Tekken Tag Tournament 2

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is the eagerly awaited sequel to its predecessor Tekken Tag Tournament, which was released in 2000. Over ten long years have passed whilst Tekken fans all over the globe have waited with bated breath for this game, and finally, it's here. Revolutionised, revamped, and vastly superior to the first released over a decade ago, Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is sure to make the wait worthwhile.

TTT 2 boasts the the largest character roster in Tekken history, with over 45 playable characters in total, including all 42 from Tekken 6. Old and familiar faces once again make an appearance, ranging from Jinpachi Mishima from Tekken 5, to True Ogre and the beloved Jun Kazama from the original Tekken Tag Tournament, amongst many others. This wide range of characters is a definite must have in this game, as combat relies completely on your talents and skills as a team.

Each player selects two characters to fight with, with the option to switch either out at any time within the battle. A nice little helping hand in this game is that whilst a character is inactive, they will gradually regain any health they lost during battle. A wide variety of attacks can be performed within this game, with combos being set up directly from tags, and extended tag combos and combined moves all playing a major part in crushing your foes. A new technique that has been introduced is the combined tag throws, which when performed correctly can set off a cut scene that will lead to your opponent being K.O.'d. These throws can also be escaped from, if you time it well. There are also tag throws/assaults, which can be done simultaneously with both characters performing the combo at the same time. There is a reintroduction of “bound” hits, which smash an airborne opponent in to the ground and allows the combo to be extended; this is made much more effective with the tag team aspect.

There is an innovative tag partner rage system within this game, which occurs when the character you're playing takes a certain number of hits. When this happens, the inactive character's bar flashes, indicating that they're fully charged; this means that when you tag this character in, they will have a strength boost induced in battle. The arenas in which you fight have also been improved, making them walled and interactive. The walls can break when a character hits them, opening up and leading the fight into a new area. Due to the tag team system, there are new rules of judging round wins or losses: a player will lose the round if either of their characters K.O., and if time runs out before a defeat then the player with the most health left combined will stand victorious.

Team up the best two characters and take down every opponent you come across in this fast-paced, hard hitting action packed game. Use agility, strength, and devise the best attack combinations that you can muster in order to be crowned the Tekken Tag Tournament champion. Despite how much time has been spent waiting for this sequel, it is more than worth it. (Cat Emerson)