Tekken 8 Is an Aggressive Step Into the Future for The Classic Franchise

Tekken 8 is gearing up to bring the classic fighting franchise into a new era, and our first hands-on experience with the newest iteration of the long running series teased an aggressive new step forward into the future! Tekken 8 marks some pretty big firsts for the franchise as it not only is the first new title developed with Unreal Engine 5, but it’s the first new entry on current gen hardware. But there are even bigger changes going along with all of these other firsts as well as Tekken 8 continues telling the story the games have been telling since it all began. 

Tekken 7‘s story ended with Kazuya finally defeating Heihachi Mishima, and seemingly killing him. This leads into Tekken 8 as Kazuya has kicked things off with the announcement of a new King of Iron Fist Tournament with the intent of sending the world into a new level of chaos thanks to the power vacuum that Mishima’s defeat has left behind. During our few hours of getting to play through various modes of Tekken 8 during a recent press preview event, Tekken 8 left with an impression that it’s going to be a quick and furious fighter that lots of players will be able to pull off cool stuff with. 

What to Know About Tekken 8

During Tekken 8′s preview event, we were given time with the new Story Mode, Arcade Quest, and Super Ghost Battle along with more general versus mode gameplay. The new Story Mode focuses on Jin Kazama (as least for the short time we were given with the first few chapters) as Kazuya announces a new King of Iron Fist Tournament. Jin continues to struggle with his control of the Devil Gene, and players are tasked with fighting through a few matches in each chapter in between fully rendered cutscenes. It’s going to be a great place for new players to start thanks to how explosively it kicks off with its initial Jin vs. Kazuya fight. 

Each of the characters has been redesigned for Tekken 8 in both visual presentation and gameplay. Though it still has the combo chains that the more experienced players will be able to get the most out of, there’s been a greater emphasis on making Tekken 8 a far more approachable title. This starts with the increase in aggressive tactics such as the Heat System. This is a bar that players can activate each round that will enhance attacks (which will cause chip damage on block when active) and even allow for some exclusive moves that can only use when active. You can even use the bar to perform a Heat exclusive attack (known as “Heat Smash”) that deals a good amount of damage. 

Rage returns here as well, but the Rage Arts are far more explosive here than seen in Tekken 7. Rage Arts are far more cinematic than in the previous title, and can feel quite great when pulled off successfully (especially now that it’s easier to do so). There’s a great feeling in using Heat to land a successful Heat Smash, and then following it up with a Rage Art to end a round. Helping matters is that it looks so great when doing so, and that’s for the overall package as well. Tekken 8 is the best looking title in the franchise by far, and it’s clear that there has been a lot of care put into every single detail. 

It’s just an incredible looking fighter as each hit feels like it lands strongly and has the visual impact to back it up. Thankfully it’s also going to be appealing to potential new players as a well thanks to the integrated Special Style. Special Style is a mode that you can toggle on or off with a single button press that allows for simplified combos. You can shift in or out of this style on the fly, and there are both benefits and negatives to using it. For example, Special Style allows for an easy combo but you lose control in the timing of the attacks. Often times, that initial combo leads into a Heat usage right away so dedicated players might want to avoid this style. 

At the same time, it importantly helps Tekken 8 to pass the button mashing test. Every action in this style leads to big cinematic looking moves, and it makes each character all that more appealing to play. With some of the characters needing more of a deft hand and more hours to learn, Special Style helps to bridge that gap when you choose to use it. But along with that appeal for new players in the gameplay and story, there’s the major inclusion of Arcade Quest. This mode is a fun way to take on computer opponents of varying strength as players create their own avatar and go through a second kind of story mode. 

Players are tasked with exploring various arcades, and it’s a second story as you take on various computer opponents and build your acclaim as a Tekken 8 player. This is likely going to be the best way for new players to get adjusted to the game before taking their skills online. It’s very easy to sink time into (as this is where I spent most of my time playing), and a great way to learn the huge roster. While it is mostly stacked with returning fighters, the three new additions are each unique and fit the new aggressive style of play. Reina (who I spent the most time with) is likely going to be the big standout for many as she’s fast, hits hard, and has a style that’s reminiscent of Heihachi and brings that familiarity with it. 

If you needed more time to learn, a cool new addition is the Super Ghost Battle. This is an AI that learns your style of play the more you train with it and adjusts itself to your own moves. It could end up being like you’re fighting a doppelganger, but this mode will take a lot longer to experiment with before we get to see whether or not it works as well as this initial promise of it. But as for the rest of the package, Tekken 8 leaves an incredible first impression with lots of potential to dig into and an aggressive new realm to explore. 

Tekken 8 releases on January 26th, 2024 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.