Welcome return to form for an old master.
When people mention Tekken, they usually think of people who have mastered every single command and move, while spending hours upon hours practising to hone their 'mad skillz' - as it were. Making the game unplayable for beginners to the genre. This, I think, is far from the truth. Tekken 5 welcomes new and veterans to the series alike. Whereas button-bashing pretenders to Tekken's crown, coughDeadorAlivecough, leave you feeling somewhat cold. Tekken on the other hand leaves you feeling a great sense of satisfaction when you play. Yes, Tekken 5 has its button-bashing characters - but every single character IS unique... and how unique they look! Arguably the best looking PS2 game to date. With gorgeous backdrops, fluid, realistic animation and textures that would look at home on any next-gen console.
Music wise, it's back to form mix between techno/dance we've come to know and love from Tekken. The least we say about Tekken 4's music the better! You've got your usual Story mode to run through with each character. To see why they've entered the tournament, etc. But this 5th edition borrows the human AI mode of Virtua Fighter 4. This has replaced the Arcade mode in name, and pits you against humans who have uploaded/downloaded their data from the Tekken arcade machine from all over the world. It's a welcome challenge, even though it doesn't even compare to facing a real-life human opponent. All-in-all, this is the true homecoming of a master. Easily the best Tekken to date, and probably the best 3D fighter in existence. Though I am partial to abit of Soul Calibur... heh.