Understanding the Power of Awakening
Defining Awoken Skills
What exactly are Awoken Skills? They are the cornerstone of transformation, unlocking the hidden potential within your chosen race. Think of them as the ultimate character modifiers. They provide buffs to stats, change the way your character fights, or even grant entirely new abilities. Awoken Skills manifest in several ways, from the iconic Super Saiyan transformations to unique enhancements that define the different races within Xenoverse 2.
How Awoken Skills Work
These skills aren’t just about a flashy new look; they are fundamental to how you approach battles. Many Awoken Skills consume Ki, stamina, or health depending on the skill. Knowing how to manage these resources is just as important as the skills themselves. The duration of an Awoken Skill can vary, and knowing when to activate and deactivate them is crucial for maintaining momentum in a fight. Different skills also have varying activation conditions. Some activate automatically when enough Ki is charged, while others have specific requirements.
Unlocking and Leveling Up
Unlocking the power of transformation isn’t simply a matter of reaching a certain level. You’ll need to complete specific quests, often involving mentors who will test your skills and your understanding of the Dragon Ball universe. These mentors, like Goku, Vegeta, and Frieza, will provide the steps you need to take to unlock the ability to transform or unleash a special skill. The gameplay requires players to learn and utilize these unique abilities.
Leveling up Awoken Skills is often a passive process, linked to your overall character level or through completing certain challenges. The higher the level of your chosen ability, the greater the benefits. For example, a higher-level Super Saiyan form may grant more significant stat buffs or reduce the Ki drain.
Key Differences
The difference between each Awoken Skill is vast. Some skills are about raw power, like Super Saiyan’s raw boost to attack power, while others focus on utility, like potential unleashed. Some skills are designed for offensive play, while others provide defensive benefits or alter your basic attacks, making them faster or granting them new properties. Choosing the correct ability can transform your character, and your playstyle, from a strong fighter to a force to be reckoned with.
Race-Specific Transformations and Abilities
The beauty of Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 lies in its diverse roster of playable races. Each race has its unique traits and access to exclusive Awoken Skills. These racial skills are where the real customization begins, shaping how you build and play your character.
Unleashing Saiyan Power
The Saiyan race is arguably the most iconic, known for its transformations and incredible power potential. The range of available skills for Saiyans is staggering, reflecting the evolution of the Saiyan race throughout the Dragon Ball saga.
Super Saiyan Forms
Super Saiyan: The quintessential Saiyan transformation. Super Saiyan unlocks an increase in damage and speed while consuming Ki.
Super Saiyan 2: An advancement that increases the gains from the previous form.
Super Saiyan 3: A more powerful form with greater stat buffs but a higher Ki drain.
Super Saiyan God: A form that allows you to draw upon divine Ki, increasing damage and speed while also consuming Ki.
Super Saiyan Blue: The most powerful transformation of the Saiyan race, combining the power of Super Saiyan with the divine energy of Super Saiyan God. There are two versions of this skill. The standard version grants a balanced buff to your Ki attacks and damage. The other version focuses on raw power, significantly increasing your damage output at the cost of higher Ki drain.
Super Saiyan Blue Evolution: The pinnacle of Saiyan power, a more powerful version of Super Saiyan Blue. This version grants the greatest damage potential.
Understanding the Ki-to-Power Trade-off is crucial. All these transformations use Ki, so managing your Ki meter is vital to success. Deciding which transformation to use often depends on your playstyle, the Ki you have, and the situation you’re facing. The higher the form, the greater the benefits, but also the higher the drain.
Majin Transformations
The Majin race offers unique transformations that focus on both offense and defense.
Purification: This is one of the early Awoken Skills for Majins. It offers a boost to defense and stamina recovery.
Giant Majin: Transform into a towering behemoth, gaining immense strength at the cost of speed and Ki management. The power and damage are incredible, but timing is critical.
The best choice depends on your playstyle. Giant Majin offers raw power, while the others offer more balanced benefits.
Namekian Potential
Namekians also feature a powerful transformation that utilizes their innate power.
Giant Namekian: This transformation lets you grow to an immense size, similar to the Giant Majin, granting incredible strength and durability. This is useful for brute-forcing your way through opponents.
Freeza Clan Transformations
The Frieza Race has access to transformations that capitalize on their unique strengths.
Golden Frieza: This transformation unleashes your character’s full potential, boosting damage and speed but with a steady drain on stamina.
The best choice depends on your playstyle. Choosing the right transformation involves figuring out how you play in combat and which transformation will compliment your strengths.
Earthling Abilities
The Earthling race focuses on human potential with a power boost that surpasses their limits.
Power Pole Pro: Gives your basic attacks and strike skills an edge, making them more powerful.
Potential Unleashed: Increases your ki, strike, and ki blast power. It’s a powerful boost to all damage and speed.
Tips and Tactics
Choosing the right Awoken Skill isn’t always easy. The first step is to identify your preferred playstyle. Do you like to overwhelm your opponents with a barrage of attacks, or do you prefer to carefully control the battlefield? Do you prefer a strike-focused, Ki-focused, or balanced build? Knowing your preferred playstyle will help narrow down your options.
Next, research the strengths and weaknesses of each skill. Some skills may boost your damage output, while others focus on increasing your speed and mobility. Some will provide damage reduction and increased defense. Understanding how each skill affects your stats and abilities is vital.
Experimentation is key. Try out different skills and see how they feel. Test them in different game modes, against different opponents, and with different teammates. Pay attention to your Ki management, your stamina consumption, and your overall performance. Don’t be afraid to swap skills.
Consider how your chosen Awoken Skill interacts with other skills, equipment, and your team composition. Some skills synergize well with specific movesets or fighting styles. For example, a Super Saiyan might pair well with strike-based skills, while a Golden Frieza might favor a Ki-blast-heavy build.
Mastering Advanced Combat
Take your skills to the next level by understanding how your chosen Awoken Skill interacts with your other abilities.
Strategically using your skills is an important factor, and you have to consider the impact of your skills in different game modes, such as player versus environment (PvE), player versus player (PvP), and raids. Make adjustments to suit the situation.
Overcoming weaknesses is an integral part of combat. Sometimes you will come up against an enemy using an Awoken Skill that counters yours. Learning how to adapt to these situations is critical.
In PvP, learning the enemy’s skills is crucial.
Best Skills: A Tier List
Creating a definitive tier list for Awoken Skills is complex, as the “best” skill often depends on your individual playstyle and the current game meta. Nevertheless, some skills consistently outperform others, both in PvE and PvP environments.
S-Tier: Super Saiyan Blue Evolution (raw power), Golden Frieza (high damage).
A-Tier: Super Saiyan Blue (balanced damage), Potential Unleashed (versatile), Super Saiyan God (good balance).
B-Tier: The other Super Saiyan forms are viable.
These rankings are guidelines, and your experience may vary. Remember to always consider your preferred playstyle when choosing your perfect skill.
Conclusion
The world of Awoken Skills in Xenoverse 2 is vast and ever-evolving. Mastering these transformations is key to dominating the battlefield. Choosing the right skill can change your character and how you play the game. Experiment with different skills, combine them with your preferred movesets, and learn what suits you best.
This guide has provided a comprehensive overview of the different skill sets, but the best way to find the perfect skill is to experiment. The meta shifts, new skills come out, and each player’s experience is unique. So jump into the game, master your favorite abilities, and create a warrior worthy of the Dragon Ball universe.
Stay tuned for future updates and content. Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 is a dynamic game that frequently releases new content, and with it comes new and exciting ways to alter your playstyle.
Let me know what you think in the comments, and share your favorite Awoken Skills and strategies!
