Have you mastered all Tekken characters (even Gon, Dr. Bosconovitch and Roger Jr.!) to the point of telling the sequence of buttons for any random combo while being woken up at 3 AM? Does the name Scorpion or Ryu Hoshi ring a bell, but you have never actually played them?
Are you looking for new exciting fist fights, boisterous brawls or ultimate showdowns between other flashy fighters or your favorite anime characters, but don’t know what title you should choose to find them all in?
We’ll end your unnecessary ruminations with a list of 5 games which are a must for every Tekken lover, aficionado or just a regular fan.
| Name | Release | Developer | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | DRAGON BALL FighterZ | 2018-01-26 | Arc System Works |
 | Mortal Kombat 11 | 2019-04-23 | NetherRealm Studios |
 | Street Fighter V | 2016-02-15 | CAPCOM |
 | SOULCALIBUR VI | 2018-10-19 | Project Soul |
 | Injustice 2 | 2017-05-11 | NetherRealm Studios |
 | DRAGON BALL FighterZ - FighterZ Edition | 2018-01-26 | |
 | Mortal Kombat 11 | Ultimate Edition | 2020-11-17 | NetherRealm Studios |
 | Street Fighter V | Champion Edition | 2020-02-14 | CAPCOM |
 | SOULCALIBUR VI Deluxe Edition | 2018-10-19 | Project Soul |
 | Injustice 2 Legendary Edition | 2017-11-30 |
Dragon Ball FighterZ
| Release date: | 2018-01-26 |
| Developer: | Arc System Works |
Have you ever looked for a game in which you actually beat up characters from Dragon Ball? Well, look no further, because Dragon Ball FighterZ is here and it really kicks ass!
A 2018 Bandai Namco release, DBFZ offers loads of flashy high-powered action, enhancing DB anime visuals as a by-product. The animations are simply wondrous, especially ‘Dramatic Finishes’ which are the quintessence of anime aesthetics. 44 fighters in total – 20 comprising the base roster, 3 unlockable, 20 more available via DLC plus Android 21: a new warrior created for the sole purpose of the game – satisfy even the most demanding DB fans.
Gameplay? You pick three fighters and they clash with your opponent’s trio, until all of them are down and out. Story mode? There are three character arcs – Super Warrior Arc, Enemy Warrior Arc and Android 21 Arc – a plenty of narrative for a fighting game, to be honest. But everyone knows that the best mode is the one in which you whoop your friend’s butt. So, kamehameha anyone?
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Mortal Kombat
| Release date: | 2019-04-23 |
| Developer: | NetherRealm Studios |
The game which single-handedly propagated the use of the word ‘fatality’. With its second reboot to be released this fall, it’s fairly safe to assume everyone on this planet heard about Mortal Kombat at least once.
An obligatory title for those who like blood to splatter in gallons and whose middle name is gruesome brutality. The second oldest fighting game franchise on the list – the first installment was released in 1992, the latest – 11th – in 2019. Contrary to Capcom anime-styled games, MK’s digitalized graphics always kept a firm grip on realistic visuals. Therefore, when you shred your opponents to pieces, char them with your fiery breath or stomp on them so hard they turn into a gory, mushy pulp, it really pains to witness such a disturbing demise.
Leaving the mauling, limb-ripping trait behind, let’s talk characters. Mortal Kombat has one of the most memorable array of fighters at your disposal: a 4-armed, 3-fingered half-human dragon man, a cybernetically enhanced soldier with mechanical arms, a resurrected ninja whose punches are as deadly as scorpion stings, etc. To this day, an uppercut from Mortal Kombat 3 remains the epitome of this type of punch, just as the shotgun blast and reload sound from Duke Nukem 3D is for firearms shot in FPS games.
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Street Fighter 5
| Release date: | 2016-02-15 |
| Developer: | CAPCOM |
The series which debuted in 1987 and took the arcades by storm in 1991, when the second installment became the best-selling game of the post-golden age of arcade games.
Street Fighter 5 still has the charm. The micropauses when the punches land – the game’s trademark – are there. Ridiculous – and I mean REALLY ridiculous (don’t believe me? Go fight Abigail playing Zangief or vice versa) – physics? Check!, 2.5D? Check!
What’s new is: over 30 additional fighters available as DLC, V-gauge, which adds and expands the fighting e.g. the fierceness of the attacks, parrying and dodging abilities etc. The game also introduces 4 new fighters. However, if you want to full experience the fury of Ryu’s fists, check out a freshly released Street Fighter 6.
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Soul Calibur VI
| Release date: | 2018-10-19 |
| Developer: | Project Soul |
What would be a list of games for people who like Tekken without this particular title? We’ll tell you what – an oversight so huge it would definitely overshadow the size of Soul Edge – a sword to die for (literally!) for so many characters from the Soulcalibur series.
Notorious or, conversely, eagerly celebrated for its lascivious female characters sporting skimpy outfits, it merges the fable-like aesthetics with a fine dose of reality. The sixth installment gives you a fantastic opportunity to pulverize your opponents with melee weapons from the armorer’s wet dream. Swords, daggers and axes, along with more exotic devices like halberds, rapiers, morning stars, kodachis, Jamadhar katars or even tambourines akimbo, comprise the numerous arsenal of Soulcalibur. Slashing, cutting, bashing, crushing, hacking, ramming, whipping, thrusting, pinning, swathing, etc., is what you may apply to your adversary.
The icing on a cake are the guest characters, with Spawn, Darth Vader and Yoda in previous installments and Geralt of Rivia from The Witcher and Haohmaru from the Samurai Showdown series in the sixth one. So, draw the sword and throw away the scabbard!
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Injustice 2
| Release date: | 2017-05-11 |
| Developer: | NetherRealm Studios |
Ever fancied a game in which you would take part in epic showdowns between superheroes? Well, you may crack your knuckles, because the second installment of Injustice is what will definitely saturate your unquenchable thirst for non-stop superhero action.
Set in the DC Universe, Injustice 2 combines a fighting game with RPG-style progression mechanics, giving off a somewhat unusual yet gripping outcome. Having 28 in-house fighters, there are 10 more available as DLC, which only brings more fun to the table. Fighting stages, from Arkham Asylum and Joker’s Playground, to Slaughter Swamp and The Fortress of Solitude, along with superheroes’ superb outfits design, are something to really marvel at (no pun intended 😉 ).
Fighting moves are silky smooth, and highly interactive surroundings are prone to damage (after all, superheroes never pay much attention to city budgets, don’t they?). To top it off, each superhero can execute a super move – a ludicrously over-the-top combo which utilizes their superpowers and/or gimmicky gadgets. We simply love it!
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We sincerely hope your consoles and pads remain intact with all the punching and kicking that our list of games similar to Tekken is certainly going to ensue. Oh, and don’t call us about insurance refunds due to jammed fingers or broken TV screens. We are busy fighting. 😉