I'm what you call and "on again off again" Tekken fan. I religiously played the series for hundreds of hours per iteration all the way up until Tekken 4, then I just kind of...stopped. For years to come, I would dabble in the Tekken universe, but nothing ever really caught my interest for more than a few months.
Naturally, considering the original Tekken Tag Tournament was my favorite pick of the franchise, I was extremely excited for the upcoming sequel. Join me on my adventure through Tekken Tag Tournament 2, as I try and decide whether or not to take up the Tekken flag once again.
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 (PlayStation 3 [reviewed], Xbox 360, Wii U) Developer: Namco Bandai Games Publisher: Namco Bandai Games Release: September 11, 2012 (PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360) / Winter 2012 (Wii U) MSRP: $59.99
Tekken is an extremely technical series, which is one of the reasons I fell in love with it in the first place. Although I wouldn't put it in the same pantheon of pugilism as the Virtua Fighter series, the fact is, Tekken both rewards split-second twitch decisions and lengthy planned combos and juggles, making it very hard to get into if you're a newcomer.
For starters, by checking out the command list, you might be turned off by the fact that more than a few characters have well over 100 moves and combos. Thankfully, Namco Bandai wanted to lower the barrier of entry a bit with TTT 2, so they included a new extensive training mode called "Fight Lab" that should get you up to speed with the series. Fight Lab puts you in command of Combot -- a familiar character for fans of the series. It's your job to learn everything there is to learn about Tekken's combat, and power up Combot in the process.
There's even a little mini-story attached to Fight Lab to help keep things a bit more interesting. Combot is actually a project employed by Violet Labs, as Violet struggles to create the ultimate weapon -- and constantly harass his secretary in the process. Although it's a bit nonsensical (ok, it's completely nonsensical), it adds to the appeal of learning the ropes -- at least, it's more appealing than just about any other fighting game training mode to date.
Mechanically, TTT 2 heavily follows in the footsteps of Tekken 6 before it, just with the added twist of tagging, and various tag-based special moves. Tag throws, Tag combos, Tag Assaults, and Tag Crashes all perform various functions such as tandem assaults, safe tagging, and the creation of combo openers.
Since the console version includes the content and balances found in the Arcade update, Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Unlimited, you also have the ability to play as one buffed solo character instead of a proper tag team. Because of this, you can utilize the Rage system, which was introduced in Tekken 6 to a polarizing degree. For those of you who are wayward Tekken fans, Rage is extremely easy to use, as it basically triggers automatically when you're at a certain level of health.
It functions extremely similarly to X-Factor in Marvel vs. Capcom 3: you just don't get to choose when to use it. I feel like while at first glance it may turn people off (just like X-Factor did), the fact that you can't really choose when to use it balances it out a bit. Essentially, you have to be losing health to gain the effect -- again, this functions just as Rage has been functioning in the past. What you may find even more polarizing, however, is that Rage in TTT 2 is governed by much more than just health percentages when used with two characters.
Characters have different relationships with each other: meaning it will trigger at different times depending on whether or not the characters like or hate each other. This is just like how Netsu functions in the first TTT, it's just tweaked a bit. So how does it pan out? Well, there were more than a few times I became extremely frustrated fighting against this solo setup, as there are a number of characters that feel a bit too strong while they're using Rage power -- I'm talking one-hit kill combos here.
Once you learn the ins and outs of the tag system and tag combos, however, you should be able to counter single characters with a bit more ease -- just like any fighting game, the more you play, the more familiar you'll become with various tactics. Fans of the series should know how they feel about Rage by now; just be aware that it still exists.
On that note, the game feels fairly balanced regardless, which is an accomplishment given how many combinations of characters and solo/tag setups you can come up with. You can also play with four players in 2v2 matches just like the original Tekken Tag. But outside of this enhanced training mode, you're going to be hard pressed to do much outside of dressing up your characters if you're not keen on online play. While there is the addition of "Tekken Tunes," which allows you to customize the music for each arena, there is a distinct lack of mode variety.
In particular, Offline players, prepare to be disappointed. Like many other Tekken games, there is no Story Mode -- only a nine-stage, tenuously presented Arcade Mode. Thankfully, unlike Street Fighter x Tekken (and many other games in our current market), there are ending movies for every single character: just don't expect anything spectacular.
As far as characters go, Tekken Tag Tournament 2 has just about every single fighter to ever grace the franchise outside of Gon (who was left out due to copyright reasons). You should be able to find at least two characters to suit your personal style, and all of the old choices feel just as smooth as they have all these years. In fact, there's at least one addition here that hasn't been seen since Tekken 2!
Just like recent entries, Namco's attention to detail is also extremely evident: P-Jack's hands will twist and turn while steam leaks through his cobbled wires, and Ogre's snake-hand will beautifully slither to and fro. I had a ton of fun rediscovering some of my old favorites (Yoshimitsu), and familiarizing myself with some of the newer combatants. There's just...so many damn fighters to choose from, and nearly all of them feel unique given the high quality of the designs. If a wide character pool is your thing, TTT 2 is your huckleberry.
Speaking of characters, don't worry your pretty little heads in regards to DLC: producer Kasuhiro Harada stated that there will be no paid character DLC in TTT 2. While four characters (Kunimitsu, Ancient Ogre, Michelle, and Angel) are unfortunately pre-order timed exclusives, they will unlock for free at a later date. Although I wish there was no DLC whatsoever for fighting games, these concessions are much better than paid character DLC -- period. Unfortunately, the characters were unavailable for testing for my review (same with the Snoop Dogg stage), as the codes were not online and active yet.
Along with your purchase, you'll net The World Tekken Federation (which I will hereby refer to as "WTF"): it's essentially Call of Duty Elite or Halo Waypoint for Tekken, but a little more detailed than both of those operations when it comes to cold hard stats. While WTF doesn't provide any extravagant options for casual fans, such as videos or original content, it's probably the most advanced statistics system to ever grace a fighting game.
You can view nearly everything you want here: individual matchups, battle histories down to the amount of life you had left in them, combo and move set propensities, customization options, and character-specific stats. You also have the ability to put together a team (a fighting game clan, essentially) to take on the rest of the world. For hardcore fighting game fans, WTF is a Mecca of information to help you improve your matches.
Actual online matches run very smoothly, just as they do in SoulCalibur V. As an added bonus, you can spar with Mokujin in between games, so don't get bored while you're waiting to play a match online. Sadly, like the selection of Offline choices, a variety of unique modes like SoulCalibur V's Global Colosseo are completely absent here.
In fact, all you can really do is play ranked and unranked matches -- that's about it. Again, I'm completely fine with this as someone who just wants the core game to be solid, but casual fans will probably be disappointed after about a week of play.
So what's the bad news outside of a fairly paltry selection of online modes? Unfortunately, online play is entirely gated behind an online pass, meaning you will either have to pick the game up new or purchase a pass to actually play online. Sadly, this is becoming more and more prevalent in today's market, but it's just something you should be aware of.
If you're a Tekken fan, Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is essentially a "greatest hits" of Tekken so far, just like TTT 1 was in 2000. If you're not a franchise fan, there isn't really much "extra" content here to "wow" you, or make you change your mind. If you're somewhere in the middle, though, know that TTT 2 offers some of the best core combat in the series, and runs wonderfully online provided you're willing to treat it like an old-school fighter and play it over and over...and over.
For whatever reason, Tekken Tag Tournament 2 grabbed me, and then it didn't. Every time I boot up the game, I feel my old passion for Tekken growing inside, but then it subsides after about an hour or so. There's nothing glaringly wrong with combat; it just feels a bit bare-bones and too familiar sometimes after every hundred matches or so. While TTT 2 doesn't change the world, so long as you're already a series fan, you should be satisfied.
THE VERDICT
7.5 /10
Good: A solid game that definitely has an audience. Might lack replay value, could be too short or there are some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun. Check out more reviews or the Destructoid score guide.
I'm really torn on whether or not to get this, I'm a huge fan of TTT1, but other than playing it online, and the huge roster, I just can't seem to muster up enthusiasm for this game.
Jun and Kuni hnnng. Here's my problem: Where's Tekken bowl? Or any of the little extras? I've heard no mention of them. This makes me not want to pick this up, because I'm a mainly local fighter guy. I've also been wayward since 4 too. Loved 5 DR, but 4 and 6 left me cold. I really want this in my library, but the lack of solo/offline stuff (unless someone tells me different) takes this from a day 1, to a wait for price drop. I'd rather go pick up Hybrids CE for $30 today as it stands.
Dressing characters up in silly outfits is more than enough extra content for me. It's like an addiction! Sometimes it feels like I'm one of the last people inside the silly outfit demographic though. :(
As a huge fan of Tekken (since T2), I can tell you that the amount of updates and content added between T6 and this game is absolutely STAGGERING.
I don't think Namco has EVER added so many characters at once, and even a bunch of old characters (ie, Julia, who is now Jaycee) have gotten COMPLETELY overhauled movelists, basically making them new as well.
The Tag function has also been tricked out a hell of a lot to include more character-to-character interactions and exclusive moves, as well as offering a really addictive new tag-combo mechanic.
I've played the game a few times at Namco-sponsored tournaments and while T6 players can jump right in and feel at home, the amount of new moves and systems is so huge that you probably won't see everything in it for months of constant playing.
If you buy the game new, the online pass should be there, right?
AFAIK, gamers need to buy online pass to play online if they bought the game used or they rent it.
I'm probably picking this up. I'm not a huge Tekken fan, but aside from the online pass (which I've known about forever and am surprised that people hadn't heard about) the content they put into it makes up for what I fear will end up being like Tekken 6, only instead of Bob, Mishimas everywhere. Oh well, we'll have to see how it shakes out.
But just a minor nitpick about Street Fighter x Tekken. While every character doesn't have an ending, every official team DOES, and some of them (Steve/Hwoarang's in particular) are totally worth it. From the few leaked endings in this game, I'd rather have fewer, more entertaining endings than stuff like Jin's or Jun's, which are needlessly cryptic.
Harada made the decision for an Online Pass to combat piracy, apparently. Either way, it's a consumer's prerogative to vote with his wallet about practices he agrees or disagrees with.
"it just feels a bit bare-bones and too familiar sometimes after every hundred matches or so"
the amount of derp on this site is a little overwhelming sometimes.... Are you seriously trying to deride the game for being boring after you've played 100 matches????? stupidest part of the review by a long shot.
After "every" hundred matches. "Every" infers that I've played multiple 100-match sessions (whether it's local, online, or solo to earn more costumes/gear).
You have to play a *ton* to get a feel for a fighting game IMO -- so I played more than a hundred. I wouldn't do that to you <3
Just picked up the game and it's installing as we speak.
Didn't realize there was an online pass, and I just looked on the back of the manual...w/e.
I plan on enjoying the fuck out of this game, it may have an only me pass, but hey I got 5 different dlc's for buying it, and they won't charge for dlc characters.
@Aries: STFU Cpt. High Horse. VF may be deeper but you can pull the same dial a combo bs in it AND DOA. Calling it a kids game (and then saying get DOA), just makes you look like a stupid ass.
Well, I did preorder this for my wife (who got me into Tekken, I still prefer Guilty Gear). As usual, I am being horribly, horribly crushed by her Julia (Jaycee)/Lili combo. As a more casual Tekken player, I really wish there were, I don't know, "more" to it, but for a while at a time it's still a blast.
Time for another round of pain (I really should stop playing Yoshimitsu outside of Soul Caliber, it just doesn't end well).
What Namco is offering with World Tekken Federation here is MORE than worth the inclusion of an online pass. Buy the game new, get it for free, forever. At least this isn't some single player game with gated content (*cough*cough*darksiders2*cough*cough*) for an online pass. There's a lot of server costs here, and I don't mind the pass when it actually makes sense.
@AriesSiren,
Spoken as someone who obviously has never played ANY Tekken for more than 5 minutes. If you think that 10-hit combos are EVER useful beyond getting new player interested in a flashy combo, then you're just a VF fanboy unwilling to consider that anything else might be good. It's been almost 15 years since I've been hit with a 10-hit combo. Every one of them is designed specifically to have break points for decent players to low-parry/duck and punish SEVERELY.
In the regular competitive game, there are no more dial-a-combo's than there are in VF.
Even more minor nitpick,C2,but its Snoop Lion,not Snoop Dogg.
He's apparently a big pussy(cat) now,not a big dog. He has a sense of pride now rather than be the sort to hang out around the pound.
Also,are Snoop Lion's duds (and dreads)available for character customization?
How silly are the alternate costumes? Some of us would like to know! That's literally all that I care about learning about the game(since it looks to be exactly what I was expecting,anyway)!
As Cuppa Godot explained, the entire reasoning behind the online pass implementation was to combat piracy (in this case at least), yet consoles don't get away with playing pirated copies for more than 24 hours. The publisher knows that, which means they view the secondhand market as an equivalent to piracy.
I find that idea offensive. I straggled coming up with money my freshman year of college, and I know what it's like to have to settle for used copies and trade in my own games. Gating content behind a paywall is a shitty practice that I will take no part in.
Ariessiren proving once again his opinions are worthless. doa is the EPITOME of a mediocre, kids casual fighter or whatever stupid shit you said. and comparing vf to tekken is like comparing gran turismo to need for speed.
@Chris Carter- That all sounds fine and dandy by me if not doubly dandy compared to the next most dandy thing or person in the South. Thanks for the updated data!
Now to everyone else still grousing about other peoples' tastes in fighting games- Save that for the inevitable cross-over between these franchises!
@samsneeze
is that why DOA was only featured in EVO once in the tournaments 10 year history? Because of its extremely tight balance, and high quality mechanics? No, DOA is an embarrassment, created by one of the most juvenile game developers (itagaki). Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm fairly certain there isn't tekken extreme beach volleyball, or soul calibur uspkirt panty photographer....
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