The Tekken series is one which has a special place in my heart, it manages to be something I can pick up and play time and time again and never get bored of, no matter how much it makes me want to snap the disk in half when things aren’t going my way.
My earliest memories of Tekken don’t reside in the arcades, but in the living room of a school friend who introduced me to the game on PS1, long before I developed a taste for console gaming. I remember how much fun the characters were and how, even though I was new to the game, I still stood a chance, because Tekken is one of those games where ‘button bashing’ can, and does, win matches.
Now, I’m not saying that someone mashing the pad with no idea what they’re doing has a chance against a seasoned pro who’s memorised all the moves of half the roster. But in most cases, among friends, Tekken Tag Tournament 2 will allow everyone to taste the thrill of success.
The roster is MASSIVE, 50 playable characters, complete with ridiculous outfits to unlock. This game should keep any fighter fan busy for a long time.
Visually, TTT2 is stunning. There’s still the occasional overlap when two larger characters grapple, but it doesn’t ruin the game.
On the most part, you’re too busy frantically trying to beat your opponent to worry about things like “Oh, Panda’s arm passed through Ogre’s back during that throw”.
The range of game modes is also going to add massively to the longevity of this game. You’ve got your standard 1v1 and 2v2 matches, but why not switch it up? Try playing through arcade 1v2, challenge a friend to play against your favourite tag team. The possibilities go on.
Overall, TTT2 is a well made, fun, addictive yet frustrating work of genius. Very few games will have you cursing the screen one second, then justifying why you’ve done nothing but play all day the next.
Platform: PS3 (reviewed), 360, Wii u (winter 2012), Arcade
Developer: Namco Bandai
Publisher: Namco Bandai
PEGI: 16
UK Release Date: Sep 14 2012