For nearly thirty years, the Tekken franchise has stood toe to toe with some of the best and longest running video game franchises across the globe that have become commercially successful products. Next to its rival Street Fighter, anybody who plays and knows about fighting games has undoubtedly heard of the series – its appeal growing over the years thanks to its presence in almost every form of media known to man. From its humble beginnings in arcades to getting released on home consoles and PC, Tekken has gained mainstream notoriety thanks to its fast-paced action and diverse roster of characters who practice several forms of martial arts that are based off real-life fighting styles or are otherwise inspired by them.
Now the stage is set for another new entry in the series with Tekken 8 – the eighth mainline entry that promises to be a stylish and high-octane brawler that welcomes beginners and rewards pro players both at once. Powered by the Unreal Engine and developed with the latest generation of console and PC gamers in mind, it is a pretty and crisp fighter that definitely puts its money where its mouth is – and is a must play for fighting game fans new and old alike!
Fist Meets Fate
Taking place exactly six months after the end of events of the last game, Tekken 8’s main story entitled “The Dark Awakens” sees Jin Kazama looking to end the tyranny and evil unleashed by his estranged father Kazuya Mishima as well as purging himself of his cursed demonic powers and bloodline. After the defeat and disappearance of Heihachi Mishima, Kazuya has taken over the world stage and has set his sights on acquiring absolute power through the Devil Gene. To that end he announces a new King of Iron Fist Tournament to draw out competitors from all over the globe – leading Jin and his allies to strike back and put an end to Kazuya and the Devil Gene legacy once and for all.
New Moves, Same Old Tekken
Much like its predecessors, Tekken 8 is a one-on-one brawler that pits one against another in a game where skill, timing, and technique decide the winner and outcome of the battle. Past installments have seen the series evolve as characters gain new moves and combos that ultimately decide a player’s preference in choosing their fighter. Fan favorites such as Jin Kazama, Kazuya Mishima, Paul Phoenix, and Nina Williams return with new skills added to their arsenal, while fighters not seen for a long time such as Jun Kazama make their comeback to a mainline Tekken installment. outside of the Tekken Tag Tournament games. Of course, it is not a fresh new Tekken game without some new blood added – and that comes in the form of the coffee loving Azucena and the mysterious new female fighter known as Reina.
As a fighting game that is all about reading an opponent’s moves and precision, Tekken 8 retains the fast-paced gameplay and attention to showcasing various fighting styles and diversity that has made the series famous in the history of video games. The controls remain the same – each of the four main buttons corresponds to limbs e.g Left Arm, Right Arm, Left Leg, and Right Leg with specific directional button commands modifying the move set and allowing for a variety of skills and maneuvers specific to that character alone.
Matches are won by depleting the opponent’s health bar by using a series of moves or combos, with the outcome decided by rounds and who has the most wins in that “Best Of” contest. Unlike past entries however, a new system has been incorporated to the game called “Heat” mode – which changes the properties of a character’s existing moves for a limited time and adds chip damage to boot. It’s an aggressive factor that changes the pressure game of Tekken, and opens up a lot of interesting moments as well. Returning from Tekken 7 is the Rage Art system – essentially a character’s “Super Move” that can be unleashed when the health bar is nearly depleted and you can unleash a devastating finisher that causes a huge amount of damage to your opponent when landed successfully.
The Best Entry with Many Features to Explore
Standing as a very accessible and welcoming entry to the series by far, Tekken 8 is arguably the best entry with many features to explore that adds replay value to the series. The first one to note of course is the story mode “The Dark Awakens” – which follows directly after the events of Tekken 7 and sees the rivalry of Jin Kazama and Kazuya Mishima reach its endgame as a new tournament begins and other fighters battle for the grand prize. Narratively it is what you would expect from a fighting game story, but execution and gameplay wise it’s the best story mode for a Tekken game that has great moments and a lot of nods and throwbacks to past entries of the series that should make longtime fans very happy.
If the main story is not enough to quench your appetite for storylines, there is also “Character Episodes” that give each fighter their own unique ending movie sequences. There’s also “Arcade Quest” – essentially a world tour online mode that lets players create their own avatars and explore the world of Tekken while also learning the ropes and battling other opponents from across the globe. Then there is Tekken Ball – a unique mini game feature introduced in Tekken 3 that combines beach ball with fighting game prowess. Hit the ball back and forth to charge it and deal damage against your opponent, with the winner decided once the opponent’s life reaches zero. Ultimately it is a fun change of pace if players are looking for a way to fight besides using their fists.
Online, Offline, and Beyond
Ultimately, Tekken 8 is all about the fight and will always be a fighting game down to its core. While the landscape of video games has long transitioned from its arcade roots to home consoles, it will always boil down to a match between those looking to test their skills and join the ever-growing fighting game community. There are a lot of online matches and lobbies that are accessible from the get go, and players can find and meet new friends to challenge and play with in Arcade Quest as well. The offline content is also enough to keep players on their toes. You can customizes your characters to your liking, and more downloadable content is coming for the game as well that will introduce new characters and modes leading to a lot of replay value for the future of this entry.
Bottomline Bandai Namco and the Tekken team have crafted a solid entry in Tekken 8. Longtime Tekken series producer and director Katsuhiro Harada has given the series a boost by bringing higher awareness over the years and engaging with the players – helping build the product into the monster and titan it is in the fighting game community and video games in general. You would be remiss not have heard the word “Tekken” and not associate it with fighting games. However if this is your first time playing the series, Tekken 8 is a great place to start and welcome you to the world of Tekken.
Tekken 8 is Now Available for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam.