Dragon Ball Z: Vice City

"Fuck bitches, get money, and protect the Dragon Balls at all costs"

- game slogan Dragon Ball Z: Vice City is an open-world third-person action shooter game released by Rockstar Studios in early 2017 for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. It takes place on the Earth of DBZ, in an alternate universe where the Z-Fighters are vigilantes that struggle to stop a global drug syndicate known as 'the Cold Organization' and protect the multi-million zeni Dragon Balls from coming into its possession. It has received critical acclaim and released several expansions featuring other various playable DB characters and villains.

Overview
Setting

The game's primary location is in East City, known in the game as 'Vice City'. The game is set around the Cell Games Saga, Age 767. Because law enforcement is poor, the cities of Earth are dark, gritty, crime-ridden, and drug-laced (full of cartels and the mafia). The main vigilante gang consists of Goku, Vegeta, Krillin, Piccolo, Future Trunks, and Tien. After completing certain missions later on, you can play as more characters such as Android 18 and Mr Satan. The goal of the game is primarily to prevent the main bosses from getting the Dragon Balls, large shiny diamonds said to grant wishes if you rub them, worth millions of dollars. The game is set in Earth's 7 main cities: North, South, West, Satan, Central, and Vice (East). Each city has one of the Dragon Balls in possession of the mafia there, and must be retrieved, which will take lots of effort and bloodshed.

Gameplay

The game is played from a third-person perspective, and the player can navigate the entire Dragon Ball Earth on foot or by vehicle. The player fights using a variety of different weapons (guns, grenades, explosives), physical enhancements (those with tails or spikes), or martial arts. Characters can fly (if full health), drive cars, take flights, etc., most functions one can do in a city. Though given benefit of the doubt, if characters attack innocents or commit crime, the police may be dispatched on them (and they can harm you in numbers) or another character may attack you (worst scenario). Characters can talk with civilians and do missions to earn Zeni. They can also get hookers, visit strip joints, and engage in hard drug usage (which can have effects). The character needs money to buy certain things (ammunition, armor, vehicle flips, clothes, food), but most can be otherwise stolen or obtained (depending on skill). Property can also be bought in each city where the player can run their own operation.

Each character has specific skillsets, mission ability, and backgrounds that give them advantages. Some of their backstories are different or more dramatized than in DBZ. There are several other notable changes from normal DBZ. The characters are all much less powerful than normal as well (ex. throwing cars at full power), however Super Saiyan still exists as a temporary powerup (and can only be achieved by taking drugs).

There are several different missions and storylines in the game, three major ones (for each boss, King Cold, Cell, and Dr Gero). They can all be done simultaneously (though it is much more difficult) and have time limits (in days, weeks, etc). They are long and usually involve raiding houses, killing cronies, stopping drug smuggles, etc.. Smaller missions are similar.

The game has a lot of different music in it, notably played while flying (with MP3) or using car radio. There are several stations with satire comedy and music ranging from metal to electronic vaporwave.

Expansions

 * Dragon Ball Z: Vice City Plus - this expansion features many new missions and characters. It has a new extended plotline; the syndicate has relocated onto several other planets across the Milky Way Galaxy. The characters can travel to over 10 specific planets (including Namek, where a meth operation is going on) each with several cities, characters, races, and missions.
 * Dragon Ball Z: Vice City GT - this takes place 23 years after the original game, thus featuring many new characters such as Majin Buu, Pan, Goten, and Baby.

Playable
The main protagonists: Unlockable: Expansions:
 * Goku
 * Vegeta
 * Krillin
 * Piccolo
 * Future Trunks
 * Tien
 * Android 18
 * Mr Satan
 * Teen Gohan
 * Yamcha
 * Uub
 * Pan
 * Pikkon
 * Adult Gohan
 * More

Bosses
Most of the villains are cronies of the main bosses: Expansions:
 * King Cold aka 'the Cold' (leader of the global syndicate; final boss)
 * Frieza & Cooler (the sons of the Cold, extremely tough and well-protected)
 * Cell (appears after one of the brothers are defeated, is a rogue working for himself)
 * Doctor Gero (has vendetta against the gang for wrecking his meth lab pre-game, creates powerful robots)
 * Majin Buu - a powerful creation of a scientist who is very destructive
 * Majin Vegeta - a storyline where Vegeta becomes evil and joins the mafia
 * Baby
 * Android 17 - appears after his sister is unlocked
 * Super 17