Any fan of Playstation or Arcades will be able to talk a hole in your ear about Tekken. You may still hear the PS3 guys moaning at the fact that the Tekken franchise has welcomed the Xbox 360 into its family but the hype for this long-awaited title has been massive. Has its multiplatform move caused it to lose its stride or will it deal a KO punch and become the ultimate fighting game?

Unlike most fighting games Tekken has always been kept going thanks to a semi-decent storyline. In the latest installment fans are taken down memory lane with a comic-like cutscene which covers the Tekken story all the way from the first one till the present. As per usual, its typical family drama with Jin, Kazuya, and Heihachi fighting to become number 1. Having won the last Iron Fist Tournament, Jin (who is now a badass) is in search of a secret power to become the ultimate fighter. While it won’t appeal to everyone, the story is fairly entertaining and gives some purpose to all the fighting.

Tekken 6 comes loaded with a few new features and some old ones too. First and foremost the combat in the game has been polished and really makes for a thrilling fighting game. Running at 60 FPS, Tekken 6 is fast paced and filled with action. Players can expect a new move or two from the franchise regulars, but players will still know how to deal some punishment as the original moves haven’t really changed much. With over 40 characters to choose from, there are plenty of different fighters on offer. These include a number of new faces are which sure to become fan favourites.

New to Tekken 6 is the scenario mode which is a 3^rd person beat’em up style game mode. This operates along the main story line and players will have to make their way through stages while unlocking new items and characters along the way. This mode is bound to receive a number of mixed responses, but if you’re dying follow each characters story or you are a bit of a trophy nut, you will have to play through it. Yes, it’s nothing revolutionary but does make for an interesting sidetrack. It does have the potential to support offline or online co-op, unfortunately Namco doesn’t think so, so you will have to play alone. *Sobs*

Customization has taken a huge step up from it’s predecessor, as Tekken 6 lets you customize virtually anything. There are a large variety of customizations for each character which give you the blissful feeling that your character is unique. However, due to the economic crisis, customization is not cheap and the only way to make some serious cash is through scenario mode. So avoid it all you like, but you will be playing it at some point.

When it comes to looks Tekken 6 is no supermodel. That said, it isn’t exactly a ‘minga’. It’s more of the fairly pretty girl who you take home to your parents. The graphics are arguably next gen but fairly mediocre when compared to some of the newer titles. They will however satisfy most Tekken fans, as the fighting is where this one shines. The environments have made a huge leap and you’ll be fighting in some fairly cool looking areas which give a nice feel to the game. Character modeling is good even though detail can only be seen when you’re pretty close to the characters. Their movement is fluid and they look great when they’re in action.

Tekken 6 also offers online playability whereby you can create a match and invite your buddy to come take a beating. There is also an online ranking mode whereby players will enter into battles with ‘randoms’ and try and increase their online rank.

All in all, Tekken 6 is a great fighting game. The combat is execellent, the arenas are awesome and it’s great fun to play. It has a number of game modes to keep you going and a fighting system that has so much depth you’ll need years to master it. It may not win an award for graphics, but if you tell it that you’ll be knocked out before you can say ‘Yoshimitsu’.