《Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3》上手体验：系列以有趣未来设定回归

Next year is set to be a big one for Dragon Ball fans, as many believe that the next Dragon Ball Super anime (The Galactic Patrol arc) will be released in 2027. While there’s no official word on that yet, what we do know for certain is that Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 is launching next year. This is a game that many fans have long been anticipating, given that it has been a decade since Xenoverse 2.

While we don’t have a specific release date for Xenoverse 3 yet, I was able to get some hands-on time with the game during a media preview held just days before Tokyo Game Show 2026. During the session, I got to explore a bit of the game’s world and experience its combat.

For Dragon Ball fans who haven’t played the Xenoverse games, they may be wondering what exactly sets these apart from other titles in the franchise. After all, Bandai Namco launched Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero back in 2024, while older games like Dragon Ball: FighterZ continue to have a dedicated player base eight years after its launch.

At first glance, these Dragon Ball games have common elements, but in our chat with the Xenoverse 3 producer Masayuki Hirano during the preview, he mentioned that each title has key differentiating factors. This is pretty clear when you look at each game more closely. For instance, FighterZ is aimed more towards hardcore fighting game fans, while Sparking! Zero’s has a flashier combat system along with a massive roster.

What about Xenoverse 3? Well, like the previous Xenoverse games, one of the things that separates it from the others is the fact that players can create their own characters. Then, there’s the fact that these games feature time travel and timeline shenanigans. While these can become quite complex, they are done so that players can get to meet various iconic characters from the franchise on their journey.

Xenoverse 3 retains these signature elements, albeit greatly expanded. For starters, the game’s character creation has more options. And while we didn’t get to explore this part of the game fully (as we played preset characters), it’s nice to see that there are more race options, with each race also featuring more unique elements.

As for the story, that’s another part that we didn’t get to see a lot of, though we did get to explore the game’s hub a bit. In Xenoverse 3, the main hub is in West City, and it’s a futuristic-looking area, even for Dragon Ball standards. That’s because this game is set in Age 1000, a setting that Akira Toriyama was greatly involved in crafting. Given Toriyama’s involvement in this aspect of the game (before his passing), this is definitely a part of Xenoverse 3 that I’m looking forward to seeing more of.

The meat of our hands-on time was gameplay. Specifically, I got to experience a couple of missions alongside other players. I also got to try out one mission with AI companions. During these missions, the goal was simple: I had to simply defeat hordes of enemies alongside my allies. While the objectives aren’t the most unique, the combat did feel quite fun.

The core combat isn’t all that different from the previous Xenoverse games, but there are some big changes here. One of these is the fact that you don’t need to charge the Ki meter to use certain abilities. Instead, these abilities are on a cooldown. With this, you should be able to more reliably use your powerful skills, which is good when you’re up against lots of enemies.

Then, there’s Soul Assist and Soul Change. Ahead of a mission, players can choose an assist character (which includes lots of iconic Dragon Ball characters), and with Soul Assist, players can gain additional attacks, which should give them more combat options. Soul Charge is a much flashier and more powerful ability, as it lets players transform into their assist character. In one of the missions, I chose Majin Buu, and when I activated Soul Charge, my character turned into Buu, complete with his signature moves.

I can imagine this to be a lot of fun for many Dragon Ball fans, but I can see why some fans don’t like this addition, given that Xenoverse 1 and 2 have been about the player’s original character. For those who aren’t fans of this, there’s the Awoken Skill, which can be used instead of Soul Charge. If you opt for this, your character gets a major power-up, with these forms differing depending on the character’s race.

Aside from these key mechanics, Xenoverse 3 should have a lot more depth, given the number of options that players have to tweak their character’s combat style. As our hands-on time was a bit under an hour, I felt like I only scratched the surface. What I can say is that, in terms of how combat feels, the game should delight fans of the previous Xenoverse titles and other Dragon Ball arena fighting games in general. But the missions can feel rather chaotic at times, with the bosses feeling quite like damage sponges. This makes sense given the MMO-like nature of the series.

Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 – Initial Impressions

Again, our time with the game was fairly limited, though it’s clear that Xenoverse 3 has a lot going for it. On the combat front, it has some tweaked mechanics that should give players more options, though I had lots of fun with Soul Charge in particular. Thankfully, players who don’t like this have the Awoken Skill option.

If you ask me, though, more than gameplay, I’m more intrigued by the game’s story and world. After all, Toriyama was heavily involved in the game’s setting. In this regard, I can see this being a great tribute to the artist who created one of the most iconic works of manga/anime history.

Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 will be released on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC sometime in 2027.

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