A common feedback I receive from my readers : "you mention Tekken 6 a lot in your articles usually in a not-so-good way, why don't you write an article on Tekken 6 ?" Well, I admit I did not bother until now since I am not a big fan of the Tekken franchise (which you probably know already if you read my other articles). Since it is a rather popular request, I hereby present my opinion about Tekken 6.
Usual Tekken Synopsis
So it seems that, in the Mishima bloodline, every single time they want to fight each other, instead of dealing with family problems privately, they feel the urge of taking them public by organizing a fighting tournament. This has been on for 6 episodes of the game already, talk about recycling an idea over an over...
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| Jin Mishima, Heihashi Mishima, Kazuya Mishima... |
Gameplay
The main thing I like about the Tekken series is an accessible gameplay. Unlike other games like Dead or Alive 4 or Soul Calibur (SC IV & SC V), the fact that you do not have a guard button takes off the inherent complexity of such function, thus making the game easier to approach for beginners or those new to fighting games. Added to that, it is also very intuitive : 4 buttons, each controlling a different limb (left/right punch, left/right kick). In a previous article, I mentioned about social aspects of fighting games. Now, if you are having a party somewhere and Tekken is the game to play, it will be hard to have anything simpler than explaining that to each limb corresponds a button. Since there is no need to guard (stepping back will do), you have there a game that is ready for everyone to enjoy and have a good time without having a lengthy explanation on how to play. Now, for the other side of the coin, is it easy to pick up, hard to master ? Probably, but it does leave me with the feeling of a game that tries to be everything to everyone.
One thing I hate about Tekken 6 is that, when you are back to the wall, you are really back to the wall. The game mechanisms allow one to juggle and keep hitting you while you desperately try to understand what is going on. This can make the game rather frustrating, especially when fighting strong players and boss characters like Azazel (who is annoying as hell).
Another thing to complain about is the ridiculous loading time. I did install Tekken 6 on the hard drive of my Xbox 360... and I still find the wait rather long. This is nothing like Soul Calibur V : I have not installed it on hard drive, and it will not even come to mind because the loading time is just impressive.
Multiplayer
I played Tekken 6 online a lot.... and I really mean it. You may ask, why have I spent so much time playing it online if I only find the game so so ? The answer is in the multiplayer engine. I read it was really chaotic at the beginning but Namco released a patch. I only played it after the patch was released and I have to say that Tekken beats all other 3D fighting games from the same time hands down when it comes to online gaming. The matchmaking and the online experience was significantly better than Soul Calibur IV at the time and it is no surprise that elements and mechanisms from Tekken were reused in Soul Calibur V.
Graphics
Tekken boasts spectacular graphics, as you would expect on HD consoles. The picture of the fighting stage above is a good example. However, the impacts and hits are somewhat exaggerated and a bit too flashy for my taste.
Arenas
Fighting stages in Tekken are flat and have no ring-outs. Although they are visually rich and stunning, they do not interfere with the arena unlike Dead or Alive 4 (where you could get hit by a car or by running animals for example).
Costumes & Customization
For this title, the mangaka group Clamp participated in the costume design. I personally like it and some people around me immediately recognized the style.
While you cannot create your own character, there is a lot of room for customization in Tekken 6 : clothing, auras, gears, graphical hit impact... They do not have any effect on the gameplay but it always looks nice to have some of that. These items are unlockable with in-game cash.
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| Someone (not me) made a Samurai outfit |
Music
While it is not my favorite type (orchestrated music), electronic beats and synthetic music does the job very well : simple, catchy and addictive.
Story Mode
This mode was quite controversial when the game came out. Many reviews thought and wrote it was a poor experience. I actually find this was the only really enjoyable feature in Tekken 6. In the main story, you control the character Lars Alexandersson, leader of a rebel army, in his quest. Other characters are playable as well.
The gameplay here is not one of a fighting game but a beat'em all, which is a change I quite like. The controls might feel a bit weird at times, but I like the fact that you could be hitting several enemies at the same time in one move. You will be able to pick up items, gears, weapons, health items, cash (for unlocking items).
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| A Flame Thrower is always efficient... |
In this mode, the gears that you find along the way have abilities that will make your character stronger. As you progress, the basic equipment will not be sufficient and careful choices of additional abilities (you can only have 4 active ones) can be a huge help in your progress.
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| A cutscene with Lee Chaolan (not seen here) |
I really enjoyed the scenario, which was well rendered through cutscenes and in-game situations. Since the cute Alisa is a cyborg discovering human life, her journal is quite entertaining to read because the character's naivety gives it a humorous side.
Final Thoughts
What can I say really ? The game seems to have been rushed : "Release something quickly on HD consoles !" seems to be what drove the development of the game. Although the game laid the foundation of very interesting concepts like multiplayer engine or customizability, the rest seems to lack ambition. The gameplay does not seem any different than the previous Tekken, with the exception of new characters like Lars. The Story Mode however is in my opinion the best thing about the game because I like being taken into a scenario with a bit of thrill and Tekken 6 has exactly that. On the other hand, Soul Calibur V's story mode is way too predictable to be enjoyable.
Make no mistake, while I am mostly negative about Tekken 6 is not a bad game (I know far worse), but it is certainly not a great one. It tries to be too many things at the same time and I think the focus was not put where it should have been.
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