Dragon Ball: The Breakers is quite a different experience for the franchise, casting players into asymmetrical multiplayer matches where average humans struggle to survive against the likes of Frieza and Majin Buu. While the game has a very brief tutorial, it throws you into the deep end right off the bat, meaning you’ll need to figure most everything out for yourself. Luckily, we’re here to help you on your way with this tips and tricks guide.
How to Win a Match
There are essentially three different ways for both the survivors and the raider to win a match. Typically, the survivors will have a harder time achieving victory, especially if they aren’t working together. Because the game doesn’t make all the ways of victory clear, we’ll help lay them out.
Winning as a Survivor
Method 1: Beat the Breaker
The first, and typically hardest, way for survivors to win is by fighting the Breaker and reducing their health to zero. While this may seem impossible at first, a good team that works together, teaming up on the Breaker with their D-Changes. You charge your D-Change Gauge by collecting power cubes scattered around the map. If you plan to fight a Raider, you almost always need to be in groups of at least three to have a chance.
At the same time, the easiest option is to collect all the Dragon Balls, head to an alter, and then wish for the “Ultimate Dragon Change,” which will super power your character for the rest of the match, letting you go toe-to-toe with the Raider.
Method 2: Activate the Super Time Machine
The second and most common way of winning is by activating the Super Time Machine, which is done by collecting Power Keys from each zone and placing them in their slots. Once all Power Keys are activated, the time machine will appear and an automatic countdown will start.
If the gauge at the top fills, the survivor team wins, but the trick is that the Raider can also destroy the time machine, which means they win the match. Any survivor can speed up the time machine charge by running up to it and interacting with it (holding Triangle on PlayStation or Y on Xbox). It’s usually a good idea to have a few survivors focus on distracting the Raider, while the others charge the time machine.
Method 3: Use the Escape Time Machine
If the time machine is destroyed, there’s a third way to win for any remaining survivors. Once the Super Time Machine is destroyed, an Escape Time Machine will appear. If the remaining survivors can summon the escape machine and ride it away, it will still count as a win, even though the Raider technically wins the whole match.
Winning as a Raider
Method 1: Eliminate All Survivors
The Raider’s primary way of winning a match is by eliminating all seven survivors, which means either downing or killing them. Attacking a survivor will down them, starting a countdown until the character dies. The first time a survivor is downed, and X will appear next to their name, and if that survivor is downed again, the Raider can kill them permanently by going next to them and holding Triangle/Y. If all seven survivors are killed, or simply just downed, the Raider wins.
Method 2: Destroy the Super Time Machine
The second way for the Raider to win is by destroying the Super Time Machine. This means as soon as the time machine appears, the Raider should exclusively focus on destroying it, especially since there’s a countdown at that point. Survivors will normally flock to the time machine anyway, making them easier to down.
Method 3: Let the Survivors Escape
If the Super Time Machine is destroyed, the Raider can still hunt down and eliminate the other survivors before they use the Escape Time Machine, but if they get away, the Raider will still win.
Try Playing as the Raider
Even if you only want to play as a survivor in Dragon Ball: The Breakers, it’s a good idea to play as a Raider at least a few times. Playing as the Raider gives you a good idea of how the role actually works, and what each of the three Raiders looks for when they hunt down survivors. Having an integral understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of each Raider can help you strategize better when you’re facing them as a survivor.
How to Change Your Raider
If you’re playing as a Raider, you’ll likely want to switch things up and try not just Frieza, but also Cell and Majin Buu. Luckily, it’s incredibly easy to switch your raider.
The first thing you need to do if you want to play as a raider is hit L1/LB in the Online Match Waiting Room, which will change your desired role to Raider. Once you’ve joined a match and are assigned the Raider Role, hit Triangle/Y when you’re in the queue screen, and you’ll be able to pick which one of the three Raiders you want to play as.
Learn How and When to Use Items
Items are absolutely essential for success as a survivor, and the items you pick up can oftentimes shape your approach to a match. The most obvious way this happens is if you pick up any of the three radars: Power Key, Survivor, or Dragon Ball.
For example, if you pick up a Power Key radar early on, you should be focusing on finding power keys while the other survivors do other things. The same goes for the other radars. Apart from radars, it’s a good idea to learn what each item does so you know when to use it. Here’s a quick description of each item.
- Senzu Bean: Lets you instantly revive yourself or another survivor.
- Barrier Recovery Device: Instantly restores your barrier if it’s been destroyed.
- Rocket Launcher: Fires a rocket that can briefly stun the Raider.
- Super Rocket Launcher: A rocket luancher with four shots.
- Vegeta’s Gloves: Allows you to use a Gallick Gun attack that damages and stuns the raider.
- Cooldown Drink: Restored 40% of your D-Charge if it’s been used.
While items are important, don’t forget to use your skills, as well. For example, the grappling hook can be essential for getting across the map quickly or escaping from a Raider.
Prioritize Power Keys and Survivors
Your primary focus in each match should be to track down the Power Keys, as that’s quite literally your key to winning. At the same time, it’s also good to save any survivors you might stumble upon, as it means the Raider can’t absorb them to increase their power.
If another survivor finds a Power Key, you can always head to the point and start activating it yourself, and multiple survivors can activate a Power Key to make the process go faster.
The longer a match goes on, the stronger a Raider can get. That means you want to hit objectives as fast as you can, so your team always has a fighting chance.
Save Your D-Change Gauge
D-Charge is the most valuable ability you have in Dragon Ball: The Breakers, and finding charge cubes across the map will help you build up your gauge’s different levels. We have a guide detailing how exactly Transpheres and D-Charge work, but in general your best bet is to keep the gauge and not use your transformation unless absolutely necessary.
The biggest reason for this is because of the Super Time Machine, and the Raider’s ability to destroy it. At least one survivor will need to distract the Raider, which means you’ll need a D-Charge for this segment.
At the same time, be smart about things. If you see multiple survivors attacking the Raider and causing serious damage, it might be a good idea to pop your transformation and jump into the fray in an effort to completely take out the Raider.
Take Advantage of a Raider’s First Stage
Speed is the most important thing in winning matches, and this means the opening minutes can be absolutely vital. The Raider’s first stage is the weakest, and Cell especially won’t really be able to take anyone out in his Larva form. Your first few minutes should be spent trying to gather all the power you can, and getting your hands on a few radars so finding important items will be easier.
With those tips under your belt, you should have an easier time taking on other players in Dragon Ball: The Breakers. If you want some allies check out our guide on how to play with friends, and stay tuned for more tips and tricks.
Published: Oct 23, 2022 12:35 am