Tekken 5 is the latest in the Tekken fighting game series. The graphics, gameplay and customizable outfits make it a game well worth buying!

We really enjoy fighting games and have played most that have been released. It can be easy to start comparing them to each other and to look for the best of all possible worlds in each game. Tekken 5 really does a great job compared to most of what is on the market today!

First, of course, the fighting. There are 20 characters to start with - plus a number of unlockable. The game does a GREAT job of offering you male and female, young and old, a variety of races. And unlike some other modern games, the females are actually clothed and earn your respect. You fully get the sense that each character has a background, a style, an attitude.

Every character has his or her own moves and combinations. You can master one character, and move on to learning the next character's talents. The more you learn about each character's style, the better you get in any of the combat situations. There are plenty of moves to keep you entertained for weeks, and each executes flawlessly on the screen.

Which brings us to the graphics. I really have to say that this is one of the best looking games I have seen on the PS2. Normally I give the XBox the edge on graphic quality - but there are some arenas that are just stunning. The dark chapel with orange stained glass stands out in my mind. Yes, the backgrounds are in action, the clouds move, birds fly by. You find that in just about any game in modern times. But the quality of the scenes are sometimes just amazing. Sure, there are some arenas that are a bit boring and look repetitive - there's one with dirt, dirt piles and dirt tornados which isn't graet. In general, though, someone spent a lot of time on the worlds you play in.

The graphics for the characters is also quite well done. The braids move with your action, the scraves blow, the attack moves are smooth and flowing. When you slam into the ground or a wall, it creates impacts. Sure, being a PS2, there are some limits. The ground-pieces that fly up are sometimes rather jagged looking. Still, it's about as good as I've seen.

The game has a wide range of difficulty settings, and you can choose characters that are easier or more difficult for you to play with. There's a challenge even in the easiest modes though - don't expect to button-mash your way to victory. It really pays to spend a fair amount of time in training mode, to learn the specific talents of each character.

I do have to say that when you are fighting a tough boss, it gets REALLY annoying to have the boss laugh at you - to have to sit through 5 long seconds of a replay of your failure - to then see and hear "YOU LOSE!" and then another few seconds of start-up before you try again. It's fine the first time or two, but there should be a way to skip it after that. We know we lost, already. There isn't a need for the game to grind your face in the dust for 15 seconds.

That being said, even the main boss is beatable once you learn the counter-moves to his attacks. It's a matter of study, and learning your character's unique talents. There is definitely a way to win with every character. Again, button mashing won't do the trick. It takes strategy.

Also, even though you have a 'circular world' to fight in where you can side-step left or right, it's a very close quarters game. You can't back up to set up a strategy, you can only mince a step or two back. There aren't other levels to jump down to or take advantage of. It's sort of like a sumo match, with a narrow circle to mince around in.

The sound is fast-paced fighting music. There are different styles, to go with the different arenas, but all of it is generic and repetitive. I really like some of the other games that have "real" Chinese and Japanese music, say, for temple battles. But I realize of course that some people ignore the music completely, so it all depends on what interests you. I happen to appreciate having a great music track with my game.

There are a nice variety of game options to keep you playing for months. There are of course the story modes where each character goes through stages and meets their friends and foes. There are one and two player random matches. There are all sorts of unlockables, customizations, and even a bunch of mini-games.

Highly recommended in general!

Rating: 4.5/5

Buy Tekken 5 from Amazon.com