'Tekken 7' vs. 'Tekken 6': Why you should play the latest in the series and skip its predecessor

Tekken 7, the latest entry in Bandai Namco's fighting game and corporate espionage simulator, was released on June 2nd. The game contains a dizzying amount of systems to master, from executing King Combos to mastering the simple art of blocking. It might be a little much for your first go-round.

So should you invest in the latest entry? Sixty dollars is a steep price, especially if it's your first go. We've already discussed whether you should spring for Tekken 7 or Injustice 2, but should you maybe consider cutting your teeth on Tekken 6, the previous game in the series?

Tekken 7 vs. Tekken 6: Lack of backwards compatibility is a big hurdle.

The good news about Tekken 6 is that you can find it for about $20 on Amazon right now. However, that's because it came out in late 2009 — almost eight years ago — in North America, according to the Tekken wiki. So you're going to be dealing with graphics and mechanics that might not have aged all that well.

Additionally, you can't get Tekken 6 for a current generation system. The game came out for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and was ported to PlayStation Portable and the Vita. Unless you own one of those systems, it's going to be tricky to play Tekken 6.

Although Tekken 6 has online multiplayer, chances are slim you'll be able to find anyone to play with. For reference, Polygon played some Soul Calibur V for a part of their video series and noted that about 10 minutes of waiting around in the lobby got edited out, because it took way too long to find an opponent. Soul Calibur V came out in 2012, a good three years after Tekken 6, which means that the Tekken 6 lobby is nothing but a lonely ghost town.

If you're still holding on to your PS3, Tekken 6 might be your only option — there's almost no chance of Tekken 7 coming out for the last-gen system. But unless you're in those unusual circumstances, we can't really say we recommend buying Tekken 6 over Tekken 7.

More gaming news and updates

Check out the latest from Mic, like this essay about the sinister, subtle evils lurking in rural America that Far Cry 5 shouldn’t ignore. Also, be sure to read our review of Tekken 7, an article about D.Va's influence on one Overwatch player’s ideas about femininity and an analysis of gaming’s racist habit of darkening villains’ skin tones.