It's no secret that Bandai Namco Entertainment has revolutionised the fighting game scene by introducing a robust and unique Character customization mode, allowing players to find their own identity online while surpassing the competition who rely on simple colour palettes.
Tekken's character customisation mode made it's debut in Tekken 5 and has returned for all future instalments, although with each new iteration content has decreased and been limited in scope. The series spin-offs Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and Tekken Revolution are prime examples.
Nothing comes close to the diverse character customization of Tekken 6 which allowed players to change individual body groups i.e body, hands, legs and feet on specific attires to create the ultimate outfit. Tekken 6 was obviously ahead of it's time and allowed gamers to truly experiment with an abundant of clothes and hairstyles to their heart's content.
Unfortunately the same can't be said for Tekken 7, which is more akin to Tekken Tag Tournament 2. By now you'd expect Bandai Namco to rightfully upgrade character customization mode but regrettably it feels like an afterthought.
Outside of Soul Calibur and Virtual Fighter 5 Final Showdown, Tekken set the bar for customising characters in fighting games, hence the reason it's extremely disappointing that the series has taken a step backwards rather than advancing forward at full steam.
While customization isn't as limited and generic as TTT2, it's still not as accessible as Tekken 6 a game released in 2009. Now before you write it off completely, Tekken 7's customization isn't bad but the potential is wasted on various tacky, generic items that look either really dull or just plain silly in contrast to the game's dark theme.
Currently there's at least ten different shared hairstyles to choose from which can be customized with colourful hair accessories. Though the diversity in hair texture, style and width is dissatisfactory.
Outside of costumes, hair is one of the most important features on a character and Namco has dropped the ball. Dare we say the generic hairdos are currently one of the worse things about character customization.
If you want custom afro textured hair for a character like Master Raven or Eddy Gordo there just aren't any options. The afro wig and short fade haircuts are absence. This is much unlike Tekken 6 which had diverse hairstyles for each individual character.
Another gripe is the generic t-shirts which are shared universally among characters. Now nothing's wrong with these clothes per say, but the problem is the lack of multifariousness and individuality. Had there been more upper body variety then this wouldn't be an problem, but t-shirts take up more than half the available slots.
For a game that's being delayed several times we expected much more content and variety in regards to character customisation. No one was asking for MMORPG's level of depth, but Tekken 6's approach with more unique clothing and hairstyles would have been satisfying enough.
Still Tekken 7's character customization isn't completely at loss. In fact there's several nice touches to the mode which we applaud Bandai Namco for adding. One of those being the tan option which allows you to darken your character's skin tone if you're not happy with their current complexion. A surprising yet fun feature.
Outside of t-shirts, the upper and lower body outfits have some pretty cool styles and give players a chance to really match and mix with simple yet decent casual wear. Want to go for a summer look then opt for the luscious bikini tops or if you need streetwear then there's always the shiny puffer and short bomber jacket.
One thing Tekken 7 does better than Tekken 6 is an option to change the colour of your clothes without having to pay an additional hefty fee. Not to mention the price for general veteran items feel way more affordable this time round and less of a grind fest.
For entire body there's full kitted outfits available and while they aren't the most exciting get ups, this leaves promise for more selection in the foreseeable future. In fact we're certain that's the main reason why the character customization is so bare bones at launch, you guessed it.. Dlc.
Dlc is the main reason we believe a portion of items and outfits are missing. Namco and Harada are saving extra items to flesh out the incoming dlc packs. Hench the reason Tekken 6 has more items on launch then Tekken 7.
This is good as in it'll keep the game fresh for years to come if Bandai Namco play their cards right, but bad in the fact that they deliberately butchered and limited character customisation simply to charge players for DLC.
If you're not happy with the current outfits, hairstyles or Treasure Battle unlockables, it's best to sit tight and wait until more content is added. Until then you'll have to either stick to default outfits or make the best with what's already available.
Bandai Namco Bandai has confirmed that they're dropping more than 50 new outfits which will be included in the first wave of post launch DLC this summer. Those who purchased the season pass will also be gifted 35 exclusive metallic costumes.
