The Servers Need Ironing Out
5 Takeaways From The Dragon Ball FighterZ Beta
The beta had massive difficulties on Sunday, which was the first day it opened to the public. Simply entering a server was a trial for many, but even those who crossed this barrier didn’t have any more luck experiencing Dragon Ball FighterZ. Once in the lobby, finding a game was essentially impossible. Avatars ran around the lobby screen like panicked children hoping to find a single match, but only a few were lucky enough. Even though the tutorial was available, being prevented from actually playing online was an enormous tease that frustrated players. The lobby music is awesome and made waiting bearable – for 30 minutes. Unfortunately, even six hours wasn’t enough to land a fight with another human.
Fortunately, connecting to servers and finding matches became easier today. Some are still experiencing difficulties, but the vast difference between the first and second day of the beta is a promising sign for this fighter. A free open-beta likely brings in a number of players with no intention to buy the game on launch day, and Bandai-Namco’s ability to respond to these inflated numbers is a great sign. When I got into matches, I had few issues with lag. The frantic, high-FPS battles of the tutorial mode mostly hold up online. Reports were mixed, but hopefully this beta will let Bandai-Namco iron out issues before the game’s actual release later this month. The quality of the Dragon Ball FighterZ online experience will determine its staying power. When players’ ability to win is hampered by network problems, they feel cheated. First impressions are important. A strong start, including promptly addressing the inevitable launch-time hiccups, is a must for Dragon Ball FighterZ.
This post was originally written by Sean Pyle.