A fabulous fighter to deep six the competition
As its sixth iteration sits shuffling around in the wings waiting to make its lacklustre debut to half empty theatres and equally empty-headed theatregoers, the latest movie in the “Saw” franchise can’t really help but feel sorry for itself. Still trying to ride on the success of the first film and feeling an overwhelming sense of that “tough act to follow” syndrome, its only saving grace is the coattails it’s become so adept at riding, and the guaranteed attendance of series purists who find comfort in the safety of routine and the promise that there may one day be a repeat of the groundbreaking original.
Like the tired horror movie series, Tekken 6 is (obviously) the sixth in one of the genre’s most famous franchises, but unlike the films that wavered too far from the formula of success and slowly slipped into B-grade purgatory, this is a game that sticks to its roots and does what it does best, proving that the “if it ain’t broke” ideology can still be successfully applied to a series without turning it into stale, predictable shtick.
Once... or, uh... six times upon a time
We at MyGaming usually like to start our reviews with a few words on the back-story and current story of the game at hand. In this case, though, because the plot of Tekken is about as relevant as that of your average porno, we’ll simply say there are a bunch of characters who have the desire to beat the stuffing out of each other at the King of Iron Fist Tournament. Again. For those who have several minutes of their lives to squander on painfully slow storytelling, Tekken 6 provides a full backlog of its purposeless plot in the intro video to the campaign mode.
Rather you than us.
Business as usual
For veterans of the franchise, Tekken 6 is immediately accessible due to few changes to the core gameplay. Some combos have been adjusted and tweaked, and there are a few new modifiers to enhance the experience (while justifying the actual existence of a brand new game), but the meat ‘n potatoes of Tekken’s individual style remain essentially unchanged.
All the fighters that fans have grown so attached to over the years make a reappearance, including originals like Jin all the way up to Dragunov from the recent Dark Resurrection, and are supported by fresh faces to beef up the roster to an impressive 41 characters. Newcomers include the creepy Zafina, the rather unexciting Lars, and the awesome Alisa who sports chainsaws for arms and the quirky ability to hand opponents her head before it explodes them into quick submission.
Business as (un)usual
Tekken has always been a deceptively straight forward title, with newcomers being able to get to grips with the simple control system (one button per limb and movement via the D-pad) without much hassle. Seasoned combatants, though, know that the scope for complex strategies, powerful combos, and intricate gameplay workings are what make the series so great, and this game only serves to build on these solid foundations.
Adding to an already impressive repertoire of pain-dealing moves are additions like the Rage system which sends the character into a frenzy when their health drops below 10 percent. This increases damage dealt by a massive amount, and can turn the tide of battle if used cunningly.
Also new is the ‘bound’ system, an addition to combos that allows players to pound their opponent into the ground during a juggle and then continue to maim the unfortunate foe. While not exactly a game-changing mechanic, it does give the more hardened gamer another weapon in his arsenal along with pro moves like roll evasions and wall juggle, and it’s these details that give Tekken 6 the complexity that a lot of its peers lack.
Modes of fun
Combat takes place over a series of modes including the traditional Arcade, Time Trial, Survival and Practice modes. We were particularly impressed with Practice mode, where Tekken becomes a wise sensei who patiently leads eager newbies by the hand and trains them up to a respectable skill level. Every combo can be demonstrated in this mode which is highly useful for some of the complex 10-hit moves, but clueless trainees may still struggle with what we found to be a slightly clunky presentation and daunting move list.
The coolest new mode though is Ghost Battle, where stats of other players are downloaded allowing gamers to fight these opponents without actually fighting them in person. These ‘ghosts’ can be saved for offline play allowing for the perfection of skills against a particular fighter, and replays of matches can also be saved and studied for later use. This is a great feature, and while not at the level of the interactivity of Demon’s Souls’ multiplayer modes, it is reassuring to know that more developers are moving games in this direction.
Unfortunately these varied game modes are let down by a pathetic Scenario Campaign, a rather wretched attempt at adding some longevity and variety where neither were really needed. As if the main storyline of Tekken wasn’t convoluted enough, the Scenario Campaign unravels through a series of nonsensical, drawn-out cutscenes, and the gameplay itself smacks of old side-scrolling beat-‘em-ups that we’ve all long since evolved from. The difficulty curve is also questionable, with the bosses often feeling a tad overpowered, and this becomes even more frustrating when death results in a trip back to the beginning of a stage.
On the plus side, though, there is opportunity to unlock some cash in this mode to buy extras for the characters, but we found it hard to stay focused on this lacklustre campaign when the slick fighting action of the other modes beckoned.
Technically speaking
Tekken 6 is not the most visually appealing game despite the action flowing at a pleasing 60fps. While combat is fluid and smooth the environments suffer from noticeable jaggies, a disappointment after the glorious cutscenes. Motion blur has also been included to add a bit of sexiness to the visuals, though we found the game felt smoother and (perhaps) more responsive with it turned off.
There are a variety of battle arenas in which to compete, all of which are richly coloured and detailed if not a bit over the top at times. Some elements are questionable though (farmyard animals? really?), but players will be too busy stringing together elaborate combos to notice these occasional distractions.
Our biggest gripe with Tekken 6 is the ridiculous load times, a pet hate that will frustrate most players even more than the Scenario Campaign. Even the 4gb install on the PS3 failed to quicken the sluggish screen transition phases and character model loading; not a welcome issue considering the fast-paced nature of such a game. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it’s a niggle we hope gets sorted out by the time Tekken’s next chapter rolls around.
Conclusion
Tekken 6 is a solid fighting title, even though it really is just the same core game with a few enhancements and tweaks from previous versions. It may not be quite the pick-up-and-pound fighter as Soul Calibur IV or MK vs. DC, but it’s one that becomes extremely rewarding and entertaining if players enjoy Tekken’s particular style, or are willing to learn it.
Simply put, it’s hard to argue with a formula that has worked so well over the years, and fans of the series and newbies alike should have no trouble settling in with this new iteration of the famous fighter franchise.
Information supplied by MyGaming
