Tekken 8 has been a very long time coming. Its predecessor, the unprecedentedly in style Tekken 7, launched what appears like an age in the past; the unique arcade launch occurred all the best way again in 2015, earlier than a much-updated model got here to consoles in 2017. Nevertheless, its shockingly lengthy life cycle — perpetuated by an extremely sturdy aggressive core — has in the end paved the best way for the big-budget bombast of Tekken 8. Very like Avenue Fighter 6, this appears like a combating recreation with backing, filled with modes and dripping with visible spectacle.
In a nutshell, Tekken 8 is the generational leap that followers have been ready for. Whereas the skeleton of Tekken 7 nonetheless stays — by way of elementary mechanics, animations, and normal gameplay rhythm — appreciable meat has been added to the bones, and the entire package deal has been fleshed out in virtually each route.
We should always in all probability begin with the combating system itself, which is supremely satisfying. Tekken has at all times excelled in offering audiovisual suggestions, as assaults join with loopy hit sparks and characters are despatched flying — however Tekken 8 takes it to a brand new degree. There is a distinct bass to the entire sound results — even once you’re simply blocking — and scoring a counter hit ends in an eye-popping explosion of character-specific colors. Simply watching is a thrill, however really enjoying is a pleasure.
Tekken 7 was already an intense, fast-paced combating recreation, however a smattering of recent mechanics makes its successor probably the most over-the-top, impactful entry in Bandai Namco’s franchise. The Warmth system is entrance and centre, basically letting you energy up your character as soon as per spherical. Whereas in Warmth (sure, there are already loads of jokes), combatants achieve entry to enhanced assaults, some fully new strikes, and the selection of both a Warmth Smash or a Warmth Sprint. The Smash is mainly a fast-acting tremendous assault, whereas the Sprint can be utilized to increase combos or keep your offensive stress. Choosing both ends your non permanent Warmth state till the subsequent spherical.
On a floor degree, Warmth is de facto simply one other means of letting gamers pull off extra cool strikes. It is activated with the press of only one button, and the next Warmth Smash requires a faucet of that very same enter — it is designed to be as accessible as attainable. Nevertheless, extra superior gamers will rapidly realise that Warmth provides one other layer of tactical considering to Tekken’s regular move. For instance, saving your Warmth for later within the spherical is an effective way to eke out close-call victories, as its activation can drive your opponent to dam and successfully guess in opposition to your subsequent assault. On the flipside, popping Warmth early can present severe momentum, and so the selection is at all times essential.
Making these snap choices is the place Tekken 8 shines, and the mechanical depth that is on supply — particularly as you study the intricacies of your chosen character’s transfer listing — is engrossing. The fundamentals of Tekken are nonetheless right here and so they’re nonetheless as dynamic as ever, with excessive, mid, and low assaults all intertwining with each other, however the Warmth system encourages a type of aggression that you simply’d usually affiliate with explosive 2D fighters like Responsible Gear or BlazBlue.
That is to not say Tekken 8 cannot be performed at a slower tempo, however there are extra methods to stress your opponent’s defence than ever earlier than. And in flip, having to face up in opposition to such onslaughts makes the eventual learn all of the sweeter. A wonderfully timed sidestep, low block, or parry, main straight into your individual launcher and excessive injury combo, feels improbable. In some methods, there is a heavier emphasis on danger versus reward in Tekken 8, which frequently results in some actually intense matches.
However what if multilayered programs and mechanics aren’t essentially a promoting level? Properly, the excellent news is that Tekken 8 is simply the sequence’ most accessible instalment. Proper off the bat, the sport will ask if you wish to allow ‘Particular Type’ controls, which lets newcomers carry out key strikes and combos with simplified inputs. Particular Type definitely is not going to hold you all the best way to aggressive glory, however it supplies a reasonably efficient path to understanding the general rhythm of Tekken’s gameplay. Even higher, you possibly can really toggle Particular Type on and off, in-game, throughout a combat — a fantastic studying instrument once you’re making an attempt to familiarise your self with completely different characters.
Talking of studying, Tekken 8’s headline single-player modes — The Darkish Awakens story marketing campaign and Arcade Quest — are readily available to ease you into the expertise. Arcade Quest specifically is an ideal introduction, because it combines a enjoyable little storyline about rising by means of the arcade and match scene with neatly crafted tutorial sections.
Arcade Quest is not fairly the single-player time sink that we had been hoping it might be, nonetheless. The mode’s gratifying whereas it lasts, as your customized avatar travels between arcades, taking up more and more difficult opponents looking for distinctive customisation objects and in-game rewards — however the journey’s just a few hours lengthy. As soon as you have proven your comically stern rival who’s boss, there’s little left to do outdoors of rematching earlier opponents.
Fortunately, Arcade Quest can be your gateway to Tremendous Ghost Battle, which is the actual star of the sport’s single-player suite. On this mode, you possibly can tackle ‘ghosts’ — AI-driven fighters which might be primarily based on actual participant information. In essence, you are type of enjoying in opposition to different individuals, however offline, and beating ghosts nets you in-game foreign money and rating factors in your present character. When you’re not fairly prepared to leap on-line, Tremendous Ghost Battle is the place to be, and you’ll simply lose hours to the grind.
Initially, Tremendous Ghost Battle gives up an enormous roster of ghosts primarily based on developer information, however you can even combat in opposition to your individual ghost, or obtain ghosts of different Tekken gamers — together with buddies, randoms, and seasoned execs. Now, it is essential to notice that ghosts aren’t one-to-one copies of their originators, however at occasions, they arrive impressively shut. Even simply taking your individual ghost for a spin, you may instantly spot similarities in motion, assault patterns, and combos. Supposedly, the AI will solely get higher as gamers sink extra time into the sport — and that is fairly thrilling, given how reactive it already appears to be.
So what about Tekken 8’s much-touted story mode? Properly, we are able to safely say it is higher than Tekken 7’s try, because the sequence’ most absurd components are dialled as much as eleven. The plot hinges closely on troubled protagonist Jin Kazama and his obvious lack of ability to regulate his darkish powers — all whereas his tyrannical father Kazuya plunges the world into chaos. It is a kind of combating recreation storylines that depends on prior information of the franchise, however actually, even if you happen to’re utterly new to Tekken, you possibly can simply sit again and have enjoyable watching the ridiculous motion unfold.
The storytelling’s cliche and sometimes unapologetically silly, however that is type of what we would like from Tekken anyway. The plot factors are so over-the-top that making an attempt to play issues straight is how we ended up with Tekken 7’s awkward marketing campaign. What we’ve right here is round 5 hours of devil-on-devil insanity, full with some shockingly hype cinematics and past flashy boss battles. If we’ll price Tekken story modes primarily based on moments of pure fan service and superior motion, Tekken 8’s providing wins by a rustic mile.
Oh, and we’ve to rapidly point out the Character Tales, which mark one other huge enchancment over Tekken 7. Right here, every of the sport’s 32 characters get their very own mini arcade mode (a correct Arcade Mode additionally exists), capped off with a singular CG film on the finish. Some are performed for laughs — as you’d anticipate — whereas others supply a little bit of perception into the fighters themselves. They’re enjoyable to unlock, and so they harken again to the nice previous days of accumulating the entire arcade endings.
In fact, once you’ve had your fill of battering the CPU, it is time to leap on-line. For the primary time in sequence historical past, Tekken 8 options an internet foyer, the place avatars combat at arcade machines, ship messages, obtain ghost information, and play a couple of rounds of Tekken Ball (which is again and by some means much more brutal). You’ll be able to queue for informal matches or present your expertise in ranked duels — or you possibly can simply arrange your individual avatar-less foyer for fast battles in opposition to buddies or in any other case. Except for a couple of pre-launch connection points, all of it works nice, and by way of on-line choices, it is way more strong than something Tekken’s carried out earlier than.
However on-line modes are nothing with out stable netcode, and so we’re joyful to report that, primarily based on our testing, Tekken 8’s rollback performance is rock stable. Enjoying in opposition to others right here within the UK, we barely dropped a body, whereas taking the combat to Europe resulted in principally seamless matches. It did not actually have a lot of a alternative, however Bandai Namco seems to have delivered a top quality on-line expertise — and that is an enormous deal after years of dodgy Tekken 7 connections. We’ll clearly have to attend and see how issues maintain up post-launch, however proper now, it is trying very promising.
