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The Tekken series has been ruling for years as the uncontested king of 3D fighting games, and Tekken 8 is a few months short of releasing to prove once and for all who is the King of the Iron Fist Tournament. During a special preview event at Bandai Namco Entertainment in Tokyo, Japan, I had the chance to play an early build of the game, which included 16 characters out of the promised 32 roster on release.
While I haven’t played Tekken since its sixth entry released for PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2009, I’ve kept up with the climactic story of the Mishima family in Tekken 7, as I’ve always had a vested interest in the characters. The promise of more dramatic Mishima action, and the canonical return of fan favorite Jun Kazama in Tekken 8 have kept my interest in the next entry high. But it wasn’t until playing it myself that I was fully converted.
Tekken 8 is all about speed and aggression. Characters fight at a breakneck speed, damage is high, and options are abundant. Making a mistake and getting caught in a combo can be a rather lengthy and lethal experience. While being on the receiving end can feel punishing, the fast-paced nature of combat and the Heat and Rage systems helped in reducing frustration. On top of that, the capacity to turn an encounter in your favor is an amazing feeling, and one that I experienced often during my time playing. One particular fight saw me at 0-2 on the losing end, and ended on a win thanks to Jun Kazama’s agile and relentless strings.
The aforementioned Jun was my favorite character to play as. Her playstyle offers plenty of amazing strings. While each individual hit might not be as powerful as other characters, her relentless barrage of moves and flow is a sight to behold. Other standout characters for me were Paul, Law, and Lars. Paul is well known for being an approachable character. His strings are simple to execute and not too long, and his damage is pretty devastating to boot. He’s a satisfying character to pick up, and offers a lot for both beginner and advanced players.
As someone who hasn’t played Tekken for a while, I knew Law would be another reliable choice. His combination of safe moves and useful pokes give a lot of opportunities to approach the enemy, while maintaining space and allowing him to weave in and out of safety. Furthermore, his trusty kick launcher remains a staple of his kit. Lars has always been the character I used to pick as a teenager, before I knew much about fighting games. I always found his mix of styles and moves interesting, and his counter hits are even more satisfying to pull in Tekken 8. I felt like the Heat System perfectly meshed with Lars’ playstyle and gave even more depth to his kit.
On the topic of the new Heat System, it pairs perfectly with the Rage System, returning from Tekken 7. While Rage Arts are only available at low health, Heat can be activated at any time during each round of a match. Opening a round by activating Heat would often put the opponent on the defensive, and corner them into a wall. Likewise, the chance for my opponent to activate Heat afterwards, as well as unleash their Rage Art due to their low health, and effectively taking the upper hand, was a very real threat.
While the contents of the build I played seem to be similar to that of the August 2023 Closed Network Test, series producer Michael Murray confirmed that many changes would be coming to the final release of Tekken 8. These include tweaking the Heat System to balance combo length, dashing and back dashing will receive adjustments to make it feel less stiff, and Power Crushing will see a boost to its performance.
Some other adjustments include the new Special Style that aims to make the game more friendly to newcomers. Players will be able to change between the new Special Style and Arcade Style in the middle of a match. Additionally, Special Style will add directional inputs to buttons in the final version, adding more options for players using this style. As per popular player demand, R3 and L3 will be available as assignable buttons, and hit effects will be able to be tweaked in the settings for those that want the visuals to be less bold.
Murray also showcased some of the new options for Online play, as well as extra content in the game. The Tekken Fight Lounge will be an online hub for players to interact, and it is divided in four main areas. I had the chance to see 2 of the 4 areas included, these being the Battle Area and the Customization Shop. The Battle Area is designed after arcade venues, and players can access ranked and quick matches from here. The Customization Shop include in-game items and elements to decorate your avatar and profile, as well as emotes, stamps, and other chat options.
Ghost Battles will make a return from Tekken 6 as Super Ghost Battles. Ghost AI data is automatically generated from each player’s playstyle, and different characters will have different Ghost data under a same player’s profile. Players can face off against other friend ghosts at any time. Your own ghosts will adapt to your playstyle and improve as you do. Additionally, Murray also mentioned that fighting against your own ghost will be possible, and teased that there might be something interesting about these types of matches. The Tekken Ball fighting volleyball mode is another returning feature in Tekken 8. Tekken Ball is designed as a casual mode to play as a break between quick and ranked matches.
With the fighting game scene more vibrant than ever, Tekken 8 is pumping up the Heat (and the Rage,) refining its systems, and sharpening its fangs to making sure that the winning formula stays winning. Whether you’re a fan of the Mishima legacy and its dramatic storyline, or the electric and relentless combat of the Tekken series, there has never been as good time as now to jump into the series.
Tekken 8 will come to the PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC on January 26, 2024.
