Best Fighting Game Stages: Tekken 5’s Moonlit Wilderness

Games Featured In: Tekken 5

There’s a lot of love for fighting games here at Cultured Vultures, but one of the most underappreciated aspects of a fighting game is the stages: the enclosed arenas where two titans collide in epic battle. We thought we’d spend some time every now and then celebrating the best stages fighting games have to offer. First, we honoured some hallowed ground in the form of Third Strike’s Subway stage, but now we’re heading to the prettiest field in gaming.

Tekken in the 2000s was going through a kind of evolution, particularly in regards to how they approached their stages. The first few Tekken games featured infinitely scrolling stages on rotating backgrounds, which are still a staple of Tekken games to this day. However, Tekken 4 saw the introduction of closed arenas, which allowed for wall combos and other strategies to come to the forefront. Results were somewhat mixed.

Namco were still keen to build on these formulas in Tekken 5 though, and the end result is one of the best games in the entire series. The core gameplay is some of the best the Tekken brand has ever seen, while Namco finally managed to effectively incorporate closed arenas into regular play. Despite all that though, Tekken 5 featured the best stage in the franchise’s history that took everything that worked in the early games, and used the improved power of the PS2 to add some much needed atmosphere.

Of course we’re talking about Moonlit Wilderness, which takes place in an idyllic countryside field filled with white flowers during a full moon. The landscape is pretty bare, with the only significant landmarks being some trees, a couple of rocks and a ruined castle, but whereas fighting game stages can often feel cluttered or like there’s too much going on, Moonlit Wilderness’ simplicity makes it an iconic stage.

Not only is the stage aesthetically pleasing, but the music is also an absolute masterpiece. A blend between string instruments, a stirring choir and a techno beat that’s practically a Tekken staple, and you’ve got an extraordinary score that serves as a perfect accompaniment to you hitting Wind God Fist on Jack’s robot dick for three rounds in a row.

While music or the stage’s look alone are certainly reasons to enjoy a fighting game stage, it’s the combo of both here that makes Moonlit Wilderness one of the best stages ever made. The tranquility and loneliness of the stage, combined with the epic music over the background, makes every fight feel like a fated battle between two rivals. This isn’t some petty squabble, it’s destiny manifest.

Perhaps the worst thing about Moonlit Wilderness is the fact that the stage made a comeback a few years later as part of Tekken Tag Tournament 2, but instead of being set in the field, it moved the action into the courtyard of the ruined castle, which completely changed the whole vibe of the stage. The music remix also failed to reach the same standard as the original version, which sucked. Some sequels just can’t live up to the original, I guess.

Despite the weak second outing, Moonlit Wilderness is a brilliant stage that serves as a fantastic benchmark for what 3D fighting game stages should strive for. There’s been plenty of great stages out there, but this one is truly special.

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