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Tekken Tag Tournament 2
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Graphics & Sound:
As far as I'm concerned, Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is the finest Tekken game in existence. It is the best-looking, best-sounding, and best-playing installment in the long-running franchise. Additionally, it boasts a huge roster, a healthy supply of modes, a fantastic character customization mode, and a cosmic ton of excellent unlockables. If you've been a fan at all of Namco's flagship hand-to-hand fighter over the years, this is a game you shouldn't miss.
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is crisp, beautiful, and stunningly well-animated. While little of the core animation work has changed over the years, the level of polish is approaching flawless. Technically, this is probably the most beautiful fighter I've played. Artistically, it's easy on the eyes as well; I partcularly like the hand-drawn comic-style cutscenes in Fight Lab mode. Unfortunately, as of this writing, one blemish keeps Tekken Tag Tournament 2's visuals from near-perfection. Lock ups are frequent in nearly every match you play, and while they generally don't get in the way of your enjoyment, they are too prevalent to overlook.
Tekken Tag Tournament 2's superlative visuals are accompanied by a confident and fresh soundtrack and the same hard-hitting effects we've come to love from the series. I particularly like the drum-and-bass music from the character select screen and in the final phase of the final boss battle. A friend of mine once likened dubstep to herpes, due to how ubiquitous it seems to have become, but I'm not ashamed to admit I'm a sucker for it -- when it's done right. And here, it is done right. Voice acting is almost exclusively Japanese, which is the way it should be, since a lot of this stuff would probably sound creepy in English. |
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Gameplay:
What do you want out of a Tekken game? If you can answer that, the chances are good that you will find something to love about Tekken Tag Tournament 2. I ripped Tekken 3D Prime Edition for being stripped down and nearly devoid of features. This game lies at the opposite end of the spectrum. There's an awful lot to do, whether you want to take your game online, throw down on the living room couch, or go at it on your lonesome.
Of course, Tekken Tag Tournament 2 will hold the most value for gamers who do have an Xbox Live account and intend to match their skills with the legions of fighters across the globe who are undoubtedly already part of the so-called World Tekken Federation. Ranked Matches, Player Matches, Leaderboards, and the Tekken Channel (replays) are all here for you and your team, should you choose to create one.
Even if you're not online, Tekken Tag Tournament 2's offline offerings are more than enough to earn an easy recommendation. Arcade Battle is the standard nine-match progression mode. Tekken 6 contained one of the cheapest final bosses in fighting game history, and I'm happy to say that Tekken Tag Tournament 2's is much more balanced and creative. Granted, she's capable of taking all but a sliver of your health (and knocking the character out of commission) with a certain attack. But the fact remains: it's better. You can tear it up in Ghost Battle, go head-to-head offline in Vs. Battle, partake in some Time Attack, or go as far as you can with a single health bar in Survival. Pair play is what you're looking for when you want to beat up (or be beaten up by) one to three friends in the same room. And of course, you can practice to your heart's content in Practice mode. |
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Difficulty:
Most Tekken games straddle the line between accessibility and depth. Of course, a seasoned veteran will brutalize a button-masher any day, but it takes some serious time and effort to master the nuances of any 3D fighter. This can be a challenging game. Timing is absolutely everything in fighters that place emphasis on juggling and attacks on downed opponents. Luckily, Tekken Tag Tournament 2 features the franchise's most robust training modes.
Fight Lab is touted as "the ultimate beginner's mode" in the instruction manual, and I'm inclined to agree. You're put in control of the Combot, and given special combos and scenarios to complete, under the tutelage of a flamboyant screwball. Each one starts off with an example of how it's supposed to play out, and the command remains at the top of the screen. I think it's the best training mode ever, and it's nice to see a developer go out of its way to get its hands dirty with the newbies. |
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Game Mechanics:
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it certainly adds some fancy new doodads to it. Sure, you've got your classic 3D fighting game control scheme. Each face button deals with a limb. Combination presses usually result in grapples and reversals. Aerial combos are still key, and each perfectly-timed juggle and bound is satisfying, albeit unrealistic.
This game lives up to its namesake with special Tag abilities. Tag Combos, Grapples, and Assaults fit into the Tekken repertoire without any hitches whatsoever, though learning to pull them off on the fly takes a lot of time and practice. Tag Combos start with an aerial launch and finish as you switch out to let your partner administer the follow through. Grapples are the simplest of the bunch: a simultaneous grapple and Tag button press results in a brutal double team attack. The Tag Assault is the trickiest of the three, and the most effective. By pressing the Tag button the instant before you connect with a bound, your partner jumps in and starts a vicious series of juggles. Of course, you can take part in it, as long as you can properly time each attack.
I absolutely love fighting games with economized unlockables. Tekken Tag Tournament 2 finds every possible excuse to throw currency at you, and it seals the deal by offering tons of stuff that you'll likely want to unlock. Special costume pieces (practical, novelty, or borderline-perverted) are there for the buying, and chances are, you'll work towards as much of it as you can.
If you're not a Tekken fan, you probably never will be one; this is a series that has its own fighting system, and it may never see anything in the way of true evolution. However, if you are a fan, you should own Tekken Tag Tournament 2. It is Tekken at its very best, and that's all you need to know.
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-FenixDown, GameVortex Communications AKA Jon Carlos |
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