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Short filmTranscript
00:00Eyachi Mishima is dead.
00:04Those are the wanting words that conclude the most memorable intro in gaming history.
00:13Tekken 5 has this powerful nostalgic quality to it.
00:16Not only was it immense and popular for years, but the graphics, the game mechanics,
00:21and the immense quantity as well as the quality of these game modes
00:26time stamps it in history as one of the best games to ever receive a release.
00:33You'd pop this disc into your PS2 and your testosterone levels would increase
00:37tenfold. You see all of those dudes that you guys say have aura on the internet,
00:42they play Tekken though. Trust me.
00:44Tekken 5 greets its playerbase with the most compelling
00:48fight sequence that we've witnessed in a PS2 game.
00:51You can feel the essence of the entire Tekken series when you watch this intro.
00:56From the ancient eastern building to the brutal high energy fight sequence, this visual
01:02demonstrates how powerful the Mishimas are as they rip through these machine bodies
01:07like paper mache.
01:08One of the smartest pieces of storytelling is how they don't even tell each other or
01:13warn each other about the Jackrobots behind them.
01:16Instead you can just see the subtle nature of them looking in each other's eyes and
01:22glimpsing the reflection of these robots.
01:25Then they turn and crush them based on what they saw in each other's eyes.
01:30It's very smart and easy to miss.
01:32Kazuya Mishima predictably turns on his father throwing him to the wolves,
01:36or in this case rather the Jack 4 robots that are attacking them.
01:41And then we get this.
01:46Eyaji Mishima is dead.
02:01These are the words I started this video with and they're words that echo through time.
02:06Most people who have played through the Tekken series will remember this iconic moment.
02:11As we are forced to accept Eyaji's apparent demise, we have to analyze the series Tekken
02:17itself.
02:18The word Tekken translates as Iron Fist and Eyaji threw the first Iron Fist tournament.
02:25Therefore he is pivotal and instrumental in the structure of the series.
02:31So when we hear he is dead at the start of a game, it is never not a big deal.
02:37The intro wastes no time in introducing another character to us who actually mouths
02:42this sequence of words and that is my boy Wesley Snipes.
02:46Or as he's known in Tekken, Raven.
02:51The Tekken 5 intro is more than just a visual spectacle, it is a masterclass in storytelling
02:56and a perfect distillation of everything that makes the Tekken series so dope and unforgettable.
03:03From the very first frame, it grips you with tension and then it doesn't let you go,
03:08pulling you into the dark, twisted world of the Mishima family where power, betrayal and
03:13legacy collide in explosive fashion.
03:17As the second half of the intro unfolds, the visuals are underscored by a powerful track
03:22that feels perfectly tuned to both the action sequences and also the contemplative character
03:28shots that we get in the scenes.
03:31Jeff Pescetto's smooth voice clashes against the pulsing, almost ambient instrumental creating
03:37a score that elevates the visual.
03:39Jin Kazama's violent transformation and struggle with the devil gene encapsulates
03:45this and the intensity of this scene hits you like a truck.
03:55And the sound is so powerful because it's just not the same essence or feeling.
04:01Without the beautiful sound design put into it.
04:09The lyrics in this scene scream at you to believe your own energy as, ironically, Jin
04:15struggles with himself.
04:16These screams in the soundtrack strike a resonant chord in men and boys alike, echoing themes
04:22of power, destiny and the eternal struggle between good and evil that frames this entire
04:29Tekken universe.
04:31It's not just an opening cinematic, it's a piece of storytelling that somehow manages
04:36to encapsulate the essence of the actual gameplay of the series.
04:41Every frame, every note of music, every line of dialogue is carefully crafted in this to
04:47convey the depth of the characters and the world they inhabit.
04:50Small things like Steve Fox, the boxer versus Wa-Hang, the kicker Feng Wei crashing his
04:56master out of spite.
04:57You have Eddie and Christie bringing some of that South American corporeal flair to
05:03them.
05:03We have everything in this visual.
05:06All of the characters get the love, the attention and the screen time that is necessary for
05:11them to shine and show their quirks in what is just a three and a half minute visual.
05:17We get all of these battles and character arcs compacted into a very small explosion
05:22of energy.
05:23This visual spectacle of an intro is a reminder that the Tekken series is not just about fighting,
05:30it's about the human stories that drive each punch, each kick and each clash of wills.
05:37When you jam Tekken or any fighting game, when you choose that character in the character
05:42select, you're choosing someone who is essentially an extension of some part of you, be it conscious
05:50or subconscious.
05:51So when all of these characters are treated with love and attention, it makes the choices
05:56that you make about your characters more impactful on you as a person as well.
06:02And that is why Tekken is the boat of 3D fighters.
06:06The intro, the weird ass story and even the gameplay do more than your average 3D fighter.
06:12Even now as an adult, I still chat a lot about this intro and this game with my friends.
06:18We often laugh about Eddie and Christie being the spam button characters, Asuka Kazama's
06:23spin kick, Yoshimitsu charging up with the meditation with his dick.
06:28These are things that aren't replaceable obviously because they are quirks unique to
06:33this series and they make it special in its own way.
06:36Tekken leaves a mark on its player base that lingers for just about as long as a scar will.
06:43You carry these things, these moments in game long after your screen fades to black
06:48and you stop playing the game.
06:50The intro itself is a spectacle because it's just pure high octane shit bro and you gotta
06:58love it for what it is.
07:00Action.
07:02This is Loi signing off.
07:04Peace.