TEKKEN TAG TOURNAMENT 2 (X360)
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Publisher: Bandai Namco.
Developer: Bandai Namco. Released: September 2012. Genre: 3D Fighter. Other versions: PS3; WIIU. Posted 8th August 2014. By Shane Battams © 2014 |
One of the pioneers of the 3D fighting genre, Namco’s Tekken series has been mostly consistent in delivering high quality fighting, bar a couple of middling instalments which disappointed. Unfortunately, the latest Tekken soured many, as instalment six focused on a dreadful brawling-based campaign mode and lacked functional online play at launch. But Tekken Tag Tournament 2, the sequel to the critically-acclaimed PS2 launch title, hopes to remedy this, coming packed with plenty of fighting-focused modes and an improved online component. Though it will scare off most causal fighter fans, TT2 represents a return to form for the franchise.
TT2 still has many wrinkles which define the series, such as throw-breaks, one-two punches and a focus on juggling combos. However, the tag mechanics make the fighting rather interesting. Plenty of tag moves are present, accessible through Bound moves after juggling your foe into the air: Grabs see both fighters use grapples on the opponent, Dives send your partner into combat in exchange for unrecovered health and you can even – at the press of a button – just let your partner get a few cheap shots in by holding the tag button. Tag matches are interesting, as while two health meters are present, you will still lose the round if one partner is knocked out. Swapping fighters lets the benched fighter recover health, meaning strategy is needed to keep both fighters going. TT2 has perhaps the steepest learning curve in the series, as button-mashing is punished with brutal CPU reactions. Stick with it, though, and you’ll find a robust, satisfying fighting system.
TT2 still has many wrinkles which define the series, such as throw-breaks, one-two punches and a focus on juggling combos. However, the tag mechanics make the fighting rather interesting. Plenty of tag moves are present, accessible through Bound moves after juggling your foe into the air: Grabs see both fighters use grapples on the opponent, Dives send your partner into combat in exchange for unrecovered health and you can even – at the press of a button – just let your partner get a few cheap shots in by holding the tag button. Tag matches are interesting, as while two health meters are present, you will still lose the round if one partner is knocked out. Swapping fighters lets the benched fighter recover health, meaning strategy is needed to keep both fighters going. TT2 has perhaps the steepest learning curve in the series, as button-mashing is punished with brutal CPU reactions. Stick with it, though, and you’ll find a robust, satisfying fighting system.
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Some old favourites make a return, including Tekken 2 legend Kunimitsu
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TT2 comes with 44 fighters, spanning the series’ entire history. It’s an expansive roster, and though some of the characters feel like mere repeats, when you begin to delve into each move set, you realise everyone has their advantages and weaknesses. And you’ll certainly be browsing combos for a long time – each character usually has around 80 moves, and many more combinations. If you factor in the tag-team elements, finding your ultimate duo can be a seriously deep endeavour. Customisation also plays quite a big role in the game, as you can don characters with wild outfits using a similar system to Soul Calibur IV. Some items do add extra stats, but ultimately it’s more of a cosmetic system, though still fun to play around with.
Outside of core combat, the newest feature is Fight Lab. Essentially serving as a more-robust tutorial, held together with a silly story involving a madman trying to craft the ultimate robot fighter, Fight Lab teaches players movement, attacks, how to perform juggle combos and the Tag mechanics. It doesn’t necessarily help you master the game, but it instils the basic fundamentals and acts as a nice jump-start to the unfamiliar. Practice mode allows you to further refine your skill, featuring plenty of options to tweak and even the ability to record CPU moves, helping improve defence against a multitude of moves.
Along with traditional modes such as Arcade and Time Attack, most of your time will be spent in the Ghost Battle mode. Essentially a Tekken version of Virtua Fighter’s Kumite mode, you simply compete in fight after fight. Multiple victories result in chances to level up your characters, while repeated defeats result in demotion. Rewards are given during certain fights, including Clothing to customise your character and Arcade endings. As you rank up, the challenge level increases to a significant degree, meaning the less skilled players may hit an eventual roadblock, but dedicated players will see it as a sign they need to improve with practice. It’s a pretty good substitute for a story mode, and will keep the hardcore busy aplenty.
Outside of core combat, the newest feature is Fight Lab. Essentially serving as a more-robust tutorial, held together with a silly story involving a madman trying to craft the ultimate robot fighter, Fight Lab teaches players movement, attacks, how to perform juggle combos and the Tag mechanics. It doesn’t necessarily help you master the game, but it instils the basic fundamentals and acts as a nice jump-start to the unfamiliar. Practice mode allows you to further refine your skill, featuring plenty of options to tweak and even the ability to record CPU moves, helping improve defence against a multitude of moves.
Along with traditional modes such as Arcade and Time Attack, most of your time will be spent in the Ghost Battle mode. Essentially a Tekken version of Virtua Fighter’s Kumite mode, you simply compete in fight after fight. Multiple victories result in chances to level up your characters, while repeated defeats result in demotion. Rewards are given during certain fights, including Clothing to customise your character and Arcade endings. As you rank up, the challenge level increases to a significant degree, meaning the less skilled players may hit an eventual roadblock, but dedicated players will see it as a sign they need to improve with practice. It’s a pretty good substitute for a story mode, and will keep the hardcore busy aplenty.
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Kuma braces for another beating in gaming's most abusive relationship
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Human competition is available through local matches in Versus and Online multiplayer. While online, the same ranking system in the Ghost Battle mode applies here, with Ranked matches levelling you up quicker than Player matches. And much like any online fighter, expect to come up against some very brutal players who will show no hesitation in trapping you into a deadly combo, leaving no room for countering if your reflexes are slow enough. One of Tekken 6’s biggest faults was poor connection issues which made online multiplayer nearly unbearable, but this time around TT2 features a crystal smooth connection which means fighting against players around the world is just as awesome as it should be, even if you may get beat around by those crazier players. And there’s still appeal, of course, in fighting with buddies on the couch.
It’s a hot looking game. Characters are more detailed than ever, even when you start customising them with outlandish outfits, and the fighting animation feels vastly improved and updated over its recycled predecessor. Arenas are some of the most attractive of the entire series, featuring beautiful lighting and high detail, and you can even interact with the environment, such as smashing opponents through walls or knocking nearby babes into a pool. The audio is good too, even if some of the sound effects are clearly recycled. Voice acting during Arcade endings is cheesy and over-the-top, but it greatly adds to the charm. Music is good, but if it doesn’t tickle your fancy you can actually use Tekken Tunes to import your own custom soundtracks, which is a pretty nifty feature.
Stripping the series down to its basic fundamentals, and leaving any unnecessary junk out in the process, Tekken Tag Tournament 2 feels like a strong instalment overall. It is certainly unapologetic, and those without patience to master the game’s mechanics may become bored or frustrated too quickly to appreciate its depth. And those weaned on Tekken Bowling and the like may cry foul at the mostly straightforward modes the game offers. But it’s all about the fighting, and boy is the fighting as strong as ever. And with improvements to online play, presentation and single-player modes, it’s certainly the strongest seventh-gen Tekken to date. Challenging yet rewarding, any seasoned fighter would do well to pick up this beauty.
It’s a hot looking game. Characters are more detailed than ever, even when you start customising them with outlandish outfits, and the fighting animation feels vastly improved and updated over its recycled predecessor. Arenas are some of the most attractive of the entire series, featuring beautiful lighting and high detail, and you can even interact with the environment, such as smashing opponents through walls or knocking nearby babes into a pool. The audio is good too, even if some of the sound effects are clearly recycled. Voice acting during Arcade endings is cheesy and over-the-top, but it greatly adds to the charm. Music is good, but if it doesn’t tickle your fancy you can actually use Tekken Tunes to import your own custom soundtracks, which is a pretty nifty feature.
Stripping the series down to its basic fundamentals, and leaving any unnecessary junk out in the process, Tekken Tag Tournament 2 feels like a strong instalment overall. It is certainly unapologetic, and those without patience to master the game’s mechanics may become bored or frustrated too quickly to appreciate its depth. And those weaned on Tekken Bowling and the like may cry foul at the mostly straightforward modes the game offers. But it’s all about the fighting, and boy is the fighting as strong as ever. And with improvements to online play, presentation and single-player modes, it’s certainly the strongest seventh-gen Tekken to date. Challenging yet rewarding, any seasoned fighter would do well to pick up this beauty.
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VERDICT
Visual: 9/10 Audio: 7/10 Gameplay: 8/10 Longevity: 9/10 OVERALL: 8/10 |