This is known as the Rage Drive, and requires a different direction and button input for each character, which luckily are displayed in front of your chosen characterвЂ™s portrait each time you start a bout. The rage you accumulate can also be used to power up some of your attacks, which while sacrificing the bar, will make them stronger across the board. It can be blocked though, so some tactical play will be necessary to get the best out of it. The damage it deals is inversely proportional to your characterвЂ™s health gauge, so hitting with it when you have a sliver of health left can turn the tide of a battle in an instant.

Fired off by a single press of the RB button, this is a string of moves that can decimate an opponentвЂ™s health bar. There is another new feature this time around in the shape of the Rage Mode.ДЄs your character takes a kicking, their rage begins to grow, and when their health bar hits a critical point, a new move becomes available, the Rage Art. With this magic button, I was soon jetting about the screen and handing out the beatdowns! Sadly it doesnвЂ™t work online, but thatвЂ™s a different storyвЂ¦ Obviously, if you know the characterвЂ™s moves you can do this manually, but itвЂ™s a handy prop for when you end up in the shoes of a character youвЂ™ve never played before вЂ“ as I did when I was handed control of Alisa. With a swift press of the LB button, in this mode you can pull off some of each characterвЂ™s signature moves with a single button input вЂ“ LB + A for instance. The controls for this story mode have also been simplified for noobs like me, as I canвЂ™t remember all the moves for all the characters any more. They add to the charm of Tekken 7, as seeing a mini story arc set up and played out for these people is very satisfying. These are single fights for popular characters, with a set opponent and then an often amusing end sequence to be seen. The chapter ends the same way as the end sequence did, with Kazuya throwing Heihachi to the floor and the Jacks jumping on him, before one self destructs in his face! This is a real showcase of how far the game has come, as the graphics this time around are absolutely top notch, and the animation of the characters and overall presentation is top notch.ДЄs you progress through the story mode, you will also start to unlock Character episodes, which can be selected and played through on the story chapter select page. As you beat Heihachi to win the championship, G-Corporation send a ton of their Jack-6 fighting robots in to destroy you, and you take control first of Heihachi, then of Kazuya as they fight off the robots. One memorable chapter where this occurs is actually a replay of KazuyaвЂ™s ending sequence from one of the older games. In a couple of the chapters, you have to also take part in a kind of tag team type affair, taking control of more than one character. The story mode is split into chapters, and in each chapter, the setting is explained in a cut scene, and you then have control of usually a different character. However, it does make more sense when you think about it, so this is actually an interesting design choice. In this one cut scene, there are three different languages being spoken, with no indication whether Heihachi speaks fluent Italian, or Nina Japanese or anything.

In one memorable scene, we see Heihachi and Nina talking to Claudio, an Italian fighter. You are thrust straight into the action as Heihachi, and have to defeat waves of faceless Tekken Force personnel in an attempt to reach the top of the Mishima and a confrontation with Nina, after which he assumes control.ДЄn interesting diversion this time is that each character speaks in their native tongue, with subtitles if they are required. Jin Kazama is in charge of the Mishima Zaibatsu, and at the start of the story has gone missing, leaving Heihachi to attempt what I think could be called a вЂњhostile takeoverвЂќ. What follows then are some incredibly well done, but very lengthy cut scenes, explaining what is going on in the world. Being a reporter, he decides to do what he does best and investigate the Zaibatsu, in an attempt to get a measure of revenge for his losses. The named reporter who narrates the story is one of these unsung victims when he is away on a job his hometown is destroyed, and his wife and son lost. In this new world, Mishima Zaibatsu and G-Corporation are at war, and as is usual when big corporations have a scrap, itвЂ™s the little people that suffer. Instead of picking a character and following their progress through the aforementioned tournament, this time the story is played out from behind the eyes of a reporter. Story mode was my first port of call, as you may expect, and things are a little different this time around.

Tekken 7 review