Videogame Review: Tekken 6

It's been a while since I've talked about a videogame in detail, but now that one of my favorite fighting game franchises is out already in home consoles, I feel the time is ripe for another gaming review. Without further delay, let's give a proper welcome to "The King Of Iron Fist Tournament 6".XD

Tekken 6
Publisher: Bandai Namco Games
Developer: Namco
Released: October 27, 2009 (PS3 and Xbox 360), November 24, 2009 (PSP)

Finally, Tekken 6 is here, and for the past week since its release, I've been officially hooked to it like bread and butter. I've had many memorable moments with the franchise, playing all of its installments, updates, and even getting to meet the creators of the game in a local tournament held in the mall a few months ago! Yes, Tekken has really made an impact with me, and now after some time in the arcades, the latest chapter of the Iron Fist saga has made it to next generation systems, and it's causing quite a stir in regards to replay value and the fighting itself. As we go along with this review, I'll be tackling the positive and negative aspects of the console version, and what other extras Bandai Namco has incorporated to add diversity to the gameplay. Rest assured, it's still Tekken... but it's not "your daddy's Tekken", if you get what I'm saying.

At the end of The King Of Iron Fist Tournament 5, Jin Kazama emerged victorious and defeated his great grandfather, Jinpachi Mishima. Instead of putting an end to things, he became the new CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu and used its vast resources and military strength to wage war against several nations, bringing out widespread chaos and panic. Out of the ashes, the Zaibatsu rose to power, and claimed absolute rule over the entire globe. Challenging their authority however is G Corporation, led by Jin's father, Kazuya Mishima. Seen as civilization's only hope and savior, Kazuya sets out to have Jin's head by offering a generous bounty to the person who captures him alive. Having anticipated this, Jin announces the King Of Iron Fist Tournament 6 to draw out his enemies and put an end to them once and for all. The stage is set, and fighters around the world have gathered seeking money, power, glory, and personal retribution.

Alright, now that the story's fleshed out, let's get down to the basics. If we're going to talk about Tekken, let it be said right here and now that this is STRICTLY a 3D fighting game, pure and simple. That means two people duke it out with two characters of their choice, and based on the number of rounds involved (usually a best of two or three), the one with the most wins claims victory. Unlike other fighting games, Tekken prides itself by subscribing to a four button layout, each representing the corresponding limb it is attached to (i.e - Left top button = Left Punch and Right low button = Right Kick). Using a combination of those buttons and timed movements, players can pull off special moves and link them together to create juggles and combos that deal devastating damage. Once a character's lifebar reaches zero, he or she loses that round. It's literally a fight to the finish, so knowing your character and reading your opponent's moves is crucial to victory all the time.

Over the years, the Tekken series has evolved and enriched itself with a diverse roster of characters that players could pick and choose to bring the hurt to their opponents. This game tops them all by bringing that count to 40 playable characters, each with his or her own unique fighting style. Every fighter plays differently, and in conjunction with their fighting style, it's a no brainer that you have to learn their moves wisely to become a top contender in the game. Guys like Heihachi and Jin make use of basic "Street Fighter like" move sets that naturally adept fighters can get used to in no time. Technical fighters like King and Yoshimitsu though require a little more time in the practice ring to become more acquainted with. New to this installment are Bob, Leo, Zafina, Miguel, Lars, and Alissa, and each of them have their own techniques that the player has to master and hone. Players can play offline, online, or test themselves in basic Arcade play by fighting and reaching the final boss, Azazel. Bottomline, it's all about preference, and as the old saying goes - "practice makes perfect".

Next to the new characters, there's a couple of new features to the Tekken system people will have to watch out for. As I said earlier, it's not your daddy's Tekken, and I was referring to the changes made to the feel and execution of techniques and the fight itself. Combos have become much more painful thanks to the incorporation of the "Bounce", a motion where opponents grounded after a juggle raise their feet and are open to more hits, allowing players to link more combos and deal more damage. Next, if a player reaches 1/4 of their life, the "Rage System" will automatically start up and amplify the player's moves to deal twice the damage to their opponents. This is signified by the flashing red aura surrounding the character and his/ her lifebar, so take advantage of the comeback wisely. Above all else, basic techniques have been given new priority and new moves have been added to all of the characters. It's Tekken, but it's a whole new ballgame to learn about as well.

Obviously, since Tekken 6 is a new game, it demands more attention and collaboration to make it one of the best fighting game experiences ever. What people have seen in the arcade version and its update, Bloodline Rebellion, has made the proverbial "smooth transition" to home consoles, but this has hit a few snags on the road of course. Some may find it disappointing to find out that the game needs to be installed into the consoles hard drive in order to run in "optimum speed". This means that things will run as slow as hell if you choose not to, which was a similar problem that plagued Namco's other 3D fighter, Soul Caliber IV. The installation is justifed though, as there's a lot of juicy graphics, customization options, and motion blurs to witness and enjoy if you appreciate next gen technology like I do. Secondly, this is the first console Tekken game to incorporate actual online play, which is a major requirement for fighters of this generation. Unfortunately, that too suffers from major setbacks, and the result is a lag experience that varies and switches from tolerable to excruciating depending on who you're up against. A patch is being worked on to correct this problem, so here's hoping that combos will hit and no slowdowns happen in future matches.

Besides the fighting, Tekken 6 brings back the story mode and Tekken Force beat 'em up minigame many have enjoyed in past installments. However, all these features have been combined into a single mode - Scenario Mode, which basically depicts the adventures of Lars and Alissa as they trot around the Tekken Universe via a mini map that opens new points as you progress. Players can play this solo or let a friend join in to play through the campaign, which slowly fleshes out the King Of Iron Fist Tournament 6 from Lars and Alissa's perspective. In addition, you can swap either of the two with other fighters you unlock as you progress through the mode, but it does not change the outcome of the main story altogether. To play and get each character's unique opening and ending, players must enter "Arena" in the mini map and use the characters they've unlocked in Scenario Mode there. It's back to one on one fighting at this point, and depending on which character you choose, the opponents and outcome will always be different. It may seem a bit inaccessible at first if you just want to play your character's favorite story, but a little patience and easy gameplay will get you to where you want in no time. Besides, this mode allows you to get more money and items to use in customizing your favorite characters, so there's hardly any reason to complain... save for the brainless A.I opponents.

After all is said and done, Tekken 6 is another smash hit brawler that fans of the series may want to pick up and check out. The gameplay is brutal, the graphics are breathtaking, and the sound and music will take you straight into the squared (or no wall) circle. A few flaws present themselves in the form of replay value, online play, and regrettably Scenario Mode, but the game is definitely a fighting game full of potential, and there are several ways to enjoy it that will have people coming back more and more to beat out the competition.Right now, I'm waiting for the PSP version, so I can take the fight with me and play on the go as I please. So to cap all this off, let me ask you this - "What do you fight for?" You be the judge and figure it out. Get ready for the next battle.

Graphics - 10/10
Sound - 10/10
Gameplay - 8/10
Replay Value - 8/10

Score - 9/10