This long-running series comes with the best installment to date, and probably the best fighter on the platform.
- Combat is still superb
- Stellar graphics and excellent character models
- Both Japanese and English voices
- Multiple difficulties welcome back veterans and newcomers
Negative
- Missing online play
- Devil Within mode can be frustrating
This long-running series delivers the best installment yet. Tekken 5 is a superb fighter in many ways. Despite the lack of any kind of online, one can easily spend countless hours fighting against the AI or a friend. Tekken 5 offers exactly what you would expect from this series, robust gameplay and a great presentation.
This 3D fighter offers plenty of modes. The story mode allows you to play through each character's scenario with are about 10 stages long and after beating the final boss you will see the character's ending. Around the 4th stage you will get a special scene for each character. Since Tekken has always been an arcade game, one should expect the arcade mode which is here as well. Fight endlessly against the AI or against your friend here. After each fight if you're playing alone you can choose your opponent out of 3 or to exit. Team Battle is similar to arcade except you can form a team and fight. The newest mode is the Devil Within mode which is totally different than the game's normal gameplay. You fight as Jin Kazuma in full 3D environment, a bit repetitive stages filled with the same kind of enemies which you beat up. It's practically a beat-'em-up game. Brawl through the stages and beat the bosses and you can unlock a special character which you can only find here. It's a pretty fun mode but very frustrating at times and takes time to beat.
As it always was, the gameplay is the star of the show. The game's close-quarter combat looks awesome, with plenty of kicks and punches. Almost all characters from previous installments are here, with Eddy Gordo only missing but is replaced with Christie. Otherwise the usuals like Jin, Kazuya, Paul and others are here if you ever played the series before. By just pressing random buttons you can perform an attack and that is what leaving Tekken from reaching almost perfection. A newcomer can easily beat an expert by just randomly pressing button with the correct player. Well of course there are skills you can't pull with pure luck. All characters have different fighting styles which keep the game going.
When it comes to difficulty, Tekken 5 offers something for everybody. The multiple difficulty settings welcome back veterans and also give a warm welcome to beginners. You can change various settings like the time of fights and no. of rounds, but you can find those almost in all fighters. The final boss of the story mode isn't frustratingly or stupidly invincible. With the right tactics (and maybe a bit of luck) any character can defeat him. To unlock the other fighters you need to do the story mode with different characters.
The graphics are sharp for the PS2, with terrific character models and inspiring background environment. There is nothing wrong here, no glitches or anything, everything looks fantastic. The animation move perfectly with not a single frame-rate hitch or anything. Devil Within mode has repetitive enemy and environments but the quality still stand high.
Tekken may be on of the few games that has Japanese and English voices together. Japanese and Chinese characters use their language but those who aren't speak in English which fit the game well. The only thing is whether they understand each other or not. The stage's music is very well done and the sound effects are superb. Cutscenes are great as well but rarely appear, mainly the endings which some are worth watching more than once.
After a decade after the original release on the Playstation, Tekken comes back with the best installment to date, and what is probably the best fighter on the PS2. It did everything superbly, from the presentation to the fantastic combat. Despite the lack of online play, one can easily spend countless hours playing. Heihachi maybe dead, but this series is far from being dead.
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Graphics = 9.1
Looks sharp especially the models. The environments are fantastic but the repetitive nature of the Devil Within mode can become tedious.
Sound = 8.6
Having given characters from different countries their language is a nice touch. The music overall is great.
Presentation = 8.3
Some memorable endings with greatly presented cutscenes, only to be hurt by the missed online opportunity.
Gameplay = 9.3
Fun, really robust gameplay and variety between characters which makes Tekken 5 with a lot of possibilities. Multiple difficulties are for everyone. Still has random button-mashing problems though.
Modes = 8.5
Good amount of modes to play and endings for each character. Devil Within mode can be too challenging for its own good.
OVERALL = 87 / 100
This long-running series comes with the best installment to date, and probably the best fighter on the platform.