As soon as you jump into Dark Resurrection the game feels like it belongs on the PSP. Before you even begin the game, the cut scene introduction looks phenomenal. After the introduction the familiar Tekken menu comes up as well as a plethora of options. The familiar arcade mode makes a return and unlike most fighting games all thirty four characters in the game are immediately available for selection. Every character from Tekken 5 is in the game and Armor King has made a welcome return. Namco have also introduced two entirely new characters to the lineup, Lili and Dragunov. The new characters fit well into the game and don’t feel tacked on.
We've missed you Tekken, welcome back.
Aside from the arcade mode there is a also quick battle option, as well as a Tekken dojo. A basic practice mode is included for practicing your combos and there are two attack options which include time attack and survival. In most of the modes in Dark Resurrection if you win a round then you’ll also be rewarded with money. The money can be used to customize the visual look of your character. In terms of customisation there are plenty of options, you can put a gas mask on your player or give them a different shirt.
Just like in Tekken 5, Dark Resurrection also includes the ability to record your ghost. You can upload your ghost so a friend can play against them, but unfortunately online fighting is not supported which is a little bit disappointing. The game also comes with pre-loaded ghosts which you can fight in the Tekken dojo mode. The ghosts are a little less predictable and it adds a bit of variety to the fighting in single player. If you run out of ghosts to play then you can jump online and download extra ghost packs, which is a nifty feature. The ghosts are one of the best parts of Dark Resurrection because it keeps the challenge fresh.
'Dems fighting actions.
Something that has plagued the PSP ever since it's launch is the directional pad. Unfortunately the controls in Dark Resurrection do suffer from the poor D pad, though not as badly as we had expected. The controller response is just about flawless but it isn't all that easy to pull off a diagonal move on the controller. It certainly takes a bit of getting used to, but if you prefer you can use the analog stick. The controls aren’t really something Namco could have prevented, but it’s worth noting that making the jump from the PlayStation 2 controller to the PSP isn’t flawless.
Dark Resurrection is also helped along by the fact that it is one of the best looking games on the PSP, whilst the game isn't a perfect port of the arcade version it's hard not to be impressed the first time you launch into a battle. Little details like the floor breaking below you or smoke pouring out in the background of a level only add to the impressiveness of the game. The loading is also very short, when waiting for another battle you're waiting less than ten seconds, the only time the loading becomes a little lengthy is when you go to customise your character, but it's still only about twenty seconds. There is no question that Dark Resurrection is a technical benchmark for the PSP. The majority of the audio feels like it has been recycled from Tekken 5, so whilst the music isn’t exactly memorable the game certainly sounds like a Tekken title.
Some familiar faces are back in action.
Even without online play there is still plenty in the game to keep you playing for a long time. Beating the story mode once will unlock a command attack mini game and if you beat it a second time then the highly memorable Tekken Bowling minigame will be unlocked. If you complete the story mode a third time then the theatre will unlock. As you complete the game with each character their FMV sequences will go into the theatre, all thirty four of them. The Tekken Dojo and downloadable ghosts ensure that completing this game in it’s entirety is no cakewalk.
Tekken: Dark Resurrection is one of the best games on the PSP and one of the best handheld fighting games ever. Whilst the game isn't that much of an upgrade from Tekken 5 you're still getting more characters, as well as more game play options and the ability to play against downloaded ghosts. If you didn’t like the game play in Tekken 5 this game isn’t going to change your mind though because fundamentally the game is very similar to it’s predecessor. The PSP's poor directional pad does make it a little difficult to execute diagonal moves but once you get the hang of it there is plenty to keep you occupied for a long, long time.
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