Screenshots & trailers
What players say
Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 300 sampled Steam reviews (263 positive / 37 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.
What positive reviews talk about
- Story & writing6% mention it
What negative reviews complain about
- Story & writing14% mention it
- Multiplayer & servers11% mention it
- Bugs & crashes11% mention it
- Visuals & art8% mention it
- Combat8% mention it
Satisfaction by hours played
Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.
Under 5h
85%
65 reviews
5-15h
89%
97 reviews
15-40h
92%
64 reviews
40-100h
85%
41 reviews
100h+
85%
33 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) | – | 86 | 35 |
| Creator reviews (5 tracked) | – | 80 | 2 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 90% | 84 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 89% | 83 | 78 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 222 reviews sampled · 196 total reviews in window · weighted 146.4 up / 18.4 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (133)
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
“Dragon Ball FighterZ - epic, bright, dynamic and surprisingly friendly fighting game. This is an excellent choice for gatherings with friends.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Arc System Works are true masters of the fighting genre, and Dragon Ball have a lot of characters with unique styles and abilities. Fuse these two together, and you'll get Dragon Ball FighterZ, the best Dragon Ball game to date. It has superb visuals, deep combat system and, hell, it's just a pure joy to be a part of the FighterZ's crazy and speedy fights.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“This is a gleaming example of how to craft a fighting game that feels like it has its arms open for everyone to enjoy.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Dragon Ball FighterZ is really good. It's the only fighting game out there that can appeal to all types of audiences, even those who don't like fighting games or Dragon Ball, believe me. It's fast-paced, beautiful and easy to learn. If that wasn't enough, there are also many extras and fun modes. The only exception, perhaps, is the story mode, which is a bit boring and too tiring over time. Still, it's a great title and, from now on, a candidate for the best of the year.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“If you're a fan of Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Fighterz is well worth the price of admission due to how close it mimics its source material. Thanks to a flawed combat system, it's tough to recommend for others. There are better fighting games to consider, this isn't one of them.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Dragon Ball FighterZ on the Switch is, simply put, the best fighting game we've seen on the system yet. Arc System Works went the extra mile in capturing the essence of the source material and distilled it into an incredible brawler that has lost nothing in the transition to Nintendo's hybrid console. The stunning visuals, intense action and easy-to-master controls make FighterZ a game all fans of the genre should have in their library. If you only play this kind of game casually, it remains a must-own.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Dragon Ball FighterZ takes the traditional fighting game formula and enhances it with flair to make it accessible and opportunistic.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Online issues aside, Dragon Ball FighterZ is a great entry not only for fighting games newcomers, but for Dragon Ball fans in general.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Dragon Ball FighterZ is a mandatory purchase for every fan of anime. The story-based campaign keeps you entertained for many hours, and fighting with friends, thanks to a user-friendly combat system, beautiful graphics and high dynamics, will definitely appeal to both rookie and advanced players.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“If you're looking for a decent introduction into fighting games then this is absolutely the one, bar none. For veterans, it might feel a little dumbed down compared to the competition, but it's still an excellent fighter nonetheless.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“This is both the fighting game and Dragon Ball spin-off I never realized I always wanted. The production values are better, and the narrative tension is vastly improved. Given how Dragon Ball FighterZ amps up the drama on existing Dragon Ball storylines, increases engagement by allowing the player to take dialogue sequences at their own pace, and puts a polished, beautiful spin on the old cartoon, this isn't just my favorite Dragon Ball game. It's my favorite Dragon Ball anything.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“My time playing Dragon Ball FighterZ is some of the best time I’ve spent playing a fighting game in years. While the story mode progression is repetitive and a bit too easy at times, the original story and the various gameplay modes on offer will have me coming back and enjoying this game for quite some time.”
read full review ↗
GameMAG
3DNews
Slant Magazine
GameFM
Gadgets 360
Nintendo Life
eXputer
Hu3br
GRYOnline.pl
FourFaceButtons
Paste Magazine
ani-game.com…and 121 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Update: Cache File Deletion No Longer RequiredApr 14, 2026
- Super Baby 2 is now available & Patch Note 1.26Jan 15, 2021
- Patch Notes 1.25Sep 14, 2020
- Dragon Ball FighterZ Season 3 - Kefla & Free Update 1.21Feb 25, 2020significant · resets scoring window
- Dragon Ball FighterZ - 1.15 Patch notesMar 27, 2019significant · resets scoring window
- Dragon Ball FighterZ - System Adjustments 1.14 Patch NotesJan 30, 2019significant · resets scoring window
- Dragon Ball FighterZ gets new adjustments and free content today!Nov 28, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- Patch v.1.12, Cooler and Android 17 releasedOct 23, 2018
- DRAGON BALL FighterZ - Patch Note 1.11Aug 8, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- PATCH NOTES – June 20th 2018Jun 20, 2018
- Free update including new features and gampelay fixes coming on 9th May.May 7, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- Patch Note - 14th March 2018Mar 14, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- Patch Note - 14th March 2018Mar 14, 2018
- Dragon Ball FighterZ - Patch Feb 28thFeb 28, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- Dragon Ball FighterZ - Patch Feb 28thFeb 28, 2018
- Roadmap for Patches video announcementFeb 22, 2018
- Roadmap for Patches video announcementFeb 22, 2018