Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is a guilty pleasure for all fighting fans especially those who are hardcore Tekken fans.
Genre: Fighting
Developer: Namco Bandai
System: Playstation 3 (PS3)
Total Score: 94/100
Value Score: 9.4/10
• Story: 5/10
o Tekken Tag Tournament 2's storyline involves a slew of characters from all over the Tekken universe ranging from the recent additions from Tekken 6 to all the way from Tekken 2 and Tekken 3's departed characters. The storyline isnt canon but it is interesting seeing all the old characters and how they go well up against the newer characters even if the storyline scenes are only like a few minutes at the end. Regardless the storyline isnt as depth as Tekken 5/Tekken DR or Tekken 6 was.
• Characters: 10/10
o Tekken Tag Tournament 2's character roster includes over 50 characters ranging from different Tekken games from the very old ones to even the new ones. Enjoy all your favorite characters from the old era of Tekken (even Heihachi looks younger!) as they combat the new fighters of the new generation of Tekken.
• GamePlay: 10/10
o Tekken Tag Tournament 2 includes similar gameplay system to Tekken 6 but with about over 50 characters. The game includes all the basic modes that you would want however they combined the Arcade mode with the Story mode - so it might be a bit weird at first. This pretty much ruined the difficulty that Arcade mode had and the in-depth storyline that Tekken 5 and its port had however it is nicely done in favor of other more prominent features. A new mode called Fight Lab has been introduced which has its own storyline and gameplay style even though it is a simulator to teach you how to play the game more than an actual fully fledged storyline. The game of course includes Online Versus against other players or friends, a versus mode in LAN mode, a training mode and even a section for a gallery of ending movies/intros and a character customization section where you can change the appearance of the character. You can also upload your own music and use it in stages or in the menus instead of the default music used for the game which is a nice touch.
• Graphics: 10/10
o Tekken Tag Tournament 2's visuals have improved quite well since Tekken 6's introduction to the generation, the game looks slightly better in all aspects including lighting, design, etc. However it really isnt a huge leap as you would expect similar to the transition from Tekken 5 to 6 although this was a given due to the fact that both games (TTT2 and T6) are built on the same engine. Regardless the overall visual quality in the game looks fantastic and looks like one of the best this generation.
• Sound: 10/10
o TTT2 introduces full-fledged voice acting like the previous Tekken games however one major change has happened, no longer do any of the characters speak like they used to (for an example Christie) - instead now they speak in their native language depending on where they are which of course will further confuse fans on how they are able to communicate with each other now since in the previous games they had Japanese voices and English voices mixed. Now it is full of different languages which isnt a issue at all but shows that Namco made a dedication to show the originality and true aspects of their characters. The sound effects from the fighting are top notch as always but nothing spectacularly different from Tekken 6.
• Music: 10/10
o TTT2 uses all sorts of genre of music for the stages and menus ranging from techno, orchestral, rock and to some points close to Metal. There have been instances where they have even remixed some of the older tracks from the older Tekken games especially from 5 and Dark Resurrection. But the thing that makes this game's Music category different from the rest of the series is the fact that they have introduced a option where you are able to import your own music and customize it on any stage or menu - which is a feature long sought after for a while.
• Length: 9/10
o TTT2's length will depend on how long you play the game for as it really isnt necessary to play as much to unlock any characters since they are all unlocked at default. Finishing each and every character's storyline and to unlock their ending might take several hours and including with that is the fact that you can also do other modes such as Fight Lab which has its own storyline although not really connected to the canon of Tekken. Regardless this game feels a bit shorter than the rest of the series and it is mostly because everything is pretty much given to you characters and modes.
• Replay Value: 10/10
o Just like any fighting game, TTT2 provides great replay value upon its modes which include the ability to play online, play single player in two different ways, Fight Lab which is a side spin off story and other modes. Due to the fact it is a fighting game the game changes or randomizes every time you play like any other fighter to keep it as fresh as it can. The online mode by itself will provide you the most number of hours as there will always be people who want to fight you for the score boards.
• Player Value: 10/10
o Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is one of the best fighters in the 8th generation of gaming. It includes a set of 50+ characters the most ever seen in a Tekken game and includes some of the more classic characters from yesteryear which were not available in the previous games but of the games back in the PSX era. With a improved online system, improved visuals, a plethora of music with remixes and the ability to import your own music, TTT2 is worth every single cent - especially due to the fact that all of the "DLCs" are free.