There have certainly not been a shortage of quality fighters this year with SoulCalibur, Street Fighter and King of Fighters all making a return to form, however now it’s the turn of another classic franchise, Tekken and it’s certainly back with a bang.

 

Tekken 6 like previous games in the series is instantly pick up and playable, no matter your skill level. In saying that though there are certainly a few differences here which have not shown their face in previous games, such as the all new scenario mode.

 

 

The Scenario mode does what it says on the tin and basically sees you fighting your way through various levels against various opponents all while progressing through the story. This mode is a great place to earn cash and items for your characters, unfortunately though the story is hard to follow, the environments are bland and the gameplay itself is very repetitive and if all of that wasn’t bad enough the loads times are amongst some of the worst I have witnessed in this generation of consoles.

 

Thankfully although the Scenario mode may take the top slot on the menu it is far from the games main mode, as usual these take the form of the offline and online fighting modes, where you battle one on one against either computer controlled or human opponents and it is here the game really shines and becomes one of the best fighters around.

 

Playing offline you are presented with the usual Arcade, Time Trial, Survival and Practice modes, which have all appeared in previous games and work as perfectly as you would expect. The only real new mode is the Ghost Battles where you face up against various opponents with different ranks, once you win you can then choose from a list of three opponents using the D-Pad, with the more battles you win awarding you more and more money.

 

Once you earn enough cash in the game you can customize you characters anyway you wish, such as by purchasing new clothing or even giving them a different hairstyle. This may not seem like much but being rewarded money to then unlock new items really gives you a lot of incentive to keep playing the game.

Of course the main appeal of Tekken 6 is the fighting and there is no game better when it comes to this area. Each of the buttons on the control pad represent an arm, leg of your character, therefore it’s pretty easy to work out how to fight and of course once you manage to figure out the various combos you will be pulling off all manner of blocks, punches and special moves, leaving your opponents wondering what just happened.

 

Everything seems to have been improved here, blocking for example has become so much easier, with players now being able to stop attacks from a neutral position. There are also some great new characters added such as Lars and the robotic Alisa who are really good fun to use thanks to their wide range of skills.

 

The multiplayer is really where it’s at in Tekken 6 though, with both one-on-one local matches and the team battle option bringing a lot to the game. The one on one obviously explains itself, allowing players to battle against each other in some rather tense matches, while the Team Battle mode allows you and a friend to pick up to eight characters to fight against. The online mode seems to run very smoothly and really brings out the best in Tekken 6 both in terms of fighting and the enjoyment you will get out of this.

 

 

Graphically Tekken 6 really is one of the most polished games around, each character and background is wonderfully detailed, making each bout a joy to behold. The same cannot really be said for the scenario mode which is very bland and doesn’t look anywhere near as good as the real action, however as previously mentioned this mode is more of a distraction than anything else.

 

The biggest problem Tekken 6 has is the load times, as no matter what mode you play in you will find yourself waiting around quite a bit. It’s a real shame because Scenario mode and load times aside this really is one of the best fighters around at the moment.