Tekken 8 Review - The Ideal Fighting Game Package

Everybody knows Tekken. For years Bandai Namco Entertainment’s long-running franchise has remained at the top of the fighting game food chain, fueling the fighting game spirit and elevating the 3D fighting space to deeper levels. This new mainline title reminded me why they’re the best, as I’ve never seen a more complete package in the genre. New and returning players can’t go wrong with Tekken 8, from the new gameplay systems to the many features and modes that elevate both new and veteran players. This latest entry is the complete Tekken experience.

Bandai Namco and developer Arika covered pretty much all the angles, as I’ve been sitting here wondering whether there’s anything more to implement that an avid Tekken fan might ask for. We’re gifted with a robust 32-character roster at launch, rollback netcode that makes online competitive play feel smooth most of the time, various game modes that range from fun, to absurd, to serious, a training mode filled with all the information and data needed to improve your game, and various single player game modes aimed to entertain.

Here we go again with that Devil Gene

The main story is where I began my Tekken 8 journey, and I had no idea what the hell was going on. A brief summary of each Tekken game is available, pointing out the absurd overall story so far, which doesn’t hold back on the tone and story beats fans of the series have already embraced. Jin is still the protagonist, Kazuya is still the big bad, and somehow they still find a way to incorporate The King of Iron Fist Tournament into this supernatural story that centers around a special power. It’s a battle between evil and… not-so-evil? Not to mention various hidden organizations at war with each other, and Paul and Law now fighting each other because one didn’t pay back the other. It’s just an absurd story that thankfully entertains with impressive transitions from big set pieces to actual fights against AI.

This part of Tekken 8 greatly highlights the visual upgrades, from the details in each character’s clothing to the fluid animation during gameplay that’s complemented by a visually-stunning but not too distracting stage backdrop that will transition from one area to another depending on the state of the match, as players can break through walls, not just for a change of scenery, but a chance to extend the hurt on their opponent.

If players want more stories as they play, two game modes cater to those who still don’t feel ready to fight other players. Arcade Quest is a single-player experience where you play an up-and-coming Tekken player rising through the ranks, grinding their way through various arcade scenes and tournaments that will lead to you eventually competing in the Tekken World Tour. It’s another fantastic addition, as it’s a great mode for both newcomers and returning players. Then there’s the basic Arcade game mode, which features five AI fights with a boss-like fight in the end - the mode services as not only another way to play alone, but a place for those hoping to learn new stories and narratives about each character, a nod to the original Arcade mode which would reward you with a short and sweet story recontextualizing and fleshing out the character you’d just played through a series of still images. For extra fun, they even added Tekken Ball, a fan-favorite silly game mode where players punch a beach ball to damage the opposing player.

Thanks to the game’s Special Style system, a mechanic that allows players to do flashy combos by simply spamming a single button, new players will not feel helpless while playing a specific character in the story. Avid Tekken players will find the Special Style to be unnecessary, but it’s easy to turn off, and a great tool to help newcomers feel welcomed and capable, even in their first hour with the series. Using this system in the story mode made me realize how important it is in the grand scheme of things, as it’s a nice stepping stone to getting acquainted with the basics of a character while not feeling like too much of a beginner with close to zero chance of winning.

With the inclusion of the new Heat system, newcomers jumping in for the first time will feel powerful with this mechanic. For veterans, Heat is another way to extend combos, deepening the system for those aiming to be the best with a specific character. This new addition also makes the overall game pace more aggressive, as proper use of the Heat system can instantly win you the round. 

Tekken 8’s two new systems benefit both beginners and competitive players, and it’s impressive to see that it doesn’t fundamentally alter how the game feels or plays, because if you just ignore these new mechanics, you can easily feel like you’re playing Tekken 7. The beauty of Tekken 8 is that someone who’s been out of the loop for years can drop into something familiar, doing combos they used to do years ago with their favorite character. While it may not be optimal, at least you won’t be starting at the very bottom.

Tekken 8, equipped to improve anyone’s game

If you’re seeking to improve in Tekken 8, Bandai Namco and Arika have pretty much all of the tools you’d need to level up your game, with a robust Training Mode filled with features and tutorials that give you basic combo lists, challenges, and even options to practice certain punishes or situations. For veteran fighting game enthusiasts, these are systems expected from high-quality fighting game titles, but the big highlight is the Ghost system where players can create Ghost versions of themselves, an AI version of you that can learn your habits and combo patterns. You can fight yourself, or take it further by downloading other ghosts created and developed by other players, giving players an endless stream of fighters to fight offline in the hopes of getting better at the game, and learning patterns and play styles without the need to go online to experience it first-hand. It’s a great system, and it’s actually pretty scary that it works so well. 

Most of the returning characters play mostly similarly if you compare them to their previous iterations, with just a few tweaks and improvements, and new moves that complement each other with the new Heat system. Again, this is fantastic, as each fighter entering Tekken 8 feels like they were given a patch to cater to the new systems, while retaining their carefully curated cores and intricacies that players have fallen in love with. The new fighters are a unique bunch in terms of design and concept, but feel more like a replacement for those not in the cast. For example, Reina is a great substitution for those missing Heihachi, and Azucena feels like a good option if you like to play characters like Josie Rizal. Victor is the best addition, as both his concept and play style feel like a great addition to an already robust cast. 

Smooth online rounds out a complete experience

Lastly, online play works flawlessly at launch. I was a bit skeptical with my experience being a lag-fest during various beta sessions, but thankfully all the data found in those betas resulted in a smooth launch for Bandai Namco, as casual ranked play works as if I’m playing offline session with random players at an arcade. I tried both wired and wireless Internet connections on my PS5, and most of the time I had a smooth connection, even to those with 3 bars. There is the occasional bad connection that screams disconnect the longer the fight continues, but not consistent enough to completely ruin your night. 

There’s even the game’s online hub, where you walk around with your player-created avatar and compete against those in the same space, which feels like you are walking around an arcade space filled with Tekken enthusiasts of all kinds of skill levels. It’s a chaotic space to start private matches or tournaments, or even snag a few player ghosts to train with alone in the future. This space works just as smoothly as online play, if you prefer finding opponents to play against there. Both player avatar and the game’s playable roster can be customized with various cosmetics from the cool to the silly, similar to how the customization was in previous titles.

Tekken 8 launches with a complete package for both the casual and competitive. It felt like nothing was neglected here as everything you’d wish or expect from a high-quality fighting game is added, with new additions that don’t feel like a step down, but a leap forward. Even the new Heat system is proof that there are still ways to freshen up Tekken’s gameplay without alienating those who have stuck with the game since it started back in 1994. I can’t see how Bandai Namco Studios and Arika could have done this any better, as Tekken 8 hit the ground running as the definitive fighting game experience.

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Verdict: 5/5 (Exceptional)

*We’ve recently changed our review score format from a 10-score rating to a 5-score rating. You can check out the definition of the new review score system on our About Us page.

PROS

• Heat system is a fantastic new addition to freshen up gameplay

• There are various tools and systems that elevate new, returning, and veteran players

• A visual upgrade that performs rather well either offline or online

• A complete package of online and offline features, customizations, and features that cater to all types of players

• Online play was close to lag-free with no technical hiccups experienced

CONS

• The main story and the single-character stories can be a hit or miss for some

What I’ve Played 

• Completed the Dark Awakens game mode, Arcade Quest, and tried most of the other game modes available at launch

• Spent hours trying out different characters and learning them in Training mode and other modes

• Reached ‘Warrior’ rank in Ranked play with at least one character

This review is based on a PS5 code provided by the publisher

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