Rare are the times when I’ll cheer at a screen and fist-pump, but Tekken 8 awakened my dormant Douche gene and drew that right out of me. In my defence, you’d have to be devoid of a heartbeat if you didn’t feel something when it came time to settle a score that’s been brewing for three console generations and 23 years of your life.
Finally! We’ll get a chance to see whether father or son will remain upright after that iconic double-blast hook to the chops. Personally, my money’s on the one with the stupid haircut. Which could mean either one…
I won’t reveal much more about Tekken 8’s campaign than that, though you should know that the road to that decider is paved with insane UE5-fuelled production values and a plot as anime-absurd as it is epic. With some of these matchups, it’s like producer Katsuhiro Harada peered over the fence, saw the Old Testament-scale boss fights of FF XVI, and said, “Hold my drink of delicious Ortiz Farm coffee…”
Tekken 8 Review
At some points in its anime-as-hell third act, Tekken 8 comes close to Tekken the piss.
That being said, I did delight at seeing some of Tekken’s older, more novel modes get folded into said campaign for no reason other than they’re awesome (but also a little ungainly to control). Lastly, on the topic of spicing up the standard “biff, cutscene, repeat” formula, I dug the moments of switch-your-fighter tournament ladder gameplay. Plus, there’s the odd QTE moment to guffaw at here and there as well. (Some of those prompts have huge meme potential.)
For the minority of you who buy a Tekken for its single-player story mode, I can confidently say you’ll love this rollercoaster ride. It’s the best the series has ever produced, even if it still falls short of the overall runtimes and player agency offered by its closest competitor, Street Fighter 6. Though, to be fair, you do get a similar “World Tour” meta-story experience, though it’s excised from Tekken 8’s main campaign into its own dedicated mode.
Called Arcade Quest, this mode asks you to craft a highly customisable, super-deformed avatar and cruise around a chibi reimagining of the Japanese arcade circuit. Essentially, there’s a wall-of-text story involving an adorable, Kazuya-esque rival you’ll need to chase across town to new unlockable locations. Furthermore, there are NPCs to shake down for loot or learn techniques from, and, amusingly, the odd meta-sermon on how not to be a toxic prick when you’re part of an intensely competitive fandom. Bless.
The real reason to play through this mode is to unlock Super Ghost Battle, an AI avatar that learns your quirks shockingly well, even after the minimum 3 fights needed to get started. If you don’t have time to play with yourself, you can take on CPU Ghosts created from the Tekken dev play data. Otherwise, you can download and pulverise a mate’s poltergeist.
In the same vein, there’s a mighty impressive practice mode on offer. You’re getting everything from Combo Challenges to learn the basics, a more dynamic Move List that now spells out the best scenarios for attack deployment, and Punishment Training (i.e., how to exploit the chinks in the armour of your most hated opponent fighters).
Lastly, you should know that the runtime of the offline / solo experience is bulked up further with Character Episodes. It may vaguely remind you of the Tekken Tag Tournament’s “lite” approach to single-player: each of the 32 fighters will conduct five fights (that are barely daisy chained with plot), followed by a What If closing cutscene that’s often hilarious. Add in the lure of unlockable cosmetic gear and virtual cash rewards, and they’re a series of short ‘n’ sweet desserts worth scarfing.
In terms of the roster, we’ve got three interesting and well-balanced newcomers joining a stable heavily weighted towards treasured OGs who feel much refreshed, thanks to huge changes in the overarching systems. For real, the switcheroos to these fisticuffs are about as sweeping as Eddy Gordo spamming low kick. (Incidentally, he’s Tekken 8’s first DLC character and will probably be the bane of many of you.)
Put simply, I adore the new Tekken 8 philosophy that can be boiled down to “aggression is king, counter-attacks recover health, and, thanks to our host of table-turning Heat mechanics, no match is over ‘til the fat lady sings.”
Clawing back one’s health by hammering the competition is a wonderful new layer on the pre-existing Tekken framework we’re all familiar with. Essentially, re-acquirable grey damage—incurred by absorbing attacks with Power Crush, being juggled, etc—may be refilled if you quickly pay back your oppressor.
The biggest way to dish out that pain is via the techniques tied to a Heat meter which, delightfully, replenishes fully at the start of every round. No match feels hopeless or a sure thing now because both parties have powerful options to flip the script. You can use the Power Crush antics of Heat Burst (RB) to play more defensively or fuel beefier assaults by dropping Heat Engagers into a combo. Those, along with Heat Dashes, Heat Smashes, and the lethal last-stand option of Rage Arts, which open up when you’re almost toast.
Those are the new techniques that loom largest for me, though there are many more to discover and perfect in Tekken 8‘s best-in-class training suite. If you’re a newbie hoping to graduate from using the toggleable, reasonably powerful Special Style control crutch (think: one-button combos / complex techniques for all), the tools are here to make you an actual master.
What’s the most mind-blowing one in the shed? Replays where you can assume control at any point to correct mistakes and explore strategic roads not taken. It’s an absolutely brilliant addition that is sure to heighten the overall skills of Tekken 8’s online community.
Just on that topic, from what little I’ve been able to taste of PvP, it seems quite reliable and mostly features-rich. At a glance, those offerings include Leaderboards and a Fight Lounge virtual lobby filled with weirdo DIY avatars who are either punching on or playing Tekken Ball. There’s also crossplay and rollback netcode with three options, giving players the ability to prioritise fluidity or response. Bizarrely, what isn’t provided is an option to view your mates going the tonk in Custom Matches. First patch fix, please, Bandai Namco.
When it comes down to the final round of this review, there aren’t many low blows hiding in this sequel. Yes, the Iron Fist Tournament announcer shits me up the wall with his ardent desire to use incorrect vowels whenever possible, but he’s used sparingly. It also took me a while to accept the disconcerting new visual direction of most male characters being ‘roided up to ‘Gears of War’ levels of beefcake. Acceptance of needlessly tree trunk necks comes swiftly.
Despite being lumped with almost a decade of expectations, Tekken 8 proves to be a complete knockout, especially when compared to its underfunded yet pluckily popular predecessor. No expense has been spared in terms of presentation here, and every bold mechanic rethink lands smack-bang on target. More importantly, it’s fun, has the makings of a highly-watchable long-term sport, and is chock full of fan-service closure.
Verdict
Tekken 8 is a hugely entertaining powerhouse of a sequel that’s been well worth the wait. What else is there left to say other than get [your wallet] ready for the next battle?
Tekken 8 was reviewed on PS5 using digital code provided by the publisher.
