The Life and Times of Dragonball Xenoverse 2’s Open Beta

Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 opened their beta for all on PlayStation 4 to try out. Dragon Ball fans hoped they could have a chance to test out the game and see what’s in store for them in a few days. But all that glitters is not gold. Xenoverse 2’s open beta was filled with server issues throughout the weekend. I tried every day to get onto the game and see what the sequel had to offer. But time and time again, I'd get kicked out for the “unavailable servers”. After the agonizing wait, the servers finally became available…on the final day. Luckily, the beta extended by an extra day so those who missed out had the chance to try it again. Why, fellow readers, have I decided to start with this? Because for what little I’ve played of the open beta, I enjoyed. Xenoverse 2 felt solid and the beta had so much to offer. It’s a shame that server issues held the beta back from showcasing all that it had to offer. [caption id="attachment_89550" align="alignnone" width="800"] What the Open Beta looked like during the weekend.[/caption] From the start, players are asked to create a new hero from the available races. Each race, whether it’s Saiyan, Namekian, Majin, all have their own special perks and abilities. Players can try different faces, hair styles, and colors to fit right in with other Dragon Ball icons. The game also features race-specific gear, quests, mingames, and transformations (which was previously only available to Saiyans in the first game, via Super Saiyan forms). Xenoverse 2’s RPG elements also ensures that players can fine-tune your character abilities to your preferred play style, with plenty of different outfits, skills, and stat upgrading. The hub world has received a major update. The first game’s hub Toki-Toki City is dwarfed in size compared to the new Conton City. Conton City is better designed, with the game’s improved visuals making the vibrant city pop. There are plenty of shops and kiosks available for players to buy items or join online matches and quests. Players are able to freely traverse the new hub world, by flying or using vehicles. A great new addition to the hub world is the lack of divided sections, making no load times a big plus. [caption id="attachment_89551" align="alignnone" width="800"] A giant monument to the previous hero is Conton City's centerpiece.[/caption] The main attraction, of course, is the story and combat. The first game's plot revolved around the player being wished upon to help Time Patrol make history right again. This time around, Time Patrol, has expanded to a full force. Players will create a rookie Time Patroller tasked with a special mission. After diving deeper in the beta, I found myself fighting some familiar foes with special appearances of Dragon Ball heroes including the previous hero from the first game. As for combat, players will tackle a tutorial mission that will teach them the basics and new systems in place. If players have a previous save from the first game, they will have access to that heroes powers. It was fun to be able to play these early missions using powerful moves I learned in the previous game. There has been little changes to the overall combat, but new dynamic chasing makes combat even more interactive and cinematic. Other than server issues and bad A.I. (yes that’s a returning issue), Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 shows promise. If the game tackles new missions instead the basic formula of Dragon Ball story (Freiza to Cell to Buu saga) the sequel has potential. The experience was solid so I hope that Xenoverse 2 will fix the mistakes seen in the beta. If not, then it may just fade away in time.