Tekken 5 [PS2]

Namco recently came by to give us a little friendly Tekken upside the head. From its overall dazzling looks to the new character cast to the improved fight mechanics, Tekken 5 offers great promise for series fans, which should more than compensate for some of the relative disappointments of Tekken 4.

The story (for those who need one in the midst of their fighting): Following Jin's departure after the Fourth Tournament, Honmaru finds itself hammered by Jacks, the attack resulting in a tremendous explosion. "Heihachi Mishima is dead," a distant observer to the blast claims, but it seems the Heihachi Zaibatsu isn't finished off just yet. Somebody is replacing Heihachi after all, and the Fifth King of Iron Fist Tournament is officially on. Everybody got all that? Good. Now we can all punch something.

For starters, some 20 characters have already been announced for Tekken 5 (certainly due in part to fan outcry after the cast reduction in the prior game). Among their ranks are Christine Monteiro, Hwoarang, Marshall Law, Jack-5, Julia Chang, Craig Marduk, Kazuya Mishima, King, Bryan Fury, Yoshimitsu, Jin Kazama, Ling Xiaoyu, Paul Phoenix, Lee Chaolan, Lei Wulong, Steve Fox, and, of course, Nina Williams. (Nina's bone cracking, solo career adventures will soon be chronicled in Death by Degrees.) New to the Tekken 5 roster is Raven, Feng Wei, and Asuka Kazama. Other additions are yet to be announced.

A lot of the attack combos that were so viciously effective in the previous game will be escapable, because they have been either brought down a few notches or completely taken out of the game. For example, a tweak to the throw move produces increased range throws, but at the cost of precious time, which can leave the executing character temporarily vulnerable.

Mechanically more important, however, is the inclusion of the crouch that thwarts high attacks, and the jump that avoids the nuisance of sweeps, low kicks, and certain mid-level strikes. They add another layer of subtle strategy to the combat -- enough to enhance the experience, but not enough to make things tedious, hassling, or overly frustrating.

Visually, Tekken 5 is simply awesome. The new lighting scheme is gorgeous, and you'll see your fighters duking it out in flaring sunsets, near crackling flames, in hazy moonlight, and under other special conditions. Better still, the interactive environments will sport a variety of destructible objects. The battle arenas are strictly flat again, allowing for better use of the processing power (such as objects and other features in the arena that characters can slam into or otherwise run afoul of).

Speaking of the fighters, players can use their tournament winnings to customize the look of their favorite characters. Combatants can sport newly purchased costumes, eyewear, headgear, and other fiddly-bits (many of which can be knocked off during particularly brutal hits). Claw your way to overall victory in the tournament, and special end movies tailored for each character will laud your achievement.

We've also been told that a special "action/adventure element" will present a secondary story running parallel to the tournament action. Specific details on this aspect weren't forthcoming, but we'll be keeping a close eye as Tekken 5 comes jumping and kicking our way for its 2005 release. Stay on guard.