Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection

Tekken is the type of game that when the name is mentioned, video-game fans immediately know what they are in store for. That is both good news and bad news. The good news is the value of the franchise in terms of name recognition. The bad news, if it can be considered such, is that the game has followed the same base format for a long time.

The franchise transitioned from arcade machines in 1994 to the PlayStation system in 1995. With roots back in SEGA Virtua Fighter series, Tekken took the idea of one-versus-one combat and transposed it to a three dimensional environment.

The title has seen a couple of different platforms, and now it is making its way onto the PlayStation 3 console system.

The game itself is rendered out in glorious 1080p graphics and adds to the roster of Bandai Namco’s Tekken with a new playable character. There is no denying that graphically the franchise has entered the next-gen era in some regards.

With 34 fighters available to use and three main modes of play – arcade, ghost and versus – the game presents a button-masher’s dream. But the game still, in spite of the three-dimensional characters, still has a two-dimensional feel to it, and there were a few clipping issues but they are minor. The fighting is done on a 2D plane, with movement allowed either to move left or right. The game controls are all tied into the four hot keys and the directional pad.

Control-wise, the game follows the same format as other titles of this ilk. You have the hot keys that determine what type of attack you will launch and the d-pad will locate the attack. As in hands high, or a spinning leg whip low – depending on the combination of buttons used. Each of the available fighters has a style that is their own, which gives the game a nice feel as you play with the different characters. The controls are easy to use and the options package is rudimentary at best. You can go into the game shop and customize the characters a bit, but the real meat and potatoes of this title is the combat. The effects, when the opponent is hit with a devastating attack, work but are not spectacular. You won’t find yourself awed by the blows or the attacks. String together combos and you might be able to juggle your foe in the air, but for the most part, this game strings in some repetitive action sequences – like the way the ground erupts when a character is slammed into it.

The game is built for one to two players, either competing for the high score in a solo outing or to emerge the winner in head-to-head battles. The sound is typical of the genre and previous Tekken fighters.

One of the more entertaining features of the game is the way it enables players to juggle opponents – but this is a task that will require a certain amount of proficiency with the controls and solid timing. Basically, if you are adept enough, you hit your opponent, bouncing them up into the air and subsequent attacks keeps them up in the air, defenseless and taking damage. Think of it as keeping a balloon aloft but tapping it when it starts to descend.

The game itself has some entertaining elements and is somewhat typical of both the franchise and the generic qualities found in other fighters of this nature. However, give the game a few props in that, graphically, it does a nice job of moving the franchise into the next-gen era.

Gameplay: 7.5
A fighter that is tied to the concept of mashing buttons, but there is a bit of a difference – sure, it is reflexive, but you need to know what buttons to mash and when. The game plays at a decent framerate.

Graphics: 8.3
Solid graphical elements and fun animations.

Sound: 7.5
A solid adjunct to the graphics, but no real surprises here.

Difficulty: Medium
If you have played this type of game before, you know what you are getting involved with so you will have an easier time with the game than those launching it for the first time.

Concept: 7.0
A few new items but this follows a familiar format.

Multiplayer: 8.0
It is always more fun to beat on another player, and trash talk, than to pummel AI.

Overall: 7.9
A solid Tekken title that does not tread much in the way of new ground but manages to tantalize graphically and produce its share of entertaining moments.