Tekken 7 was first announced by Tekken director, Katsuhiro Harada on July 13, 2014, during EVO 2014. He first revealed the trailer and unveiled a new logo for the series. It began when Harada found out the title was leaked online – The game wasn’t originally to have been unveiled so soon, but the announcement was brought forward due to the leak. Along with the confirmed development of Tekken X Street Fighter, an extended launch trailer, character design details, and other info regarding the game was revealed at their San Diego Comic-Con fighting panel on July 25th, 2014.
Tekken 7 makes use of the Unreal Engine 4 game engine which will allow the game to be developed for multiple platforms. Bandai Namco was unable to show the gameplay system at the SDCC at the time due to it still being worked for. It was stated by Harada that the arcade release of Tekken 7 would have network features very similar to Tekken Tag Tournament 2.
There are several guest artists who have designed the character designs. Said artists include Mari Shimazaki (Bayonetta), Yusuke Kozaki (Fire Emblem Awakening, No More Heroes), Ninnin (Duel Masters, Cardfight!!, Vanguard) and Kenichiro Yoshimura (Max Anarchy/Anarchy Reigns). Also, Shinji Aramaki is directing the intro for Tekken 7. The game also focuses on one-on-one battles again like previous numbered installments, not team-based as in the Tekken Tag Tournament series.
Gameplay
Moves
List of moves by character that can be performed in Tekken.
Combo System
The combo system in Tekken 7 retains some of the aspects of Tekken Revolution, in which it is no longer possible to bound a character during a combo. However, the bound state still exists, but “a lot of moves that use to bound are being taken out”. In order to compensate for the lack of bounds, many moves were given new combo dynamics in order to extend combos. Low parries will still cause a bound effect as they do in Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion.
An example would be Hwoarang’s “Backlash” having the same properties in a combo as it would on a regular hit, in which it would cause the opponent to slump to the ground. This new feature has been dubbed by Japanese players as “Kirimomi” (translated as “Aerial Tailspin”), and, like bound had been in Tekken 6 and Tekken Tag Tournament 2, can only be done once during a combo.
Additionally, there are other new positions that characters may be left at. One such position shows a character raising their back in pain, similar to the K.O animation.
Screw
Re-introduced with a new juggle move property to replace ground bounds, screw moves are the new staple for many juggle-based combos, as the juggle version of screw property makes the player’s juggled opponent spin and land in a very vulnerable slump-like state where extra combos and damage are guaranteed; may also be referred to as kirimomi or tailspin.
Power Crush
One of the new features is the introduction of a new type of move called Power Crush. These moves absorb damage from a mid or a high attack, and it still continues despite taking damage.
Wall Bounce
After the inclusion of Geese Howard, Wall Bounce was later applied to the rest of the characters in Season 2. Wall Bounce can only be applied by certain moves with pushback properties, when the opponent is standing/crouching.
Auto Combo
A simplified Auto Combo mechanic is finally been re-introduced in Season 2, as it was originally Story Mode only on certain main story’s chapters. It can only be applied by pressing either LP or RP for mostly three times respectively. Players can set Auto Combo on or off for the gameplay.
Players can also keep three of the character’s special moves to serve as a combo or three phases of their respective combo moves.
Rage Moves
Rage Arts
A Rage Art is an additional, last resort attack a character can use while in Rage Mode, which occurs with less than 25% health remaining and is indicated by their health bar flashing red. After the startup animation, they have an improved version of Power Crush (which will also defend against lows and grabs on top of mids and highs, and on certain frames, do not slow down in response to said attacks) and, if they land, use unique attack animations akin to the Ultra Moves from the Street Fighter series, Critical Edge from Soul Calibur V, and Power Blow from Dead or Alive 5. A significant note is that when a Rage Art is performed, the character will immediately lose their rage. These arts can also be done during a combo.
In Fated Retribution update, Rage Art damage increases the lower the character’s health is, up to 50% more damage.
Rage Drive
Introduced in Fated Retribution updated is a new Rage Mode feature called “Rage Drives”. Functioning the same as a Rage Art (that is requiring a player sacrifice Rage Mode to execute it), Rage Drives are different in that they do not cause a cinematic string of attacks and instead can be combo-ed out of once landed. They generally have extra effects that normal moves do not have (some give an extra Screw, some Bound the opponent for a guaranteed grounded attack, some send the opponent flying straight to the wall or extremely high into the air, etc.). Akuma, Eliza and Geese Howard do not have Rage Drives; instead, they have a secondary meter in place of a Rage Drive that allows them to perform a super move once maxed as well as perform other attacks (such as EX moves).
Item Moves
Item moves makes a return in Tekken 7. The number of item moves compared to Tekken Tag Tournament 2, however, has been significantly toned down, but most characters still have their own unique item moves.
Stage Effects
Like in Tekken 6 and Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Stage Gimmicks also return, including the Balcony Break introduced in Tag 2. Floor Break and balcony breaks now cause an effect similar to a Tag Assault in Tag 2 where the opponent is flung up instead of into a bound state. Wall Breaks have not been affected. On initial release, only one stage in Tekken 7 had floor breaks and, for the first time, had several within the same stage. As of the release of Season Pass 3 DLC, there are now two stages with floor breaks: Forgotten Realm and Cave of Enlightenment.
Other changes
Tekken 7 changes certain movement mechanics, such as back walking (which now works as it does in Tekken Revolution with the characters taking longer strides when walking backwards as opposed to shuffling). Back rolls from a grounded state have been removed in favor of a new wakeup animation where the opponent gets off the floor while moving back. Ankle kicks are accompanied by a new back roll animation that creates separation after executing one.
Modes of Play
Story Mode
The story mode in Tekken 7 focuses on the untold tales of the Mishima Bloodline. Taking place after the events of Tekken 6, every event and fight that you experience will give more insight into the on-going feud of the Mishima Saga.
Parts of the story will be told through in-game cutscenes that transition into battles with characters, while other moments will be still images with dialogue. The plot will jump between perspectives, giving you events from specific characters or from a separate narrator. There are a total of 14 chapters in the main story, with two additional epilogue chapters that unlock after completing them.
Treasure Battle
Treasure Battle is similar to Arcade Mode, but with a few key differences that will garner a lot of attention from everyone. In Treasure Battles, you fight against an endless amount of opponents and gain Fight Money and customization items for each victory you obtain. Match victories reward you with Treasure Chests that unlock to reveal new items that get added to the customization menu.
You can select any character and will have a chance to gain a wide number of costumes and extra items for the entire roster of fighters. As you win more matches in Treasure Battle, you gain a larger multiplier for the amount of Fight Money you win, as well as gain more chances to get more Treasure chests per match.
Online Modes
There are a number of different online multiplayer modes in Tekken 7. Each of the online modes will allow you to battle against others around the world, while achieving a personal ranking and online stats. Your online stats and ranking are completely seperate form your offline ones.
Depending on your preferences, you can engage within Ranked battles, Player Battles, and Tournaments online. No matter what mode you play, you will always gain fight money or items at the conclusion of each match. If you win, you’ll gain more rewards at the end of a match. Some customization items will be unlocked once you start playing matches online.
Ranked Matches Online
You can search for Ranked Battles via the game’s matchmaking. When searching for an opponent, you can either wait in the menus until an opponent is found, or practice your combos in a waiting room before the match. No matter which you decide, the matchmaking will go on in the background and pair you up with another player online.
Player Matches
Player matches are the same as Ranked Matches online, but without any ranking or Leaderboard placement involved. Here you can simply battle other players in Player Lobbies without any rankings being changed. You have the option to Quick Match into a lobby or search for open sessions online based on different criteria. You can set your search to all regions or your personal region.
You also have the option to create a Player Lobby yourself and invite other players to join. The number of open slots, region settings, private slots, and match preferences can be set when you create the lobby. The host of the lobby has the ability to change settings and invite/kick players out of the lobby at any time.
Tournament Matches
The best part of Tournament matches is the ability to gain fight money and items for playing in them. No matter what placing you have in the tournament, whetehr you win or get eliminated, you will gain both items and fight money for participating in it. The rewards for winning a Tournament can range from 500,000G to around 2,000,000G upon the conclusion of the Tournament. The more people who join, the larger the prize pool for the winner, and the more everyone will gain for participating.
Arcade Mode
You can play through 2-player battles normally by going to Versus mode in the Offline section of the main menu. This is different than Arcade Mode since you don’t have continue playing solo once a 2-player battle is completed.
Characters
Most of the roster is made up of legacy characters from past Tekken games, as well as a few newcomers to the franchise. Additional characters will be added to the roster as they are released at later dates via downloadable content.
Depending on your playstyle, different characters have different strengths and weaknesses during a fight. Some characters prefer to fight close with fast or strong combos, while others prefer to outsmart opponents at a distance with long-reaching attacks. Regardless of your preferred style of fighting, the roster of Tekken 7 has something for everyone to enjoy.
Customization
In Tekken 7, you have the ability to customize a number of attributes about your game. You can change the appearance and effects on the entire roster of fighters to your liking, giving the characters you use online your own sense of unique style. You also have the ability to customize your name display and titles for your online profile.
Changing up any of the options for either your characters or profile is what allows you to express yourself online with other players around the world. You can gain new items for section by playing the game’s various modes.
Hardly anyone would argue that one of the biggest draws of the fighting games genre is the options it gives for the players to express themselves. You can pick characters that please you visually, whose backstories and lore speak to you, those that suit your playstyle the most. It wouldn’t be correct to say that people who don’t pick the “STRONGEST AND THE MOST META DEFINING FIGHTERS” don’t want to win. No, they absolutely do. It’s just that they want to win on their own conditions. In a way, they want to win more than meta players do, as they want not only to see the coveted W after the battle but also to feel the satisfaction of all the training paying off, not just piggybacking off of broken characters.
Tekken is one such game that allows players to do pretty much anything they want. Play any style they want. Of course, some are more prominent than others, more powerful, or easier to execute. But there always will be people playing all of them. With all this said, let’s take a look at the top archetypes in Tekken.
Rushdown
Rushdown characters are perhaps the most intuitive to play for the newcomers to the genre. Their main shtick is to exert constant pressure with attacks, forcing the opponent to be on the defensive and trapping them in the block loop, threatening to do some delayed string or a combo. An aggressive approach, however, doesn’t mean a mindless approach. To be successful in this style you need to know both your moves and those of your opponent. You can’t force your vis-à-vis into submission if your move is -20 on block and they have a 15 frame punish ready.
Mixups
A semi-related archetype to the rushdown characters is mixups. These fighters excel at different kinds of pressure – mind games. They will make you guess, and then guess again, and again, and again. Their gameplay tools include several variations of strings, move startup animations that can go in different directions, or simply unreadable stances. This makes defending against mixup-heavy fighters a guessing game.
“Do I just crouchguard a low, or do I stand and try to block on reaction?” In reality, the defensive options are a little bit broader than that: you can sidestep hellsweeps, backdash from uppercuts, reaction-parry some slow lows. Yes, movement in Tekken 7 is not as powerful as it was in the games before, but having options still beats not having them. Essentially, do whatever you can not to get launched, even if it means eating a relatively damaging mid.
Grappling
At this point, everyone knows that you can guess which button to press to break a throw based on the hand the opponent is extending first. And while many characters have great grab options in their kits (hello, Julia and Dragunov), we only have two pure grapplers in Tekken 7 – King and Armor King, with Craig Marduk being somewhere nearby. The most terrifying thing about them for any player (unless you’re a top tier or a professional) is that they are able to mix their throws. Many of their startups share the same animation while requiring different breaks. And they even have grab chains and deathloops, that can easily lead to your demise if not broken correctly.
Poking
Poking playstyle isn’t so much character-based as it is player-based. Most fighters are somewhat equipped to throw out damage in short bursts, retreating before the opponent replies, and not committing into big combos. Playing like this is more difficult than it may seem because it requires solid matchup knowledge to gauge just how much you can get away with in any given situation. They either have great simple tools like d/f1, or fast lows, or any other tool that helps them deal damage in short windows. Playing against this playstyle doesn’t require you to go out of your way to counter it. On the contrary, it is designed to try to make you abandon your plan, get frustrated, be overly aggressive, and start making mistakes. Always remember to not give them what they want – be calm and play your game.
Defending
Now, bear with me, I know this categorization is too broad. I will break it down further. The following subcategories that we’re going to talk about all stem from playing the game defensively, being on the back foot. But the decision to do so is deliberate and not an indicator of a lack of skill.
The first subcategory is turtling and counterhit baiting. Characters of this archetype generally prefer to stay back, sidestepping or backdashing from the incoming attacks while trying to make the opponent whiff or catch them on a counterhit. This approach is a complete antithesis to the rushdown playstyle: instead of gaining the initiative yourself, you’re willingly giving it all away and waiting for your opponent to do a misplay.
To fight them well you have to be mindful of their windows of opportunity to counter you. Not everyone can just do it on reaction, so bait those tools out from them and punish them for it. Don’t follow them into the guessing game – you have much more to lose if they do get you.
Reception
In Game Informer’s Reader’s Choice Best of 2017 Awards, the game came in second place for “Best Fighting Game”. The game was nominated for “Best PS4 Game” in Destructoid’s Game of the Year Awards 2017 and for “Best Fighting Game” in IGN’s Best of 2017 Awards. It was also a runner-up each for “Best Multiplayer” and “Game of the Year” in Giant Bomb’s 2017 Game of the Year Awards. In 2019, Game Informer ranked it as the 7th best fighting game of all time.
In addition, Tekken 7 has been especially popular in the competitive scene. The Tekken World Tour was created in 2017 as a season-long, points-based international tournament series that begins in March and culminates in the Tekken World Tour World Finals each December. The Tour has gone on to receive praise for successfully showcasing several relatively unknown and overlooked Tekken 7 players from around the world as well as generating more interest in the game competitively. Tekken 7 received particular praise for its display at EVO 2018, and it was one of the few games to see increased numbers of entrants at EVO 2019.
