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What's New in Tekken 7: Fated Retribution

It's a long-running tale of international intrigue, demonic powers, multi-generational martial artists, and bears and robots. It's Tekken, and it's long been a premier 3-D fighting series in arcades and consoles. With Tekken 7: Fated Retribution set to arrive on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows this week, here's a refresher on what's new this time around.

Tekken 7: Fated Retribution aims to end a series-long power struggle among magnate Heihachi Mishima, his demonic son Kazuya, and his conflicted grandson Jin. It also answers a question implicitly posed at the start: just what does Heihachi's wife think of all this? Portrayed only vaguely by prior games, Kazumi Mishima makes her proper playable debut in Tekken 7. With a pet tiger attacking at her command, she's intent on wiping out her accursed bloodline—even if it means killing Heihachi and Kazuya. She's also willing to recruit an unexpected ally: Akuma from Capcom's Street Fighter series.

Kazumi isn't the only new face in Tekken 7. Master Raven, taking over for prior games' Raven, is an agile ninja master somewhat reminiscent of Soul Calibur's Taki. Lucky Chloe, a comically Japan-obsessed cosplayer in cat paws, has a flowing style similar to Tekken's capoeira crew. Saudi Arabian martial artist Shaheen unleashes fluid kicks and slide attacks. For beginning players, Brazilian Savate enthusiast Katarina provides an accessible moveset. Phillipino fighter Josie draws on Eskrima kickboxing for a stable of counterattacks. Italian exorcist Claudio relies on sorcery in his matches. Gigas, a hulking mass of armor and cables, is a brute-force fighter, and the same goes for his rival, the seventh iteration of the android known as Jack.

A wide array of Tekken characters return for Tekken 7: Fated Retribution. Narcoleptic vampire Eliza comes from the free-to-play Tekken Revolution (and is free DLC for pre-orders). She's joined by mainstays like Asuka Kazama, Bryan Fury, Alisa Bosconovitch, Hwoarang, King, Lili, and the bear duo of Kuma and Panda. Most of the familiar faces get new outfits and moves. Robotic samurai Yoshimitsu sports a head full of Giger tentacles, and assassin Nina Williams wears a tattered wedding dress accessorized with weapons.

Tekken 7 alters some series traditions in gameplay. It's still a 3-D fighter game with attacks mapped to four main buttons, but new intricacies come to the fore. The bound system from Tekken 6, which let players juggle opponents, gives way to the Screw Attack (no relation to Metroid), which sets up an enemy for frequently aerial combos. Continuing Tekken's emphasis on hard-hitting moves, Tekken 7 brings in the Power Crush. Once used, a character absorbs an opponent's attack and counters in spite of the damage received. It's useful against high and mid-level strikes, but vulnerable to low hits and throws.

Tekken 7 also introduces the Rage Art, a flurry of strikes that can take off nearly a third of an opponent's health. Each character's Rage Art is available when they're down to a fourth of their own life bar. While they're risky and leave you open for counterattacks, Rage Arts do heavy damage and function as Tekken's closest thing to finishing moves—ideal for players who like ending matches with a flourish. On that note, Tekken 7 also switches to a slow-motion finale when both players have low health and throw the final blows of a match!

Tekken 7: Fated Retribution took a long time to come home, but its console ports look to be well worth the wait in roster size, new features, and pre-order extras—including a jukebox mode for PlayStation 4 owners and a download of Tekken 6 for Xbox One owners. It's likely to be the biggest fighting game of the year.

Tekken 7: Fated Retribution will be released on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on June 2, 2017 and is available for pre-order now. More information available at tk7.tekken.com.