Urk. Another
review launched with a shitty song pun. Oh well, it’s worked for the
last 880 or so...
Because the intro is the hardest part. Once
that’s mastered, the rest flows more freely. Which is a suitable
allegory for a decent fighting game. Tekken 7 is a decent
fighting game. Actually, it’s a fucking brilliant fighting game.
The hardest thing to nail in a truly great biffo simulator is
balancing things so that series regulars will get excited, but
newcomers won’t be deterred by an impenetrable combo system.
Tekken 7, in all its 3D glory, has a crazily complex move set
for each character, but it also gives enough leeway to enable even
the absolute neophyte to feel like they’re getting somewhere –
although we wouldn’t recommend starting on the advanced difficulty
levels.
A delightfully chunky fighter roster boasts everybody
from chicks using their heads to a bunch of blokes who obviously
frequent the same barber as Dr Robotnik.
The story mode is a
great place to start, giving the Saints Row series a run
for its buckeroonies in the OTT stakes, ranging from chucking kids
off cliffs to giving the odd missile a satisfying dropkicking. It’s
quite bonkers – and all the more enthralling for it. Serving as a
playable character sampler, it also gives you a chance to test drive
many of the fighters to see who most gels with your particular play
style.
There’s bulk gear to earn or buy (although it’s purely
cosmetic), and oodles of play options from a pure arcade mode
through to a treasure mode. Single player respect – nice! Then
there’s the extensive online sandpit.
We couldn’t check the
VR mode as we can’t afford PSVR. As such we can’t pass judgment.
Stunningly presented aurally and visually, as always timing is
the key to succeeding in Tekken 7. Get it right and you’re
in for delight. Stuff it up and, well... nup.
