All mainline Tekken games, ranked by Metacritic score

Fighting games have become such a mainstay that it's hard to imagine the gaming industry without them. Such iconic names as Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat helped set the stage for the genre in the early 1990s, but with advancements in 3D development, the likes of Tekken would soon cement its place.

Created by Namco/Bandai Namco Studios, the series has been gracing our consoles and PCs for over 30 years, so I thought it was high time to take a look at just how successful Tekken has become, instilling itself as one of the biggest fighting franchises in gaming and helping to push the industry forward.

Now, I'm aware there are several spin-offs, but for the sake of ease, I'll be concentrating on the eight mainline entries, though I will throw in the two Tag Tournament games as well. Just for the hell of it. So here is every main Tekken installment as judged by their Metacritic scores, going from lowest to highest.

What is the best Tekken Game according to Metacritic?

Tekken (1994) - N/A

It should be noted that Tekken (Japanese for "iron fist") is by no means the first ever 3D fighting game. That honor goes to Virtua Fighter, which launched in 1993. However, it would only take one year for Namco to deliver its own brand of polygonal fisticuffs, introducing the first entry in a long-standing series that so far stretches over three decades.

Sadly, there is no Metacritic score for the original Tekken. While I could take reviews from other sources, they would only reflect opinions at the time of release rather than scores that continue to be tallied. It's a shame, as it makes it look like the game is somehow bad, which it certainly isn't. It's definitely aged immensely, but it easily took what Virtua Fighter was doing and upped the ante with oodles of personality and deep lore.

Tekken 6 (2007) - 79%

There's a certain point in Tekken's history that's a bit of a blur for me, particularly during this midpoint in the series. I'm very familiar with the earlier installments, but the later ones I only seem to have vague memories of playing. What I'm saying is I'm fairly certain that Tekken 6 is the most recent one I've played, but I couldn't testify to that in court.

It's also interesting to note that this game was released in 2007, which means it'll be turning twenty in a couple of years. And here I was thinking it was modern. The sixth game gave us the Rage system, which afforded characters more damage per hit. In any case, it may be low on this list, but with a Metacritic score of 79%, it's still a bloody good addition to the series.

Tekken 4 (2001) - 79%

I do remember playing Tekken 4. Until 4 am one night. While drunk on rosé wine. This installment made some changes to the series, most notably the ability to move around an arena, making better use of the 3D space.

Tekken 4 was something of a step up from just being able to go back and forth and possibly a bit to the side. The only reason I'm putting this ahead of Tekken 6 (despite the same Metcritic score) is the user reviews have this one slightly higher (7.7 versus 7.5).

Tekken 7 (2015) - 82%

If there's one thing you can say about a Tekken game, it's that you pretty much know what you're going to be getting. You could probably say that about most fighting games, but this might be why even the more recent entries in the King of Iron Fist Tournament seem to do pretty well. The franchise doesn't feel stagnant; instead, it's very much consistent in showing off what it does best.

I know for a fact I haven't played Tekken 7, so I can't comment on my own experience of it. What I can say is that Bandai Namco knows how to deliver what makes fans happy while also tweaking the series to keep things a little bit fresh. Boasting 82% on Metacritic shows that this tactic is evidently working.

Tekken 5 (2004) - 88%

Until I started researching this list, I didn't know how it was going to look. I assumed the later games would have lower scores while the more classic installments would be the most popular. But that doesn't seem to be the case, and I'm here for it.

Tekken 5 has a meaty 88% on Metacritic, which could be down to the fact that this game is credited as taking the series back to its roots. The game's visuals are a step up from its predecessor, we get some new characters, and we also get the new Crush System. On top of that, some old favorites make a return, including Anna Williams and Wang Jinrei.

Tekken 2 (1995) - 89%

While not my personal favorite, Tekken 2 still holds a special place in my heart. It was my introduction to the series, having watched a friend play it on his PlayStation. Said friend would also attempt to pull some of the moves off on me in real life, including that one Nina does where she tries to dislocate your arm from the shoulder. Weirdly, we're not in touch these days.

While Tekken had yet to truly establish itself as a formidable mainstay in the fighting genre, the first game in the series very much set things in motion. As such, the second installment only improved on the original in every way possible, which included giving us new modes for the home release, such as Survival Mode, Time Attack, and Team Battle.

Tekken 8 (2024) - 90%

Look, we are living in pretty dystopian times when it comes to the gaming industry (as well as, you know, the rest of the world). Publishers are intent on nickel-and-diming us for every penny we're worth, and sadly, Tekken 8 is no exception. The gutting of content and selling classic characters as separate DLCs are a testament to the times we're living in, and this is seemingly why the game is showing as "mixed" on Steam.

However, it must be doing something right for it to have a Metacritic score of 90%. Even the user score is showing as 7.6, which is pretty favorable considering criticisms of monetization tactics. But again, Bandai Namco stands tall as a company that can do successful fighting games, once again delivering new systems and mechanics while tweaking what came before.

Tekken 3 (1997) - 96%

I can't tell you how pleased I am to see that not only is Tekken 3 considered the greatest entry in the whole series, but it's also on the first page of Metacritic's best games of all time. It stands tall and proud alongside such iconic titles as The Orange Box, Baldur's Gate 3, and Resident Evil 4. This entry has been my favorite since I first played it all those years ago.

I said earlier how Tekken 2 improved on the original formula. Well, the third game does that even more so. I still remember my jaw dropping at some of the cut scenes; the way Eddy Gordo's limbs moved to show emotion, or the close-up detail of a cop's face as he pursued Paul on his bike. At the time, I'd never seen anything quite like Tekken 3's intro, and if the visuals weren't enough, the fact that we also got the Streets of Rage-inspired Tekken Force mode was just the cherry on top.

What about Tekken Tag Tournament's Metacritic ratings?

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 (2011) - 82%

While I said I wasn't too interested in talking about the spin-offs in the series, I feel it's at least worth mentioning the Tekken Tag games. While not canonical to the other games in terms of story, they're noteworthy for offering a ton of characters to choose from, with the crux of the gameplay being the ability to swap between characters in the middle of a fight.

Tag 2, much like what came before it, afforded the opportunity to focus solely on tag team battles. To date, this entry has the most characters in its roster, with 61 fighters to choose from. As far as Tekken spin-offs go, the Tag games are definitely up there in terms of overall popularity and quality, even if Bandai Namco has not given the world any new ones for almost 15 years.

Tekken Tag Tournament (1999) - 85%

The first Tag, released in arcades in 1999 before getting a home release in 2000, was originally intended as an update to Tekken 3 before becoming a standalone release. As such, it sits right between the third and fourth mainline games in terms of release date and has been well-received over the years, with a Metacritic score of 85%. It's surprising, therefore, that a follow-up didn't emerge sooner.

Again, much like Tag 2, this one was notable for having a pretty hefty cast of characters to choose from, with a total of 39 fighters in its roster. That may pale in comparison to its 2011 sequel, but it's worth remembering that there were only three games in the whole franchise at this point. For comparison, Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike (a contemporary of Tekken Tag Tournament) had just 20 characters.

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