The Tekken series currently holds the Guinness Book of World Records for longest-running video game storyline as this carries over to the newTekken 8. While the story has been a mainstay in series, so has the core gameplay, and while it has offered some of the best fighting mechanics that peaked withTekken 7, the development team at Bandai Namco sought ways to propel the formula forward. When John Cena debuted in WWE in a confrontation with Kurt Angle many years ago, he proclaimed the term “Ruthless Aggression” that would usher in that era of the product. Bandai Namco has ushered a focus on aggressive fighting tactics that not only blends together skill and strategy, but ultimately creates an adrenaline rush that’s not found in any other fighting game.
The big update to the combat comes in the form of the Heat System, which is a complete game changer for Tekken players. The Heat System is a way to elevate combat during fights in a few different ways that introduces new strategies to bouts. Heat is manually activated and can provide boosts to both defense and offense. Heat Engagers are triggered by executing specific combos as well, so there are different ways to get into this elevated state. This allows the aggression to shine in each match, but taking a hit can end it if the player tries to get greedy before executing the Heat Smash. The Heat Smash is almost another Rage Art, which also returns inTekken 8. It’s satisfying if players can chain together combos and close out the Heat timer with a Smash.
The other end of the spectrum with the Heat System comes with recoverable health. Players taking chip damage from a player during their Heat activation will allow players to slowly regain health. A ghost health meter will appear within the health meter, and players are able to regain health while damaging or hitting a blocked enemy. This is a slow recovery, however, but can come in handy when executing Rage Art to help save a match when near the end. Rage Art is triggered once health hits a low enough threshold and the Health bar will flash and turn red. The Rage state also allows for more damage and less chip damage as adrenaline kicks in. All of this encompasses new ways to fight, and the fighting is fast, tight and responsive. Sitting back and being strategic doesn’t pay off like it used to, as going after opponents and landing hit after hit is a satisfying feeling that isn’t experienced elsewhere. Players have access to the Heat System from the start, so to change tide of the fight, players can immediately go into this state or throw out the Heat Smash to get an edge to start the match.
Review: Tekken 7
With little flaws in concept and execution, Tekken 7 is a traditional fighting game with the right amount of flash that players will want to master.
Each Heat Smash does trigger a quick cutscene, much like the Rage Art. This is a visual cue to allow the opposition to get ready to defend, because if the Smash isn’t executed, that player loses the Heat Engager. The perfect way to unleash the full capability of the Heat System is to enter the status, get fast combos that backs the opposition into a corner, stun the opposition, then unleash with a Smash. There’s also a Heat Dash to close in quickly on the opponent and it heightens the match. When some of these matches are over, they result in physically feeling exhilaration and a high that isn’t felt in any other fighting game.
New Optional Control Scheme
Bandai Namco has introduced a new control scheme inTekken 8. While on the surface, it may seem that it’s aimed for just new people, it’s actually just a piece of the pie of just how well designed this game is to make everyone better at the game in a well-detailed path. Special Style is on by default and it focuses on more of the specialty moves for each character. Many have wondered if this is more of an advantage for players, but a lot of the larger moves require more time to execute. This is an excellent way to get the feel for learning new characters and what can be executed as payoffs for combos. This also allows friends or family members who don’t play the game much to have more confidence to compete. This confidence is the key to the overall design and direction of improving players inTekken 8as the developers have offered every tool possible in a well-paced way to not only get good, but also master each fighter in the game.
Special Style may be on by default, but it’s easily turned on and off in a match by hitting LB/L1. Players will know this is active as a list of available moves will show in the corner. The Square button does a specialty move and will vary with using different directions on the d-pad while Triangle will trigger an automatic air combo. Power Crush moves, which absorb incoming damage as another recoverable health option while still delivering an attack and is also available as a character move for everyone, can be executed with X and O will trigger a low attack. Holding back and O will attempt to throw the opponent. In all honesty, that seems more complicated on paper than having each limb mapped to a face button, but in execution, this will help players both new and old get acclimated to move sets as a solid foundation for growth.
TWO Story Modes
Tekken 8does feature its deepest and most dedicated story mode the series has ever offered, but the Arcade Quest is another story mode that has been included that ties back in to providing the tools to make the player better atTekken 8. The actual story sets out to rekindle the spirit of old arcades with their communities and rivalries. Players will create and customize an avatar as they look to conquer multiple arcades on their way to the Tekken World Championship as they participate in tournaments and level up their avatar’s rank with random matches along the way. The treasure battles have been removed that were seen inTekken 7and have been replaced with matches in this mode that reward items.
What Arcade Quest actually is would be a well-paced and detailed tutorial in disguise that offers multiple practice mode tutorials early on and expands to an ever-increasing difficulty that isn’t outrageous, yet provides that confidence players need to get fully comfortable with a character. One character is selected for the mode, and can be replayed with all the characters in the game creating a fleshed-out way to not only learn moves for multiple characters, but actually get the experience. While the game has a deep Practice Mode, the guidance that Arcade Quest offers is the ultimate tool thanks to the overall design. It’s recommended to play the Arcade Quest before the Story Mode because it introduces the Heat System and all players, old and new, can get acclimated to the new system.
The actual narrative The Dark Awakens picks up right whereTekken 7left off, and it’s more than just quick cutscenes or comic strips. The Story Mode is basically a full-blown movie that teeters on a JRPG experience in its design. It focuses on Jin attempting to conquer his inner Devil as he is faced to bring down a full-blown mad Kazuya. Kazuya restarts the King of Iron Fist Tournament as the story blends military elements with a UFC-like tournament, since Tekken really is a wide variety of mixed martial arts. The story is over-the-top, but entertaining with plenty of battles feeling like boss battles in a JRPG.
There are other wild card elements in this mode that won’t be spoiled, but the entire experience is fun and is the deepest effort of a story the series has seen. Some questions prior about the mode being purely Jin can be expelled as other characters are playable in different ways in the story, but the main plot is focused on Jin, so there is variety in playable fighters. There are also random quick time events that have been sprinkled in here that do feel unnecessary, but will keep the player on their toes for advancing the story. The Dark Awakens lasts less than five hours, but this mode is only a small slice of the pie.
But Wait, There’s More Content!
Bandai Namco has always managed to pack content into Tekken games, but not like this. There’s a lot here and more than any other fighting game there is out there. While Ghost Battles were a part ofTekken 7, Bandai Namco has brought in Super Ghost Battles that include Machine Learning that will have the AI fighting back in the second match after learning tendencies. In the past, it took many matches for the ghost to catch on, and there are ghosts included in other modes. This AI learns the player’s tendencies almost instantly, however, and multiple can be saved. It will continue to learn the more that it is played, and more computer ghosts created using play data from the developers can be played in the Final Round arcade in Arcade Quest. This mode isn’t available off the bat as it has to be unlocked in Arcade Quest, but the replayability with this is unrivaled.
Not only is there the option to play against player-created AI and developer-created AI, but the option to download ghosts is available. This means the top players in the world can have their ghosts downloaded to play against. In the Tekken Lounge, players can select other’s profiles and battle their ghost without actually having to fight them. This means players are not tied to just playing the computer on different difficulties and live players online, there are more options. Replays can also be quickly saved after matches to go back and watch what went right and what went wrong in their matches. Again, yet more tools to help players get better atTekken 8. By the way, there are 32 playable characters at launch that feature different fighting styles and move sets. The amount of replayability here for a fighting game is absurd, and there’s still more modes.
Upon completing The Dark Awakens, Character Episodes will unlock. The only design issue with the game comes with the separation of Arcade Mode and Character Episodes. Character Episodes give each of the 32 characters their own stories with endings as they fight through five matches that ends with a rival and provides an ending. Meanwhile, the Arcade Mode is traditional in the sense that it builds up with a final match, but then it just ends once it’s beaten. Character Episodes when they are beaten do offer one million currency for unlockables, and this is one thing the developers did not skimp on. More customization options for characters are in the game and there’s no grind for in-game currency. There are many times where players are rewarded with quite a bit of money, but even then the treasure battles and even more unlockables from the Character Episodes offer an ease of options for customizing multiple slots for all 32 characters in the game.
Tekken Ball has returned and can be played online in the beach area of the Tekken Lounge. Tekken Ball plays like volleyball with the goal of building up power in the ball to unleash to do damage. While the original idea was to work on air combos, the mode has acquired a cult following and remains a fun change of pace. While it can feel awkward at times, there will be epic matches worth spectating online. Rage Art and the Heat System has been included to be used in this version to up the intensity with multiple ball options to select. The team did pass on Tekken Force forTekken 8,but Tekken Ball remains a fun change to mess around with.
Finally, for those that are more acclimated with the game and don’t want to take the time in Arcade Quest for different characters, the Practice Mode is deeper than ever. Combo Challenges have been added to help learn more advanced moves for characters. The development team also brought back Punishment Training and has also overhauled the Move List with more relevant details. Replays can not only be saved and viewed but also can be downloaded from high-ranking players, which again, adds to the list of tools to make any player the best Tekken player they can be.
To The Tekken Lounge
Live, interacting worlds are looking to be the future of fighting games going forward asTekken 8introduces the Tekken Lounge. While this can be bypassed by doing ranked and quick matches from the main menu, the Tekken Lounge provides an interactive community arcade that’s a continuation of the Arcade Quest story. Players can meet other players here, add them as rivals, fight and download ghosts, spectate matches, customize avatars and view player tendencies all while matchmaking for fights. Players can live matchmake or navigate around and sit at arcade cabinets and wait to match up. The additional tools available here are solid, but it’s purely with the fighting and the Tekken Ball.
The Tekken Lounge isn’t ridiculously large nor is it too small as it feels almost like a shopping mall corridor. There isn’t much to interact with even though there are random games like basketball are spread throughout. As for the online fighting experience, there was a pre-release test with the developers that ran mostly well. There was a personal issue with a disconnect and about two hiccups during the course of about twenty matches, but the development team confirmed they didn’t receive any other complaints from anyone else. Also while participating in beta, there weren’t any personal issues with connectivity, so hopefully this was just something random. The game is also cross-platform so matchmaking is quick and jumping into matches only takes about a minute.
The First Fighting Game Running On Current-Generation Tech Only
Tekken 8is only available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series and PC because of the Unreal Engine 5, so there’s no previous generation hold backs. The amount of visual details inTekken 8is astounding with destructible environments, vibrant colors and excellent lighting and reflections across its 16 stages. HDR steals the show here, especially in New York. Player models are the most life-like of any fighting game on the market, complete with amazing skin detail and facial details on all of the character models. Hair physics are also outstanding, and all of this with reportedly not utilizing the advanced tech that the Unreal Engine 5 offers. The game is simply beautiful and runs at 60 FPS during the gameplay at all times. The cutscenes during the Story Mode look excellent, but take a back seat when the game transitions to the in-game engine. With what is being offered from the engine here, there won’t be any ray tracing with the console hardware at least, but screen space reflections are done right here.
The team is also utilizing 3D audio for the PlayStation 5 version for the cutscenes during The Dark Awakens and for sound effects and ambiance during battle. Voice acting is tied to the language from where the character originates from, no matter the conversation, and the quality is excellent. The soundtrack is the excellent Tekken soundtrack one would come to expect, but more importantly, Bandai Namco has brought back the Jukebox for the entire Tekken series. Players can curate their own playlist for the game as they see fit based from former Tekken titles, but this soundtrack is excellent across the board for Tekken fans.
Closing Comments:
Tekken 8 is a bold direction in the fighter genre that ultimately leads to it being one of the greatest fighting games of all time. The amount of content that Bandai Namco is offering here is more than ever before seen in a fighting game. The Dark Awakens, while only a few hours long, focuses more on the narrative of Jin and Kazuya with cutscenes and comes close to jumping into JRPG territory.Tekken 8is about the fighting, and the integration of the Heat System and changes to the fighting system propel the series forward while offering some of the most rewarding fights out there. The visuals and gameplay bring together an experience that’s truly next generation.Tekken 7was an excellent base to go off of for the next game, and Bandai Namco added so much more withTekken 8. Fans of the long-running series will not only love the additions, but also newcomers to the series will have all the tools laid out for them to get properly acclimated with Tekken.
