Taken Fighting Style

The Mishima Zaibatsu took control of the worldwith overwhelming force. In response, G Corporation materialized in oppositionto the Zaibatsu, setting-out to subdue the Mishima forces globally. Hailed ascivilization's savior, The G Corporation offered a generous bounty to anyonewho captures Mishima Zaibatsu's leader, Jin Kazama. In an effort to lead thenext steps in the deadly dance between organizations, The Mishima Zaibatsu setthe stage for battle with its announcement of The King of Iron Fist Tournament6. Some seek fame. Some seek the bounty onJin's head. Some seek solely to banish their own inner demons. Each fighter hasa unique agenda. Welcome to The King of Iron Fist Tournament 6.

REVIEW: In a world...where Tekken5: Dark Resurrection was still fun & one of the most rewarding fightinggames for loyal players... comes the long-awaited Tekken 6. The original Tekken 6 was released in winter of 2007 in arcades of Asia, with very few cabinets finding their way to American shores. Tekken 6 hit arcades in a very raw state and was patched several times to remedy balance issues and 100% 'death combos' found by top players. About one year later, Tekken 6:Bloodline Rebellion hit the arcade scene overseas and was the more complete sequel that fans demanded, but again didn't see a widespread international release. Tekken players worldwide waited patiently for the next ten months, and finally, the definitive version of Tekken 6 was released on consoles in late October of 2009... it was surely a long wait for fans overseas, but was it worth it?

You'll most likely hearmixed reviews if you ask that question to a panel of gamers, butif you think Tekken 6 in particular is some sort of 'rehash' or not differentenough to be a called sequel, you're sadly, sadly mistaken. With thatsaid, not one... I repeat, NOT ONE mainstream reviewbotheredto comment on the noteworthy changes that occurred since the prequel (Tekken5: DR). So in this review,I'll be making up fortheir total disregard (orperhaps ignorance), because I feel some things must be pointed out, especially forthe potential players thatmay not know the differences. Not only are there 6 dynamic new fighters totry out, but every returningcharacter has been updated dramatically... and that's saying a lotfor a roster of 40 characters.
First off, one of the most impressive visual upgrades in Tekken 6 are theattack animations. If you didn't spend a significant amount of time closely watching replays in Tekken 5 or Tekken 5: DR, youprobably won'tnotice how nearly everystance, attack & throw animation wasslightly tweaked. As a whole, the new animations make attacks even more fluid andgenerously add to the ouch factor. Most classic moves simply have a bit more 'ooomph'behind them, and the new moves look nothing short ofbone-shattering. Connected attacksare highlighted ever-so-nicely by some of the most thunderous sound effects todate, along with the trademark Tekken sparks & hit effects whichalso received some notable visual enhancements.

Unfortunately, it seems Namco's effort in re-imaginingthese classic animationshas fallen shortof the mainstream's radar. I found it disappointing that no mainstreamTekken 6 review bothered to mentionthe improvement in animation. I guess it's generally overlooked since manystaple Tekken animations like walking, jumping and the infamous juggle animation have seemingly stayed the same foryears. But seriously... have casual fighting game players &'pro' game critics become that jaded? Revamped animation certainly isn't something that many fighting game sequels (or video game sequels)bring to the table very often. Worry not Namco, TFG is here to set the recordstraight... yet again.
Tekken's tried & true gameplay engine has also undergone quite a few tweaks in itself, including a re-worked wall game,new ground 'bound' combos, and the new Rage System whichactivates automatically when your character'shealth is reduced to 5% or less, increasing their powerand making combos even more deadly. First introduced in TekkenTag, 'Rage' definitely upsyour chances for a dramatic comeback but isn't something that can be abusedor causes any imbalance in the game. If you're a smart player, you can preventyour opponent from even entering Rage andyou'll know which moves to watch out for when your opponent is in Rage. Overall, the Rage System adds a nice touch to the gameplay and makes forsome highly intense (and sometimes scary) moments during the fight.

With eachsuccessive sequel,overall gameplay has improved slightly if not significantly. Still, Tekken'score gameplay mechanics from the prequels are always preserved. Namcoclearly follows the principle of 'if it isn't broke, don't fix it' whenreleasing a new installment. Hence, long-term fans of theseries have been continually rewarded with a game we can pick up & play easily, withour favorite characters retaining their familiar play-styles and most (if not all) of their classic moves!The deepest corners of Tekken 6's combo system show some truly strongdesign components, offering countless 'mix-up' options and strategiesalong the way.
Although Tekken 6 still feels very much like the Tekken of therecent past, there is no doubt a handful of new gameplay nuances to master this time around.Actually, the vastness ofthe new content can be quite overwhelming from the start, even for a seasoned Tekken player. Witha seemingly countless number of new moves and combos to learn, at first it can bevery intimidating for a casual player to attempt tomemorize even a single character's move-set... 'What? This character has over 100 moves?'.... Yup, welcome toTekken.

The deep anddynamic characters have always been amongTekken's strong points, but ironically enough, this fact alone may actually 'scare away' somepotential players... especially since Tekken 6 is a hardcore player's bestfriend. It's true that Tekken 6 can be enjoyed by playersof all skill levels, but the true complexity of the gameplay can only bediscovered and fully appreciated in high level play. The vast number of mix-ups, strategies and combos thatcan be done set the groundwork for an exceptionally fun and satisfying 3D fighting game experience.
Getting to such a level requires a considerable amount of studying and practice, something that many gamers these days are far too lazy to do! It's no surprise why so many gamers & mainstream reviewerswent 'gaga' over a simpler fighting game like Street Fighter IV, but can't really seem toget into Tekken. Have 3Dfighting games become too technical and deep for the casual gamer?Only a fewyears ago, the mainstream was saying '2D fighting games were dead,' but nowit seems as if 3Dfighting games aren't getting the respect they deserve... Moralof the story: F*ck the mainstream!!!
To quote producer Katsuhiro Harada:'Tekken'scontrol scheme is designed foremost to be intuitive and responsive. After a playerinputs a command, the move is executed the next frame and in exactly oneframe after the input, you see the result displayed on screen. This is somethingthat is not widely known, but this is unique to Tekken.'Though sometimes appearing erratic in high level play, the 'movement controls' ofTekken 6 are as responsive as ever and feature a variety ofoffensive & defensive maneuvers for each character.
Unfortunately, Namco didn't include a Tutorial Mode in Tekken 6, sobeginners have a lot to learn on their own... and without sincere dedicationfrom the start, most beginners won't even scratch the surface of the gameplay.Thankfully, Tekken 6's Practice Mode features a ton of convenienttraining options and is set up perfectly for players who take the gameseriously. It's actually the best and easiest-to-use training mode I've everseen in a fighting game. Furthermore, gameplay is intuitive enough for experienced fighting game players to grasprather quickly. Any respectablefighting game player knows it's best to stay a moving target (likein a real fight), in Tekken's case, frequently using forward & backward dashing and sidestepping.Now that most characters have special dashing & evasive techniques,there's even morediversity between fighters and equally more strategy involved in fighting against them.Learning how to move properly is key to playing Tekken, and it's certainlynot all about combos (which some people fail to realize).

The 'ouch factor'found in Tekken games was always among the best of the genr,e and there's definitely no shortage of it in Tekken6. The authentic fighting styles are highlighted by accurate & well-executed martial artstechniques that would hurt, cripple, or possibly kill you in real life... Tekken 6is actually a pretty realistic game when you look at it that way, but asyou probably know, Tekken doesn't take itself too seriously and there are a handfulof less-authentic (yet cleverly entertaining) fighting styles thrown in just for funand entertainment value.
The brand new (and long overdue) KO animations add another refreshing visual element, as certain mid & low attacks will cause your opponent to fall in acertain way... but I do wonder why they haven't completely removed the old onefrom Tekken 3. In any case, I never seem to get tired of watching thosehard-hitting replays in slow-mo! The new boundcombo system is technically fantastic and, in my opinion, makes Tekkencombos look flashier and more painful than ever. Thanks to the bound system, there are nearly aninfinite amount of new combo possibilities, which also means players are less likely touse 'the same old combo' over and over again. Tekken 6's combo system > Spamming.
Graphically, Tekken 6 was a powerhouse at the arcades, boasting incredibly crisp character models & stages all at 60 frames per second.The home versions of Tekken 6 also run at a smooth 60 fps, but unfortunately theoverall resolution has beendowngraded from its arcade counterpart. The new 'motion blur'graphical filter correlates well with the action and adds a nicetouch to the visuals, but unfortunately having it turned on lowers theoverall resolution. The defaultsetting for Tekken 6 has motion blur turned on, butironically enough, the graphics will appear a bit crispier on your HDTV ifyou venture to the Options menu and turn it off.
Alas, some people may end up beingslightly disappointed with the graphics, but there's really not much room tocomplain. Although nearly 2 years old, Tekken 6's graphics are superb... from the uniquemuscle anatomy that each individual fighter has, to the noticeable differencesin the fabric textures & folds in countless clothing items, to the reflectionsof the actual backgrounds in shiny parts of clothing... Tekken6is crispy! The strength of Tekken 6's visuals lies within its fluidanimation and the incredibly detailed character models (which werecompletely redone for this sequel from the ground up). To sum up the graphics, unless you'resitting too close to your television and looking for imperfections,the console version is fantastically gorgeous at the end of the day.

Tekken6'sCustomization Mode is much improved over Tekken5's. All of your favorite fighters can easily acquire some all-new costumes if yougrow tired of their original threads. The new Customization Mode also allowsyou to freely move the camera around the intricately detailed character modelswhich, as I said before, are freakin' incredible! Character anatomy is spot-onand the models are practically'naked' at their core, allowing you to remove or switch outshirts/jackets, pants, gloves & footwear or just set a character's default color scheme to yourliking.
Another new feature introduced in Tekken 6 are 'item moves,' customization itemsthat have an actualuse duringgameplay, giving your fighter an extra move or taunt. Eachcharacter has several specific item moves and it'll probably takeyou a long while to actually see them used during gameplay. Some of them are awesomelybadass (like Kazuya's, where he puts a gun to his opponent's head during athrow) andothers make little sense but are hilarious (like when Lili summons penguins that follow her around). The new item moves add flash & entertainment value,but thankfully don't effect balance or gameplay in a negative waysince they don't take off much damage when they connect. The dev-team was clearly just havingfun, which is always nice to see in a fighting game.

Now onto aesthetics.... Asin Tekken 5,certain high & mid attacks will occasionally make contact with a groundedopponent, oftentimes picking them up to extend an air combo and inducing guaranteed'how did that even hit me' moments. It'sprimarily a visual flaw (and not a gameplay flaw), but those jump kicks and uppercut punches really shouldn'ttouch a grounded opponent. Some 'surface gamers' might see this as a flaw, but it's oneof Tekken's familiar quirks. In order for the game to be balanced, every character has those 'pick-up'type moves, and some look more convincing than others. Having the advantage for a period of time in abattle in the formof a combo, has always been an enjoyable feature about Tekken. In the history of fighting games, longer combos and amore open-ended combo system equals more fun for the hardcore players, so it's a reasonable trade-off.

To continue my nitpicking... the ground boundanimation looks natural during combos, but as 'the low parryanimation' it occasionally looks out of place. Unless you use your imagination, seldom does it make sense why acharacter ends up on their back, with their legs up in the air, after theiropponent anticipates their low punch or kick. If you remember correctly, this is only apparent in the Bloodline Rebellionupdate to Tekken 6 and, in my opinion, there was nothing wrong with the original Tekken 6 lowparry animation. Itdoesn't look too bad once you get used to it, but I think a low parry deservesits own unique animation.
The breakable walls & ground adds a nice change of pace to the gameplay, butthe effect could've been done better visually. Ground damage and large chunks of the floor stilldisappear after a few seconds, and it gives off a rushed/cheap vibe. Several low-quality floor textures are also apparent on acouple stages, but the stage designs themselves take your eyes awayfrom the floor and look excellent. Each location contains an impressive amountof background animations & detail, as well as some interesting lightingeffects (although lighting effects in the arcade version are superior toconsole). One flaw about some of the stages, however, is that 'walls'are sometimes undefined or even appear invisible when a character isknocked against them. It's another solely visual flaw, because once you learnthe stages you'll know exactly where the walls are.
Online Mode contains the staple modes you'd expect and offers some cool features like ghost & replay sharing, but isn't perfect. Ranked matches can be set for 'connectionpriority,' so the option to opt out of a potentially laggymatch is there, but unfortunately, you can't see your opponent's disconnect rate before the fight (like in SC4) to avoid those annoying rage quitters. Overall, Tekken 6's onlinemode gives the current gen of onlinefighters a run for their money. But as someone who put countless hours into Tekken 5: DR Online, Idefinitely miss some of the previous (and rather basic) battle lobby features, like being able toname your room, andthe ability to show off your rank to your friends in the casual 'player match.' Aside from aweird and annoying 'random disconnect' glitch, T6 has a fairly solidnetcode, and playing online is a great way to meet other players and improve yourgame.

Page Updated: October 29th, 2019 Developer(s): NamcoBandai Publisher(s): Namco Bandai Designer(s): Katsuhiro Harada Director Yuichi Yonemori Producer Platform(s): Arcade, PlayStation 3,PSP, Xbox 360 Release Date(s): Nov. 26th, 2007 Arcade Dec. 18th, 2008 Arcade - TEKKEN 6: Bloodline Rebellion Oct.27th, 2009 PS3/360 Oct. 29th, 2009 PS3/360 Oct. 30th, 2009 PS3/360 Nov. 24th, 2009 PSP Dec. 11th, 2009 PSP Jan. 14th, 2010 PSP Dec. 19th, 2014 PS3 - in Fighting Edition compilation Characters: JinKazama, Leo, Zafina,Miguel,Bob,KazuyaMishima, Heihachi Mishima,Yoshimitsu,AsukaKazama,Bryan Fury, Lili,Hwoarang, Baek, Jack-6,SergeiDragunov, Steve Fox, LingXiaoyu, Devil Jin, PaulPhoenix, Bruce Irvin, MarshallLaw, Lei Wulong, LeeChaolan, King,Kuma, Panda, CraigMarduk, Ganryu, RogerJr., Raven,Eddy,Christie,Julia,FengWei, Wang,Nina,Anna,ArmorKing, Mokujin, Azazel, Lars (T6BR / Console), Alisa (T6BR / Console) Featured Video: Related Games: Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion, Tekken,Tekken2,Tekken 3, Tekken Tag Tournament, Tekken4, Tekken 5, Tekken5: Dark Resurrection,Tekken5: Dark Resurrection Online , Tekken: Dark Resurrection, Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Tekken 7, Tekken Hybrid, Tekken 3D: Prime Edition, TekkenAdvance, Tekken Revolution, Street Fighter IV, Street Fighter X Tekken GameplayEngine 9.5 / 10 Story/ Theme 7.5 / 10 OverallGraphics 9.0 / 10 Animation 9.0 / 10 Music/ Sound Effects 9.5 / 10 Innovation 8.0 / 10 Art Direction 8.0 / 10 Customization 9.5 / 10 Options / Extras 9.5 / 10 Intro / Presentation 6.5 / 10 Replayability / Fun 10 / 10 'Ouch' Factor 10 / 10 Characters 10 / 10 BOTTOM LINE 9.2 /10 Review based on PS3 version Final Words: So is Tekken 6 the best installmentin the series to date?If we're talking gameplay, the answer is YES...but when it comes to the story and presentation, definitely NO. Thepresentation value that the series became known for early on is definitely a bitcompromised this time around. Firstly, theopening movie is an updated version of the 'original' Tekken 6 arcade introduction. It's done well in some areas, but overall it's kinda'sleepy' and the fight scenes look unrefined. I wish they put moretime into the console opening or at least made it flow right into thebadass Tekken6: BR intro (which is at least viewable in the Gallery). Still, it doesn'tmake any sense why they didn't include the awesome Jin VS Kazuyasequence in the main intro of the console version (which would've so much for thegame's first impression). The character prologues are also less impressive than those in Tekken 4& Tekken 5, and the endings leave much to be desired. Some endingsaren't bad, some offer nothing more than a 'WTF' moment and/or leaveyou wanting more, and finally, some are just plain stupid. The overallpresentation of Tekken 6 doesn't nearly match up to what we were treatedto in earlier installments, which very well may turn off the 'casualfans' (as shallow as that may be). As far as character endings go, Tekken 6 seems to be going for comedy rather than the more serious tone of past games...and the endings don't do much justice in terms of storyline orcharacter development. On the flipside, theproduction value found in the animation, the graphics, and the amazing soundtrack makes up for it. Gameplay-wise, I lovethe reworked wall game, the improvement of side-walking and the dynamiccombos that can be done off of bound. Tekken was always a rewarding game to the hardcore players that have stuck with it for all these years,and thankfully, it still is.Namcoclearly knows what loyal players want, and they know we don't want acompletely new game... we want Tekken. Tekken 6 delivers gorgeous visuals and some of thehardest-hitting, most authentic and most fluid martial arts seen in any video game, period. Even though there are several less-than-authenticand off-the-wall fighting styles introduced in this installment, thereturning 'serious' martial artists stay true to their roots and still accurately representtheir traditional fighting styles, all of which looking notably more impressive than everbefore. That said, players who appreciate fighting games with authenticmartial arts will still prefer Tekkenover many other titles out there. Namco tried valiantly to attract a larger audiencewith Tekken 6 by going multi-platform & launching various advertising campaigns(and Ihope it worked for them). Sadly, many 'surface gamers' who might bedisappointed with Tekken 6's first impression & presentation maynever appreciate the brilliance and polish behind the gameplay... theactual game. Tekken 6 doesn't quite 'draw you in' likeearlier titles in the franchise... you have to already be a fan of Tekkenor truly want to learn the intricate gameplay system to get the most out of thegame. Beginner players should find a lot to likeabout Tekken 6, as the developers have further streamlined movesets tomake characters feel more natural to play. Thus, it's pretty easyfor new players to pull off a fair amount of 'cool-looking' moves withminimal practice.Still, I really think Namco should've included a Tutorial Mode, which would greatly diminish the number of button mashers online (it'sbloody pathetic I tell you). Due to the deep controls and the style ofanimation, Tekken is still one of those games that looks eons lessimpressive when beginners & button mashers are behind the controls... unless of coursethey are appropriately being obliteratedby skilled players... (then it looks pretty coo)l. One final point I'd like to bring up: Because of the fact that many titles in this next-gen of videogames seem to somewhat 'play themselves,' technical masterpieces like Tekken6 that require hours/weeks/months of practice will ignorantly be overlooked by manycasual gamers. Like I've already stated, the truebrilliance of the Tekken 6's gameplay can only bediscovered and fully appreciated in high level play. It's 1000times easier to find a reason to say 'I don't like Tekken 6' than tobecome a skilled player. Many 'next-gen gamers' also don't like losing unpreventably and Tekken6 is a game where pros will relentlessly destroy amateurs (with style& finesse to boot). With that said, it's easy to hate the game if you're a newb, and many will quit before they evenstart. It's a sad truth, but also a bittersweet one since the fighters of Tekken will seem to'magically come to life' when under the control of a player who knowswhat they're doing.... That's the magic of Tekken. Inclosing, the fact that Tekken 6 lasted as a tournament-level fightinggame for over 4 years legitimizes the high score I've given it. Not toomany games of this era have kept such a presence in the tournamentcircuit as long as Tekken 6 has. ~TFGWebmaster @FIGHTERS_GEN SCENARIO CAMPAIGN MODE Scenario Campaign is a bonus mode included in the home version of Tekken 6,and a spiritual successor to the earlier Tekken Force mode. SC Mode features anepic opening movie and some rather good BGMs (exclusive to the mode), but the gameplaydoesn't take itself nearly as seriously. As you destroy hordes of baddies,'arcade beat-em-up' style, you'll run around collecting eggs & chickensfor health, money bags for extra cash, and gain silly power-ups along the way byequiping the random customization items you obtain. Yourcharacter (of your choice) will potentially end up looking ridiculous by wearing the mosteffective items, since ' wearing matching clothing' and 'lookingcool' probably won't take priority while you're playing this mode. If youwere hoping for a more serious, story-driven playthrough (which would compliment the series), you'll be disappointed. However, if you enjoyed TekkenForce Mode from Tekken3 & 4, you'll find something to like about Scenario Campaign. In Campaign, using the analog stick allows your fighter to freely move in 3D,and only a few random moves will be at your disposal. However, using the d-padwill allow you to stay on the same plane of your targeted opponent, allowing youto play Tekken as you know it. It should be noted that if you just'run around mashing buttons' and expect 'cool stuff' tohappen (like it will in most button masherfriendly 3rd person action games of this era)... you're shit out of luck,and if you're an ignorant person, you might say this mode 'sucks'before learning how to play it properly. However, if youhave some basic knowledge of how to play Tekken, you'll have fun withthis mode. Take to the streets with your favorite Tekken characters. Basically, every move & combo you can perform in the regular game, you can perform inCampaign! What 'beat-em-up' do you know of features 40 playablecharacters, each packing 100-150+ moves?!? (The answer is none). It's practically a game in and of itself, and for a'bonus mode' in an arcade fighting game, there's not much to complainabout. Campaign offers a wide variety of locations to fightthrough, including quite a few hidden stages with hilarious'non-human' enemies. The default control layout is actually a bit uncomfortable if you're using acontroller, but it can be remedied. Since most Tekken players who useDual Shock use the 'two fingers' technique, simply changing the'Switch Target' command to L1 makes a world of difference. In general,the controls and targeting system couldbe better... butwith some practice, targeting enemies is a fairlysimple & smooth ordeal. Those who complain about the camera in this mode(like Adam Sessler) are most likely not using the targeting systemcorrectly. *sigh* Gamers these days... expecting the game to do everything for them. Once you get the hand of it, Scenario Campaign is actually pretty fun. I'm oneof those guys who likes to juggle an enemy for 10 hits after they're alreadydead... so for someone who loves Tekken's combo system, there's plenty of fun tobe had. The inclusion ofridiculous weapons that characters can pick up (lead pipe, chaingun & flamethrower) adds to the 'arcade stylebeat-em-up' vibe, but seems very out of place for Tekken... (although, as much as I hate to admit it,mowing down hordes of fools with a flamethrower is strangely satisfying at times(primarily when you're low on health). Sadly, the story element of SC Mode isn't nearly as compelling as it could be,and is agonizingly slow paced at times. On the bright side,Campaign hasits fair share of entertaining moments & cut scenes. SC Mode also features an online co-op option,where you and a friend can take down the bad guys in style. The lack of localmultiplayer co-op is disappointing though. Atthe least, Scenario Campaign is one of the best 'bonus' modes in anyconsole fighting game to date and is also the best way to unlock extras &customization items. Where the mode went wrong is that it was presented as the'main attraction,' which it surely is not. Another flaw of ScenarioCampaign is that it has slightly lower quality graphics than the maingame.