As a long time fan of the Tekken games, I was thrilled to hear that they were releasing a film. And when I caught wind that they were teaming up with Cowboy Bebop writer Dai Sato, my expectations were elevated.
I walked in expecting a deep Tekken story that would bring real meaning to the franchise. In hindsight, that would have been a little ridiculous. Let’s be honest, the Tekken series does not have the best story. It is what it is, and that’s a fantastic fighting game. They don’t need to go much further than that.
Instead of giving viewers and fans a heavy and profound Tekken story, they gave us the fun and action that make the games so entertaining. The story follows Ling Xiaoyu who is dispatched by Anna Williams to spy on a student named Shin Kamiya. Nina Williams, Anna’s sister and rival, sends Alisa Bosconovitch for the same purpose. While investigating, Ling and Alisa form a friendship which is put to the test when each finds out the others intentions. The film features several other Tekken favorites, such as Jin Kazama and Heihachi Mishima.
Boiled down, Blood Vengeance is a fun loving, panda riding, great time. If you go into this film focusing more on the fantastic CG and fighting rather than the missing plot holes, you will leave satisfied.
The highlight of the event was the Tekken: Tag Tournament 2 demo. We got a chance to interview the game producer, Katsuhiro Harada about the upcoming title. It has been 12 years since the last Tag Tournament title was released. One of the big differences with this title is that you have the ability to bring four characters to the screen at once. The tag element is still there, but as you are tagging out, you may keep both characters on the screen for a short time.
Harada makes a point to explain that all gameplay elements from previous titles will be featured in Tag Tournament 2. He also acquaints us with the new features, such as Tag Rage, which they are basing more on the pairings you choose, and Tag Assault, where you can simultaneously beat up the opposing team.
Harada also discloses that his personal favorite pairing in Tekken: Tag Tournament 2 is Heihachi Mishima and Feng Wei.
Here is the trailer for Tekken: Blood Veangance which was released in North America on July 26 and in Australia on July 27. The film will later be released on Blu-ray Disc in November 2011.