Tekken 8 Preview – Aggression Meets Grace

Since Tekken 7 was released in arcades around the world, it has been eight years. Although the console version wasn’t released until two more years, this seventh entry marks the longest gap between mainline entries in the series since 1994. Bandai Namco took this time to improve the experience by adding several characters via DLC, leading to the announcement for a much-anticipated eighth entry.

Tekken 8 is the sequel to Tekken 7. It was released in late 2015, and it’s the first title for the Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5. With enhanced lighting, elaborate character models and stunning particle effects, this Tekken title is the best yet.

Tekken 8 continues many of the successful mechanics and conventions that were used in its predecessors, but it creates its own unique identity.[Due to Tekken 7’s success]Katsuhiro Harada, executive producer of the game says that it is difficult to make adjustments to the game in the future. You know you need to change the ending of the game to include a new number, but you never know what people are going to think. This is a very challenging situation. [Because of that]Because you must make it different than people anticipate, we cannot really apply any of the lessons from Tekken 7. The learnings are not really there. Instead, you must use what knowledge you have of the game to guide your decision making about “What could they enjoy?”

Harada’s team decided to use aggression as a main theme in order to distinguish this edition. While it is possible to defend against incoming attacks and block them, Tekken 8 encourages its players to be aggressive. It is intended to make the game more offensive and frenetic for players, as well as provide a better viewing experience for spectators who are watching streams or tournaments such Evo.

Bandai Namco has adapted some mechanics from previous Tekken titles while creating a new one to push aggressive players. The Rage system returns from Tekken 7, giving players a cinematic “break-glass-in-case-of-emergency” move once they have low health; for Tekken 8, these Rage Art moves are triggered by the same button input for each character.

The new Heat system allows players to engage with it by simply pressing a button and/or using a variety of attacks. Heat status gives characters the ability to glow blue which makes all of their attacks even more potent. You can also use Heat Smash and Heat Dash attacks to consume your Heat bar. Heat status usually lasts for about 10 seconds. But, you can extend the duration by attacking your opponent or continuing that theme.

Tekken 8 marks the return to the recoverable gauge for health bars in the Tekken Tag series. If you suffer damage, a tiny portion of your health bar is white. Bandai Namco does not allow you to take damage, so the highlight areas of your health bar can be recovered. Instead of avoiding your opponent, the game encourages you to gain more health. Michael Murray, producer says that we don’t want people just running about and turtling.

Tekken 8 is the latest fighting game to join the trend of offering different control schemes to suit different skill levels. Arcade Style allows for classic Tekken gameplay, letting longtime players feel at home. For casual players, there is the Special Style. This controls scheme streamlines the Easy Combo feature and other assist features in Tekken 7. Using this, you can chain together masterful combos without needing to learn inputs of characters with whom you’re unfamiliar. It is intended to be a long-lasting favorite or to help you learn about a character before switching to Arcade Style.

Murray states, “This really is designed to make the system more accessible.” Murray says, “If I was to play my friend I would kill him. So I will let him turn it on. He’ll at least be able execute some moves, and will enjoy the game. […]Despite that, Special Style and Beats are not my favorite. [a high-level player]You don’t have the right moves to make it happen.

In motion, Tekken 8 feels great. Law’s smooth and quick fight style and the recently announced Xiaoyu are a great contrast to the hulking, brute fighting styles of Jack-8 and Paul. The Rage system is a great weapon in your back pocket if the deck feels stacked against you – I only wish there was more diversity in the animations so I didn’t have to sit through the exact same cinematic attacks each round, gorgeous as they are. In addition to Rage Arts I also loved how you waited until the right moment to activate Heat. Each round was fascinating because of the way that each round played out. Reacting to Heat activations from others and vice versa allowed me to see the game unfold in an interesting manner.

While I preferred the Arcade Style control method, Special Style is a great option. I was often the one to win when my opponent picked a character he did not normally play. Once he changed to Special Style (a command list is located in the corner), things quickly changed. He was much more competitive. Although I may eventually be able to counter Special Style players using best practices, for the moment it seems like an effective way to tip the odds in your favour.

I had a great first experience with Tekken 8. The fighting mechanics were both fun and sound. It’s the expansion of modes and offers that excites me most. Harada states that she is confident, as I used to be in charge of creating a number of modes and bonuses in previous Tekken installments. “Tekken has always been famous for Tekken Ball and Tekken Bowl.” […]And even a story. Before story modes became a staple of fighting games, Tekken always, from almost the start, had the movies that portray a cohesive story – or we like to think cohesive [laughs]. We have everything covered now that we have moved from Tekken 7 to Tekken 8. Although the timing is not ideal for us to discuss what we plan, you can still see the history if you take a look at the past.

While we will have to wait to see how Tekken 8 develops, for the moment, this triple-A fighting game series is showing no sign of slowing down. We do not have a firm release date for Tekken 8, but it will be available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.