Review - Tekken 7

I still have fond memories of Tekken 3 on the first PlayStation. It holds a special place in my heart. I didn’t even own the full version, as it was too expensive for me as a kid. Only a demo disc, accompanied with many other demos of different games. But the only reason I ever booted up that disc was to play Tekken 3. Only two characters, Xiaoyu and my man Eddy Gordo, were playable but this was more than enough to convince of Tekken 3’s brilliance. And now, every time a new Tekken game is released, I hope and pray it can capture me the same way the third instalment did. Let us hope my prayers have been answered.
The Iron Fist of the fighting genre

As it has been for twenty three years, Tekken 7 is a fighting game. In its core, Tekken is still the same game as it always has been: a three-dimensional, complex fighting game with a roster of varied characters and martial arts styles. Dash back and forth or sidestep to dodge your enemies attacks and unleash your own strikes to bring your opponent to its knees. Mastering a character takes time, learning every possible combo will push you to your limit. But, in contrast to previous Tekken titles, casual players and/or button-mashers will find Tekken 7 to be much more accessible. If you never played a Tekken game before, then the seventh instalment is more your cup of tea.

Rage also makes its return in Tekken 7, with some new additions. Rage triggers when you drop below a certain percentage of health, boosting the strength of your attacks. In addition to this, the Rage Drive and Rage Art make their entry onto the scene. The Rage Drive is a powerful move that can be used during combos, to swing the tide of battle in your favor. To finish your opponent you use the Rage Art, a powerful finishing move that deals more damage the lower your health is. It changes the way Tekken plays, in a good way.

Unreal 4 you

The new game also further expands the story. After the events in Tekken 6, Jin Kazama has disappeared. The Mishima Zaibatsu is leaderless and Heihachi Mishima sees his opportunity to seize power once again. The Mishima Clan has always been the main bloodline in Tekken and is finally coming to an epic conclusion. In the story mode, Heihachi and his son Kazuya clash once more, only now one of them will not return from the battlefield. Unfortunately, the story mode is only a few hours long, focusing mostly on Heihachi and Kazuya. Most of the roster gets few minutes of attention in the side missions. These can be entertaining, but are somewhat lacklustre in the end. Granted, most story modes in fighting games act like a tutorial and introduction to the characters, but the side missions are only a single fight, with some text explaining the lore.

Still, Tekken 7 can only be described as another excellent addition to the franchise. It lives up to the franchise’s title as the best-selling fighting game in history. The gameplay is impeccable and the Unreal 4 engine makes the game look visually stunning. Some may complain that Tekken 7 looks outdated, but I feel the visual aesthetics match perfectly with the gameplay. In addition to excellent gameplay and aesthetics, the game offers a lot of customization of the characters. Every character can be customized in whatever way you see fit. You unlock these customization items by simply playing the game, offering the completionists among us a lot of content to unlock.

The only complaints one can make about Tekken 7 is the dull story mode and the laggy online environment. Playing fighting games online has never been my favorite pastime, but for those who do enjoy it, you do frequently encounter network problems. Hopefully Bandai Namco fixes this in the future. If they do fix it, then Tekken 7 will most likely join those special few on the list of best fighting games.

4.5/5

Reviewed for PlayStation 4.

Note: This has been reviewed for Tasta.me, which I'm the owner off. We're in the process of moving our articles from our Medium publication to Steemit. :)