Tekken 7 is the newest edition in the long-running 3D fighter series. The series is a personal favorite of mine, starting with some epic showdowns in Tekken 2 on my friend's Playstation. Tekken 3 solidified the series for me as an all-time classic, but I honestly fell off a bit after that. I got into RPGs and retro platformers, and my fighting game time was most spent on 2D fighters like Super Smash Bros. and Street Fighter. But I always intended to get a copy of Tekken 7 and try it out, and Amazon had a really cheap price on it a few months back, so I jumped on it and went to work.
At it's core, 7 feels like Tekken, but there are certainly some substantial editions. Tekken has finally jumped on the "meter" bandwagon so popular with just about every fighter out there, which allows fighters to build up a power meter that they can spend to unleash moves that are more powerful than usual. This feels a bit cheap and hackneyed, as I felt that Tekken was significantly different from its 2D peers to give a unique experience. It also suffers from the fact that the super moves are a bit more muted than its more colorful 2D cousins, so they don't pop in quite the same way. Tekken, and other 3D fighters, have always leaned far more towards the "realistic" side of fighting, with the ability to manuever more freely, and reduced numbers of fireballs and magical effects for everyone. Tekken is certainly more experimental than its 3D peers like Dead or Alive or Soul Calibur, but its grounded in a way that Street Fighter, Darkstalkers, and Marvel v. Whoever are not.
But the fighting system is still strong, and the vast majority of your favorite characters are back again, so it's hard to complain too much. The game also looks better than ever, with smooth animations and delightful character models.
The single player story mode is ok, but not quite as fun as a game like Mortal Kombat XL. There are plenty of modes to play in, so you won't be lacking for things to do.
The online multiplayer is actually very good, with very little lag. I played far more online multiplayer than is typical for me with games, and enjoyed it a ton.
This is a fine adaptation of Tekken, but there's nothing really special about it that makes it stand out from the previous 6 (plus tag spin-offs). If you like Tekken, you'll like this game. If you've never played it, it's super fun and easy to start, but extremely difficult to master, so give it a shot! I'll give it an 8.8/10.
The next game up in What I'm Playing is teased below. Check back soon!
-TRO
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