The handlers from publisher Team17 blew my mind with an experience I felt was unique, a term I’ve never used to describe a video game in my 11 years working in the enthusiast press. I hadn’t watched the trailer, so I wasn’t sure what to expect besides seeing what appeared to be a sci-fi game with a generic name. I’d decided to walk into my demo with Genesis: Alpha One blind. Winner: Genesis: Alpha One (Radiation Blue) Dragon Ball Fighterz shows how creativity is just as important as technology if you want to make a gorgeous game. But the camera is able to move around the fighters during special moves or other events, adding a cinematic flair that sprite-based characters could never replicate. And when you’re fighting in the classic side-view, you wouldn’t even know that the characters existed in three dimensions. The studio is able to make stylized 3D models that look like 2D drawings. We’ve seen Arc System Works use a similar art style for Guilty Gear Xrd, another one of its fighting games. And it’s not just any anime Arc System Works has managed to make a 2D fighting game that brings Dragon Ball Z - the ultimate guilty pleasure for those that love Japanese animation at its cheesiest - to life on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

At E3, the most striking title stood out because it looked like an anime cartoon brought to life. The prettiest games don’t always focus on photorealism.