Tekken 8 Packs a Punch with Maximalist Storytelling and Frenetic Fights
The last year has been jam-packed for fighting game fans. Since last June we’ve received new entries from Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, two of the biggest series around, alongside smaller releases like Granblue Fantasy Versus Rising, rollback updates for older titles, season updates with significant overhauls, and a bevy of character releases. However, the biggest story among these is likely how Street Fighter 6 raised the bar for the genre. Among its other successes, it nailed its online functionality and used robust onboarding to bring new players into the fold, which are both major pain points for rivals in the space. After a more than six-year wait since its previous release, Tekken 8 looks to do the same for the preeminent 3D fighting game.
The good news is that it largely accomplishes this task. Through thoughtful changes aimed at new players, such as an additional control scheme and improved tutorialization, it makes diving into this notoriously complex series easier than ever. And despite this focus on beginners, it continues to deliver intricate, stylish, and explosive core gameplay, making it clear that appealing to newcomers doesn’t need to come at the expense of depth. While only time will tell if some of its freshly-introduced mechanics, like the Heat system, will be healthy for competitive-oriented play long-term, enhanced learning tools ensure an increased number of players will be able to reach the point where they’re complaining about the ins and outs of balance alongside the rest of us.
One of the reasons Tekken feels so complicated, especially to greenhorns, is because each character has access to a dizzying number of moves. Unlike many other genre entries, it tends to build on top of its existing mechanics instead of outright replacing them, and as a result, combatants have gradually been given access to a massive list of commands. Most have close to a hundred unique attacks, and I remember how immediately overwhelmed I felt the first time I saw the seemingly endless list of options for my main in a previous entry, sometimes accompanied by arcane symbols I’d never seen (the star means to return the stick to neutral by the way). Thankfully, it’s clear that the developers are aware of this massive hurdle and, as a result, have added several layers of tutorials and adjustments to lessen this shock in the latest release.
As for the previously mentioned move list that dealt me a psychic blow, several techniques are now highlighted in a “Recommended Moves” section, which summarizes some of a character’s most essential tools. Additionally, there are beginner combo trials and the ability to pin any move or suggested sequence to the screen, making it easier to memorize them. Although these additions may sound minor, they make it far easier to take the plunge.
A more drastic onboarding change is the inclusion of Arcade Quest, which functions as both an extended tutorial and as an esports story mode where you climb the ranks in the Tekken competitive scene. It does a good job at breaking lessons down into bite-sized chunks, having you apply these learnings in a procession of matches before moving on to the next point in the curriculum. Another smart move is that each of the different arcades you visit while trying to reach the Tekken World Tour finals (which is the series’ real-life tournament circuit) has opponents with different playstyles that can be countered by applying the most recent lesson, allowing the tactical implications of these techniques to sink in.
The lessons are specifically tailored to whichever character you choose, and even as someone who was familiar with my main from the previous game, it was a useful refresher and practice tool. On top of this, the novel angle of placing you in the shoes of an up-and-coming tournament player makes this mode enjoyable in its own right, communicating the thrill of improvement and also the validity of playing fighting games for myriad reasons beyond competitive dominance.
Another significant addition for newer players is the “Special Style” control scheme, which has shades of Street Fighter 6’s Modern controls. In the normal configuration each of the four main buttons corresponds to attacking with a particular limb; in Special Style, each maps to a specific type of move, like low attacks or armored power crushes, making it much easier to see the game of rock-papers-scissors that undergirds every action. There’s even a button that can be mashed to perform damaging juggle combos. Although this mode drastically reduces movesets to the point where it will likely primarily function as a tool for newcomers to get a grasp on things, it still has a function for veterans and can act as a helpful way to get a taste of characters you’re unfamiliar with.
And for those concerned that this increased focus on shepherding beginners comes at the cost of mechanical complexity, these worries are unfounded because virtually all the core systems from the last entry are intact alongside a significant addition. The core flow of the experience, where you try to poke and outmaneuver foes until you can land an opening that leads to an eruption of damage, is very much intact. There is still ample room for player expression due to the cast’s extensive toolkits, and there is a massive amount to learn for those who enjoy getting into the weeds. Additionally, returning characters have had their moves rebalanced and have been granted new techniques, meaning that even Tekken 7 pros will need to adjust.
It also helps that, like the previous entries, these movesets are brought to life with lovingly rendered animations that allude to a deep-seated appreciation of martial arts and action flicks, with many cleanly mapping to iconic moments from the silver screen. The visual presentation here is immaculate, with camera zooms, flying sparks, and crunchy sound design emphasizing hard-hitting attacks, as battles naturally transition into slow-motion when combatants are about to trade decisive strikes. The switch to Unreal Engine 5 pays off aesthetically, and between its detailed backdrops and fighting styles that drip with personality, these fisticuffs are as flashy as ever.
As for its other additions, its new characters are quite fun, with Reina and Azucena as clear winners. Reina’s emulation of Heihachi’s bone-crushing blows combines well with her rancid Mishima family vibes, and Azucena’s joyful movements are another bright spot. The one addition that I’m still somewhat unsure about is the Heat system, which is the largest system change from the previous installment. With Heat, once a round, you can enter a powered-up state where you get access to extra moves, improved pressure, and the ability to extend combos. Although it doesn’t last long and using enhanced moves will cause your Heat bar to tick down faster or disappear outright, considering how quick individual rounds can often be and how strong many of these bolstered moves are, it makes for a significant change that embodies this entry’s increased focus on aggression.
On the one hand, it was satisfying to use Heat attacks to initiate and extend pressure, forcing my opponent into difficult mix-up situations. I had a lot of cheesy fun abusing Feng Wei’s oppressive Yinglong Sea Splitter attack, which is only available in Heat mode, to enforce guessing games. On the other hand, when I was on the back foot, it added an extra oppressive layer to a series that can already sometimes feel overwhelming due to the sheer number of techniques everyone has access to. Based on further decisions, such as the seeming nerfs to backdash distance (don’t worry, you can still perform the iconic Korean Back Dash), increased forward movement speed, and ability to Bloodborne-style heal certain types of damage through aggression, it’s clear that the design goal is to reward in-your-face play, which on the positive side, has resulted in things generally feeling faster and more responsive.
Whether the gratification these changes provide on offense will compensate for the frustration it causes on defense will only become clear as the meta develops. Additionally, when combined with the existing Rage mode, where if you’re low on health, you can perform a hyper-damaging move, it can sometimes feel that matches are too volatile and over-focused on these mechanics. All things considered, though, the core systems are still complex, rewarding, and deeply flashy in a way that makes me eager to dive further into their depths.
I went into this experience expecting to be taken with its martial arts action, but I wasn’t prepared to be hit this hard by its main story, the latest chapter in this sprawling saga that began almost 30 years ago. Styled after the cinematic single-player modes from NetherRealms Studio’s Mortal Kombat titles, Tekken 8’s equivalent is a frenetic three-ish hour-long action flick that threads the needle through the series’ convoluted history, tying together its hodgepodge of conflicts about fathers and sons throwing one another into volcanoes and Devilman references into something that’s way more coherent than it has any right to be. It offers a satisfying conclusion to this story arc, including a laundry list of fan-favorite characters while focusing squarely on protagonist turned antagonist turned protagonist again, Jin Kazama, and his quest for redemption.
Compared to Tekken 7’s narrative, which felt anemic outside of its Kazuya vs. Heihachi climax, this latest entry is a supernova of anime-styled absurdity that had me chuckling and cheering at its many ridiculous turns. It takes the best stroke from the last game’s story mode, which was how it integrated its hard-hitting central gameplay into its finale, and uses this throughout to pulse-pounding effect. Tekken’s battles have always had a cinematic flair that lends to this approach, and when combined with this title’s barn-burner soundtrack, these fights between good and evil take on an iconic tilt. We witness flashbacks and listen to characters quip as they beat the snot out of each other in interactive sequences that pay loving homage to the franchise’s long history.
In some ways, it reminds me of Metal Gear Solid 4 (although it’s not nearly as long-winded) for how it uses the series’ weighty past as a cudgel for dramatic effect, and I mostly mean that as a compliment. It may all have the moral complexity of a Saturday morning cartoon, but it’s presented with an outrageous budget and a degree of intense sincerity that took me by surprise, leading me to downing it all in a single sitting.
However, while this single-player mode made for a fun afternoon, if there’s one element that can make or break a fighting game in the long term, it’s how it handles online play, something that’s been bungled by genre entries countless times. Thankfully, finding an opponent here is mercifully straightforward. You can queue for ranked and unranked play as you train or find challengers through the Battle Lounge, a digital arcade. Beyond this, one of the best features is that before accepting a battle, you can see your foe’s connection quality, whether or not they’re on a wired or wireless connection, and what platform they’re on, letting you be selective if you’re in no mood for rubber banding.
As for the quality of the online experience itself, my time was mostly a steady ride with occasional bumps. Every bout against opponents using an ethernet connection was buttery smooth and matched up to other great implementations of rollback netcode (an improved method of online play that’s utilized here) to make it virtually indistinguishable from playing with someone in person. From the US East Coast, I could square off with wired players in Europe with no noticeable lag. However, things got much dicier when opponents were on Wi-Fi. While wired connections will obviously always be far more stable than wireless ones, some fighting games’ implementations of rollback netcode seem to handle these latency spikes on Wi-Fi better than they’re dealt with here.
Admittedly, I’m not sure how much of these difficulties can be chalked up to facing off with a drastically limited pool of players during the review period compared to the full release, and I won’t hold it against this one that during a match with a Wi-Fi player thousands of miles away in South Korea, Reina’s wave dashes became an incomprehensible purple blur. But considering that some of these choppy fights were with people who were much geographically closer, it may be fair to assume that others could experience this even when facing relatively nearby wireless opponents. Thankfully, the filtering tools while finding matches are great, and the game also offers a fairly decent networking breakdown to diagnose if these stutters are caused by issues with the connection speed or PC performance.
Tekken 8 may not be a sea-change sequel, but it hones what came before, reducing pain points for newcomers without reducing the complexity that makes this series special. Although the dust needs to settle to determine if its Heat system’s boons outweigh its shortcomings, the massive character movesets, rewarding roster, and explosive combos ensure its battles are exciting and tactically deep. Improved teaching tools, like its Arcade Quest mode and training room adjustments, make it easier to experience these highs. Additionally, its revamped look and hard-hitting aesthetics elevate not only its matches but also its story, a high-octane anime-inspired romp that ties together three decades of history into a resounding haymaker. If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to beat a buddy mashing cheap moves in your dorm, been curious about what’s going on under the hood as Arslan Ash and Knee duked it out in impossibly hype EVO sets, or wondered why these buff dudes keep throwing each other off cliffs, there’s never been a better time to dive into the strange and wonderful world of Tekken and find out for yourself.
Tekken 8 is developed by Bandai Namco Studios and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Our review is based on the PC version. It is also available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.
Elijah Gonzalez is an assistant TV Editor for Paste Magazine. In addition to watching the latest on the small screen, he also loves videogames, film, and creating large lists of media he’ll probably never actually get to. You can follow him on Twitter @eli_gonzalez11.