TEKKEN Project

Created by Seiichi Ishii. Currently developed by Bandai Namco, directed by Katsuhiro Harada.

The Playstation 1 Console is the first console I have ever gotten my hands on. My father bought it even before I was born—even though he never really played with it. I only touched the machine when I was in Primary school, and even then I was only allowed to play during the weekends due to my relatively strict parents when it comes to regulating my play time. The first game I ever played (properly) was Harvest Moon: Back to Nature which my grandmother had introduced me to. From then onwards, I started to indulge myself with more games from various genres. Growing up, one of my favourite genre was Fighting Games (and it still is today). And among the many Fighting Games that dominated the 90s and early 2000s, I was obsessed with Tekken 3.

Tekken 3’s unique cast of character was my main draw into the series. The game has bears all the way to a chibi dinosaur among its cast and it just appeal to me. King was the first character I played when I first touched the game. My 10-years-old eyes were obsessed with the man in a freakin’ jaguar mask. His move set were that of a wrestler—it was over-the-top—and it absorbed me completely. I spent my time in Tekken 3 button mashing my way without much care on how Fighting Games actually work. All I ever knew was how much fun Tekken was.

When I finally got my hands on the Playstation 2, the first game I had procured was Tekken 5. In my mind, I was reminiscing how much fun I had when I played Tekken 3 and I would gladly have another Tekken in my collection. This time however, I spent quite some time to try and complete the game as much as I could. I would fight my way through the Arcade Mode with different characters to unlock their cinematic ending. Only during this time I realised that Tekken has quite a deep story rooted within it.

I began to search the Internet for the different character stories of Tekken—obviously I have started with King. I discovered the depth each character possessed—their friendships, their rivalries and their goals. The tournament the game is set on—The King of Iron Fist Tournament—became so much more valuable after knowing the different goals each of the characters have. Somehow fighting each battle now felt different. You would just want to root for your character to win the tournament.

By the time I got to Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion, I have already discovered the ever-so intriguing story of the Mishima bloodline. Tekken 6 provided a Single Player mode that acted as its Story Mode called the Scenario Campaign. It became one of the first attempt by Bandai Namco to provide the players with a genuine game mode focused solely on Narrative for the Tekken franchise. It followed the story of Lars Alexandersson and Alisa Bosconovitch as they traversed the world of Tekken, encountering the fighters and discovering their role in the world. While it had received quite the criticism, I personally enjoyed it thoroughly. The time I spent with Lars and Alisa made me genuinely cared for the two character, and as a result, invested on the overarching narrative.

When Tekken 7: Fated Retribution was released, Bandai Namco overhauled their method of storytelling but still preserved the essence of the narrative. As a result, an epic Story Mode that merged cinematic and the game’s incredibly hyped-up gameplay was born. If you enjoy Fighting Game competitively, and may have owned Tekken 7 in your Steam library, do tell me that you have tried the main Story Mode. If you have not, you are missing out.

Tekken is a curious case. In a genre where many did not take narrative into account, Tekken triumphed over its absurdity and ridiculous stories. It was one of the games that had taught me that there is always a value added through stories in any form of game. And no matter how ridiculous its story can be, it can brighten up the gritty game and bring loyalty to its fanbase. It became my personal testament that stories can be applied to any games.

With the recent announcement of Tekken 8, I honestly cannot wait on how the story will unfold. The Mishima Storyline had always been the core story of Tekken and with Tekken 8, it is finally coming to an end. The upcoming game may yet become one of the most important game in Tekken narrative. It is a turning point for the franchise.

On top of that, congratulations and kuddos to the TEKKEN Project team whose game is holding the Guinness World Record for the longest-running, cohesive storyline in all of video games.