I never really learned how to play Tekken properly, but I’m a huge fan of everything in the games outside of the actual competitive fighting. From Tekken Ball to Bowl, I love all of the goofy side modes in the games. And of these modes, Tekken 6’s Scenario Campaign may be my favorite.
Scenario Campaign is essentially a “story mode” for the game, but for me the narrative isn’t the focus here. This mode is a full-on 3D brawler that feels like a mix between the combat in Shenmue and early entries in the Yakuza series. It’s essentially an expanded version of the Tekken Force mode, with cinematic cutscenes and RPG-style character customization that affects stats.
Stages are short, which combined with the random item drops, create an addictive gameplay loop. The basis is obviously Tekken 6 mechanics, so expanding combat to more open spaces is somewhat awkward at times, but the analog stick works pretty well for movement and switching between targets with R1 is fairly responsive.
A highlight of the combat here is weapons. From guns to lead pipes, this mode follows the proud brawler tradition of limited use weapon pickups that can do some major damage. There’s even an online co-op mode that I wasn’t able to try, but knowing that Tekken 6 is still playable online, it should be possible to jump in with a friend if you coordinate it.
While the competitive scene has moved on to the latest entry, it’s well worth picking up a cheap copy of Tekken 6 for Scenario Campaign alone. Even if you don’t care about Tekken’s story or playing competitively, this is a goofy, fun brawler that shows how fantastic and fully-featured the series’ additional modes can be.
Played and captured on a PlayStation Triple
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