Tekken 6: Hands-On Preview
We get some play time with Namco's anticipated PS3-bound beat-em-up.
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By Liam Riley
The original Tekken was not only the first PlayStation game to sell a million copies, but it was also the first title in a series that for more than twelve years has helped define Sony's PlayStation brand. Later this year, the seventh instalment - Tekken 6 - will be released for the PlayStation 3, a console that would arguably benefit from some sort of definition.
The Tekken series may have found worldwide success due to its home console versions, but its origin and home is in the arcades. Tekken 6 was released in Japan in November last year, and has quickly amassed a hardcore following. But what if you don't live in Japan and are desperate to play the latest instalment of the hugely popular brawler?
Well, there appears to be a shortage of cabinets for the US and Europe, and as of right now Tekken 6 is only available in select Namco operated sites. Fortunately for yours truly, I happen to live less than 2 miles away from a Namco Station in the UK, which recently took delivery of four brand spanking new Tekken 6 cabinets. The cabinets themselves feature 720p displays and are powered by a unique PlayStation 3 based arcade board, meaning that the home console port should be the truest and most faithful home port of a Tekken game yet.
Those hoping for a complete re-invention will be disappointed, while those just wanting more of the same but better will be very happy. These games are designed from the ground up to appeal to two distinct demographics; the hardcore and the casuals. They have to be accessible to newcomers and still have enough depth and lasting appeal to keep the more experienced gamers and veteran series fans hooked. After spending a lot of hours and a lot of hard earned cash playing the game, I'm happy to report that the game is everything Dark Resurrection was, and more.
The formula hasn't changed much, but it's a formula that's been tried and tested by hardcore and casual gamers alike. It isn't broken, so Namco haven't gone out of their way to fix it. There are some minor gameplay changes, but it still feels very much like the last game, with all of the components that were well received making the transition.
Apparently believing that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, Namco added character customization and ranks to the series in Tekken 5 after seeing how well received the features had been in SEGA's Virtua Fighter 4. Tekken: Dark Resurrection expanded on the idea and they are indeed present in even more advanced forms in Tekken 6. With 39 playable characters, it also has the largest character roster of any Tekken game, and while an argument could be made about their lack of balance - the majority will appreciate the variety.
P L E A S E V I S I T O U R S P O N S O R :
New to the series are multi-tiered stages akin to those in the Dead or Alive or Mortal Kombat games. It's very cool to knock somebody through the floor and into the level below, but it doesn't really add anything meaningful to the gameplay. Every character has completely re-done animations for their every move, something which has admittedly been sorely needed. Tekken 6 also features day/night cycles, and a larger health bar, but the most important and gameplay affecting changes are the introductions of "item moves" and a "rage" system.
The item moves are self explanatory. Enhancing on the character customization possibilities found in Dark Resurrection, items bought can now be used during gameplay meaning that dramatic finishes should now be ever more common. The new "rage" however is probably the most gameplay affecting feature and allows your character to deal more damage once your health bar starts flashing red. Essentially what this means is that your enemy will potentially be at their most dangerous just as you going in for the finish and it should, in the higher skill level matches at least, allow for some spectacular comebacks. How these changes will impact competition play is yet to be seen, but from my hands on experience I found them to be very welcome.
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