Screenshots & trailers
What players say
Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 361 sampled Steam reviews (147 positive / 214 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.
What positive reviews talk about
- Story & writing14% mention it
- Visuals & art8% mention it
- Difficulty & balance5% mention it
- Combat5% mention it
What negative reviews complain about
- Story & writing20% mention it
- Multiplayer & servers8% mention it
Satisfaction by hours played
Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.
Under 5h
63%
35 reviews
5-15h
50%
60 reviews
15-40h
37%
105 reviews
40-100h
37%
111 reviews
100h+
30%
50 reviews
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 82 | 163 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 86% | 80 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 86 | 548 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 73% | 69 | 3000 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Jun 24, 2025) · 300 reviews sampled · 6260 total reviews in window · weighted 142.5 up / 93.7 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (163)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 80
“Sparking Zero is all about giving fans what they want, and the game achieves this despite some of its flaws. It’s a fighter at its core, but it also offers fans the tools to make it the Dragon Ball game they have always dreamed of.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Bandai Namco and Spike Chunsoft pay homage to the work of Akira Toriyama with Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero, an installment that meets expectations, surpassing even Budokai Tenkaichi 3. A title that fulfills everything, giving life to the best game of the spectacular universe of Dragon Ball. A delivery that honors and pays tribute like few others to the legacy of Akira Toriyama, with much affection, sympathy and love.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“DRAGON BALL Sparkling! ZERO is a highly recommended game. Bandai Namco managed to make a worthy continuation of the Budokai Tenkaichi legacy. Featuring 182 characters and a robust campaign, it's the game fans have been asking for so many years.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO is an enjoyable arena fighter that pays homage to the legendary manga and, by extension, the game series. The dynamic battles, presented in a well-designed visual style, are engaging and, above all, entertaining. Playing with a keyboard, however, is a nightmare, so I recommend using a controller.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero delivers a commendable 3D brawler experience even if some visual and performance issues persist. The immense roster is sure to please any Dragon Ball fan, no matter what age or era they entered the franchise. The branching narratives in Episode Battles and the online play are fun staples to the game, and it feels right at home on Switch 2.”
read full review ↗ - 81
“Sparking! Zero is not only a superb return to a phenomenal franchise, but it also looks spectacular. Sadly, it is neither easy nor satisfying to learn how it’s meant to be played, but for a casual player who has a couple of friends he wants to clash beams with, it’s one of the most beautiful games the franchise ever blessed us with.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Dragon Ball Sparking! ZERO has a metric ton of content and some well crafted fanservice. Do not expect a complex gameplay and try to forget about a problematic camera, and you should spend dozens of hours playing a really fun and flashy game.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is a great 3D arena fighter that honours the core Dragon Ball series and is also a celebration of the classic, and much loved Tenkaichi series.”
read full review ↗ - 83
“Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is an incredibly fun and polished fighting game: it's beautiful, it has nice animations and, above all, it's an highly entertaining title, good for both Budokai Tenkaichi veterans and new fans alike.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is far from a perfect game, yet that hardly matters when we’re holding what truly feels like a dream come true. This title is a celebration of the saga, with refined gameplay that will captivate both veterans and newcomers alike. Despite its flaws, the dedication of the development team is clear, delivering everything fans could have wished for, and perhaps even more.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is not only the best fighting game of the series but also the best Dragon Ball game we've had in years. With a huge roster, top-notch visuals, and impactful combat, it will be hard for new and old players to put the controller down.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“While the game is not the most in-depth title from a competitive standpoint, Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero is this generation's best Dragon Ball-themed 3D fighter complete with thrills, spills, and fanservice up the wazoo.”
read full review ↗
Gamepressure
La Orden del Pixel
GameFM
Gaming Professors
Nintendo Life
PLAY Zine
GRYOnline.pl
ani-game.com
SpaceNerd.it
STWGames Italia
The Nerd Stash
Kakuchopurei…and 151 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Update for DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO: Adjustments to Game Mode and CharactersJun 24, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Update for DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO: Adjustments to Game Mode and CharactersApr 23, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Update for DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO: Adjustments to Game Mode and CharactersMar 3, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO - Feature and Battle System UpdatesJan 20, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Free Update for DRAGON BALL Sparking! ZERO: New Features and AdjustmentsDec 11, 2024significant · resets scoring window