The mother of all fighting games is finally here, featuring what has to be the most incredible of two very different fighting worlds and styles into mixing them up into one astonishing fighting game. But does more always equal more or does two of the best equal one of the worst? Here is my video game review.
Until Resident Evil came along Capcom was always best known for its long-established fighting game mechanics. It did not matter what game you were playing Capcom games always came out on top. Even in the very basic of game’s mechanics such as the sideways beat-em ups you could always tell if it was a Capcom game. The Street Fighter series has earned itself a place in history because it both created and helped evolve a genre quite simply because it has been so good. Don’t believe me – just look at how many times the game has been cloned over the years. One of the ways that Capcom has managed to keep the game exciting has been by introducing new characters and worlds for their characters to battle against. We have seen it in Marvel Vs Capcom and X Men Vs Street Fighter.
Street Fighter games thrive on skill; make no mistake, you need to know what you are doing. You need to know the moves and then be proficient at them enough to pull them off quickly. The game rewards you for doing so and punishes you with defeat if you don’t – simple as.
Tekken games on the other hand come from the equally mighty Namco. Developers of the mighty Ridge Racer and you know what that means – shocking detail, kick ass technology and replay value. Whilst not having Street Fighter’s 25 year old legacy it still has 18 solid years. Historically Tekken games rely more on technique, moves are easier to pull off and the level of detail and storyline is one to be envied even by the Ryu wannabes of this world.
Graphically the two games could not be sat further apart; Street Fighter (except in it’s EX series) has always remained 2D, matches go at an ADHD pace and look like a fireworks display. Tekken on the other hand has always been 3D with lush landscapes and the ability to avoid projectiles by moving into and out of the screen. Matches in Tekken land have long pauses whilst each player looks for weaknesses and when the impacts come, they are quick and short lived. Hence to bring together such a game like this was either going to work or fall flat and very miserably at the first hurdle.
So what was the cause of this mash-up? A magical box from the space called Pandora’s box crash lands on…Earth I assume and naturally both the good and bad guys want it for the own ends. To the victor go the spoils.
So how does it play? Well to say that it is incredible just does not give it justice. Street fighter X Tekken is so deliciously extraordinary it captivates and rejuvenates what for many could be described as a tired genre. Just when you think you have had enough of Marvel Vs Capcom along comes this. Here Street Fighter is the dominant partner (while Tekken will take the lead in Namco’s version of the game, whenever it chooses to surface) and the foundations of the game are built from Street Fighter 4’s building blocks and aesthetics i.e. combos, special moves and power bars.
Therefore if you have been used to the Street Fighter game and know the likes of Ryu, Ken, or Chun-Li you will feel right at home here. Many of the trademark moves have stayed the same, the inputs for the most part remaining the same, even if the speed and magnitude of what you see on screen are different from their previous incarnations the characters still look good and solid. The game moves forward at a rapid pace; gameplay thankfully slower than the hyperactive sugar rush of Marvel Vs Capcom but still faster than Super Street fighter 4. The complexity of pulling off super combos has been reduced to make it more accessible to newcomers, as has the introduction of a ‘gem system’ which can make certain inputs easier once activated for your character.
The first time you fire the game up Street Fighter’s cool but utterly useless character Dan beckons you into a tutorial about the game mechanics and I highly recommend that you don’t skip them. The introductory sessions last about 20 minutes as you are guided through mechanic after mechanic for high-level play. You have a Cross Gauge, a special meter divided into three sections that fills as you execute attacks. You have gems and you have charge attacks.
The tag team element is the main part of this game and there are so many ways in which you partner character can be called into play for example you can use the Cross Rush – by hitting any attack buttons in ascending order of strength – this will send your character into a bone crushing combo that ends with a launcher move which tagging in your second character to continue the attack.
The special meter has a number of uses, built up during the course of the match either when you hit your opponent or block or counter their blows. The gauge is principal to special attacks. One section of the gauge can be spent in a variety of ways, unleashing EX versions of your standard special moves that have stronger properties, a la Street Fighter IV. A section can also be spent on a Cross Cancel, which allows you to counter from a block with a launcher, sending your opponent high into the air, or a Switch Chance, which allows you to tag in your partner mid-combo for a spot of Tekken-style juggling.
Spending two sections of the gauge will allow you to execute a Super Art, the game’s version of Street Fighter 4’s Ultras, while if you have a full gauge you can spend it all on a Cross Art, which will have both members of your team perform a combo Super Art for incredible damage. Alternatively, the entire gauge can be splurged on a Cross Assault, a spectacular two-man attack that brings your partner onto screen to join in the attacking for a few seconds under AI control.
Lastly, you have the Pandora move – a controversial sort of kamikaze gamble – which can be triggered if your on-screen character has 25 per cent health or less, a move which will kill the character you are currently using whilst imbuing your remaining partner with a gigantic boost of power. However, this only lasts for ten seconds and, if you fail to win the match within that time, you lose regardless.
As you can see – whilst the gameplay in general has been somewhat simplified all of these different options and methods at your disposal still adds to the complexity and depth of the game.
Equally noteworthy is the game’s different customisation options. You can now choose the different colours for each part of your characters dress, skin tone and hair colour so you can have that full individualised look. Wanna see Ken with grey hair? I did. How about having green top and white bottoms and change that head band to blue Ryu? Not a problem. As you can see fashion just might not be my thing, but having those options is a nice touch.
Other real gems exist in the voice over’s – for example you can have the characters talking in their native language and have subtitles. So Ryu talks Japanese, Ken speaks American etc which I think is really good given that the characters are supposed to be from around the world.
The backgrounds are really nice too – embodying the Street Fighter / Capcom world with stages such as Dino Crisis having multi levels with which to fight on.
So how does this title fair in terms of multi-player? Well – Capcom has brought in a number of multiplayer innovations that make Street Fighter x Tekken perhaps one the most exciting co-operative fighting games made to date.
Online, you can now pair up with another fighter to take on other two-man teams, each player controlling one character in a normal tag match. An online Briefing Room actually allows players to train together remotely and one can’t help but to get excited about the possibilities for future tournaments will shape.
There is also a Scramble mode which has four players all fighting on screen at once, either online or off. It’s a mish-mash of punches and kicks and special moves which is incredible to watch. Equally, the usual array of SF4: Arcade Edition lobbies and match videos make an appearance, providing the game with a framework for community-building from day one.
Significant work however needs to be done on the netcode playing this game last night I was appalled to see that there were still problems playing online. Sound effects jittered online players dropped out of the game at will – and not just because I was winning. This was quite sad as it just mudded the online experience for me.
My Verdict
Street Fighter X Tekken is an astounding piece of work and a worthy purchase to have on your shelf if fighting games are your thing. Extraordinary to watch and intense and captivating to play it rejuvenates what for many could be described as a tired genre. Incredible just doesn’t do the game justice; yes it has its minor gripes but as a solid fighting title Street Fighter X Tekken is accessible, enjoyable and fun to play whilst having enough depth to keep existing players of the franchise more than happy. It simply hits the mark.
9.3/10