Dragon Ball Xenoverse can be a bit overwhelming when you first lay your hands on the game. There are a ton of characters, a wide variety of skills, combos to learn, the basic mechanics of the combat and much more. Everyone has to start somewhere, so we took the liberty of compiling a list of essential information that newcomers to Xenoverse will need to know. Once you have the basics down, you’ll be able to move on to our Tips and Tricks and other articles going deeper and deeper into Xenoverse.
Choose Your Race
If you haven’t already taken a look at our race comparison article, be sure to head over and check that out. It gives you a detailed breakdown of the five races you can choose from in Xenoverse. You have eight character slots, which means you can create a character for each available gender and race (not all races have multiple genders). If you don’t like one race or gender, don’t worry about it. You can always create a new character. In fact, it’s likely you’ll have at least three or four characters because you’ll want to experience the different race attributes once you have a better handle on the game (and you probably want to see what a female Majin Buu would look like… we know!).
Items
During missions, you should always use your scouter to find various items that would otherwise be hidden. It’s best to do this right when the fight begins, or before you transition to a new area. Gather as many materials as you can so you can make items that may be useful in the future. There are a wide variety of items, and while you may find some completed items, more often than not you’ll have to combine materials in town to make the items you’re looking for.
Some items will restore health, while others will restore stamina. You can even find items that will automatically revive you if you fall during battle. It’s important to know what items you have available and use them frequently when in need. In many cases they can be just as important as your skills and combos.
Skills
You can set four skills or special moves for your character. There are a variety of ways to learn or purchase new skills, but you receive a basic set shortly after you create a character. Try as many different skills as you can until you have a set that works well for your style of play. If you’re a more defensive fighter, you may want evasive or healing skills. If you like to blast opponents from a distance, look for skills that enhance your Ki Blast techniques. There are skills for almost every style of fighting, so don’t be afraid to try them out to see what works best for you.
Master Trainers
When you get to Toki Toki town, you’ll come across some of your favorite characters from the Dragon Ball universe. If you speak to these characters, you may be able to go on missions with them, but more importantly, many of them will offer to train you. In most cases you’ll have to fight and defeat them first, but early on these are easy battles. There’s a level requirement for the Master Trainers, so you may not be able to get the Master you want right away. In fact, your first Master will almost certainly be Krillin (sorry about that!).
By training under these Masters, you’ll learn some of their special techniques that you can then equip to your character. The more Masters you train under, the more skills you’ll learn, and you won’t have to spend any of your hard-earned cash to get them. Just remember, you need to use your newfound skills in combat to advance your training.
Shops
There are a variety of stores in Toki Toki where you can purchase new skills, items and accessories. Most of the time, accessories only offer a visual change to your character’s appearance. Don’t spend money on them early on because you’ll need that money to buy more important things such as skills and items. However, once you have plenty of money, feel free to spend it on whatever you like. Just remember that your opponents and friends will buy new skills and items that may make them stronger than you, so spend your money wisely.
Combat
The combat in Dragon Ball Xenoverse revolves around hitting opponents with an array of combos until they have no health remaining. You can block all attacks except throws, charged heavy strikes and a few Ultimate and Super Attacks. Keep this in mind when getting hit. Defense is what wins battles, so be sure to remember that you can guard incoming attacks.
If you pause the game, you can look at a combo list for your character. It’s a branching list that shows you a variety of combos you can perform. Learn a few of these combos at a time, and use them on your opponent until you have them memorized. Once you’ve learned a combo, try adding a Super or Ultimate Attack to the end of it for even more damage. If you get caught by a combo, use the Vanish ability to escape, but remember that you can’t use Vanish unless you have Stamina.
Head over to our Combat System Breakdown for more on Dragon Ball Xenoverse!
