Tekken: Dark Resurrection

"Great if you love Tekken, but it's still just Tekken"

Everybody has been giving this game high praise, and technologically, that's just what it deserves. However when it comes to gameplay, this is still just Tekken, and if you like Tekken, it's worth the buy. But if you don't, this is still just a portable version of Tekken 5.

Graphics- 10/10
Possibly the best graphics on PSP to date. There's hardly any lag or framerate hiccups, the character models look excellent, and many of the backgrounds are full 3D and fully destructable. There are a little over 30 character models plus over 100 accesories.

Gameplay- 7/10
Tekken has always been a simple, basic fighting game that doesn't take a ton of skill. It's mainly about reflexes and memorizing the best 10-hit combos for your favorite characters. Perfect for quick, on-the-go fighting but not so great for gamers looking for more depth. There's no way to escape a 10-hit combo, no insane moves or special techniques like you'd find in Soul Calibur, Street Fighter, or Virtua Fighter games. Two 10-hit combos can usually kill you, so rounds never last long when you're fighting tougher players.
I was unimpressed with Dark Resurrection's modes; there's a Dojo mode (like VF4's Kumite), an Arcade mode (which is like fighting people at the arcade), and then there's Story Mode, which is the normal mode where you progress through a string of 10 opponents.

Sound- 8/10
The game sounds good, the music tracks are good quality and not too annoying. I never had any problems with the sound but I don't always pay attention to it.

Replay Value- 9/10
There are lots of cosmetic upgrades you can buy for each character. There are tons to unlock, although you can't use them with all costumes for a character, and some unlockables just look stupid. Also there are no unlockable characters, which I thought was strange. Most extra modes can be unlocked during the first hour of play.

Buy or Rent: I'd say rent it first if you are new to Tekken. It's been hyped as the "best PSP game yet" but not everyone will enjoy it. If you're a Tekken fan, just buy it.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 08/14/06