Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3

 PlayStation 2
  • Publisher: Atari
  • Release Date: Nov 16, 2004
User Score
8.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 242 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 212 out of 242
  2. Mixed: 19 out of 242
  3. Negative: 11 out of 242
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  1. AB
    Feb 2, 2005
    7
    Atari has finally put some effort into making a decent fighting game for "Dragon Ball Z" fans. Too bad I'm not one of them. I rented this game because it has pretty good reviews, plus I was craving a fighting game. But the problem is that I just came from playing "Dead or Alive Ultimate." "Budokai 3" has nothing near the replay value of "DOA." There are fewer moves and the graphics Atari has finally put some effort into making a decent fighting game for "Dragon Ball Z" fans. Too bad I'm not one of them. I rented this game because it has pretty good reviews, plus I was craving a fighting game. But the problem is that I just came from playing "Dead or Alive Ultimate." "Budokai 3" has nothing near the replay value of "DOA." There are fewer moves and the graphics are good, but no where near "DOA." This is a great fighting game but would be better if it were released five years ago. It just can't stand up to "Soul Calibur II," "Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution," or the "Dead or Alive" series.… Expand
  2. MattE.
    Jan 10, 2005
    7
    Decent game. kinda gets boring after the 3rd day. im sure glad i rented it. boy would i be kicking myself right now. no cenimetics at all, thats the big downer that could of made this game a 8 or pissibly a 9. oh well . myabe the 4th one will be better.
  3. iKen
    Apr 12, 2020
    7
    Played on PlayStation 2.
    Gameplay: GOOD.
    Story: OKAY.
    Graphic: GOOD.
    Music/Sound: OKAY.
    Dialogue: OKAY
  4. FreedomFighters
    Mar 4, 2018
    7
    "Dragon Ball Z: Budokai" was a fighter that I, unlike the general public, wasn't all that fond of. However, after playing it on the HD Collection, I realized that I hadn't played "Budokai 3" on the collection, and I've heard a number of solid things about it, so I figured that I should give it a shot. I was initially skeptical of this one, but I actually walked away pleasantly surprised at"Dragon Ball Z: Budokai" was a fighter that I, unlike the general public, wasn't all that fond of. However, after playing it on the HD Collection, I realized that I hadn't played "Budokai 3" on the collection, and I've heard a number of solid things about it, so I figured that I should give it a shot. I was initially skeptical of this one, but I actually walked away pleasantly surprised at how solid the game was.
    "Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3," off the bat, improved on one of my biggest issues with the first game: the controls. Where the original "Budokai" suffered greatly from very bulky controls, this game feels a lot better. It was a little awkward at first for me, but after a few matches, it was smooth-sailing, and the game was a lot of fun. The cel-shaded visuals are quite nice (and the HD facelift from the collection definitely helps), the game is fast-paced, and it definitely feels faithful to Dragon Ball Z in regards to the voice-acting and the sounds. It was very clear, right from the jump, that this game was made with a lot of heart and effort, especially in comparison to the first game, and with plenty of storylines to go through and characters to play with, there's tons of replayability with this one.
    I do want to point out a few problems I had with the game: for starters, while the game's battle system and controls are far better than before, it does start to feel extremely repetitive after a while. And while the story "cutscenes" feel faithful to the source material, I do wish there were a few CGI-recreated scenes, like there were in the first game. Sure, they were awkward then, but at least it was a sign that they were trying. With how solid the game's visuals were, I would've liked to see them try again this time around.
    Even so, "Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3" definitely improves on what the original "Budokai" did, and it earns a wholehearted recommendation to huge "Dragon Ball Z" fans. That said, I do also think there's plenty here to please gamers that aren't really all that into "Dragon Ball Z." I don't really care much for the series, but I definitely had fun with it, and I think you guys will, too.
    Final rating: 7 out of 10 "Good"    … Expand
  5. David_Breaker
    Sep 7, 2020
    7
    Jogo muito legal, muita coisa para se fazer, muito golpes, etc. Porém, ele tem um sistema de batalha confuso, além de ter um sistema de sorte ou azar, o que eu detesto.
  6. M_MIXER
    Sep 29, 2022
    7
    GOOD《7/10》⭐⭐

    《STORY》

Awards & Rankings

70
#70 Best PS2 Game of 2004
18
#18 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2004
9
#9 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2004

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 32
  3. Negative: 2 out of 32
  1. 1UP
    80
    It's hard to find any major faults with Budokai 3. With 40 characters from Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball GT, the Saiyan Overdrive System, and an ambitious new story mode, I'm absolutely blown away by this game. If you're a DBZ fan like me, there's no reason to think you won't be too.
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  2. GamerFeed
    40
    You can only ride on the license for so long before things get stale, and that's exactly what's happened here. If you loved the first two, you'll still probably love this one, but when do fighting game fans get to have fun with a DBZ game?
    Read full review
  3. PALGN
    80
    The game is extremely fast.
    Read full review
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