Every Tekken game, ranked
All 9 Tekken games we hold, spanning 1994 to 2024: 2 ranked by the GamingPickz Score and plotted below, the rest listed in release order so nothing in the series is missing. Together they carry 167,646 Steam reviews.
Where to start
- For the best-reviewed: Tekken 7 (GamingPickz Score 7.6), the highest-rated entry we can score.
- For canon order: begin with Tekken (1994) and follow the release-order timeline below.
The Tekken games on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueThe same 2 games, plotted rather than listed. The two axes below are the ones the ranking is built from, so a game sitting high and right is a game the formula placed near the top. Change either axis to see the field a different way. Where we hold a publisher wordmark, the game is drawn as its mark rather than a dot.
2 games have both
Axes are fitted to these 2 games rather than the full 0 to 100 scale, because a filtered list shares a narrow band and would otherwise sit in one corner. End values are marked. A point on the left edge is the lowest of thesegames, not a low score.
Players. The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000.
Popularity. A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it.
- Multi-platform
Every point links to that game's entry. The value map and the reception map are fixed views of the same data.
How positions are decided
No paid placement, no favouritism, live third-party data
- Placed by the published method, not by us. Every coordinate is computed from the axis definitions and weights printed on this site. Nobody moves a point. See the axes.
- Nothing here is paid for. No sponsored placements, no promoted slots, no arrangement of any kind affects a position. If that ever changes it will be labelled and sit outside the ranking.
- No favouritism, including our own. The 16 games we have written full reviews of are scored by exactly the same formula as the other 1,510, from the same third-party inputs, and they land where it puts them. Our own opinion of a game does not enter its coordinates.
- A position is not an endorsement. It says how a game was received and what it costs, not that we recommend it. Where we do recommend something, it carries a written review with a name on it.
- Fetched from live third-party data. Player sentiment from Steam, critic aggregates as published on store pages, prices checked hourly, attention from Wikipedia. Each figure carries its source and the date it was read, and we do not adjust any of them.
Every game by critic score
The grid above is built from Steam data, so it can only place the Tekken games that were on Steam. This one uses the Metacritic critic aggregate, which the older console-only entries have too, so the whole series lands on a single chart: critic score against release year.
On Steam (also has a GamingPickz Score) Console-only (Metacritic only)
2 best Tekken games, ranked
Ordered by GamingPickz Score. Every figure links back to the source that produced it.
Tekken 7 at a glance Released 2015 Studio Bandai Namco Entertainment Player sentiment 84% positive of 95,338 Critics 82/100 Price $39.99 Steam Deck playable Install size 60 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 84% shrinks to 84.0 on 95,338 reviews, then blends with the 82 critic aggregate, giving 7.6.
Worth checking first- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
- 2
Tekken 8
Best for: Critically admired, though players are more divided
6.3GamingPickz Scorehigh confidenceTekken 8 at a glance Released 2024 Studio Bandai Namco Entertainment Player sentiment 56% positive of 72,308 Critics 91/100 Price $39.99 Steam Deck playable Install size 100 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 56% shrinks to 56.2 on 72,308 reviews, then blends with the 91 critic aggregate, giving 6.3.
Worth checking first- Critics rate it well above players, 91 against 56. Worth reading why before buying.
Only the 2 Tekken games with Steam review data can be scored and ranked. The complete series, scored or not, is charted in order below.
Best and worst entry
The best-received Tekken game we can score is Tekken 7 at 7.6. The lowest is Tekken 8 at 6.3, a 1.3-point spread across the series. The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment, critics and popularity, computed the same way for every game.
Cheapest way in, and best value
- Cheapest right now: Tekken 7 at $39.99. Prices are read live from Steam and move.
- Best value: Tekken 7, the most GamingPickz Score per dollar in the series at its current price.
On a Steam Deck
Valve's own Deck compatibility rating for the Tekken entries on Steam:
- Playable: Tekken 7, Tekken 8
Platforms across the series
Where the 9 Tekken games have landed, counting every entry we hold:
| Platform family | Entries |
|---|---|
| PC | 3 of 9 |
| PlayStation | 7 of 9 |
| Xbox | 2 of 9 |
The Tekken series, game by game
Every Tekken game we hold, in release order. Each description is the game's own, from Steam where it has a listing and Wikipedia for the older entries, never ours.
- 1994
Tekken
not scoredTekken (鉄拳) is a 1994 fighting game developed and published by Namco. It was originally released on arcades, then ported to the PlayStation home console in 1995. One of the earliest 3D polygon-based games of the genre, Tekken was Namco's answer to Virtua Fighter and was designed by Seiichi Ishii, who himself was also… (Wikipedia)
Plot
When Kazuya Mishima was only five years old, his father, Heihachi Mishima , carried him to the summit of a mountain and threw him off to test his strength and determine whether he was fit to inherit the Mishima Zaibatsu. Although Kazuya survived the fall, he bore a large scar on his chest and later made a pact with an entity known as Devil, which enabled him to not only survive the fall but gain immense strength and power but at the cost of his soul.… (Wikipedia)
Characters
See also: Characters of the Tekken series § Introduced in Tekken The original arcade version features eight playable fighters. Each has a special "sub-boss" associated with them, who will be fought in Stage 8, followed by the final boss, Heihachi Mishima . The sub-boss characters are clones in terms of moveset (though not always clones of the player character facing them), with only a handful of moves distinguishing them from the original. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Commercial In Japan, Game Machine listed it on their February 1, 1995 issue as the fifth most-popular arcade game for the previous two weeks. It went on to be Japan's fourth highest-grossing arcade game of 1995 , below Virtua Fighter 2 , Street Fighter Zero and Vampire Hunter: Darkstalkers' Revenge . In the US, it was one of top five highest-grossing arcade conversion kits of 1995. (Wikipedia)
- 1995
Tekken 2
Metacritic 89Tekken 2 (鉄拳2) is a 1995 fighting game developed and published by Namco. The second entry in the Tekken series, it was released for arcades in August 1995, and was ported to the PlayStation in 1996. The home console version introduced new, now-staple game modes to the series, as well as full-motion video endings for… (Wikipedia)
Plot
2 years after the King of the Iron Fist Tournament , the Mishima Zaibatsu, under the leadership of Kazuya Mishima , has become more powerful than ever before and is involved in many illegal operations. While his father Heihachi Mishima was rather ruthless in his endeavors, Kazuya acts completely without a conscience. He hires assassins to eliminate any of his critics and rivals, extorts money from several businesses and organizations, and smuggles… (Wikipedia)
Characters
See also: Characters of the Tekken series The game features a total of 25 playable fighters, consisting of 17 returning veterans and eight newcomers. Characters who were clones in the original game have been made into distinct playable characters, although they still share many moves with their counterparts. Devil Kazuya , originally a bonus palette swap of Kazuya in the console version of the first game, is now a fully separate playable character with… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Commercial In Japan, Game Machine listed Tekken 2 on their September 15, 1995 issue as being the most-successful arcade game of the month. It went on to become a major worldwide arcade hit. In Japan, it sold about 15,000 arcade units and became the highest-grossing arcade video game of 1996 . (Wikipedia)
- 1996
Tekken 3
Metacritic 96Tekken 3 (鉄拳3) is a 1997 fighting game developed and published by Namco. It is the third installment in the Tekken series and the first game built on the Namco System 12 arcade hardware. The game takes place nineteen years after Tekken 2 (1995) and features a largely new cast of characters, including the debut of… (Wikipedia)
Plot
15 years after the King of the Iron Fist Tournament 2 , Heihachi Mishima has established the Tekken Force: a paramilitary organization dedicated to the protection of the Mishima Zaibatsu. Using the company's influence, Heihachi is responsible for many events that have ultimately led to world peace. One day, a squadron of Tekken Force soldiers searched an ancient temple located in Mexico under the premise of an excavation project. (Wikipedia)
Characters
See also: Characters of the Tekken series The arcade version features a total of 22 playable fighters while the PS2 features 24 characters. Because the game takes place 19 years after Tekken 2 , only seven fighters from the previous installment return, with the rest being new. The console version adds two new characters, Dr. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Commercial The arcade game was a major hit. In Japan, the 15 April 1997 issue of Game Machine listed Tekken 3 as the most-successful arcade game of the month. It went on to be the highest-grossing arcade printed circuit board (PCB) game of 1997 in Japan, and second highest-grossing overall arcade video game below Sega 's rival Virtua Fighter 3 (1996). (Wikipedia)
- 2002
Tekken 4
Metacritic 79Tekken 4 (鉄拳4) is a 2001 fighting game developed and published by Namco for arcades. Initially released for Namco's System 246 hardware, it was then ported to the PlayStation 2 home console in 2002. As the fourth main installment in the Tekken series following Tekken 3 (1997), and the fifth overall following the… (Wikipedia)
Plot
Two years after the King of Iron Fist Tournament 3 , Heihachi Mishima and his scientists have captured samples of Ogre 's blood and tissue to splice with Heihachi's genome, to make him immortal . The experiment fails since Heihachi lacks the necessary Devil gene. His grandson, Jin Kazama , possesses the Devil gene but has been missing since the previous tournament. (Wikipedia)
Characters
See also: Characters of the Tekken series The arcade version features a total of 20 characters, consisting of 16 returning and 4 new ones, including the Irish-English boxer Steve Fox who is revealed to be the son of Nina Williams . The returning characters include some who did not make the cut in the 19-year time skip between Tekken 2 and Tekken 3 . The console version adds two characters (one returning and one new) making 22 characters in all, given… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception In Japan, Game Machine listed Tekken 4 on their September 1, 2001 issue as the most successful arcade game of the month and was the top-selling fighting game that year. It also received positive reviews overall and attracted the game to many newcomers, but only received mixed feedback from veteran players in the international gaming community at the time of its initial release. Although the game was still successful at the Evolution… (Wikipedia)
- 2005
Tekken 5
Metacritic 88Tekken 5 (鉄拳5) is a 2004 fighting game developed and published by Namco for arcades, before being ported to the PlayStation 2 in 2005. It is the fifth main game in the Tekken series, marking the tenth anniversary of the series. The game is set shortly after the events of Tekken 4 featuring a new antagonist named… (Wikipedia)
Plot
Set moments after Tekken 4 s ending, Jin Kazama 's departure from the Hon-Maru dojo, G Corporation helicopters approach and begin deploying Jack-4 robot pods into the building. Heihachi Mishima and his son, Kazuya , battle the Jacks together until Kazuya leaves Heihachi for dead while escaping. The Jacks hold down Heihachi while one activates its detonator, creating a huge explosion that seemingly kills Heihachi. (Wikipedia)
Characters
See also: Characters of the Tekken series The game features a total of 32 playable characters, consisting of 26 returning and 6 new ones. Unlike previous games, the home version adds no new playable character, and the game's unplayable final boss from the arcades, Jinpachi Mishima , remains unplayable in the console version. The home version also has two uncontrollable enemies fought during the Devil Within minigame: Gun Jack and True Ogre. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Critical response Reception Tekken 5 was met with mainly positive critical response, resulting in a score of 88 out of 100 at Metacritic . Several writers found its mechanics superior to its predecessor, Tekken 4 , due to the return of classic mechanics and the importance of each stage as well as faster combat. The fact that Tekken 5 removed the exclusive features from its prequel was also a subject of praise. (Wikipedia)
- 2006
Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection
Metacritic 88Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection , also known as Tekken: Dark Resurrection for the PlayStation Portable version, is a 2005 fighting game and a standalone update to Tekken 5. The arcade version was released in Japan in December 2005 and later worldwide in February 2006, while the PlayStation Portable version was released… (Wikipedia)
Plot
As an update, the same story as Tekken 5 is featured, with the addition of three new characters. Emilie De Rochefort seeks to destroy the Mishima Zaibatsu and end her father's financial problems. Sergei Dragunov is a member of Spetsnaz who has been ordered to capture Jin Kazama . (Wikipedia)
Characters
See also: Characters of the Tekken series Being the update of Tekken 5 , Dark Resurrection features the return of all 32 playable characters from that game while adding three new ones. None of them need to be unlocked. Eddy Gordo , a palette swap of Christie Monteiro in the original Tekken 5 , has been given his own character slot and customization template. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reviews Reception Critical response to Tekken: Dark Resurrection has been overall very positive. GamesRadar claims it to be the single best portable fighting game ever. The PlayStation 3 version was also well received. (Wikipedia)
- 2007
Tekken 6
Metacritic 82Tekken 6 is a 2007 fighting game developed and published by Namco Bandai Games. It is the sixth main and seventh overall installment in the Tekken franchise. It was released on arcades in November 2007 as the first game running on the PlayStation 3-based System 357 arcade board. A year later, the game received an… (Wikipedia)
Plot
Six months after Jin Kazama 's victory against his great-grandfather, Jinpachi Mishima , in the previous King of Iron Fist Tournament , he is now the new head of the Mishima Zaibatsu special forces. Jin uses the company's resources to declare independence, becoming a global superpower, severing its national ties and openly declaring war against all nations over the following year. Meanwhile, Kazuya Mishima , Jin's father, who has risen to lead G… (Wikipedia)
Characters
See also: Characters of the Tekken series The original arcade version of Tekken 6 features 39 playable characters, consisting of 34 returning and 5 new ones. Bloodline Rebellion and the console version adds two new fighters for a total of 41 playable characters. There are also two unplayable bosses: NANCY-MI847J and Azazel, although the former can be controlled for a brief time in the console version's Scenario Campaign mode. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Critical response to Tekken 6 among reviewers has been generally favorable, with the PS3 version scoring a 79 on Metacritic and the 360 an 80. Several journalists praised the additions to the game's mechanics and modes, as well as the large cast. Though compared with competitors from the same genre like Soulcalibur IV and Virtua Fighter 5 , critical response remained positive in general. (Wikipedia)
- 2015
Tekken 7
7.6Discover the epic conclusion of the long-time clan warfare between members of the Mishima family. Powered by Unreal Engine 4, the legendary fighting game franchise fights back with stunning story-driven cinematic battles and intense duels that can be enjoyed with friends and rivals. (Steam)
Plot
After the events of Tekken 6 , though Azazel was defeated by Jin Kazama , the war between the Mishima Zaibatsu and G Corporation continues to ravage the world. The game's story is told from the perspective of a reporter whose wife and son are killed in the crossfire, leading him to begin writing an exposé on the Mishima Zaibatsu and G Corporation. Nina Williams leads the Zaibatsu in Jin's absence, attempting to locate him, but Heihachi Mishima takes… (Wikipedia)
Characters
See also: Characters of the Tekken series The game has 51 playable fighters (plus 1 palette swap and 1 in-game transformation) as of Season 4, 20 of whom (plus 1 in-game transformation) made up the arcade launch roster, while 36 (plus 1 palette swap and 1 in-game transformation) made up the console launch roster. The game introduces 13 new playable characters to the series (including a new form of Jack), as well as four guest characters from Capcom 's… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Tekken 7 received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic . According to Chris Carter of Destructoid , it was an "impressive effort with a few noticeable problems holding it back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash," and awarded it a score of 8/10. (Wikipedia)
- 2024
Tekken 8
6.3TEKKEN 8 is the latest addition to the TEKKEN series, the pinnacle of 3D fighting games. Join the fight with over 32 characters and bear witness to the next installment in this epic saga. Get ready for the biggest and best TEKKEN game ever made! (Steam)
Plot
The Dark Awakens Six months after Heihachi Mishima 's defeat, Jin Kazama , alongside Lars Alexandersson and Lee Chaolan of the Yggdrasil Rebel Army, ambushes his father Kazuya Mishima in Manhattan , New York . However, as Jin is forced to watch Kazuya kill millions in the city, causing him to be haunted by a vision of Ogre killing his mother Jun Kazama , he loses control of his Devil Gene powers and is defeated, causing the operation to fail. Amidst the… (Wikipedia)
Characters
Main article: Characters of the Tekken series There is currently a total of 44 playable characters. There were 32 announced for the base roster of Tekken 8 . The game includes four additional characters to the roster with each downloadable season pass. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Tekken 8 received "universal acclaim" from critics for the PC and PS5 versions, while the Xbox Series X/S version received "generally favorable reviews", according to review aggregator website OpenCritic , as well as Metacritic . Several publications argued that Tekken 8 was the best offering from the parent franchise. GamesRadar+ rated it five stars, stating that "proves that plenty of depth makes for a vibrant fighter, justifying its… (Wikipedia)
Tekken, head to head
Two entries side by side on score, price, specs and reception:
Common questions
How many Tekken games are there?
We hold 9 Tekken games in the catalogue, released between 1994 and 2024. 2 of them carry enough Steam data to rank; the rest are listed in release order below, including console-only entries with no Steam listing.
Which Tekken game is best?
By the GamingPickz Score, Tekken 7 rates highest at 7.6. That is a composite of player sentiment, the critic aggregate and popularity, computed the same way for every game, not our opinion. The full ranking is above.
What order should I play the Tekken games in?
Release order is listed below, from 1994 to 2024. For most series that is also story order, but we list dates rather than telling you a canon; the timeline is read from Wikidata.
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