Tekken 5 (PS2)

So, what makes Tekken 5 so great ? Where do I start.Firstly the graphics are amazing,matching those of the fantastic Soul Calibur 2, clothes and hair flow beautifully and the characters are gorgeously detailed.Secondly the gameplay surpasses even Tekken 3 and Soul Calibur 2, making it the most fluid and exciting fighting game to date.

There are also lots of modes in Tekken 5. The usual Time Attack,Story,Practice,Survival,VS and Team Battle modes are all there but there are a couple of new ones. Arcade is a fantastic new mode lets you build up your own character through the rankings and since the opponents are customised it makes up for the lack of online play, sort of anyway. Customise mode is also good as you can change your characters appearance. Finally arcade versions of Tekken 1,2,and 3 are all playable making this game an essential purchase.

There are also 30 characters in Tekken 5 compared to the 19 in Tekken 4. Old favourites like Jin,Heihachi,Julia,Nina and Yoshimitsu all return, as well as unexpected comebacks from Wang,Bruce and Mokujin.There are also 3 new characters to get to grips with, Raven, Feng and Asuka adding 3 new fighting styles.

The locations are also superbly detailed and the wonky surfaces in Tekken 4 have thankfully,gone. This is most definately the best Tekken so far and was well worth the wait.

The graphics are absolutely outstanding. It's as if you are playing an Xbox game. The fighters are superbly detailed and the background effects are fantastic. This also gives me more confidence that Resident Evil 4 will still look great when it is released on the PS2. The stages also look sublime, whith a mixture of enclosed and open arenas opposed to Tekken 4 when the arenas were just too small. They are also interactive so hitting the ground or wall causes it to crack or break which adds to the effect.

There are 3 new characters: Raven, a ninja working for a secret cooperation, Asuka, who uses Kazama style martial arts and Feng Wei, a chinise kempo artist who killed his master. This adds to the roster of returning characters from previous games such as Baek Do San, Bryan Fury and Anna Williams. This also adds to old favourites like Kazuya, Paul, King and Law.

The best thing about Tekken 5 is that it has gone back to basics. Instead of trying to get you tactical in Tekken 4 it has gone back to being an all out beat em up like it should be. Namco have learnt it shouldn't try to be something it's not. Some additional features include the Devil Within, an action side story playing as Jin, the ability to fight for money and customise your characters clothing and even Tekken 1,2 and 3 are playable. Sure it won't last long in single player, but it is awsome in multiplayer. Tekken is well and truly back, and with Tekken 6 planned for PS3, it's back with a bang!!!

Another part is the awesome new minigame, Devil Within. It's a variation of Tekken Force. I won't go into depth here, but trust me, it's ace.

My only niggle is the lack of online multiplayer. Considering the expanse of PS2 Online, it seemed a done deal that Tekken's new installment would be online. But it wasn't. Oh well, maybe next time.

All in all, Tekken 5 earns a four out of five. A brilliant game altogether, but would've been the most complete beat-em-up if it had been gifted online play.

I was not disappointed... far from it. This has to be one of the most playable games in console history and definately the greatest beat em up of its kind. The fighting styles are actually real; Karate, Wing Chung, Taekwondo, Capoeria (sp), other styles of kung fu, mixed martial arts a long with other fighting styles are all excellently represented here and so so life like its untrue.

The gameplay is superb; while moves are not too difficult to learn (unlike MK for eg, speaking as a veteran though) the timing and execution require a great degree of skill. Combos have been brought to a new level with juggling, although it gets a bit silly sometimes in my opinion, and the new characters are fantastic, not just lazy roster additions. Asuka Kazama, Wang, Baek and Raven especially are the standouts for me but im sure everyone will have their personal favourites.

The arcade mode has been revolutionised with the grading system; starting with Kyu, then dan, then various ranks which you attain by beating opponents of all grades although the further you go up the rarer the possibility of a ranking match. Absolutely fantastic i must say where as in tekken 4 it just gets monotonous now there is a real challenge behind every fight. The scenary has all changed as well, the graphics are faultless and even the in game soundtrack is pretty cool.

Anyways ive completed it with Lin Xiaoyu, Hwoarang and Baek and intend to do so with the likes Wang and Raven sometime soon. It is highly addictive and i think about it all the time, i was thinking about it now b4 i decided to write this review. The training mode has beeen abolished but practice is still there which is a necessity.

Also 'weak' characters from the last game such as Christie and Xiaoyu have been vastly improved and are now on a par with the faves Hwoarang, Law, Jin and Steve etc. All the existing charcters have been given new moves and a wider variety of move combinations.

The one disappointing aspect, im sure youve heard echoed elsewhere, is the abscence of Tekken Force a real innovation in my opinion. I think Namco should have expanded on this concept imo, have heard rumours that there may be a game dedicated to this concept, not sure though.

It seem here that Tekken has gone back to it's roots, reintroducing some of the older characters (Ganryu was an interesting surprise, and Baek a welcome old friend...)

The arcade mode is brilliant, no longer a dull copy of the story mode, but an opportunity to rate your skills and rise through the ranks to eventually become a tekken master.

There is also now an opportunity to gain gold and alter the character's appearance, with many comedy moments.

The Devil Within (a Tekken Force style minigame) is a little disappointing, with Jin being the only playable character, and the fighting style much simplified in comparison to previous Tekken Force game modes. However, it is an essential tool if you want to get cheap visual upgrades for your character.

This is more than made up for however by the Archive history settings, where you can play Tekken 1 to 3, and also Starblade (after unlocking the extra), a spacey shoot-em-up.

The character's move lists have all improved, and they have thankfully removed the switch-style throw from Tekken 4. One thing they did get rid of from Tekken 4 however is the few seconds of movement before the round starts, which I always found very handy for getting into set stances (particularly for Lei).

So Overall:

Graphics: - 10/10
Gameplay - 11/10
Longevity - 10/10 - the arcade and customise settings really improve this, adding incentive to mastering every character

Buy this game, you will not be disappointed...

When spending £30 plus on a game you do expect something special for your money and I'm more than happy to report that this game brings that and plenty more besides.

It's been a long time complaint of the Tekken series that you cannot design and adapt the various warriors, well in this one you can! Hundreds of combinations of costumes and extras.

The fight scenes are visually stunning with some great animated backdrops, and I love the exploding floor surfaces when one warrior bites the dust. The characters are absolutely fantastic, both in their movements and their design. The characters you know and recognise from previous games and been extended and improved and the new characters are an interesting addition. The punches and kicks and the combination attacks look superb and range from the easy to the tricky to master. Very challenging. One final mention for the absolutely gorgeous looking female fighters! Fantastic!

My main criticism of the game is that most of the end movies for the characters, in addition to some of the characters themselves, are quite childish and whimsical, but this is a minor point that doesn't spoil an otherwise great game.