The fifth Iron Fist tournament begins. It's awesome.
NEW CHARACTERS
Of all the new characters, I love Feng Wei the most. Seriously, he's AMAZING. The series really needed a ruthless, Bolo Yeung-esque, chinese type of character. His fighting style is awesome, but kinda slow. However, mastering him is a complete delight. I think he's one of the most playable characters in terms of fluid and colorful combat. He's quite probably become my favourite Tekken character, next to the Mishimas and Yoshimitsu. His backstory is lame though.
Raven is an interesting character, although his unrealistic moves and the fact that he defies gravity, are kinda awkward. I don't think he blends in very well wit the rest of the characters, but he DOES have an interesting fighting style, although very hard to play. His ninjutsu is really a challenge to master. Strictly as a combatant, he's a great addition.
Asuka is a young, annoying version of Jun. Personally, I hate her, although her fighting style is kinda cool. She has some really wonderfull moves, and it can be a real delight to dig her combat style. Still, she's nothing special to me, and really just an excuse to put Jun in the rooster by not puting Jun in the rooster. Kinda lame.
Devil Jin is also a cool addition. I found it great for him to possess some moves from the Tekken 3 Jin. It's awesome, although, other than that, he's nothing special. As a matter of fact, he's kinda boring. Just a silly version of the real devil that is "Devil Kazuya".
Jinpachi is a very tough final boss. Trust me, if you heaven't played Tekken 6 yet, and fought Azazel, you will find Jinpachi an almost annoying boss to fight with. He's kinda cool though. I love his manner of speech. :D
Roger Jr. isn't worth my attention and Jack-5 is just a new version of Gun Jack from Tekken 3.
There are many characters that return from Tekken 2, but they are nothing new, except for the fact that they're older and with a little change in fighting style (which is kinda obvious, since nearly 10 years have passed since Tekken 2). I was really glad fot the return of Wang Jinrei and Anna Williams. That said, I'm not gonna describe them.
GRAPHICS
One word: unbelievable. The graphics of Tekken 5 rival those of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Seriosly. Character models look amazing, the background is filled with details, and the lightning is eye-soaring (look for the stage Moonlit Wilderness). No more can be said. One of the game's highest points.
BGM'S and STAGES
I'll be frank. I don't like them. The stages are good, but they lose their fashion when combined with some odd BGM'S. It has a different feel altogether when compared to Tekken 4. The music feels cheap and soulless. A pity, because I LOVED the Tekken 4 soundtrack, which was very ambiental and atmospheric. Tekken 5 BGM'S just doesn't seem to fit into the stages. There are of course exception, such as the final stage The Finalizer, Polar Paradise (achingly beautiful ambient and song), Dragon's Nest and Poolside (feels great in the summer :D ). I just couldn't care for the rest. Many fans love the Tekken 5 soundtrack and stages. I don't.
MODES
Same as Tekken 4, although a noticeable improvement over the Story Mode and Arcade Mode (fighting your way to greater ranks/titles is just awesome). Then, there's a nice little addition called Arcade History. Great, great mode, although it's really just a tease for those who don't own any of the first three Tekkens or just wanna feel nostalgic. Nothing exceptional, but still great.
Devil Within is a mode that I just don't like. It's boring. Really, really boring and repetitive. It does have an eerie atmosphere, but I just don't dig in. Jin is an extremely one-dimensional character, and the story of Devil Within is nothing exceptional. Fighting stupid enemies and smashing your way though giant blocks of stone or whatever, just bores me to death. To be frank, I never got past the Ruins level. It just doesn't interest me.
STORY
Great, but not as good as Tekken 4. Jinpachi is one hell of a boss, but he was kinda uninteresting. There not much to be said. I especially liked the Jinpachi/Jinrei storyline. It moved me, and proved that even fighting games can produce great, emotional moments. However, while Tekken 5 still inhabits the "old-style" Tekken territory, it provided with the disaster that would happen next. Wait till you get to Tekken 6....
CONCLUSION
Tekken 5 is one hell of a fighter. An amazing rooster of diverse characters, outstanding graphics and style, a great variety of modes and the inclusion of Arcade History, make this game truly shine. If you like Tekken or just pure martial arts duelling, DON'T miss this game. It's an absolute must.
Final score: 9/10