Games review: Street Fighter X Tekken

Now imagine a world where both games are combined, “a pure fantasy” I hear you scoff, ah but no I retort, there is such a place and it’s called STREET FIGHTER X TEKKEN.

Yes folks CAPCOM and NAMCO-BANDAI have released the ultimate fighting game, where you get to play as your favourite STREETFIGHTER or TEKKEN character.

CAPCOM are known for their crossover combinations like CAPCOM Vs MARVEL so it`s not surprising that they should come up with this one.

This game is pretty bang on; the look and feel of this fighting extravaganza comes together beautifully, and takes you into a world of arcade beat em ups.

The gameplay itself is based on the 2D style of the original STREETFIGHTER series and looks great; the movement is fluid and full on, with endless combinations and some new innovations.

There is also a plan to bring out a TEKKEN X STREETFIGHTER which will be done in the style of TEKKEN which I look forward to.

Many of the great characters from both franchises are here, and the new switch system allows you to swap between your two fighters, whilst in the middle of a combo, which can be devastatingly effective if timed right, the only thing to watch out for is, that if one of your characters runs out of life, then it`s game over my friend.

The PANDORA mode and GEM system are new to both franchises; the first being an all-out style move that can turn the tide of a fight, when induced you have ten seconds of raw energy, whilst the latter is the biggest addition where you can change your fighter’s capabilities, either improving your attack or defence abilities, with BOOST GEMS and ASSIST GEMS which can be activated during a match to improve certain areas of your fighting technique.

As always with these kinds of games there are endless combinations to remember and if you are a novice then be prepared to have your bottom kicked on a regular basis, especially on-line as this is where you will come across dedicated and serious players, who will revel in kicking you into obscurity (you have been warned!)

Talking of on-line play it is pretty good actually, there can be a certain amount of lagging but not enough to spoil any enjoyment, anyway you can always use that as an excuse as to why that 10 year old wiped the floor with you.

The FIGHT REQUEST option is also featured in this game allowing other players to challenge you whilst you are in a single player game in ARCADE mode.

SCRAMBLE mode where both your fighters are active at the same time is a good idea but just a little too intense for my liking; it just became a bit confusing.

ENDLESS BATTLE mode really speaks for itself; you just fight an endless series of non-ranked matches.

Summary

STREET FIGHTER X TEKKEN brings together all the best elements of both classic games in a refreshing and fun way, the game play is fluid and visually stunning, especially the backgrounds which are highly detailed and embellish the game beautifully, if you are new to this genre then this is the game for you, just beware there are some serious fighters out there on line, so get some practice in before you take them on.

The gauntlet has been thrown down to NAMCO-BANDAI to deliver something extra special in TEKKEN X STREETFIGHTER

I give STREETFIGHTER X TEKKEN 9 out of 10 because it is a shed load of fun and the best fighting game out this year so far.

Street Fighter X Tekken

Publisher: Capcom

Developers: Capcom/ Namco-Bandai

Genre: Fighting

Xbox 360®

Playstation 3®

Playstation Vita®

Release Date: 9th March 2012

Age Rating: 12