Dragon Ball Legends Review
Released globally in May 2018 by Bandai Namco Entertainment, Dragon Ball Legends has become a cornerstone in the mobile gaming world, especially for fans of the legendary Dragon Ball franchise. This action-packed mobile game brings the high-octane battles of the anime to life, combining strategic card-based combat with stunning 3D visuals and smooth animations. With a mix of iconic characters and original creations like Shallot, the game has captivated millions of players worldwide. It’s a blend of nostalgia and innovation, offering long-time fans and newcomers alike a chance to immerse themselves in the epic Dragon Ball universe on the go.
What sets Dragon Ball Legends apart is its broad appeal. Whether you’re a casual mobile gamer, a competitive player seeking PVP dominance, or a fan looking to relive the explosive battles from the anime, the game offers something for everyone. In this review, we’ll delve into the game’s core features, including its unique combat system, the elemental mechanics that drive strategy, and its vibrant PVP community. We’ll also evaluate its cash shop, assess the state of the game in 2025, and explore its breathtaking artwork to determine if it’s worth your time and investment.
Combat
At the heart of Dragon Ball Legends is its dynamic real-time combat system, which blends simplicity with strategic depth. Players engage in one-on-one battles using a team of three characters, swapping between them to exploit advantages and manage their health. The gameplay revolves around a unique card-based mechanic where each card represents an action, such as a melee attack, ranged blast, special move, or ultimate ability. By combining these cards, players can create devastating combos to overwhelm their opponents.
Energy management, known as “Ki,” is central to the combat experience. Players must balance offensive and defensive strategies, as each card consumes Ki. This requires careful timing to recharge without leaving themselves vulnerable. Dodging and counterattacking with “Vanishing Steps” adds a reactive layer to battles, ensuring that combat remains engaging and skill-driven.
Key Mechanics
Rising Rush: Rising Rush is a high-risk, high-reward feature that allows players to unleash a powerful team-based attack. By using cards to charge the Rising Rush meter, players can deal massive damage to opponents. The mechanic also incorporates a mini mind-game, as the effectiveness of the attack depends on predicting the opponent’s chosen card.
Team Synergy: Building an effective team is a crucial aspect of combat. Players must consider character roles, Z-abilities, and element types to create balanced teams. Synergies between characters with shared tags, such as Saiyans or Fusion Warriors, can significantly boost stats and enhance overall performance.
Elements
Unlike traditional elemental systems in many gacha games, which typically use elements like fire, water, or wood, Dragon Ball Legends employs a straightforward color-based system to determine the strengths and weaknesses between characters. The game has both basic and special elements, each with unique advantages and weaknesses.
The basic elements are
- Red: Strong against Yellow, weak against Blue
- Yellow: Strong against Purple, weak against Red
- Purple: Strong against Green, weak against Yellow
- Green: Strong against Blue, weak against Purple
- Blue: Strong against Red, weak against Green
In addition to these basic elements, there are special elements:
- Dark : Strong against all basic elements but weak against Light
- Light: Strong against Dark, with no weaknesses
This color-based mechanic, similar to rock-paper-scissors, encourages players to strategically choose their characters based on elemental matchups. Unlike traditional gacha games, where elements like fire and water are used, Dragon Ball Legends keeps things simple with a color-coded system, making it intuitive for new players while still offering depth for experienced ones. Some characters also have abilities or Z-abilities that enhance specific elements, adding another layer of strategy to team-building and battles.
PVP
One of the standouts features of Dragon Ball Legends is its engaging PVP mode, which pits players against each other in real-time battles. The competitive aspect of PVP brings a level of excitement and challenge, as players can test their team-building strategies and combat skills against others from around the world. Whether participating in ranked or casual matches, PVP is a central part of the game’s longevity, offering a constant flow of rewards and the opportunity to rise through the ranks keeping players on their toes. While the thrill of competing against others is a major draw, success in PVP ultimately depends on a combination of strategic planning, skillful execution, and sometimes a bit of luck.
Cash Shop
This is a gacha game, meaning as long as you can infinitely pull characters and each pull allows you to get stronger makes the game extremely pay2win, or you could say, pay to progress. However way you want to slice it, if you pay, you will get out ahead. Dragon Ball Legends is no different. Players can use real money to buy Chrono Crystals, which can then be spent on banners, character upgrades, and special items. This system allows players to fast-track their progress and acquire new characters without having to grind for them.
In addition to Chrono Crystals, the cash shop also features a variety of other purchasable items. These can include special items, exclusive cosmetic skins, and booster packs that speed up character leveling and equipment upgrades. While these items provide convenience for players who wish to progress faster, it’s important to note that Dragon Ball Legends does offer ways to earn Chrono Crystals and other rewards through regular gameplay, events, and daily missions, making it possible to progress without spending real money.
However, the cash shop plays a significant role in the competitive side of the game, especially in PVP. Players who invest in purchasing Chrono Crystals may have access to higher-tier characters more quickly, potentially gaining an advantage over free-to-play players. This creates a “pay-to-win” dynamic, where players who spend money can sometimes outpace those who rely solely on earned resources. Despite this, skill and strategy in PVP can still offset the advantage of higher-level characters, allowing experienced players to compete effectively even with limited spending.
The shop also features various sales and special offers that incentivize players to spend, and it can sometimes be a bit overwhelming for those who don’t want to spend money. However, the game remains relatively generous with in-game events that offer free summons and rewards to minizine the pay-to-win aspects.
Gacha System
Like many mobile gacha games, Dragon Ball Legends uses a summoning mechanic, where players spend Chrono Crystals (the in-game currency) to pull characters and other items from banners. Each banner typically features a set of featured characters, often including powerful or limited-time units. The gacha system is where players can unlock new characters, equipment, and other essential resources that are crucial for progressing in the game.
The summoning process is random, and while it’s possible to pull high-tier characters, the chances are often quite low, especially for newer or featured units. However, Dragon Ball Legends has implemented a pity system to provide players with reassurance. Instead of increasing the drop rate over time, the pity system rewards players after a certain number of pulls. After completing a set number of pulls (usually 10), players will receive special tickets or tokens that can be exchanged for exclusive rewards, including powerful characters, equipment, or other resources. This ensures that players who persist in summoning will eventually be rewarded with something useful, even if they do not get a featured character in every pull.
State of Game
The Dragon Ball Legends community remains strong and active, with the game continuing to receive regular updates, events, and new content. The developers consistently introduce fresh challenges, characters, and collaborations to keep the game exciting and engaging for both new and returning players. One of the most anticipated events in the game’s calendar is the Anniversary Celebration, which typically includes major in-game events, special banners, new characters, and generous rewards for the player base.
The 6th Anniversary Celebration in 2024 was a monumental event for Dragon Ball Legends, featuring a series of exciting updates and rewards. The celebration included new character releases, such as the much-anticipated Ultra Rarity units, offering players the opportunity to summon high-tier characters like Ultra Instinct Goku and Super Saiyan God SS Vegeta. The anniversary event also featured special summon banners, where players had the chance to pull powerful characters with enhanced drop rates. Alongside the banners, the event introduced in-game missions, log-in bonuses, and Chrono Crystal rewards, which helped players progress faster and maximize their summoning chances. This celebration also included PvP events with extra rewards, keeping the competitive scene lively during the event period.
In addition to major celebrations like the Anniversary, Dragon Ball Legends frequently holds seasonal events, ensuring that there’s always something new to look forward to. The game’s active community, combined with the constant updates and events, helps maintain a healthy player base, though it’s worth noting that the cash shop and its impact on the competitive aspect of the game continues to be a topic of discussion.
To make it even better, Dragon Ball Legends has expanded its reach by becoming available on Google Play Games for PC, making it easier for players to enjoy the game on a larger screen and with the convenience of PC controls. This accessibility is a welcome addition, especially for players who prefer gaming on their PC while maintaining the seamless progression and experience from the mobile version or just simply for people like me who prefer playing games on the PC over mobile.
Dragon Ball Legends remains in a strong state, with consistent updates and community engagement. The game continues to evolve, offering a balanced mix of content for both casual players and competitive pvpers. As players, we can expect even more exciting content in the future.
Artwork
The artwork in Dragon Ball Legends stays true to the original Dragon Ball series, capturing the iconic art style fans know and love. The character designs stick closely to their manga and anime counterparts, so if you’re a fan of the original Dragon Ball look, you’ll feel right at home. The game doesn’t stray far from the classic designs, meaning you get to enjoy seeing your favorite characters like Goku, Vegeta, Frieza or Buu in the same style you’ve seen them in for years.
While there’s nothing particularly groundbreaking or experimental with the art, it doesn’t need to be. The straightforward, faithful approach to the art direction keeps the essence of Dragon Ball alive and helps maintain that nostalgic feeling, making it enjoyable for both new players and long-time fans.
Is It Worth Playing?
Dragon Ball Legends is definitely worth playing, especially if you’re a fan of the Dragon Ball universe. The game brings the iconic characters and intense battles to your mobile device, offering a fun and accessible experience for fans who want to enjoy the franchise on the go. If you’ve enjoyed games like Dragon Ball Sparkling Zero or similar titles, you may appreciate the fast-paced simplified combat and familiar characters.
While there are some elements like the gacha system and cash shop that may not appeal to everyone, the game’s solid gameplay, stunning visuals, and ongoing updates make it a great pick for fans of the series and casual mobile gamers alike. If you love Dragon Ball, this is a game that’s hard to pass up.
