Tekken Hybrid review
Tekken Hybrid follows the recent trend of taking an old classic, and giving it a lick of current-generation gloss. Namco Bandai’s latest fight package packs in a PS3-exclusive HD remake of Tekken Tag Tournament, a glimpse of its sequel in Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Prologue and CGI movie Tekken: Blood Vengeance. Retro goodness or old hat? Stephen Ebert delivers the verdict.
Tekken is back. But before you get too excited, this is not a new Tekken game, but a refurbished version of an old classic bundled together with a couple of extras. The meat of Tekken Hybrid comes via Tekken Tag Tournament HD – a game that was first released on PlayStation 2. Additional extras include a demo for Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and movie Tekken: Blood Vengeance.
The good
The good news is that Tekken Tag Tournament still holds up well. The combat is as cat and mouse as ever, with an emphasis on movement, counters, picking the right moments to attack, and juggling opponents in the air for maximum damage. The slower paced combat and healthy character roster still offers plenty of room for tactics, and the chance to hone one’s own fighting style.
Most recently Tekken’s limelight has been pinched by new fighting games Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, so Tekken Hybrid at least goes some way to reminding fight fans that Tekken offered something a little different, and a little more methodical.
All the extra modes are there: Arcade, Survival, Practice, Time Attack, Theater, Tekken Bowl and two-player vs. battle. Each offers the basic fighting options that any fan of the genre can expect. Those wanting to indulge in a little nostalgia before the next Tekken game arrives will find plenty to reminisce about.
Tekken Hybrid is somewhat of a stop-gap until Tekken Tag Tournament 2 hits the stores. Ahead of its release, fans have the chance to get a taster of the game, with a Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Prologue demo. This gives fans a taste of a few of the new stages and characters: Alisa, Ling Xiaoyu, Devil Jin and Devil Kazuya. New tag moves, better high definition graphics and more detailed arenas make for a welcome glimpse of how the next Tekken game will look and feel. Clue: it’s looking great.
The bad
Lowering those rose-tinted specs for just a moment, those who purchased the original Tekken Tag Tournament on PlayStation will feel as if they’ve seen it all before. That’s because it’s essentially the same game. There nothing new to see here.
On the disc, Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Prologue acts as a playable sneak peek of the game. As a demo it does a great job of teasing the game, but it’s hardly worthy of top-billing, or bumping up the £25 price up for. A little patience, and fans will be able to play the real thing in just two months time. Tekken Hybrid could have easily been a cheaper digital download on the PlayStation Network.
The bottom line
Tekken Hybrid is a good excuse to get all nostalgic remembering the days of the original Tekken Tag Tournament. CGI Movie Tekken: Blood Vengeance looks great, but is hardly a blockbuster. A bundled demo of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 could have instead been a free demo available online on PS3. It’s good fun, yet we’d still rather wait for the full game to release. Save your money and buy that instead.
