The criticism of Dragon Ball Super for its inconsistent power scale and sidelined characters is not just an anime debate. It is a mirror of the challenges faced by long-running video game sagas. By expanding the universe and adding new elements, the series struggles to maintain the essence and epic weight of its predecessor, a familiar problem for developers who must balance innovation with the identity of an established franchise. 🎮
Power balance and character development: lessons for game design ⚖️
The simplistic transformation into Super Saiyan God reflects a game balance problem. In sagas like Devil May Cry or God of War, introducing disproportionate powers early breaks the progression curve. Similarly, the sidelining of classic characters is analogous to an unbalanced roster in fighting games or RPGs, where new characters make icons obsolete without organic evolution. The solution lies in vertical expansion that grants new mechanics and unique roles to all characters, not just increasing stats. Examples like Final Fantasy XIV show how to satisfactorily reintegrate and develop previous lore.
Lore expansion without diluting the essence 📜
The hasty introduction of new universes and gods in Dragon Ball Super demonstrates the risk of expanding lore without a solid narrative foundation. In video games, sagas like Halo or Mass Effect have faced this challenge. The key is that each new addition serves to deepen the central themes and established rules of the universe, not just to increase its scale. Internal coherence is the pillar for an expansion that fans perceive as legitimate and not as a forced reboot.
How can designers of long narrative video game sagas balance character power progression to keep gameplay challenging and prevent the roster from becoming irrelevant?
(P.S.: a game developer is someone who spends 1000 hours making a game that people complete in 2)