and love are able to step into the shoes of their favorite characters and re-live the tale again.
In fact, Kakarot is so accurate that the moments that are not exactly the same as the anime stand out all the more. The occasional small detail is missing, while other parts of the story are actually more complete than they were in the show. The relationships between characters, namely Goku and Gohan, are realized in much greater detail, in part due to the RPG format that makes Kakarot unique.
Small details such as Vegeta’s wrong arm being broken during the Cell Saga stand out as incorrect, but there are also several entire story arcs that are either missing or mostly brushed-over in the game. For players who loved Kakarot, more storylines would be greatly appreciated, even if they were originally filler arcs or non-canon movies. More attention given to the likes of Garlic Junior, Princess Snake, or alternate timeline Broly would have been welcome additions to the game.
Cell Junior(s)
The story of Cell’s offspring is tragically under-represented in Kakarot. While Cell Junior is present in the game as a fight, there is little discussion in the later story of the rest of Cell’s miniature clones.
The Cell Juniors lasted a lot longer than Cell himself, becoming benign, even good, characters in the long term. Because of this, they even lasted into Dragon Ball Super. At first, the Cell Juniors followed Cell’s commands, posing a huge threat to all of the main characters, even Goku, until Gohan went Super Saiyan II and wiped them out along with Cell. However, they were able to regenerate and were tamed by Android 17, becoming protectors of a wildlife refuge.
They briefly came into conflict with the main characters again later, but only due to a misunderstanding over trespassing. A deeper dive into how tough the Cell Juniors were to fight off, as well as a depiction of their later exploits, would be a great touch that could breathe life into Kakarot’s somewhat lackluster side content.
Snake Way Adventures
For a journey that took Goku 177 days to complete, Snake way is over in an instant in Kakarot. It is briefly shown in a blink-or-you-miss-it cutscene, even though many players expected to at least have to run along it for a few minutes. However, the adventures that took place on Snake Way had some pretty fun and interesting content that many players might have enjoyed.
Goku’s run-in with Princess Snake, the guardian of Snake Way, was a fun side story, even if it was just a bit of filler that ended up slowing Goku down during his race to get back to earth and stop the other Saiyans. Goku’s interaction with Princess Snake also had the added benefit of reaffirming Goku’s commitment to his family and friends, even in the face of a snake woman.
Another looked-over bit of filler from Snake Way came in the form of Goku’s accidental plummet into the depths of hell, and his contest with a pair of ogres before being able to ascend back up to Snake Way. While it might seem unimportant, the ability to explore hell and learn more about Dragon Ball’s cosmology is exactly the type of small dragon Ball details that would bring joy to the hearts of many fans.
After training with King Kai, Goku was able to fly over Snake Way in just a day. Having to travel over it in the first place is the perfect way to make players feel grateful for their ability to fly, rather than just suddenly getting it without any sense of having earned it.
Battle of Gods Movie
While the movie was not included in Kakarot, there is actually a good chance that the events of Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods will appear in future DLC. This is due to leaks of Beerus and Whis as playable characters already present in the game’s files.
While this is a good sign, it would have been better if Battle of Gods was included in the base game, since it is the perfect setup for Dragon Ball Super. It introduces Beerus and Whis and would leave the game on a perfect cliffhanger that would make fans even more excited for continued DLC. However, so many great moments occur in Batttle of Gods that no one will complain if it is included as DLC rather than Dragon Ball Super.
The introduction of Gods of Destruction, the revelation that there are multiple universes, and the creation of Super Saiyan God Goku are all incredible moments that deserve to be adapted into video game form. That’s not even to mention the announcement of Videl’s pregnancy, and the even more shocking realization that Piccolo sings karaoke.
Broly Movies
While Broly wasn’t even canon until his appearance in Dragon Ball Super: Broly, the original spinoff movies that first created the character are still some of the most entertaining Dragon Ball Z storylines out there. Some might complain about the inclusion of material that isn’t canon, but it’s unlikely that the playerbase of Kakarot would be confused by the multiple versions of Broly since they are almost all fans who already know the story.
Broly is just a downright cool character. As the real legendary super saiyan, his power is absolutely incredible, and the fights that take place in the three separate Broly movies would be amazing material for Kakarot. Broly’s descent into madness and eventual cloning into Bio-Broly are definitely worth at least a few spinoff missions.
More of The Great Saiyaman Saga
While the Great Saiyaman is playable in Dragon Ball Z Kakarot, there isn’t enough gameplay of one of the best character arcs in the entire series. Kakarot lets players experience just a couple of main story missions to get the general gist of the Great Saiyaman arc, but there is plenty more there to explore. Gohan’s experience in high school, his attempts to balance an undercover identity, the blooming romance between Gohan and Videl, and the relationship between Vegeta and Trunks are all topics in this arc that deserve a lot more screentime.
Players loved seeing Goku be a real father to Gohan, so it’s only fair that Vegeta and Trunks get the same treatment. Likewise, even just a few more missions as Gohan’s goofy alter-ego would make the years while Goku dead felt a lot more impactful in the game’s story.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.