After nearly 9 years, Bandai Namco has finally launched Tekken 8. There was a resounding reception for the 2015 installment, and Tekken 8 was expected to meet or exceed expectations. A lot has shifted in the fighting games genre recently, perhaps not with respect to the dynamics themselves, but rather how we approach everything.

Now, Tekken 8 arrives after a year of significant releases. But with all the new fighting games out there, how can one stand out? Among the many games that have rocked the fighting genre recently are Street Fighter 6, Mortal Kombat 1, and Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising; Bandai injects new life into this genre with the revamped Arcade Quest and the incorporation of AI. But will that be enough?

So, here's the good news for those who loved Tekken 7. Bandai Namco Studios brings new fighters, a Heat system, and an improved graphics engine are just a few of the impressive additions to this latest installment. This eighth mainline installment in the Tekken series, which has a lengthy history of respected fighting games, features an unprecedented amount of breadth and scope compared to, maybe, any fighting game published to this point.

When you consider all the ways Tekken 8 aims to capture the attention of experienced fighters and newcomers to the fighting game genre, it becomes clear that Tekken 8 is truly an incredible feat. Which, for the foreseeable future, will undoubtedly be a heavyweight contender among its peers.

Tekken 8's much-touted story mode is the game's most appealing feature; it follows Kazama as he strives to defeat his corrupt and insane father, Kazuya Mishima, who now controls the world's destiny. Previously, the saga's main antagonist, Heihachi, had reclaimed control of the Mishima Zaibatsu. This sparked a further dispute between Heihachi and his son, Kazuya. Ultimately, Kazuya triumphed by hurling his father into a rumbling volcano.

The return of Jin's demonic form presents new challenges in Tekken 8, as Kazuya and Jin face off in a whole new competition. The stakes are high, as the destiny of multiple nations hangs in the balance in this year's King of the Iron Fists tournament. The reappearance of Azazel, the last adversary from the sixth edition of Tekken, makes a brief but significant appearance in this title, and his return is also essential to the plot.

Aside from the main story mode, there are also the character episodes, which have returned with a significantly altered format compared to the ones in earlier chapters, which were limited to just one combat and a cutscene. Tekken 8's fighters each have their backstory, which is frequently a "what if" compared to the main mode; in fact, some characters won't be playable until the main game mode is finished.

Battles, character interaction, and a concluding cutscene characterize the Character Episodes, reminiscent of the Arcade and Story Modes from earlier Tekken chapters. Here, you'll have to go through five fights before you learn how each character ends—and, true to the form of the story, it's usually rather funny. An exciting new feature that fans of the Tekken series will love.

In addition to the story mode, Ghostly Super Combat and the Arcade Quest mode are the primary offline innovations that replaced Tekken 7's Treasure Battle mode. Instead of just engaging in a string of offline battles, this mode contains a surprising amount of content. It provides gamers with an engaging and feature-rich method to experience Tekken 8. You embark on a meta-story in which you battle your way around the globe against the top Tekken 8 players.

Making an Avatar reminiscent of Nintendo characters, you and your virtual pals will explore a Japanese arcade in Arcade Quest. Here, you go head-to-head with other players while they show us the ropes with combinations, special moves, methods, and more. It's like a tutorial with a unique twist as you explore the planet. You can access more cosmetics to make your avatar unique as your skills develop. Your best friend, Max, will be your companion along the way. While veteran Tekken fans may find his numerous comments and recommendations annoying, new players will certainly like them.

The Ghost Battle mode has been around since Tekken 6, mainly for cosmetic item unlocks. The basic idea is that you may join an online lobby, talk to any player, and even download their ghost to fight with them. While having fun, you advance in ranks by defeating costumed enemies one by one. This feature, which lets highly skilled players practice against other players or swiftly level up with the help of skilled ghosts, would, in my opinion, significantly prolong the game's lifespan.

Everything up to this point has remained the same, but a groundbreaking new feature has been introduced to the fighting game genre: the ability to fight with our own ghost. The ghosts you face off against are based on actual players' fighting styles and inclinations, whether it's your own ghost or another fighter. And these ghosts aren't just based on an AI that picks up the skills and techniques of the players they're supposed to mimic.

Once you engage in battle with them, they, too, respond dynamically. This implies that the AI will probably figure out your approach if you use the same attack combinations, so you'll have a more challenging time unless you change up your playstyle. Tekken also has a steep learning curve, particularly for inexperienced players. The mix of Tekken's emphasis on pulling consecutive combos can make the game feel daunting. Thanks to this, this AI mode is ideal for mastering any task.

If you're new to the Tekken series, the gameplay fundamentals are easy to grasp, even while there are plenty of chain combos to master. Meanwhile, there is a set fighting style for each character. It is not a hodgepodge of several kinds of martial arts. The square represents the left hand, the triangle right hand, the X represents the left foot, and the circle represents the right foot. Visualizing combination attacks has made memorization much more manageable. There is a set fighting style for each character.

Thus, the way each character moves in battle reflects their personalities. The series has always been defined by its emphasis on unique combo strikes. There was an increase in pace and an improvement in combination continuity this year, even if most attacks were the same across segments. The Replay Analyzer feature allows consideration as an improvement tool; it displays, during your own battles, where you might have landed a combination or missed a Punish. Once again, this is mainly for newcomers, but at least you can learn how to match up characters without having to memorize every action.

Not only that, but Tekken 8 keeps the same personalization choices as Tekken 7. This lets them dress their characters uniquely, which enhances the sense of immersion overall. Tekken Ball has returned as if that weren't enough. The game mode continues to be as entertaining as ever, and it is a welcome addition that enhances the fighting game's already extensive feature set.

Overall, the gameplay in Tekken 8 feels really fresh and new. Players who are just starting out or who play the game sometimes now can employ a different control method known as Special Style. This is analogous to Street Fighter 6's Modern Controls, enabling players to perform intricate moves with a single button click. Tekken 8 also features a new Heat Gauge that counters the Rage Drive. Unlike the Rage Drive, which charges up as you take damage, the Heat gauge charges up when you do damage aggressively. When triggered, the heat gauge empowers fighters to inflict more damage through enemy blocks and unleash unique combos that would otherwise be inaccessible.

The gameplay is, without a doubt, the most crucial aspect, and Tekken 8 sticks to its guns. This brings the introduction of the Heat Mode, a brand-new gameplay feature. Heat mode, in its simplest form, is a system that, when engaged by a certain skill, grants temporary superhuman strength or, alternatively, the ability to use a single hit after consumption. There is a single gauge; you can only utilize this feature once every round. Pressing the R1 button activates Heat, allowing you to perform devastating attacks.

You should strategically insert this in a pot at the right moment to increase your chances of winning, as it can only be used once. When you switch to Heat Mode, the gauge will automatically start to drop. It could deplete more quickly or be used up entirely if you employ certain strong abilities. While the attack is ongoing, the gauge consumption pauses. Thus, it's better to employ additional assaults while the heat gauge is still there. In addition, while you're hit, any strike can get through your opponent's defenses and deal some minor damage called Guard Damage.

Each character can go to this mode once every round. You just need to apply this method once when you open the jar. Plus, even when your opponent blocks, you deal damage during Heat. This is a great strategy for destroying defensive opponents. In this phase, they can take chip damage, access better moves, and occasionally learn new moves. A strong reward for aggressive play is that the timer in this mode pauses whenever you attack the enemy.

Playing in Heat Mode necessitates a high level of aggression right from the start. The longer you refrain from attacking, the more ground you'll lose because launching an attack has a far higher reward than halting it and defending. An opponent will attempt to launch a counterattack instead of trying to defend, even if it is merely to waste Heat mode and minimize Guard Damage. Heat may be the deciding factor in a game, but luckily, it doesn't feel overly powerful, keeping the balance intact.

Tekken 8, though, has its flaws. It wasn't too hard for me to finish the game. I attempted to play Tekken 8 on Hard, the hardest difficulty setting, even though it had been a long since my last game. Despite not knowing how to control some characters, I beat the AI using only basic button mashing. My first thought was that Tekken 8 is definitely designed for players who aren't familiar with the game and won't have any trouble going up against the AI. To rephrase, maybe you're not meant to compete against AI in online games but rather other humans. The destructible surroundings were a bit much for me at times.

In certain levels, the level will self-destruct if you're on the verge of a tie after two wins for you and two wins for your opponent. Afterward, you'll be transported to a lower level while a long cutscene unfolds. This is followed by yet another extremely long cut scene, which is incredibly frustrating to go through in every instance. Then, there are dramatic openings as your character enters the fighting area; repeatedly showing the same thing is incredibly monotonous. Additional special attacks also require you to endure through a tediously lengthy cutscene.

Presentation-wise, other than a couple of somewhat irritating tunes, Tekken 8's visuals are gorgeous, and the audio and sound design are excellent as well. There is not much to criticize at this stage since AAA fighting games these days have nearly flawless character redesigns. The combat in Tekken is reminiscent of the good old days: gritty, unfiltered, and accompanied by breathtaking visual effects. No matter how much the world is collapsing around you, you may still enjoy every battle. It is at these points that the game's visual beauty really shines.

Every aspect of the characters is illustrated with meticulous attention to detail, from their hair and eyes to their clothing. All of the stages are wonderful and varied, and the characters appear to have a lot of detail. This new installment makes proper use of the Unreal Engine 5, and this is something that is readily apparent. Tekken 8's crossplay feature makes it easy to compete with players from other platforms, which is a massive plus in this day and age since it eliminates the need to wait for other players to join the fray if we can't locate any on our platform.

The game's online nature makes it even more challenging to put a precise time limit on the whole thing. Whatever the case, you won't need more than five or six hours to finish the fifteen chapters in Story mode, which is more time than it took to complete the Tekken 7 campaign.

Overall, Tekken 8 is a nicely executed game. There has been an improvement in every area of the previous installments in the series; the current one is no exception. Bandai Namco has achieved this by showcasing an impressive narrative mode heavy on spectacles, cutting-edge AI, and improved presentation. The fact that they made a genuine effort to appeal to newcomers is noteworthy, though; this was evident in features like the extended training mode, replay suggestions, extra control schemes, and the mission structure in Arcade Quest.

At the end of the day, Tekken 8 has an incredible release roster, a seamless online system, and, most importantly, an entertaining fighting mechanism that has more than enough to keep players occupied for a long time. Tekken 8 may not be the finest fighting game of its generation, but it is a fine continuation of the series.
 

Azfar Rayan (@AzfarRayan)
Senior Editor, NoobFeed