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The King of Iron Fist Tournament is back with a vengeance in Tekken 7 after around a five-year absence from the beat-em-up scene! The game is looking much nicer than rivals due to its Unreal Technology Engine and the visuals are definitely one of the main improvements in this latest edition.
With quite a large roster of fighters, Tekken remains as it always has – easy to pick up and play for beginners, and plenty of complex combos to keep the pros happy. There are lots of different modes including online ranked and unranked matches and an offline story mode which is a mixture of nicely rendered cut scenes with fights in between. Included this time too is a new treasure battle mode where you fight opponents one after another gradually increasing in difficulty and unlocking at least one item per match to use to customise characters. I have to say the customisation and the number of items on offer is probably the best in any fighting game so far. You can totally redesign the look of the characters so they are almost unrecognisable!
Most of your favourite characters are included in the game, you will be able to pick your favourite character and pull off all their moves you used to on previous Tekken incarnations with a few new ones added to mix it up a bit and keep it fresh. Also included for the first time is Street Fighter’s Akuma who looks better visually in this than he does in Street Fighter V but still has the same feel! Another addition to Tekken 7 are super moves. These have been present in other beat-em-up franchises but are a first for Tekken which is a nice touch.
Tekken 7 is a very solid beat-em-up that still has a lot to offer and is the best fighting game since Mortal Kombat X. The game features a great soundtrack, over 40 characters, one of the most accessible fighting systems, fantastic visuals, scenic stages, and plenty of replay value.
Overall verdict – great for fight fans young and old alike – returning combatants won’t be disappointed. One of the best fighting games to date. 4/5
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Pegi 16
By Bandai Namco Studios Inc, Tekken 7 is available now from all major game retailers.
