Cheat Index - Dragon Ball Z: Sagas GameCube Review

Up until this point, virtually every console game based on the Dragon Ball Z anime restricted players to a narrow play field. You could glide across the floor, shoot off into the sky and even toss your enemies into the surrounding hillside. But it was still restrictive. You couldn't take to the skies and explore the heavens at will, for example. And you couldn't use the environment to your advantage, either, save for the throwing-someone-into-a-mountain thing. It's this very lack of freedom that Atari and Avalanche Software set out to eliminate with their latest game, Dragon Ball Z: Sagas.

Atari has described Dragon Ball Z: Sagas as a sandbox brawler, in that you can take characters from the Dragon Ball universe and run amok, demolishing everything in your path. It sounds like a dream game, especially for long-time fans of the show. The truth, unfortunately, winds up feeling far less glamorous. In fact, Sagas coughs up one of the most abysmal Dragon Ball experiences in creation. The problems stem from every aspect imaginable, from control and camera issues, to insipid AI and boss characters. After a few hours, you realize there isn't much in Sagas that works as it should, or at least as developers intended. It's a shame considering the source material, and the fact that Sagas was meant to take DBZ games into a new direction.

Sagas splits into different chapters, with each chapter starring specific characters from the show. An edited and re-cut segment from the popular TV series precedes every chapter and helps move the narrative forward. Sagas also hands out mission objectives at the start of every chapter, which a player can recall by pausing the game. Objectives range from collecting items, defeating specific enemies and protecting key characters. A small radar on the screen helps locate enemies and mission objectives. Thing is, much of the game winds up feeling the same. You'll plow through waves of enemies, destroy a few dozen rock formations and battle bosses, but all of it feels the same. And none of it is particularly engaging. On the contrary, it's either excruciatingly boring or just flat-out frustrating.

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