The Bottom Line
- Tekken 5 looks as good on the PS2 as in the arcades
- All of the madness of Tekken 4 is completely absent
- Tons of bonus features, including Tekken 1-3
- Over two dozen playable characters
- No more multi-level environments
Description
- Graphics: 5 - This as good as they get on the PS2. The progressive scan support and 16:9 are great.
- Sound: 4 - The voices, music and sound are all well up to par.
- Concept: 3.5 - It's Tekken, just done better than it has been in years.
- Control: 4.5 - Some will want the analog stick, but other than that it plays tight.
- Difficulty: 4 - It is as hard as you want it, there are several levels of difficulty to play.
- Replay: 5 - The core game will own you for ages, and the bonus content will keep you very busy.
- Rated: Teen - It's a game that is all about fighting, not as sexed-up as Dead or Alive, however.
Guide Review - Tekken 5 Review
The new fighting and graphics engines are the heart and soul of Tekken 5. The game is an exact port of the Arcade version, and will easily give anything on Xbox a run for its money. To be honest, I was surprised a PS2 game could look this good, it sweeps the feet from under any of the other PS2 games currently out there. The fighting system maintains the four button control scheme, and it still plays silky-smooth. Not only does it control well, but the visceral feeling of power is very much intact. When you hit someone in Tekken 5, it looks like it hurt. The moves, like most Tekken titles, are easy enough to master, but timing will determine how much punishment you'll dish out.
Value is an understatement when it comes to this game. Not only do you get the full arcade versions of Tekken 1,2 and 3, but also a complete action game Tekken: Devil Within, which goes into some of the back-story Bering the Mishima clan. Throw in the fact that you can customize characters and earn countless rendered CG movies, and you've got hours of entertainment. Namco poured everything they had into this one, and came out with a true gem.
