For almost 15 years, Namco Bandai’s “Tekken” series has been at the forefront of the 3D fighting genre, providing everything from extra gameplay modes to a plethora of fighters in a quest to quench your ultimate gaming desires. While its newest entry, “Tekken 6” is a feast for the eyes and possesses many of the qualities that made the older games in the series so enjoyable, it fails to separate itself from those very titles, making it somewhat derivative in spite of an alluring romp overall.

Hardcore fans of the series will eat this one up, but will feel like there’s too much in terms of customization and not enough in changes via gameplay. While there is absolutely nothing from the Tekken’s gameplay engine, and the new cast of characters add even more depth and intrigue to a roster jammed packed with it, the game plays almost exactly to “Tekken Dark Resurrection” and “Tekken 5.” Sure, the graphics are better, but it feels more like a supped-up version of the best games in the series rather than something that can stand-alone.

Creating a character and taking it through the ranks is fun and interesting and opens up the wealth of customization options available, but in the end, it’s not enough to make you feel like you’re playing a brand new game in the series.

Instead, it feels like an afternoon with an old friend from college that’s grown up a little bit more.

By itself, the scenario campaign mode is a boring, busted and broken mess of an additional gameplay mode, trying its hardest to emulate the beat-em-up games of the ’80s. If you’re not playing the single-player mode or online, you’d have little reason to play it. Because of that, all the added bells and whistles don’t change anything and don’t take way from the fact that it’s a solid game.

Aside from the impressive roster, graphics and bevy of additional features, the control isn’t as sharp on the 360 as you’d expect. At times, it’s hard to pull off the combos you’d like with the analog stick. At the same time, the D-pad isn’t the most convenient option either. As a result, it takes more time to get used to the control scheme than with any of the other games in the series. The fact that the combos have been stretched out further in this game as well make it even more difficult to pull off moves, creating a situation that takes much more time and effort to get used to than it should.

In the end, with a hearty list of new characters and features, “Tekken 6” is a solid addition to the series that new fans will eat up. Older fans, however, will be left wanting even more and won’t be able to escape the feeling that they aren’t playing anything entirely new. It’s a no-win situation for Namco Bandai, but that’s what happens when you’re talking about one of the most important fighting games in video game history.

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