Story
TEKKEN 7 is upon us and it's chock full of fighting goodness including a brand new, fully fleshed out story mode unlike some other recent fighting games *cough* STREET FIGHTER V *cough*. Now, with the recent release of the INJUSTICE 2 story mode, TEKKEN 7 delivers with a lengthy campaign although repetitive with some annoying mechanics such as fighting clones of the same enemy over four times in the same match, the cutscenes, action, and story is quite well done and huge improvement over previous entries that were nothing but short snippets of the characters and a slight hint of an overall arcing story. TEKKEN 7 isn't going to win any awards as it's extremely melodramatic and oozing with tons of WTF Japanese style imagery of leather, robots, and assault rifles but with the story as is, at least it is beefy and entertaining for a fighting game overall.
Gameplay
When your into fighting games or looking to get into them, it's all about the gameplay. TEKKEN 7 definitely feels like a TEKKEN game and that is definitely a huge compliment. The fact that Bandai Namco has pulled off making the game look fresh, fun, and new, it delivers a feel solid fighting engine that may feel a little stiff compared to the current competition but after a few hours, you realize, this is some of the best fighting mechanics on the market today. Controls are tight and I believe it has struck a near perfect balance of both veteran and newcomers alike. Easy to pick up but difficult to master all the different play styles comes to mind. Luckily, there are a ton of characters to choose from an Eliza is available as DLC included with the Day One Edition.
TEKKEN 7 has to be applauded for being able stuffed to capacity with quality content for both offline and online modes. Treasure Battle is one of the best things to come to fighting genre ever. You fight a range of enemies and the more consecutive battles you win, the more items you can unlock ranging from costumes, hats, crazy accessories like sushi shields and other craziness. It's an absolute riot! The character customization is top notch and between Tournaments online, local battles, a huge story mode, and Treasure Battle, you'll be busy for months.
Graphics and Sound
Let's just get this out of the way: TEKKEN 7 looks and sounds absolutely stunning. Character models, weather effects, animation, and the new Rage Arts (thing INJUSTICE supers) are definitely polished and deliver on the 4K PS4 Pro we reviewed the game on. Lighting and effects, especially in rainstorms, really make the battles shine as characters react and reflect what's going on around them. Environments can be both lush, blistering, and barren all at the same time. Another awesome feature is unlocking every piece of art, video, and ending for every single TEKKEN game through the in game currency and it all looks awesome. Huge props to the devs for including such a huge legacy. Just look at where the series actually started in the graphics department...
The audio portion of the game is equally impressive but in a totally different way. Instead of the crazy butt rock we usually get with these types of fighting games, an electronic sound track that is actually quite solid graces us with the latest entry. Honestly, I have very little complaints besides some sketchy voice acting in the story mode. The punches, kicks, and bashing of heads all sound absolutely bone crushing and that's the best compliment I can give.
Replayability
As I mentioned before, TEKKEN 7 will keep you busy for a very, very long time. It's worth mentioning that it isn't just fluff either, there is a whole plethora of quality content here to keep you busy, especially Treasure Battle. I could only make it to 15 consistent wins but it was pretty awesome to start unlocking two gold treasure chests with some awesome goodies always waiting. Whether it's unlocking videos, high quality art, fighting in local or online tournies or the immense story mode, there is always something entertaining to do.
What Could Be Better
While I hate to bash on the story mode as overall, it's a huge welcome addition to the fighting genre, the cloned fights were beyond annoying. It's fine beating two of the same thing but four, five or six in one segment? Snore. That being said, with the aforementioned voice acting issue, there is very little to complain about honestly. Yes, some of the graphic elements are sharper than others but at that point, we are just nitpicking.
The Verdict
TEKKEN 7 took me absolutely by surprise. When I first loaded the game up, the battles and mechanics felt a little outdated, stiff, and underwhelming as it felt just like previous entries from decades ago. After a few hours, I realized that you don't need fix what isn't broken. The game is absolutely bursting at the seams with not only a ton of content but FUN and isn't that what games are all about. TEKKEN 7 is a modern fighting masterpiece that caters to a ton of different player levels, interests, and crowds but I challenge you to not absolutely love the Treasure Battle mode. GET READY FOR THE NEXT BATTLE peeps. This game rocks!
