The 3D fighter genre was pioneered by games such as 1993’s Virtua Fighter and 1994’s Battle Arena Toshinden, which were the first games to include 3D polygonal graphics in fighting games. The former’s issue was unrealistic jumping, while the latter had one move that is the staple of almost every 3D fighting game made today: the ability to sidestep.
Tekken was released for the PlayStation at the end of 1994. The game was unique in that it had an interesting story line: fighters competed in the King of Iron Fist Tournament that was hosted by the Mishima Zaibatsu Corporation. The winner of the tournament gained control of the corporation and the right to host the next tournament. Much of the plot revolves around Heihachi Mishima, the head of the Mishima Zaibatsu Corporation, and the rejection of his son Kazuya Mishima. Some recurring characters in the series include Jin Kazama, who has since gained a more prominent role in later games in the series and opposes both Heihachi and Kazuya.
While the premise of Tekken 7 is still the same, there are several new characters and features in the game. Old-time fan favorites such as Jack, Xiaoyu, Hwoarang, Nina Williams, Marshall Law, Paul Phoenix, Bryan Fury and Yoshimitsu return to the series. What is noticeable is the absence of Lei Wulong, who has been a playable character since Tekken 2, as well as Michelle Chang, who also featured in multiple Tekken installations in the past.
Some new characters include Katarina Alves, who practices savate; Claudio Serafino, an Italian man combating the Devil Gene found in Jin Kazama and the head of the Sirius Marksmen; Lucky Chloe, an otaku character who uses dance moves to take out her enemies; Josie Rizal, a Filipina who practices eskrima and kickboxing (and is also one of the few Filipino characters represented in video games); Gigas, a cybernetic humanoid; Kazumi Mishima, Heihachi’s wife who was long presumed to be dead throughout the series; Master Raven, who is the head of the
organization Raven (from Tekken 6) works for; and a crossover character from Street Fighter, Akuma. Bandai Namco has said that at least two additional characters will be introduced as downloadable content (DLC).
While gameplay has not changed much, there are several new features. Rage Art allows players to execute critical attacks that deal 30 percent damage while they are in critical health, while Power Crush allows players to continue attacks while they are being hit, but still receive damage from enemy attacks. Another new feature is the Screw Attack, which makes enemies spin sideways if they are launched into the air, allowing players to land more hits after they hit the ground. One interesting change to the game is the ability to choose which side to play on, which may give players certain advantages depending on which side of the screen they are used to being on.
While you and a friend might have fun fighting each other, the single player campaign is more limited than in previous installments. New players will also have problems picking it up as well, therefore keeping Tekken 7 as a game for the Tekken fanatics. While there are some flaws here and there, Tekken 7 is a solid buy for any fan of 3D fighting games.
Also published in GADGETS MAGAZINE July 2017 Issue
Words by Jose Alvarez
Developer: Bandai Namco Entertainment | Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment | Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One