How Tekken 4 Achieves Its Beautiful Tone 

It's crazy how this game was unpopular at the time yet its contributions are missed in newer releases.

another thing about Tekken 4 that I don't see a lot of people pointing out is that it's the only game in the series that allowed fighters to move around, crouch, and even enter stances *before* the fight would even begin. very experimental and underrated feature of the game that added to the uniqueness of the fighting experience

I miss this era of Tekken when every character got a definitive story showing where they've been and they were currently going through. Now it's a matter of some characters getting shafted. And people wonder why I roll my eyes when I see Mashima's. All the character progression has been thrown to the waist side for them. And mind you Jin is coming off the bench in T8 after being left with nothing to do in TF7

I truly miss this era of tekken. You used to take these stories seriously. Tekken had a good story. Not by fighting game standards by video game standards. Now it’s jumped the shark so hard you couldn’t even come close to reaching this level of perfection.

"Armor King was murdered." If there was one line that set the tone, it was that one for me. I actually developed a personal grudge towards Marduk over it and King is my favorite character because of it.

The atmosphere, visual aesthetics, and sound design in this game were so unique. It’s not very story-based, but I think Tekken Tag 1’s atmosphere is worth talking about too. There’s something so spacey and ethereal about it. Sometimes comes off as melancholy and reflective with much of the visuals and music.

“Hell, I wasn’t even alive back then..” Bro this whole time I thought you were born in the 90s lol

Kazuya's Yakuza aesthetic in Tekken 4 was and still remains beyond badass.

Tekken 4 is a Gem. One of the first games I ever loved and you described exactly why.

Tekken 4 was the black sheep of the series….and I loved it!!!! It changed the whole dynamic of fighting games.

Bringing back Kazuya was a great choice. I really love Jin's Costume. The hoodie is iconic!!!!! The story was a major part of this game

Plus it’s the first Tekken where Jin and Kazuya both fight, canonically

Aesthetically, Tekken 4 is a masterpiece.

"I wasn't even alive back then". As someone who played the game in arcades at launch you just made my soul leave my body.

Tekken 4 was so unique, the voice over, the music, the drastic change to character design, loved it

you have no idea how much I just miss these urban outfits... Hwoarang's gi in this game is dope Paul's alternate outfit Tracksuit Xiayou Julia's outfit King with hair! hidden Miharu and Eddy playable palettes all these outfits are just simply amazing...

It's always hard to describe T4, you did it beautifully. Truly an amazing piece, that I sadly don't think can be replicated. A perfect representation of the zeitgeist

That Tekken 4 water to this day still just makes me look in awe, it's so gorgeous.

TEKKEN 4 Was definitely one of the best in the series! I can't begin to tell you how many times I've played this game because of the background stories of the characters were so compelling. This was a great video brought back some wonderful memories all the things you mentioned were spot on! Truly a technical masterpiece! I only wished NAMCO would've put this much detail in Ridge Racer V

"I wasn't even alive back then" Oooof. I remember being super stoked as a kid because Jin switched to karate. Coincidentally enough my parents bought me Tekken 4 because they were proud and wanted to motivate me to keep going to karate as a kid. I stuck with that till I was 16, when I switched to an MMA class and got my nose bust in my first lesson because that traditional guard didn't exactly help me stop a jab lmao. Just like that punch to the face Tekken 4 really did hit different, especially when I was so used to the more light-hearted tone of the games I played before it. Really felt like a next generation fighting game at the time.

Tekken 4 is the best game in the entire franchise. It had the best story. Especially Kazuya's story was profound, him getting rid of Devil but absorbing all of his powers by discovering a mental technique and taking advantage of Devil being distracted. Also, the scientific view of the Devil gene vs. the mystic view of being possessed by a Devil, both views are explored at the same time. Did Kazuya and Devil have internal dialogues in other Tekken games besides in Tekken 4? I think not. It had the best essential characters (no filler characters), the most realistically proportioned looking characters (not unrealistically overdone) and backgrounds, a great force mode, great music. It was the absolute pinnacle of the series, an overall height never reached again by its successors.

This was my fave Tekken game, they got rid of the more sillier aspects and the supernatural stuff was toned down and injected some hard boiled realism for the new era of gaming. The stages felt like real places too lol

"I wasn't even alive back then". You make me feel old xD

I'll never forget going to Walmart and seeing a videogame magazine, I think it was a Playstation Magazine, and I saw a picture of Paul and the release of Tekken 4. I thought, "Wow Paul looks like a real dude!" My friend bought the game for his PS2, and I immediately loved the game. And funny thing about the music mentioned, I replaced stage music in 7 with T2, T4, and T5 music bc they had the best albums.

It's long-gone now but I had the t-shirt that came with the pre-order of Tekken 4, and I genuinely think it's the best game as well. Kazuya was at his coolest in this game.

Thank you for this video. All these years I see a lot of people saying that Tekken 4 was the "worst" Tekken. For me Tekken 4 was the best. Not just because of the game itself, but for the transition from Tekken 3. The music, all the new features, and the atmosphere around everything, it was a huge jump from ps1 to ps2. It was a new era, a really modern one, everything was "new" and they did it really good.

Tekken 4 is an absolute art piece

Theres something so amazing about the atmosphere in this game... Theres so much passion in its music and character backgrounds, it is beautiful. I still get filled with emotion everytime i come back to it.

Tekken 4 was such a beautiful game, the stages were nice and seemed like it didn’t confine you.

Tekken 2 and 4 might be the most darkest Tekken games ever out there

One of my favorite Tekken games and fighters in general. Such an awesome aesthetic, vibe, and music.

Tekken 4 and 5 mark a staple of the PS2 era, and what a beautiful time it was…

Great video. Tekken 4 blew my mind when it came out. I wish they would make a game dark and grounded like this again, especially with the tech we have now, it would be insane.

the term "fighting game sandbox's" when describing the stages is spot on.

Tekken 4 had really good back stories, great musics, and a deep, serious and stressful ambiance, unfortunatly the next games didn't came with those amazing feartures, which is why i felt disapointed by them even if they were good games actually

I hope they bring back ceilings and make stages that feel like they're actually fighting outside in the real world instead of having a square/rectangular arena

My first contact with this game was during a school trip to London in 2001. Big fan of Tekken 3 and 2 so seeing the opening cutscene with Kazuya coming back in an arcade, I was extatic to play it on my PS2.

tekken 4 was great it doesn’t get the credit it deserves i loved the serious take on the series as a kid it was so realistic it used to scare me i appreciate the video keep it up

I absolutely love Tekken 4! It's my favorite out of the entire series! I still play it until this very day!

"I wasn't even alive back then" made me feel pretty Fn old LOL I still have my copy of OG Tekken for the ps1

It’s literally my favorite game in the series. I remember people talked so bad about this one and it’s character design yet it has my favorite character designs of all time. My favorite osts and presentation of all time, favorite game mode features of all time lol.

Tekken 4 is such a fucking great game. Hope they actually bring back stage hazards, the serious and realistic aspect of Tekken in 8. The depth of these characters go so deep and I miss that. It’s a shame that some of these characters are just like jokes now story wise. They even made Kuma and Panda serious in the prologues lol

Games were so creative during the ps2 era.

Tekken 4 will always be my favorite tekken of all time. The music, the uniqueness of all the stages, the character outfits and the overall feel is so nostalgic.

Tekken 4 is amazing on WASD for movement & OPKL for moves, still worth playin today

Was not expecting to see MGS4 transitions in a video about Tekken 4. Absolutely fantastic.

Just wanted to say that I loved the video! The way you presented all of the information, that I myself love about Tekken 4 was spot on. Thank you for the awesome video!

“When you see a piece of art like this you know it isn’t going to screw around” followed by the robot samurai ghost on a horse and man who wants only speaks jaguar sounds

Cool video man! Tekken 4 is my favorite fighting game of all time and I’ve watched like every analysis of it on RU-vid so ofc I’d make the time for yours. I believe everything from the character and sound design, to the art direction and story telling was at it’s peak in the series…except for the gameplay. While the uneven terrain does make for some fun casual matches, personally I’m not as much of a fan of the nerfed movement and more limited juggles… Still, the stages are some of my favorites because of the same point you made, they feel like real places people would actually square up in, and along with the ambient sounds it’s absolutely godlike. The rooftop stage with its skyline showing, and “authentic sky” playing in the background as the drums kick in after the end of a round… man the aesthetic is fantastic. Don’t get me started on Xiaoyu and Jin’s early 2000’s designs too! Or Paul’s character arc and the Mishima showdown! I could keep gushing about my love for this game, but I thought this was a neat video and the way you described Tekken 4’s strong points are exactly what makes it so special to me. I’m a sucker for videos on fighting games that take a dive into more than just the gameplay. I subscribed, keep it up dude.

You are so right about how the music/ sound does a lot of heavy lifting for the feel. Great video, glad the algorithm blessed this video

Very well made man. Took me back to tekken 4 and made me appreciate it in detail.

This game really needs to be available on PS5 . It is iconic in every way

the atmosphere of thekken 4 is just unmatched in the series ... and to play that on release back than was mindblowing

everyone back then would hate on this game so much. it's nice seeing it finally getting the love it deserves. I love seeing these videos praising the game as it should've been back then.

Just for this brilliant review of my favorite fighting game I’m going to subscribe and turn on the little bell I was born in the year this game was released and only got to play it a few years later as the first game I owned on ps2 and ended up falling in love with it. Your review has done it justice sir

This is my favorite tekken of all time. The music, the stages, the return of Kazuya and everything.

Remember playing tekken 4 using Paul at the airport stage vividly like it was yesterday when I was a kid.

I hope Harada sees this. They need to try stuff again.

Damn, you just shed light on why I like these types of tones and atmosphere. I grew up on this. Thanks for this.

Great video! I never got to play Tekken 4 myself, but it's one of my favorite installments of the series. Here's hoping they go back to this aesthetic for the next game. I know it'd look even better with the power of modern technology. And honestly, from what we've seen of the game so far, it could be a masterpiece in the making.

Tekken 4 is one of my favorites,the atmosphere of this game is unique ! Excellent video!

This Tekken was my introduction to the series. Went to the local video store back in 2003 as a kid and rented it for the sleepover I had with a friend of mine. Ended up playing it until 4 a.m. in the morning and I was hooked from then on.

Dude seeing this video brings back so many nostalgia memories playing this back in the day when I was a kid. The main Tekken game that got me into the series

SEEEMEEEN The metal gear solid series is very atmospheric too so good choice with the MGS4 Chapter intros

Tekken 4 is masterpiece of all tekken series.. if they would made remastered version it would be amazing..

Brilliant video my man. Nothing more to say. The character loading screen alone speaks to the soul.

I'm still waiting for Steve's story to uncover lol. Feels like his story stayed in Tekken 4

I remember my brother and I playing Tekken 4 constantly. Trying all the story modes for the every character and Tekken Force mode. Man good memories.

I got a PS2 for my 11th bday and this was one of the first games I got. I absolutely freaking loved it and it brings back amazing memories. Great video pal on the best tekken game so far!

I just ordered tekken 4 on ebay the other day it'll be here this week cant wait

Tekken 4 truly was the game I played in arcades coming up when arcades were on their last legs here in the states. Least where I’m at lol

absolutely adore the announcer's voice. It is beautiful

This game captivated us all back then. Definitely a different fighter than Street Fighter. I was glad to see Kazuya in SmUsh.

Huhhh...Dope channel! Il definitely check out some of you other videos but im also hoping one day youl cover Tekken in some form again ^^

The game made some MASSIVE stylistic gambles and rigidly stuck to them. I can't fault it for that at all. Not to mention, its jazz-fusion soundtrack and bright pastel colour pallette defined that era of gaming 😎👌🏼 So many happy memories playing through this game, I'm so glad it's getting a retrospective day in the sun now ❤🎮 You've earned yourself a subscriber if there's more vids like this!

Lee was so much fun in this game

Great video dude. Appreciate the time that went into this. Tekken 4 is a masterpiece

Tekken 4 paul outro is always something i go back to from time to time. With the world changing so much around us the "Ain't my style" line he drops really hits and is relatable all the years later. I loved this game despite its lack of popularity. competitively it was not great but lets be honest there was no scene really to begin with at this time.

Very well-made video. Great job :)))

Nice job man tekken 4 was great in a lot of aspects l couldn't get in to it as a kid because l came from tekken 5 to 4 and the combat felt...weird so l didn't put too much time on the game but it made an impact l liked the game for all the other reasons exept gameplay. atmosphere, drip (my boy jin looked insanely cool in that hoodie), story and tekken force to date is my favorite game mode l hope it comes back for tekken 8

Also you got a subscriber m, I’m excited to see your future and current content.

You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for a Tekken 4 essay

When he said he wasn't alive in 2001😂

Tekken 4&5 were so dark and intimidating. I personally preferred the realism approach of T4 storywise, since it now feels more like an anime.

With this being the the first Tekken game I ever played, I immediately fell in love with the realism and after seeing the intro with Kazuya kicking ass and being able to play him on the spot?! That increased my love for it. There’s still old fights saved from when I was 6 in 2008

I'm a hardcore fan of the black sheep 4s. Tekken 4, MGS 4 and GTA IV. The algorithm seems to realize this and I am very pleased to be getting recommendations every few weeks of young RU-vidrs going out of their way to challenge the ridiculous narrative that this isn't the best game in the Tekken series.

The things that really amaze me about the game are the stages (the cool details to explore) and the music.

I’m so Glad, that someone has this love for this game and his music. This was my very first tekken that I played in a serious way. First I saw this game in an Arcade Machine. After one year or more, had the chance to play in PS2. Man, what a time. I was very young. Love this game. And man, Jin’s Design, FFFF. So cool.

Tekken 4 has the best stages... Big, destructible and vivid

I lived at the boarding school at a time. I couldn't wait until it was vacation time, so i can go home and play this game with my friends. great memory

I remember revising this game even after playing Tekken 5 and 6 and thinking it STILL looked incredible. I think it was the best looking game on the PS2 for its time.

Most of the people at school didn't like Tekken 4 when I was growing up, but I always Loved it and you managed to cover it so well in this video, I always liked the combination of Announcer voice and the music in the story mode prologues haha Awesome Vid 👌🏽 💯💯💯 Tekken 4 was a great game 🎮 Jin was insane that game 🔥 I'm a Kaz main also

tekken 4 was my first tekken. i was a young kid but this game stuck with me and is the reason i’m still a fan today.

Marduk with hair isn't real, he can't hurt you

I don't understand why but Tekken 4 has been getting a lot of love this past year but I'm all here for it love this game and great video

No cap this one and tag tournament was my favorites 💯 I loved 5 too

I was enthralled by the stories in Tekken 4, but even if they had made them lighter, funnier, or a bit goofier, I would still have put T4 as the pinnacle of the Tekken franchise, simply because the fighting was way more grounded than the other games. Gameplay mechanics could use a bit of updating, and some movesets have been improved, but by and large this game was realistic enough that it felt like playing a fighting game, compared to the current Tekken games, which feel more like playing a sort of button memorization game. That is, to be good at Tekken nowadays, you have to remember which combo is best for air juggling in which situation.

A nice little revisit to this game. This was the first Tekken I actually owned. All the others I played in Arcade or VS play with friends or at a party. I never knew the story of the characters so the openings and endings were extra special to me complete with the mysterious music and rough scribbled art.

Back then when the characters were human with human limitations, afraid of dying by the hands of mafia, now they are anime character who can beat a whole army by themselves.

the thing i think people miss about tekken 4 is that its aesthetically and tonally very close to tekken 2 in its presentation its basically tekken 2-2