Tekken 2 is a little better but it still shows its age. So, if the story is an important piece of the puzzle, starting with Tekken and Tekken 2 wouldn’t be the worst idea, but mechanically Tekken is lacking. Tekken 3 introduces Jin Kazama, the son of Kazuya. You also get introduced to the Devil Gene concept in Tekken 2. The first two games introduce you to the rivalry and cycle of revenge between Kazuya and his father Heihachi Mishima. As far as fighting franchises go, Tekken has a decently solid story, that usually focuses on either Kazuya or Jin Kazama as the protagonist. What would impress a newcomer to the franchise and make them say “Yep, I’ll play more of this.” Now, if you’re talking about the story, you’d of course suggest that someone starts at the beginning. Picking the best Tekken game is no easy feat, so picking the best choice for newcomers is a good metric to use.
But if you’re a newcomer to the series looking for the must-play way in, Tekken 3 is almost certainly the best choice. There’s a good chance your favorite Tekken game is the one you played the longest and have the most memories of, which is totally fair. Your results may vary when you’re picking the best Tekken game, as you probably have one you grew up playing or one that you would always play at your local arcade. Critics and audiences agree, with the mainline entries rarely dipping below an 80 score on Metacritic. A lot of the mainline games are made with care and quality. Which isn’t to say the rest of the series’ games don’t have their merits. There’s nothing worse than getting absolutely crushed by a cursing 8-year old the first time you play a new game. Plus, once you get your skills down in Tekken 3, you can hit up Tekken 7 and jump into the online modes without feeling lost. But, if you’re looking for the easiest intro to the game, Tekken 3 is as good of a choice as any. You can still go back to Tekken 3 today and have a ton of fun with it.Īs always, this is just my opinion on what the best Tekken game is (even if plenty of other fans share the sentiment). So, while it may not be the most polished game in the entire franchise, and while it may not have the modern graphics and gameplay elements of other entries, it’s beloved for a reason. Even though the first Tekken Tag Tournamentwas introduced three years later in 1999, there were probably still plenty of people choosing to continue playing Tekken 3 over the new entry. Thus, it’s got the nostalgia factor going for it. It also happens to be released around the time that a lot of 90’s kids, Gen X, and millennials would be old enough to start playing the game at the arcades and on their Playstation. But Tekken 3 also marks the point where the gameplay of the series was truly perfected. You get the introduction of long-time protagonist Jin Kazama for one. Some factor that combines everything great about the series into one enjoyable stew. There’s something about Tekken 3 that takes it above and beyond any of the other franchise entries.
If you ask most fans of the Tekken franchise what the best game in the series is, you’re likely going to hear the same answer from many participants in the survey - Tekken 3.