Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is undoubtedly one of the deepest and most entertaining fighting games in years, proving that like a well-oiled tag team, both quality and quantity can coexist in perfect harmony.
Whether it's learning the ropes with Combot, attempting to best a challenging arcade mode, taking on tag teams with friends, or going global with 'World Tekken Federation', the package is always entertaining. It's difficult to evaluate exactly how efficient it is at this early stage, but with mobile support and links to XBLA and PSN accounts, it's already far beyond the offerings of fellow fighting games. In addition to recording wins and losses, it tracks everything from the number of throws a player performs, to the amount of damage they dish out with combos.
With Arcade, Ghost Battle, Team Battle, Time Attack, Survival and Pair Play to keep players busy in the offline mode, not to mention local multiplayer, it's easy to forget that Namco has made some huge strides in the online aspect of the game, launching one of the deepest online portals this side of Call of Duty.Ĭalling 'World Tekken Federation' a stat-tracker doesn't quite do it justice. There's also the odd frame-rate issue, though these crop up very rarely. Perhaps the only criticism is that the game is designed for a joystick, so intricate movements can prove slightly jerky. The cutscenes are also extremely well put together, and we appreciate the addition of the odd hand-drawn still during Fight Lab. Stages are colourful and packed with detail, while character animation makes performing combos a joy to watch. Each challenge is designed to teach Combot a specific skill, which will benefit players in subsequent battles.
In what is possibly the most entertaining tutorial mode we've ever played, users must complete a series of increasingly bizarre challenges involving robots, giants, flying sumo wrestlers and explosives. While there is a standard practice arena, which can be tweaked to master attack or defence, the best way to learn the ropes is by taking advantage of Violet's Combot robot in the Fight Lab mode. It's also worth knowing your environment, as some stages are multi-tiered, while others feature breakable walls for more damage. You select a team of 2 characters and battle.
The main staple of the Tekken Tag Tournament series. Each character has pages and pages of moves and combos at their disposal, not to mention special tag moves and cancels, which become increasingly important as the opposition intensifies. Tekken Tag Tournament 2 features many new and returning game features. Users can choose to participate solo or as a tag team combination, opening up countless possibilities for experimentation. In addition to familiar faces such as Nina Williams and Heihachi, you can expect to find relative newcomers such as Bob Richards, Lars Alexandersson and Miguel. If you've ever picked up a Tekken title since its PSOne debut, chances are your favourite character is included. There are roughly 50 characters to choose from out of the box, with further fighters to unlock as the game progresses.