Category: Video Games

The Evolution of Tekken and PlayStation

Bandai Namco Entertainment’s Tekken series is one of the first franchises that comes to mind when most gamers think of the fighting game genre. Debuting in arcades in 1994, Tekken helped put 3D fighting games on the map with its stylish characters, comedy, groundbreaking gameplay, and polygonal graphics. These accomplishments would continue throughout the series and keep it at the forefront of the genre well past the arcade era.

Tekken’s success continued in the console market as the iconic franchise debuted on the PlayStation, and the series and the system evolved side by side. Each installment pushed new console limitations, making every entry a prime showcase of each PlayStation.

With Tekken 8’s release on the horizon, it’s time for another collision between The King of Iron Fist Tournament and PlayStation. Let’s take a look at how the series has evolved and become so intertwined with each console.

Tekken: Iron-fisted beginnings

Tekken | U.S. Release 1995 | PlayStation

After a successful arcade run, Tekken made its console debut on the original PlayStation. Releasing two months after the console’s launch, Tekken immediately mirrored its initial success in the home console realm.

The groundwork for the rest of the series is instantly recognizable here. The focus on pushing hardware limits by featuring detailed graphics and 60 frames-per-second made it a must-play title with an easy-to-learn yet hard-to-master control scheme of two punch buttons and two kicks that the series still features made the game an instant competitive and party hit for homes everywhere.

And who can forget the roster of more than memorable fighters that the PlayStation experience made even more notable? It featured full-motion video cutscenes, and players could unlock sub-bosses like Armor King and the final boss, Heihachi, as playable characters.

Even after a year-long arcade run, Tekken garnered just as much praise on consoles, making it an easy choice for Bandai Namco Entertainment to continue the series for years to come.

Tekken 2: Refining the formula

Tekken 2 | U.S. Release 1996 | PlayStation

Tekken 2 hit arcades in 1995 and came home to PlayStation consoles once more in 1996. While the original set the basis for the series, this sequel’s additions make it immediately more recognizable to fans. 

Players were greeted with a jump from 17 to 25 playable characters, including newcomers like Bruce, Roger, and Jun Kazama. Many of these characters came equipped with new battle mechanics like unique sidesteps, chain-throws, backthrows, and special reversal attacks. There was also the addition of new staple modes like Time Attack, Team Battle, Survival, and Practice mode. These features took Tekken to new heights, making Tekken 2 one of the highest-sold PlayStation titles.

This title also marked the beginning of Kazuya’s reign as the villain of the series, and its ending teased Jin’s future as its protagonist.

Tekken 3: A more familiar face

Tekken 3 | U.S. Release 1998 | PlayStation

Tekken returned with another PlayStation hit in Tekken 3. Staple characters like Jin, Eddy Gordo, Xiaoyu, Bryan Fury, Hwoarang, Law, and Julia joined the roster. 

The largest addition here came in the form of changes to movement, such as shortened jumping heights. Side throws and sidesteps were also added, along with moves that can be performed during a sidestep. Several fighters were given access to reversals, and certain characters were granted combo throws. This brought Tekken a lot closer to the title we see now.

As with Tekken 2, the PlayStation version added exclusive modes, making Tekken 3 the debut of the beat-em-up minigame Tekken Force, and the volleyball-esque Tekken Ball.

Tekken Tag Tournament: 2-on-2 goodness

Tekken Tag Tournament | U.S. Release 2000 | PlayStation 2

Tekken made its PlayStation 2 debut with the first entry of the spin-off series Tekken Tag Tournament. This time around, fighters would challenge one another as a duo. Now, with the press of a button, players can switch between their two characters, each with various hidden attributes depending on the pairing of the characters, making tag combos, throws, and different tactics possible. But once one character on either team is defeated, the match is over. 

The PlayStation 2 version implemented upgraded graphics over the arcade version and even more modes. At home, players gained the ability to play a classic 1-vs-1 mode, a team battle with up to eight matches to decide the victor and the debut of the bowling minigame Tekken Bowl.

Tekken 4: A dynamic reintroduction

Tekken 4 | U.S. Release 2002 | PlayStation 2

Tekken returned to its mainline series with Tekken 4, introducing some of the grandest changes to the formula since the beginning. The game became darker than before, reviving a once-dead Kazuya. This was aided by an upgraded graphics engine that dynamically affected lighting, surfaces, and physics. And who can forget that banger soundtrack?

Players could suddenly move even before a round began, and the environment was given more importance. The introduction of walled stages allowed for extended and more damaging combos. This prompted the debut of corner escapes to allow for comebacks.

Once again, the PlayStation version included Tekken Force and a new Story Mode featuring cutscenes.

Tekken 5: Modern movement

Tekken 5 | U.S. Release 2005 | PlayStation 2

Whereas Tekken 4 emphasizes varying environments, Tekken 5 tones things down slightly. Uneven stage ground was removed to make movement smoother and faster. However, the character count is another story with 32 characters in the base roster, including Devil Jin’s debut.

The title also introduces the high crush, and low crush attack moves that the game is known for. For the first time, fighters could be customized with different outfits, colors, and additional items gained with in-game currency.

The new PlayStation-exclusive mode is Devil Within, a new take on Tekken Force where players control Jin as he travels through maze-like stages with the ability to become Devil Jin.

Tekken 6: Taking the battle online

Tekken 6 | U.S. Release 2009 | PlayStation 3

Tekken 6 introduced the series to the PlayStation 3, keeping most of the franchise’s previous elements and adding things like the Rage system. This allowed players to do more damage as their health decreased. 

Stage dynamics were also brought back to the forefront, allowing walls to be knocked down and opening levels up to more environments. Bound attacks were also added, giving fighters a new move that knocks enemies to the ground, bouncing them back up, and leaving them vulnerable to follow-up combos.

Once more, a beat-em-up mode called Scenario Campaign was exclusive to console versions. The biggest addition came in the form of online matches, making long-distance battles and co-op Scenario Campaign experiences possible for the first time.

Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Return to tag

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 | U.S. Release 2012 | PlayStation 3

Tekken followed up its original spin-off with Tag Tournament 2, which keeps most of the original rules but with a few upgrades. Extended tag combos are now achievable, and combos where both characters simultaneously attack the opponent are called Tag Assaults, which introduced new strategies.

Additional modes that made matches 1-on-1, 2-on-2, or 1-on-2 and allowed four different players to control each fighter added more variety to the mix. Characters’ health and power were scaled accordingly to the match type. This also marks the first time Tekken added more learning tools like a tutorial mode, Fight Lab. 

Tekken 7: New heights

Tekken 7 | U.S. Release 2017 | PlayStation 4

Tekken made its presence known on the PlayStation 4 in a big way. New mechanics were added to make the offense more dangerous than ever. 

Rage Arts brought cinematic super attacks to the world of Tekken. Power Crushes gave players the ability to absorb a hit of a low or high attack, continuing the offensive even when opposed. Rage Drives added more decisions to be made, as players could instead use Rage to gain a powered-up version of a specific move.


The Evolution of Tekken and PlayStation

The most notable piece of Tekken 7’s history is the addition of several guest fighters, including The Walking Dead’s Negan, Final Fantasy XV’s Noctis, SNK’s Geese Howard, and Street Fighter’s Akuma.

Tekken 8: The future of iron fist

Tekken 8 | U.S. Release 2024 | PlayStation 5

Now we all await Tekken 8, the first title of the series to skip arcades and have its initial launch on PlayStation consoles. This title begins where Tekken 7 left off, focusing heavily on the wild offensive. The new Heat System gives fighters access to chip damage, more attacks, guard breaks, and even dash cancellable moves. 


The Evolution of Tekken and PlayStation

Along with these changes comes another upgrade to the graphics engine with the implementation of Unreal Engine 5. This gives Tekken 8 an even more dynamic look and physics than titles of the past.

Tekken 8 will continue the legacy when it releases for PS5 on January 26.

Palworld on Xbox Doesn’t Have Dedicated Servers, Limiting Co-Op to 2-4 Players While Steam Gets Up to 32 Players

‘Pokémon With Guns’ survival game Palworld is currently blowing up on Steam, where players can create and join dedicated servers that enable up to 32 players to play in the same world and create guilds together. On Xbox however, co-op is much more limited.

Speaking in the Palword Discord, developer Pocketpair said those playing on Xbox console or Xbox PC through Game Pass or the Microsoft Store cannot create or join dedicated servers, which means online co-op is limited to between two and four players.

“We’d like to have dedicated servers on Xbox but it’s unfortunately not up to us and is quite difficult to negotiate at this time!” a Pocketpair representative said. “But… we are trying!”

It’s unclear what Pocketpair means when it says the addition of dedicated servers on Xbox is “not up to us”, when other games do have dedicated servers on Xbox. IGN has asked for comment.

It’s a disappointing start for Palworld on Xbox and Windows PC, and comes as Palworld on Steam looks set to break concurrent player records heading into the weekend. At the time of this article’s publication, an incredible 318,000 accounts were flagged as playing Palword at the same time, making it the third most-popular game on Steam. The lack of dedicated servers on Xbox will likely influence platform purchasing decisions, especially from customers hoping to play the game with a large group of friends.

Meanwhile, at the launch, Xbox players will only be able to play together, not with those on Steam. “We are working to make this a possibility as soon as possible!” Pocketpair said. This also means PC Game Pass players can not play with Steam until crossplay is added.

As for a PlayStation 5 version, Pocketpair said there are no plans at the moment, but will consider it during development.

Here’s how does multiplayer works in Palworld: On Steam, you can play Palworld with up to three friends by simply starting a multiplayer game and inviting them (four-player co-op). Beyond this, you can create a dedicated server, which will allow for up to 32 players to play in the same world and create guilds together. There are also official servers managed by Pocketpair.

Xbox players, then, aren’t enjoying the same experience as Steam players, and currently cannot play with Steam users. Fingers crossed parity is achieved sooner rather than later.

Check out IGN’s Palworld Early Access Review in Progress to find out what we think.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Sony Reportedly Refunding The Last of Us 2 PS4 Digital Owners Who Bought PS5 Version Full Price

Sony appears to be refunding customers who own the PlayStation 4 digital version of The Last of Us 2 and who bought the PlayStation 5 remaster at full price.

A message circulating online shows the offer of a refund in that specific circumstance, pointing out the $10 upgrade path currently available. The message reassures customers they will receive any pre-order bonuses included in the original pre-order.

According to some PlayStation owners, The Last of Us 2 Remastered on the PlayStation Store appears unavailable to those who own the PS4 version, but this was not always the case, potentially leading to purchases of the PS5 version by those unaware of the upgrade.

The Last of Us 2 Remastered launches today, January 19, on PS5. In our 10/10 review of the original game, IGN said: “The Last of Us Part 2 is a masterpiece that evolves the gameplay, cinematic storytelling, and rich world design of the original in nearly every way.”

Check out our impressions of No Return, the new roguelike mode, and keep an eye out for the new T-shirts, one of which has got Killzone fans in a bit of a state. Earlier this week, Naughty Dog’s Matthew Gallant said he didn’t understand fans’ “consternation” around The Last of Us 2 Remastered’s announcement.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

More layoffs as Behaviour Interactive and CI Games “adjust scope” and make “optimisations”

About 20 years ago, a travel company declared this Monday just gone, the 15th, to be the most depressing day of the year. They call it Blue January. Enter yet more studio layoffs. 2023’s trend continues with Dead By Daylight developer Behaviour Interactive getting rid of about 45 staff, per Kotaku, while CI Games has laid off 10% of its workforce, including from Lords Of The Fallen studio Hexworks and Sniper Ghost Warrior studio Underdog (via GI.Biz).

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Indiana Jones Steals the Show at the Xbox Direct

Microsoft’s second (hopefully annual?) Xbox Developer Direct went, like the first, exceptionally well. While we didn’t get a shadow-dropped killer exclusive – and let’s be honest, that’s not an expectation that Team Xbox probably wants to set – we did still get the surprise of a behind-the-scenes look at Square Enix’s upcoming Visions of Mana. Better yet, we got a good look at gameplay from Obsidian’s upcoming first-person RPG Avowed, we got the Hellblade 2 release date we’ve been waiting for, and best of all, we got the proper reveal of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, the new first-person (!) action/adventure/puzzler/whip-simulator that’s being executive produced by Elder Scrolls and Fallout director Todd Howard. I’m extremely pleased with Microsoft’s showing, and it helps set the tone for what should be a very good year of Xbox exclusives.

Let’s start with the unquestionable headliner of the event: Indiana Jones. It’s looking stellar on the latest version of id Software’s idTech engine, and it surprised many with the fact that it takes place primarily from the first-person perspective. In hindsight this makes a lot of sense, because not only is developer MachineGames’ entire catalog comprised of first-person games (i.e. Wolfenstein: The New Order, Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus, their various expansion packs, and the incredible original-Xbox exclusive the team made when they worked together at Starbreeze, The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay), but quite frankly, Naughty Dog already did the whole third-person Indiana Jones thing quite well four times. If MachineGames had gone third-person, the online discourse following the reveal would be absolutely toxic, with Sony fanboys downvoting and comment-bombing the trailer, calling it an Uncharted clone. Going first-person not only leans into the studio’s expertise, it allows them to put their own spin on an Indiana Jones game.

More exciting for me was how much of the aforementioned Riddick’s DNA is plain to see in Indiana Jones. The Great Circle promises first-person melee combat, stealth, and a little bit of gunplay – a description you could also apply directly to Riddick. And let me be clear: if Indiana Jones ends up being a 2024 version of Riddick but with Indiana Jones, I would be fully on board with that. Riddick is, in my I-played-everything-on-original-Xbox opinion, one of the five best games for Microsoft’s first console. It’s that good. And if Indiana Jones delivers something of that caliber by 2024 standards then we’re all in for a treat. And speaking of a treat, The Great Circle is due out later this year!

Hellblade 2 had perhaps the next-best showing, simply because it looks absolutely stunning and has all the makings of a top-tier third-person narrative-driven action-adventure game. If it suffered in the Xbox Developer Direct, it’s only because most fans, I’d argue, are more than convinced and simply want to know when they can play it. We got that long-awaited release date, fortunately, meaning we’ve got something that has the potential to be very special to look forward to on May 21.

Avowed was the third heavy hitter in this year’s Xbox Developer Direct lineup, and it showed well, but I don’t think it knocked off nearly as many socks as Indy and Hellblade did. Don’t get me wrong: Avowed has a lot going for it. The diverse landscapes look absolutely gorgeous, the character interactions look ripe with multiple-choice potential, and the dialogue will no doubt shine, given Obsidian’s track record. The renowned RPG developer has already told us to expect a smaller-scale game than the Elder Scrolls games it might immediately resemble, but that’s OK! We can be confident the story will deliver based on the studio’s own recent smaller-scale first-person RPG, The Outer Worlds. Combat looked a little stiff, and that’s what’s dragging it down a bit for me. But I have every reason to believe that it’s going to be an RPG well worth playing.

I don’t have much to say about Ara: History Untold, as we knew going into the Direct that it would be a deeper look at a very niche PC game. And that’s perfectly OK! I would respectfully argue, though, that perhaps the Xbox Developer Direct wasn’t the best venue to showcase it, given that the event was almost certainly watched primarily by Xbox console fans rather than PC gamers.

Though Indiana Jones carried most of the weight for this year’s Xbox Developer Direct, it was nevertheless an excellent showcase

Finally, we got a surprise in the middle of the Direct: Visions of Mana, the next entry into the long-running action-JRPG series. I adore the art style here and it’s great to hear that it’s not only arriving this summer, but it will launch the same day on Xbox as it does on rival platforms. To that end, I think this unexpected appearance would’ve hit a lot harder had Visions not just been announced a month ago at The Game Awards, but this was clearly a public display by Microsoft to say, “Look Square, we really care about you and your games and we want you on our platform!” Which, quite frankly, I don’t blame Microsoft for.

All in all, though Indiana Jones carried most of the weight for this year’s Xbox Developer Direct, it was nevertheless an excellent showcase. Xbox gamers now know, here at the very start of the year, that it’s going to be a pretty solid year of exclusives: Hellblade 2 in May, STALKER 2 in September, and Indiana Jones and Avowed in the Fall. And again, it’s only January. There will no doubt be more exclusives than that hitting Xbox this year (Replaced, for instance). We’re off to a great start!

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s executive editor of previews and host of both IGN’s weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He’s a North Jersey guy, so it’s “Taylor ham,” not “pork roll.” Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.

Roots Of Yggdrasil’s gorgeous roguelike citybuilding is a real grower

Back in the depths of 2023’s February Steam Next Fest, Roots Of Yggdrasil was one of a handful of games that really caught my attention. Not because it was another beautiful-looking deckbuilder (though that does seem to be a steadily growing niche of mine these days), or because its colourful, inkwash visuals had the air of a Norse-flavoured Okami about them (though it did also help). Rather, it was the way its roguelike foundations meshed with its freeform, but still very goal-driven turn-based building systems, giving you drive and purpose in your construction choices, while also being light and chill, with just the right amount of existential threat nipping at your heels.

It struck me that if, say, my best puzzle strategy bud Dorfromantik was ever turned into a roguelike, this is probably a good approximation of what it would look and feel like, which is, frankly, yep, I’d like that game right now, please. Happily, with Roots Of Yggdrasil now approaching its early access launch on January 24th, I’m very happy to report that it’s come on leaps and bounds since that Next Fest demo. This is already a very moreish and polished building game, and I’ve been struggling to tear myself away from it as I guide my longboat of magic Vikings away from their impending Ragnarok.

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Random: The ‘Pokémon-With-Guns’ Game On Steam Is Yet More Homework Copying

piAKchu.

We have seen a good few Pokémon clones over the years, but very few have been quite as, ermm, out there as Palworld, the creature-collecting RPG… with guns. Well, it has launched into Early Access on Steam today.

Originally revealed at Indie Live Expo 2021, Palworld has everything you would expect from a Pokémon knock-off: catching, battling, suspiciously similar character models, sweatshops. You know, all the standard traits.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Palworld Is Already Off to a Huge Start on Steam

Palworld has launched big on Steam, where it’s already one of the most-played games.

At the time of this article’s publication, Palworld, which has been described as “Pokémon With Guns”, was just shy of 200,000 concurrent players on Valve’s platform, making it the fourth most-played game on Steam behind only PUBG, Dota 2, and Counter-Strike 2. Palworld is also the top-selling game on Steam by revenue, outperforming the likes of Warframe, Baldur’s Gate 3, and FC 24.

Palworld’s popularity on Steam will no doubt increase throughout the day and into launch weekend, when it may well break concurrent records. Palworld has also launched straight into Game Pass, which will increase player figures further.

Ahead of Palworld’s launch, developer Pocketpair insisted it definitely is not a scam. The assurance came in the wake of games like the disastrous The Day Before, which has fuelled distrust between players and early access developers on Steam.

Pocketpair celebrated today’s launch with a new blog post:

“Palworld started with a small team of four people. With Craftopia, we realized the potential that survival crafting games had, but as we continued development, we realized new possibilities.

“How much fun would it be if you went on an adventure, lived, and built a base with Pals, who had their own quirks and personalities?

“With this in mind, we have worked hard to develop this game for the past three years.

“Developers who sympathized with Palworld gathered one after another, and the scale of the game grew far beyond what we ever imagined.

“Palworld starts from here.”

Pocketpair said it will continue to add new features to Palworld, including PvP/Arena, “major” building system updates, a raid boss to fight that guild members must gather and cooperate to defeat, and trading Pals with players in other worlds.

“We are confident that if we continue to update Palworld properly, it will become the best game ever,” Pocketpair said, rather confidently.

“We will continue to do our best to update the game in order to bring it one step closer to becoming a great game.

“We look forward to your continued support!!!”

Check out IGN’s Palworld Early Access Review in Progress to find out what we think.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Call of Duty Developer Explains What Went Wrong With Warzone’s Busted Season 1 Reloaded Update

The main developer of Call of Duty Warzone has explained what went wrong with this week’s Season 1 Reloaded update, and issued an apology to players.

Following the mid-season update’s release, players ran into intense visual and gameplay glitches that made the battle royale pretty much unplayable. The problems were so bad that Raven had to pull the Champion’s Quest feature, which tasks players with winning five Warzone matches in a row or 30 total in the season.

Activision developers worked through the night to get on top of the problems, issuing a raft of issues that look to have sorted Warzone out for the most part. Champion’s Quest has now returned, and players have already managed to complete it.

Now, Raven Software has tweeted to explain what went wrong, saying parts of an upcoming, in-development feature accidentally went live, causing the bugs

Here’s the statement in full:

“We wanted to address the issues that players encountered during the Season 1 Reloaded launch period.

“We’ve been laying the groundwork for the return of some fan favorite features in upcoming seasons, which has required a degree of preemptive setup in our live environment.

“Yesterday’s update shipped with some of that work, and we unfortunately encountered a conflict between live player data and our servers. Our teams were made immediately aware of the issues and began investigating shortly after the update went live. We rallied studio teams from around the world to get these issues resolved as swiftly as possible.

“We – as devs – love this game and apologize for the disruption that resulted from these events. Please know that we hold ourselves to a high standard and yesterday’s issues did not align with that.

“With that said, we’re also very excited for what’s ahead and look forward to bringing the best we can to #Warzone!”

Raven followed that tweet up with another, teasing one of the in-development, upcoming features for Warzone (the fan-favourite Specialist Perk bonus is coming to Warzone):

The Specialist Perk was an ultra powerful and rare Perk from the original Warzone that activated the other perks in the game all at once. Given this teaser image shows the Specialist Perk on Rebirth Island, perhaps players will have to wait for the map to come out before its introduction later this year.

There’s a lot going on in the world of Call of Duty, with Season 1 Reloaded also refreshing Modern Warfare 3 with Ranked Play. Meanwhile, Call of Duty’s anti-cheat tech was updated so that it crashes the game if it detects a mouse and keyboard player using unauthorised tools to enable aim assist. There’s even a hint at an upcoming Warhammer 40,000 collaboration.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Sorry fruit keyboards, I am now a vegetable keyboard person

After quite a while using the Fnatic Streak65, a 60% keyboard with Cherry brown switches, I have moved on from fruit (technically drupe, according to Google) and into a vegetable era. My Streak’s brown switches became a bit loud and quite rattly, which, as someone with hearing declared by an audiologist to be so sensitive that I give myself tinnitus, started to get to me.

So I type this to you now as someone who’s graduated to Kailh low profile switches, which is proving as nutritious for my finger pads as I’d imagine its leafy homophone would be. Here’s hoping that there’s more low profile mechanical keebs out there in a few years, as the options seem very limited at the mo.

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