Dragon Ball Project: Multi Playtest Impressions - From Kamehameha to MOBA Mayhem
If you haven't played a MOBA game before, this one will hook you with its addictive gameplay.
Dragon Ball fans are eating good this year! With "Dragon Ball Sparking Zero" and the new anime "Dragon Ball DAIMA" both dropping in October, it’s already a great time. But now, there's also a new game on the horizon called "Project: Multi." They’re currently hosting an Open Beta from August 20th to September 3rd, and I’ve had a great time playing it so far.
"Project: Multi" is a MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) game, a genre I was initially skeptical about. I wondered how Dragon Ball would translate into this format, but after diving in, I can say they nailed it. Despite its mobile-first design and the usual monetization features, there's a genuinely fun game underneath, rewarding players for completing different missions.
Personally, I don’t usually play MOBAs. I’ve tried games like "League of Legends" and "SMITE," but they never really clicked for me. Mostly because I see how the intense the games can be from watching tournaments. But, "Project Multi" changed that. From the moment I started playing, I finally understood why people get hooked on MOBAs. This game is addictive. I played it on both PC and Steam Deck (which ran great without any issues or workarounds), though it’s also available on iOS and Android.
When you start up the game, you're greeted with a cool opening sequence. The intro video showcases some of the characters you can play as, like Goku, Vegeta, and Piccolo, and gives a sneak peek of the battle arena. You’re then thrown into a tutorial where you learn the game mechanics in a 1v1 match, playing as Goku against Vegeta.
The main goal of any MOBA is to reach the opposing team’s side and destroy their core objective. In "Project Multi," that objective is the Dragon Shell, which you need to destroy to retrieve the Dragon Ball. Beerus and Whis guide you through the tutorial and also play a role in the main gameplay once you start actual matches. The gameplay itself is fantastic and can be played entirely with a controller. Your character flies around the map, and if you fly in the same direction for a bit, you speed up. But watch out—getting hit resets your flying speed. So, if you’re rushing back into battle after being taken down, you can dodge enemies and get back into the action quickly.
The map is populated with regular enemies that you need to defeat to level up, allowing your character to transform and power up attacks. Goku’s regular attack, Rush Attack, is performed by holding A on the Xbox controller. His skill, Kamehameha, is activated with the right bumper, and you can aim it using the right stick, which adds a nice strategic element. Another skill, Hammer Jump, is triggered with the right trigger and is a charged attack perfect for beginning a combo. The left trigger activates Kaio-ken, boosting your speed. You can also dodge attacks with B, but there’s a cooldown to prevent overuse.
Characters can transform at around Level 7. For Goku and Vegeta, this means going Super Saiyan, increasing their attack and speed. Each character also has a special attack that deals massive damage. For Goku, it’s the Spirit Bomb, which is activated by pressing both the left and right triggers. The higher your level, the larger the radius of your attacks—so at Level 10, your Spirit Bomb is almost impossible to escape.
One of my favorite features is the cutscene animation that plays when you defeat an enemy player, showing your character delivering a finishing blow. If you and a teammate are both attacking the same enemy, you’ll both appear in the cutscene, and it’s so satisfying. In one match, I was Goku, and a teammate was Kid Gohan. We kept getting those cutscenes back-to-back, and it was fire.
The game map has tiered locations before you can reach the Dragon Shell. Both sides have God of Destruction areas where you can restore your health if it’s on your side, or damage you if you’re on the enemies side. There are two sets of these areas on each side of the map before you reach the Dragon Shell. The map splits left and right, so it’s a good idea for two teammates to go left and the other two to go right. Champa can also appear on the enemy team’s side. However, don’t venture into the enemy’s God of Destruction area without Zen-Oh! As the supreme ruler of the multiverse, Zen-Oh can damage and distract the God of Destruction, preventing you from taking heavy damage. If you go without him, you’ll get wrecked.
Zen-Oh appears at certain times depending on how much you’re pushing forward in the battlefield. He only stays out for a short period, so it’s best to unleash all your skills against the God of Destruction while he’s around so your team can advance to the next area. The God of Destruction has a ton of health, so teamwork is key! You also have support characters, called helpers, that can boost your attacks, movement speed, and more.
What I love about this game is how it incorporates so many elements from the Dragon Ball series in a way that makes sense. I love how you can switch outfits from different eras, like Krillin’s white suit or Vegeta’s "Bad Man" outfit. You can also customize the Finisher Attack Effects, which are new animations for when you defeat an enemy, as well as the Battle Effects, which change the visuals of your attacks. There are emotes for the start and end of matches, showcasing who’s who and who won. You can also upgrade the Star Grade of each character, which helps you earn more capsules and hero coins after each match. You can even place a character on the main page of the game, decked out in the outfit of your choice!
Each character also has a video showcasing their skills and moves on the battlefield, so you know what you’re getting before you unlock them. Unfortunately, a lot of these unlocks are tied to monetization or grinding. Thankfully, I’ve been able to earn enough Hero Coins (the main currency) to unlock characters, though it does take time. Each character costs 6,000 Hero Coins or 700 Diamonds (paid currency). There’s also Zeni, which you can use to buy Capsules, Hero Coins, or Diamonds.
Capsules are essentially loot boxes containing randomized items. You can earn up to five grey capsules daily, which usually contain colorway skins for characters or sometimes a stamp or helper. Red capsules, on the other hand, unlock the cooler skins, like Goku’s Aloha Outfit or Piccolo’s Post Boy Outfit. The downside is that it’s all random—I’ve unlocked a bunch of skins for characters I don’t even have, like Android 18 or Trunks. Still, it’s cool that we get some free capsules and can unlock outfits without spending money.
There’s also a Battle Pass, where you can unlock Zeni, Capsules, Special Capsules and more. It has free and premium tiers, with the latter requiring a purchase. You can progress through the Battle Pass by completing missions or events, which reward you with Zeni or Special Capsules. I’m not sure why they have these monetization features in beta, but I hope anything you buy carries over to the final game. Outside of that, something technical I like is that the game does the Battle History feature at the end of matches, which shows the scoreboard, team list, detailed data (like KOs and damage), and a Map Log where you can see where you defeated enemies or where you died. It’s cool to see how in-depth it goes with that information.
It’s funny because as I am finishing writing this article, people who participated in the Open Beta were gifted 3,000,000 diamonds. So we can actually get characters and costumes that were locked behind premium currency, which is pretty cool. Hopefully, after the beta, they will change what things can be unlocked without that premium currency, so it’ll make progression even better.
So far, I’m really enjoying "Dragon Ball Project Multi." It’s a refreshing change from the usual Dragon Ball fighters like Xenoverse or Budokai Tenkaichi. This game has the potential to attract a new audience—fans of both Dragon Ball and MOBAs. Even as someone who doesn’t usually play MOBAs, I’m hooked. I can’t wait to see what they add in the full release, from characters and outfits to battle arenas and more. The beta ends tomorrow, so if you get a chance to play, don’t miss out!