Tekken 7 has shown me why nostalgia isn’t always a winning formula

TEKKEN has to be one of the best video games of all time, but the latest game in the franchise doesn’t follow the same path. Here’s why.

THE year was 1995 and Namco had just realised its arcade fighting game Tekken on the PlayStation console.

Its graphics were poor compared to today’s standards, but that didn’t stop an eight-year-old Matt Dunn sitting down and thrashing the game for hours on end.

I was never one for the story mode, opting for endless hours spent playing with all of the 18 playable characters in the roster to figure out who was the most damaging.

Fast forward to 2017 and the gaming franchise has returned for its seventh iteration.

And while I might have fallen out of love with the franchise in the 22 years since the first title, I must admit I was very excited by the prospect of Tekken returning to current next-gen consoles.

When Tekken 7 arrived on my desk I couldn’t wait to get home and relive my youth.

Tekken 7 has much better graphics than the first, I just don’t know if I like them.

Only, it wasn’t like the good old days when you insert the disc and start playing, first I had to wait while the game downloaded onto my console.

After a restless hour of waiting, I was finally ready to delve into Tekken 7, with the classic arcade mode my first port of call.

I was happy to discover the menu and characters with a wide variety of different real-life fighting styles were both familiar.

The controls, which assign each of the four face buttons a different limb, were also very familiar.

And while I was never one to memorise the move list required for special attacks, I was also glad to see button mashing could still achieve the same result.

Yet, somehow the game didn’t have the same appeal as it once did.

I am not sure if I have been spoiled with games in the 22 years since the original captivated my attention or maybe I had just outgrown the franchise, but something felt vastly different.

I couldn't wait to play Tekken 7, shame it let me down.

Even with the new mechanics such as Rage Drive — a highly-damaging move for when you’re running out of health — the game still felt unsatisfying and I wasn’t sure why.

I found the cartoonish graphics and animations to be a little less than desirable, although this could just be a personal taste for someone who doesn’t play a lot of Eastern games.

The Japanese influence of the game was also present in the story mode, which felt a little disjointed and empty.

While the dynamics of the game I feel in love with are still present, I sadly feel Tekken 7 has been outdone by many of its more recent competitors.

In saying that, if you’re new to the series and are looking for an accessible brawler, this could be the game you are looking for.

What do you think of Tekken 7? Continue the conversation in the comments below or with Matthew Dunn on Facebook and Twitter.

Originally published as Tekken 7 has shown me why nostalgia isn’t always a winning formula