Jimmy's Quickie Review: Tekken 7

Part of a new installation to the Reviews will now be quick reviews aka “Jimmy’s Quickies!”

Quick Review: Tekken 7 (PS4)

For those of you that are not familiar with the Tekken Franchise, welcome! Tekken is an originally an arcade fighter that features a unique mix of 2D fighting (you face your opponent in a linear fashion) mixed with 3D elements - That has not exactly changed in Tekken 7, although many other things have!

Pros:

• A unique fighting experience with enhanced graphics
• Bountiful character roster of 38 characters
• New dynamic combat mode including “Rage”
• Treasure Hunter mode
• In depth story mode with additional side character stories
• Jammin’ soundtrack

Somewhere In The Middle:

• Side character stories consist of 1 battle
• AI difficulty seems to vary per match, for better or worse

Cons:

• Some lingering load times
• Old fans may not appreciate the revamped combat system
• (Not applicable to review) Online mode stability issues

My Thoughts:

Tekken 7 is a fighter, as you would expect - these games can appeal to different types of gamers, some who want to go competitive and others who just want to enjoy the experience. I see this game applying to the vast majority of both audiences. Through my enjoyable time with Tekken 7, I have felt an old feeling that I had thought perished with Tekken, and that was the heat of combat. The story mode in particular, had me in many adrenaline filled moments. The exchange of blows can be felt through the screen, as slow down moments occur when an final blow is being dealt between two fighters, giving you the moment of watching whose hit will first connect - these moments in Tekken 7 felt welcomed and necessary as it no longer leaves the question “How did you hit me before I was able to finish you?!”

Rage mode is a new additional that allows you to deal a fatal attack to your opponent if you have lost a significant amount of health. Rage attack can easily be used with the tap of R1, this makes them efficient and easily able to time if you are in a pinch, quickly turning the match into your favor - or your opponents, adding a new layer of strategy to the battle.

Tekken 7 has been everything I wanted, although no sight of tag attack mode, missing other things like endless battle mode, and minigames (some things I myself appreciated in the series) It does not leave me with any feelings of remorse as this fighting game is one of the best I have ever played. If you have yet to experience Tekken 7, I highly suggest you rent it or try it at a friends, do a few battles, you’ll be doing yourself a favor as what unfolds feels almost cinematic.

I cannot speak for online mode as I do not generally base my reviews from online gameplay, as each person has various experiences, however for the core experience, Tekken 7 gets my utmost respect. With a new story mode featuring explanation behind the entire Franchise, adding a few additional hours of gameplay, and a plethora of side character stories, this game will give you enough to satisfy your 2D-3D fighting hunger.

FINAL SCORE: 9/10