Tekken 7 is back in action. Tekken, one of the longest series of fighting games from Bandai Namco, is back and is better than ever. The much-awaited fighting game is bigger and more fiercer than ever as the fight between good and evil continues on.

Platform Reviewed: PS4
Platforms Available: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Developer: Bandai Namco Entertainment, Bandai Namco Holdings, Bandai Namco Studios
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Release Date: June 2, 2017
Price: $59.99
This review is based on a review copy provided by Bandai Namco.

Tekken is one of the longest fighting series ever known to gamers young and old. The first Tekken I have ever played was way back in 1998. I do not claim to be an expert in fighting games but I have had my fair share of fighting games. The ones that you play in the arcade and gaming shops with friends or random strangers. And I can say that Tekken is one of those games that people can remember. Tekken even has its own tournament that is very popular worldwide.

Tekken 7 comes with a lot of characters old and new. With 36 playable characters on the get go and so much more coming along, you won’t really get bored with the diversity. Each of the characters have their own unique playstyle that trying them all is usually a must. This is one of the most diverse cast I’ve ever seen and I’m not more prouder to see the Philippines being represented in it.

For the first-time ever, Tekken 7 introduces us to a character that represents the Philippines, Josie Rizal. She is named after the Philippines’ national hero Jose Rizal. Although this version of Rizal is a girl, she is not someone you need to take lightly. I tried her out right away and she has some great moves that does not leave an opening for the enemy to counter-attack. She is quick and she has a good reaction time. Probably one of the characters I like best.

The game also has its mainstay of original characters like Paul, Law, Jin, and Heihachi to name a few. And who could even forget Eddy Gordo? I’m sure a lot of people have lost their controllers to the button mashing that is Eddy Gordo. Other than Josie Rizal, there are also some new faces in this game which includes Lucky Chloe, a sort of cosplayer fighter girl, and Kazumi who is known to be Heihachi’s wife. She has a pet tiger that she launches to her enemies occasionally.

For a game that has been around since the first Playstation, it still manages to impress me with its new features and its gameplay. One particular feature that was not present in previous installments was the addition of Rage Arts. Rage Arts is like the ultimate ability of a character. It gets activated once your character has about 20% of health left. Triggering the Rage Arts will then allow your character to unleash a deadly combo of moves and special effects that will eat away your opponent’s life. Don’t worry though, even though this move is probably one of the most overpowered, you can block it with a simple block if you time it right. I’m not saying it’s easy to block though because you still need to be able to block it at the perfect moment that it gets executed.

The game offers a variety of game modes to suit your gaming needs. One of such game modes is the offline mode. If you ever find yourself just wanting to lay back and play a no nonsense fighting game, then the offline mode gives you this choice. Especially if you find yourself with no internet. The offline mode offers you several submodes like Arcade, Treasure Battle, Versus and Practice mode.

The Arcade mode offers 5 stages of pure fighting bliss against a CPU enemy while the Versus mode offers an on the couch experience with your friends. Practice mode provides just that, a way for you to practice all the moves that a character has to offer. Although I’m not sure if you can execute Rage Arts this way since you won’t really get your health lower to 20%. But with over a hundred moves and combos, there is so much for you to discover and practice for each character.

The Treasure Battle is another game mode where you fight against a CPU to compete for prizes. The prizes can be anything from Battle money to customization items. You can use the customization items to customize the characters or even your profile to deck it out with a cool new frame. You can then use your customized character and profile in the game’s battles by selecting with the square button during Character Select. This is a fun feature if you are into customizing your characters.

The Story mode is divided into two parts. The first involves the story of the Mishima family and the other part is the background story of each character. The character stories gets unlocked as you progress through the main story so they become side quests for you to play through.

The Story mode is fun and if you have been following Tekken’s story so far, you can easily jump back into this one. I find it funny though that the characters are able to communicate with each other even though they speak different languages. A drawback which I think they should have thought of.

A PS4 exclusive feature is also included with the game and it’s called the Jukebox Mode. The Jukebox mode allows you to change the song on a certain stage with songs from previous Tekken games. It is a cool feature which allows you to reminisce with old Tekken music to the new battle stages.

For the first time ever, the game has an online mode. The online mode allows you to play with gamers all around the world. You can set up tournaments for people to play in or you can compete in the online Ranking Game mode where you get points to rank up your profile and be the world’s most renowned Tekken 7 fighter. The Tournament Mode also features Double Elimination.

The game offers stunning graphics that bursts in every frame. The action sequences are seamless and there doesn’t seem to be any lag whatsoever with the controls. The sound is superb and we are once again treated to a lot of high octane music that best accompanies each fight.

Tekken 7 at its core, is a pure fighting game. It’s a game that has been around for decades and has proven that you can teach old dogs new tricks. With its multitude of features and game modes, Tekken 7 is here to stay. It’s a long-standing game that old and new gamers alike will be able to enjoy. A game that will forever stand the test of time.