Sign my Guestbook  View my Guestbook

Tekken 5 is the penultimate entry in the series, and no fighting fan will want to miss it. Fast-moving, gorgeously-rendered action combines with a wealth of amazing extras that easily could have been saved for an overpriced collector's edition to form a package that is well worth its pricetag. The fighting in Tekken 5 is quick-paced as always. It's easy enough to pick up by newbies, yet veterans of the series will enjoy discovering the subtle tweaks made to the gameplay since the last installment. Character models aren't photo-realistic, but they are some of the most beautiful found in any fighting game. The environments are varied and amazingly detailed, while the sound work is much more notable this time around. All in all, Tekken's main package is worth a purchase in and of itself. But wait, there's more! Not only do you get one of the best-looking games on the PS2, you get all three classic Tekken games on one disc! That's right! All are flawlessly emulated and totally playable, and it's fun to go back and see just how far gaming has come since 1995. There's also an action/platforming title called Devil Within, but this isn't the highlight of the disc, and will likely only be played a few times by most players before they get sick of it. A constant sense of reward awaits you in Tekken 5 in the form of gold that can be spent to fully-customize characters and uncover other secrets. There's always the sense that you're moving forward towards the next reward, and this helps increase replay value a great deal, even in single-player mode. While an online mode might have made this one for the ages, Tekken 5 remains one of the most value-packed discs in fighting games today. It's collector's edition quality content at standard PS2 game prices. Snatch it up. -George