On Thursday 14th December an explosive story trailer for Tekken 8 was uploaded to the web, whilst PlayStation 5 fans were treated to a free playable demo. It’s a shame only PS5 players have been given a taste of what’s to come – Xbox Series X|S and Steam users need to wait a further week before they’re given access – but enough detail has been shared since that beat ‘em up fans and the gaming world at large are now poised in anticipation. Fighting games have been on a good run in 2023, with Street Fighter 6 and Mortal Kombat 1 both proving excellent titles, but Tekken 8 – without wanting to appear too partisan – might just be the best of the three. Play the demo and you’ll see; Bandai Namco have really outdone themselves. Put simply: fighting in Tekken 8 feels epic. Cinematic, powerful, impactful, visceral – there are a ton of superlatives that can be laid at Tekken 8’s door. It’s going to be a slam dunk for Bandai Namco, no question about it.
Tekken 8’s blockbuster story kicks off right where Tekken 7 leaves off. After Heihachi gets lobbed into molten lava, world domination appears within devil-gened Kazuya Mishima’s hands. The only man capable of stopping him is yes, you guessed it, he’s own son Jin, himself imbued with the devil’s genetics. After a brief cutscene, players are thrust into head-to-head battle; Tekken 8’s opening chapter ‘The Dark Awakens’ sees Kazuya goading Jin into embracing his dark powers before the pair engage in beating bloody pulp out of each other. The battle is structured akin to a multi-stage boss fight, with every round won by Jin awakening something darker and more powerful in Kazuya. The clash is broken up by widescreen cinematics and environmental transitions, with the fight’s momentum steadily, inevitably switching to the all-powerful antagonist.
We’re introduced to Tekken 8’s latest mechanic the Heat System here too. A perk rewarding aggressiveness, Heat enhances a characters’ capability, rendering them a near-unstoppable force if they get a stranglehold on their opponent. Heat can only be used once per round though, so its excitement is tempered by a tactical consideration. In combining with the returning Rage mechanic, it seems Bandai Namco are hoping to provide a more dynamic fighting experience; a multi-stage, multi-layered approach that results in the aforementioned epic-ness in every brawl.
Tekken has always been the most vigorous of fighting games, and Tekken 8’s visual flourish and gratuitous over-the-top air combos are well and truly continuing this trend. Thanks to Unreal Engine 5, the game is amongst the best looking to date too. Witness the extreme focus on bulging muscle fibres and battle-hardened fists during Jin and Kazuya’s opening fisticuff, and see the air pulsate with drops of sweat and shrapnel. Tekken 8’s visuals are hyper-detailed, but this game feels fantastic to play too.
Punches land with bone-crushing authenticity, kicks thwack with rib-breaking precision. Every limb feels powered by a traction engine. Supporting the ferocity is enveloping sound design, providing reassuring feedback with every bass-heavy thump should a limb connect with an opponent. Even blocking incoming blows delivers a definite wallop; it’s clear Bandai Namco are focusing on sensory overload in Tekken 8’s battles.
And that’s what this opening bout is: a sensory overload. If the remainder of Tekken 8’s story campaign maintains the momentum garnered in its early phase, then we’re in for an exhilarating ride. The opening chapter concludes with Kazuya declaring the latest King of the Iron Fist Tournament as incoming, the story then set up for Kazuya to eliminate any fighter who think they’re worthy of challenging his bid for world domination. This is where the story element of the demo concludes, but other play-testers and media outlets have been given access to a little further along in Tekken 8’s campaign, and they’re reporting an early-stage experience revolving around Jin. He’ll fight series newcomer Reina early doors, as well as long-time adversary Hwoarang. The story will eventually branch out to each of the game’s 32-strong roster, but the central pillar holding everything up will be this tournament. The overall plot is unlikely to be of a high quality, but it certainly feels from these reports like Tekken 8 will be a step above its predecessors in terms of storytelling.
Series newcomers will find a lot to like with Tekken 8 too thanks to its raft of onboarding measures put in place to draw in and retain fresh fighters. Principal among these is the all new Special Style input system which can be toggled on and off with the press of a single button during fights. When enabled, Special Style displays suggested manoeuvres on screen whilst enabling players to execute tricky combos with the mash of a single button. Now, there’s no way a system like this can best a seasoned Tekken fighter, but it’ll certainly go some way to helping beginners understand Tekken’s particular breed of fighting. They should get a feel for Tekken’s unique ebb-and-flow and emphasis on aerial combos without having to memorise an extensive list of button combinations. It’ll certainly help with getting to grips with a new character’s specific move set, especially seeing as attacks alter when ‘Heat’ is engaged.
There’s the option for extra tutelage in Tekken 8’s new Arcade Quest too. Now, this mode sees you craft a custom avatar to tour through numerous arcades, take on other avatars, and level up a ranking for the chance to unlock extras both for your avatar and for the in-game characters. This mode is another great addition for newcomers, as even though they’ve finished the story they might not be confident to jump online against other fighters. They’ll get more mileage out of single play in what is sure to be an additive game mode. But the thing is, before Arcade Quest really begins, you’ll have the option to run through tutorials delivered by a very generous arcade regular who’ll even let you win a few to pump up some confidence. In some ways, Arcade Quest might be the best way to start your Tekken 8 journey if you’re totally new to the series as it’ll prime you for story mode proper.
Elsewhere, Tekken 8 will reportedly have an in-depth training mode that’ll serve up useful tips for newcomers and veterans alike, including the option to instantly replay any in-fight situation should things not have gone to plan. User-friendly, with a list of special manoeuvres within easy reach, players of all skill levels should find something of use here, whether they’re looking to familiarise themselves with a new character or learn the ropes of the game entirely. Give it a few months after release, and Tekken 8’s online community should be buzzing.
The only question mark remaining is the quality of the game’s rollback netcode, which Bandai Namco absolutely must nail given Street Fighter 6’s remarkably reactive online play. It’s a given that fighting games will work as intended online and should Tekken 8 get this aspect right then we might be looking at the best game in the series, or at least the best one since Tekken 3.
Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.
Share Your Thoughts Below (Always follow our comments policy!)