A solid, highly addictive, action DBZ game that will certainly appeal to even those who don't enjoy fighting games.
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3, the third in the Budokai series is probably the one that newcomers should buy to experience the best the franchise has to offer.
Budokai 3 has all the game modes that his predecessors had including story mode which this time around is denominated Dragon Universe in which you fly all over Earth and Namek searching for the dragon balls and other items. In certain points of the map you find a spot where you press X and advance in the story mode. You then fight against your opponent watching a cutscene before and after the fight, the cutscene will differ on result of the outcome of the match.
A lot of new mechanics have been implemented on the game's core gameplay, for example, at the tap of the directional button and X your character will tele-transport itself behind your opponent leaving him open for the attack. Another great addiction to the game is the hyper mode which is activated when you press L2 and R2. While in Hiper Mode you can launch your character ultimate finishing move or enter dragon rush. Dragon rush is a interactive cutscene in which you have to press a button(square, triangle, circle or X). If your opponent presses the same button the dragon rush is canceled, but if you succeed you'll continue to carry on the beating.
The visuals in Budokai 3 are certainly the best in the series being very polished and with a very unique anime feel. Every little detail has been tought and corrected, even when standing still, a cool glow will resound from a character, and at later transformations lightning will also emanate. The blast feel much more powerful like they should and have very nice splash and sparkling effects.
The sound also increases significantly the game's authenticity. Every sound effect is taken directly from the anime show. There are various soundtracks that help to get a feel for the situation at hand helping to further the authenticity of the ambient.
Concluding, if you're a DBZ fan, this is a must-have. It's a astounding accomplishment in the DBZ gaming franchise that will certainly change the way most people feel about the anime. If you're not a DBZ fan go get this game too. Its a solid, fast-paced action filled DBZ game that will certainly appeal to even those who don't enjoy fighting games.