Seemingly within a matter of days, the concept of the free-to-play fighting game went from zero to overdrive. Dead or Alive 5: Ultimate was first to announce that it was going free-to-play. At E3, it was revealed that the Killer Instinct reboot on Xbox One would have varying pricing options, including a free version with 1 selectable character. First out the gate though is Tekken Revolution. As an old man someone who is generally weary of the free-to-play model, I approached this as an interesting approach to fighting games and their pricing models.
Tekken Revolution should feel very familiar to anyone that has played Tekken Tag Tournament 2. This is basically that game with one-on-one matches. I know there are a few more gameplay nuances than that, though I’m not particularly well versed on that side of the franchise. If you like Tekken, this is barely a mechanical departure from other entries in the series, so you should feel right at home here.
Where things largely differ is in the way all of the modes and features are commoditized. To play Arcade Mode, you get two arcade-specific coins to start and can carry two max at a time. As you play, you’ll earn XP and other rewards. If you run out of coins, you can either wait 60 minutes for another one, or purchase more. For online play, you get five online-specific coins to start with and can carry five max at a time. If you win matches, you gain tickets, which can be spent on more online matches. Therefore, if you keep winning, you can keep playing for free. If not, you can wait 30 minutes for another coin, or buy more.
Characters are handled a bit differently here as well. You start out with only a handful, but gradually unlock more as you play. As someone who only really plays Kazuya, it’s awesome that he’s unlocked by default. However, if you play an obscure character, you may be waiting a long time before you can unlock them. That is, if they’re in the game at all. At this early point in the game’s life, we only have 12 confirmed characters. Until then, you can practice with another character and buff them with the skill points you’ve earned. These types of boosts may sour serious competitors who want an even playing field, though this generally comes with the free-to-play territory.
As someone who is a casual Tekken player at best, Tekken Revolution is a great way to get my fix for free. Even veterans can go a long way without spending money if they can win consistently against online competition. However, if you’re looking to get all of the characters out of the box, play local multiplayer or want a more ‘pure’ experience without stat boosts, you may want to try Tag Tournament 2 instead. Still, it’s free, so why not try it anyway?
In Third Person 