Surprisingly Easy Yet Thrilling Super Warrior Experience! An Exceptional “Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3” Hands-On Report【TGS2026】

Hey everyone, do you like “Dragon Ball”? I’m part of the generation that grew up with “Dragon Ball,” so I used to imitate moves like the Kamehameha all the time. “Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3,” scheduled for release in 2027, lets you fully immerse yourself in the world of the “Dragon Ball” series—such a great franchise.

At the Bandai Namco Entertainment booth at “TGS 2026,” the first public playable demo in Japan was set up, so I went to check it out.

To be honest, this was my first time playing any game in the Xenoverse series, but to cut to the chase: I had absolutely no issues. In fact, I was surprised to find myself thinking, “Is playing Dragon Ball really this easy?” Let me walk you through it step by step.

The Booth Itself Was “AGE 1000”

First of all, the moment I approached the booth, its presence was overwhelming.

A massive “DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE 3” logo sign hung near the ceiling, with an illustration of Shenron peeking out from between the letters of the title. Just looking up at that logo was enough to get me excited, whether I wanted to or not.

Meanwhile, a massive monitor on the wall continuously played previously released promotional videos with breathtaking intensity. Against the backdrop of a futuristic cityscape, super warriors clashed, and energy blasts filled the screen.

As I was watching, a scene played where an enemy was kicked through the city skyline and sent flying away along with explosion effects—the sheer scale of it made me stop in my tracks. Being able to experience that intensity on a big screen is something you can only do at the venue.

Then there was the demo station area. Here, too, a massive, widescreen monitor was mounted overhead, displaying a close-up view of the cityscape of the Western Capital in AGE 1000.Futuristic skyscrapers, tube-shaped walkways floating in the air, and the neon lights of Capsule Corporation. With this futuristic city—which also evoked a sense of nostalgia—spanning overhead, the sight of players being drawn into the demo stations lined with PS5 consoles and headphones was, in itself, a scene straight out of the future.

Deploying after a briefing from Gamma-1

What was interesting was the path leading up to sitting at the demo station.

An area resembling a briefing room was set up before gameplay, where “Gamma-1” explained what players could do during the upcoming demo.

This was really well done. Rather than just reading a control guide, the experience involves receiving mission instructions from an in-game character before setting out, so by the time you reach the demo station, you’re already fully immersed in the role of a “member of the Great Saiya Squadron (hereinafter GS Squadron).” Being sent off by Gamma No. 1 and heading to the battlefield—it doesn’t get any better than that for an introduction.

Choose from Two Types of Avatars

In this demo, players were able to choose one of two playable avatars.

One type becomes stronger when knocked out of combat. The other specializes in “Break” performance. Since both differ not only in combat style but also in their Awakening Skills, you’re essentially asked, “How do you want to fight?”

I chose the one specialized in Break performance. That’s because “Break” is at the very core of this game’s battle system.

To briefly summarize, the game’s special moves and ultimate moves are categorized into three types: “Guard Penetration,” “Stamina Drain,” and “Break Critical.”When you reduce an enemy’s Stamina Gauge to zero, they enter a “Stamina Break” state. If you then land a “Break Critical” move on them, a special “Break Critical” animation triggers, dealing massive damage—that’s the flow. In other words, the basic battle cycle is “chipping away, breaking down, and finishing the fight.”

One major change from *Xenoverse 2* is that special moves no longer consume the Power Gauge; instead, each move has its own cooldown. Since you don’t have to worry about gauge levels and hold back on using moves, you can unleash them freely—which is a welcome change. Conversely, it’s a waste not to use them, so you should use them whenever possible to gain the upper hand in battle.

Even if it’s your first time playing the series, you can still fully experience “Dragon Ball”

Choose your avatar and head out on a mission. The early stages begin with battles against waves of minor enemies that appear one after another.

My first impression here was just how easy the controls were to get the hang of. As mentioned earlier, this is my first time playing the *Xenoverse* series, but even so, the high-speed hand-to-hand combat befitting Super Warriors and the exchanges of energy blasts come together surprisingly easily.

Punch, kick, step back to fire a Ki blast, then dive back in. This classic “Dragon Ball combat” sequence—the one you instantly recognize—can be recreated with your own hands without having to memorize complex commands. Even if you’re not a series veteran, as long as you’re familiar with the original manga or anime, the game is designed so you can intuitively do exactly what you want to do.

Another thing I really enjoyed was that three CPU-controlled characters accompany you and fight alongside you. The premise of deploying as a team—the GS Sentai—is directly reflected in the gameplay. Aside from the reassurance of having allies providing support, there was a strong sense of “carrying out a mission as a member of the Sentai.”

The battle between Super Warriors is on an overwhelming scale

Once you’ve swept aside the minor enemies and reached the innermost chamber, the final obstacle standing in your way is—Broly (Super) SS Full Power.

He’s strong. Just incredibly strong. He launches a ferocious assault straight out of the movies—becoming invincible at the start and when his health drops below a certain threshold, and firing energy blasts in all directions—and since defeating him within the time limit earns you a bonus item, you’re absolutely desperate to take him down. In the early stages, I was on the defensive the whole time, and honestly, there were moments when I thought, “This might be impossible.”

That’s when “Soul Change” became my trump card.

This is a system where, when the gauge is full, you summon the “Souls” of warriors from the Dragon Ball series and borrow their power to fight. In this demo, “Future Trunks (Z)” was set as the summoned character.

When activated, it’s incredibly effective. Not only does your health increase to about 1.5 times your normal level and fully recover, but you also gain access to a special move exclusive to Soul Change. The thrill of turning the tables from a cornered position and dealing massive damage to Broly all at once with Trunks’ move is truly incredible.The emotional joy of transforming into a favorite character from the original series and the practical benefit of actually turning the tide of battle were a perfect match.

That said, the opponent was Broly. In the end, I was defeated once. Even so, with the help of my teammates’ support and the power of Soul Change, I hung in there and managed to defeat Broly. Although I didn’t finish him off within the time limit, I remember letting out a sigh of relief the moment it was over.

It was an intensely immersive demo that clearly conveyed how the entire booth was designed as a single cohesive experience. Regardless of whether you’ve played the series before, you can truly savor the experience of “fighting in the Dragon Ball world” itself. That’s what struck me the most this time. I can’t wait for the release.

“Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3” is scheduled for release in 2027 on PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S, and STEAM®.

© Bird Studio / Shueisha, Toei Animation © Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.