Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Could Mean Big Things for Dragon Ball GT
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot retells the classic Z story in the most in-depth way possible for a video game. It's not perfect, but many find it is easy enough to overlook the game's less-than-ideal qualities to play an action RPG set in the DBZ world. However, many have reached the endgame of Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot and are wanting more in terms of DLC.
Luckily, there's plenty of stories left to tell in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, but data mines and leaks suggest that the original Broly movies and Dragon Ball Super are next on the doc. This leaves one iteration of the show out of the conversation: Dragon Ball GT. Notably, there are quite a few reasons ranging from the general distaste for GT to the fact that it's mostly non-canon, but if it were to receive the Kakarot treatment, it could mean big things for this iteration of the franchise.
First, it's worth pondering on whether or not it could come in the form of DLC or as a sequel to Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot. Details regarding the current season pass are scarce, but it seems like it could only contain one of the aforementioned DLCs. It seems like a stretch to assume that it could or would be the Broly movies and Super, likely meaning that Super would just be the Gods of the Universe Saga, which is technically part of the Z story.
Unless there were multiple season passes, then Gods of the Universe could only set up Dragon Ball Super for the Kakarot treatment. This would basically rule out GT as DLC, and on top of that, GT as DLC couldn't correct the course the way a full-fledged sequel could.
Perhaps one of the biggest draws for a GT-like DBZ: Kakarot game is that it could fix canon. Bandai Namco already took a few creative privileges in the current game, whether that's the inclusion of Android 21 and Mira, the Piccolo destroying the moon retcon, or the re-contextualizing of Gohan's Super Saiyan 2 transformation. Dragon Ball GT could explain quite a few things that players have issues with, and an example of that is Vegeta's hair.
It is drastically different in Dragon Ball GT than DBZ, which is an issue because a Saiyan's hair never changes (but they can go bald a la Nappa). Presumably, it's meant to show that Vegeta has become more humanized, more like his half-blooded children, so the game could add a substory that explores that. Substories could play a big role here in at least providing some explanation that could smooth things over with naysayers.
Furthermore, there's the idea of multiple timelines. Cell Saga already proves that 3 exist, and Mira's secret boss fight also hints that there's more. It could suggest that Super and GT are essentially separate timelines, with the gaming franchise using Mira as a way to bring them all together. After all, Xenoverse reveals that the entire GT timeline is potentially contained in the Tokitoki egg (Mira obtains Super Saiyan 4 powers). This is admittedly a pipe dream, but in theory, it could work.
With the exception of the story, there wouldn't really be a lot of core changes to a Dragon Ball GT: Kakarot game either. Super Saiyan transformations and fusions still exist, with the only notable and exciting changes being that of Super Saiyan. Even those who disdain Dragon Ball GT will admit that Super Saiyan 4 is one of the best transformations, so playing SS4 Goku, SS4 Vegeta, and SS4 Gogeta would really just be pushing the system a little further.
But ultimately, there's the question of whether this could come to fruition. Theoretically, it could--DBZ: Kakarot sets a baseline that could be followed and improved upon in sequels, bringing this anime franchise directly into an action RPG. However, Super is far more popular and more likely to happen. This popularity could be a defining factor, as Dragon Ball GT could lag behind in sales compared to Z or even a theoretical Super game, simply because many do not like it near as much.
That doesn't mean it's impossible; it just means that the marketing would need to be on-point. Even if Dragon Ball GT: Kakarot was seen as a course correction for the lackluster anime iteration, the right pushes before release could help seal the deal. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot made it clear that it was telling the Z story with accuracy, including new characters and events, and if it were to do so with GT under the premise that it was bringing the anime into line with the DBZ canon (or at least as much as possible), that could be equally attention getting.
Ultimately, time will tell, but it's clear that Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot could have big implications for the franchise as a whole. Dragon Ball GT could be a part of that, but it's really in Bandai Namco and developer CyberConnect2's hands.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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