Tag it up…again!
Ever thought of yourself to be a Tekken expert? Yup, so did I. Then I got the invite to head over to the Tekken Fight Lab in Bethnal Green. I went in, played Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and learnt my lesson.
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is the latest installment in the long running franchise, and while the game may not have changed too drastically over the years, it doesn’t really need to. If Tekken changed its winning formula, would it remain a success? Probably not. That is why, at least from the code I got to play, the game is pretty similar to its predecessors. In fact, the game is practically Tekken 6 with a partner, but that is kind of the point of Tekken Tag Tournament 2.
I took turns fighting opponents on the arcade machines and also up on a big screen on the PlayStation 3. After winning a few and losing a few against fellow journalists I was approached by a Tekken Fight Lab “Technician”. He offered to show me a few moves, not before laying a can of whoop-ass on every character I selected to try my luck. After I was embarrassed in front of everyone (they were all embarrassed too!), I was given some tips on how to improve my apparently amateur Tekken game. A few lessons later and I managed to get one up on him (although I have a feeling he was going soft).
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 includes all your favorite characters including a few new ones. During my time with the game I chose Lei and Marshall Law as my duo time and time again. However, I was spoilt for choice with the 44 characters on display.
The graphics, as usual have received a minor upgrade and still look as smooth as ever. With plenty of new stages to fight on too, the environments look beautiful and remains as destructible as ever. These even include a special bonus stage where Mr Snoop D-O-G-G himself oversees the brutal violence that is The King of Iron Fist. He also has a dedicated track recorded for the game. Unfortunately, he does not appear as a playable character, only nodding his head in the background.
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 keeps its standard button sets, but of course adds the ability to tag in and out by pressing the dedicated button on your pad or stick. Tag Attacks have also been included in the game, as you tag in your partner perform a double team attack which can inflict a lot of damage on your opponent.
The game is predictably fast and smooth, with no problems with any lag. Fighters react instantly to your commands and tag almost as fast. Gameplay remains faithful to its predecessors, with its typical Tekken style sure to please the hardcore fanbase.
For big Tekken fans, this is a must have for your collection when the game is released in September. It follows on from Tekken 6 and will undoubtedly be another big title for Namco. There are lot’s of rumors flying around about possible DLC, but I will leave the speculation to everyone reading. What I can say is that Tekken Tag Tournament 2 will be another pleasing addition to the Tekken family, and fans can look forward to another fantastic fighting game.
NGB ANTICIPATION RATING
