Previews

Collision course

As the name suggests, Street Fighter X Tekken is an exciting mash-up of two of the greatest fighting worlds in gaming history, in which Capcom's Street Fighter and Namco Bandai's Tekken clash in a no-punches-pulled Battle Royale.

The game occupies a comfortable middle ground between the slower paced, one-on-one fights of Street Fighter IV and the fast and frantic three versus three battles of Marvel Vs Capcom 3. It lets players pick two characters and pair them up as tag team buddies from an all-star roster of fan favourites including Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, M.Bison and Akuma from Street Fighter, and Jin, Kazuya, Nina, Kuma and many more from Tekken.

Street Fighter X Tekken also welcomes fans of both franchises by finding a happy medium between their very different fighting styles. Although Capcom fighters can use fireballs and control the action from a distance, the Tekken characters have a number of tools to help them get around these tactics and pile on the pressure up close.

Kick boxer

The key to success can often be found in successfully juggling characters, which is the act of striking an airborne opponent in such a way that they are sent flying again before performing a series of combos that keep them constantly airborne, allowing the attacker to inflict maximum damage.

A series of special attacks and mechanics can also be used to extend combos and boost damage output. To make things less complicated, many of the motions required to pull off these moves have been simplified. For example, a single quarter circle-forward motion with the analogue stick and either two or three simultaneous button inputs now starts a cinematic special move, replacing the trickier two quarter circle motions traditionally required to do so.

Flashy players can also use Cross Assault, which calls two characters onto the screen at once, and the Pandora Mode, where players can relinquish their partner in order to gain a temporary surge in power.

Bling

The most notable addition is the Gem system, which introduces a RPG-like customisation system to the fighting mix. A limited amount of Gems are available during matches and are used to obtain various additional effects, such as covering character weaknesses or supporting the user's play style. Assist Gems can be used to bolster a player's ability by letting the game take care of actions such as breaking throws or blocking, while Boost gems provide health, speed and power bonuses.

Gems are a drastic change to the way fighting games have previously been played. For casual players they represent an opportunity to stay competitive and have fun, while introducing a new type of meta-game for experienced players that has the potential to make battles more tactical. If it wasn't already, Street Fighter X Tekken should definitely be on your radar.