Tekken 8 Review

Are you ready for the next battle?

The wait is over, as Tekken 8 has been released and is arguably the best Tekken.

Tekken is a fighting game franchised and first released in 1994 on the PlayStation console.

Since then, Tekken has grown hugely popular, and the 8th mainline instalment looks to continue that trend.

Tekken has changed significantly over the years, whether graphically or in what game modes it offers, but it has retained its unique feel.

In Tekken 8, we see the return of the mode first introduced in Tekken 3, Tekken ball.

New additions include the brand new Heat system that encourages players to be more aggressive, ghosts representing advanced AI/CPU and players you've played against, some new characters, a simpler control scheme aimed at new or inexperienced players, new game modes and the continuation of a story which started in the original release.

The new heat system I mentioned before encourages players to be more aggressive by allowing them to use their heat combo once per round and their rage art move once per round.

In Tekken 7, you could only use the heat combo moves and rage art once per fight.

Players would be more defensive and use strategy to decide when to use these special moves.

While this change may frustrate some, I think it is a welcome addition for new players.

There are three brand new characters in Tekken 8: Reina, Azucena and Victor.

Tekken 8 also sees the return of Jun, Jin's mother, who was presumed dead.

Reina is a student of the Mishima Polytechnical School who uses the Mishima fighting style.

No other details are known about this mysterious new character.

Azucena is a Peruvian coffee farmer and MMA fighter who believes her brew of coffee is the world's best.

Victor is the founder of the UN's independent forces and is a descendant of distinguished French knights whose dream is to help those in need.

He is a French Navy veteran with the Super Spy CQB fighting style.

Jun is the mother of Jin Kazama and the wife of Kazuya Mishima. She was presumed dead after the awakening of Ogre, who was defeated in Tekken 3 by Paul Phoenix.

These four characters are a great addition to the game, as they all have unique playstyles and personalities.

All the characters in Tekken 8 have unique move sets, and players must try to find one that suits them even if a character looks cool.

The simpler control scheme is a superb addition for new players and those who enjoy Tekken but may not know all the combinations of moves to complete a combo.

You can switch between the traditional and the simpler control scheme at the touch of a button.

In Tekken 8, there are a variety of modes to explore.

I have split into the categories of offline, Online and Customisation.

Offline modes

The offline modes allow players to enjoy a single-player experience and learn more about Tekken 8.

The first offline mode is The Dark Awakens Story mode. This mode is the main story of Tekken 8 and is set 6 months after the events of Tekken 7.

I like that before you enter the story mode, a prompt will come up if you want to watch the events of what happened previously, whether you are a new or returning player.

This is a fantastic addition because it allows players to learn about the story of Tekken.

Overall, I enjoyed the story because it gives you a sense of why Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama are always in conflict with one another and explains more about the devil genes they both possess.

Character episodes is a section dedicated to telling a short story of all 32 characters in Tekken 8.

Once you select a character, a small introduction story will play. This tells you about the characters and what they are fighting for.

This will differ from character to character.

You will fight five times against five different opponents

Arcade Quest is a new addition to the Tekken franchise.

You create an avatar that resembles yourself or a Tekken character. You choose and play through a story where you learn about the game and gain aspirations to be the best.

The Practice mode is an area of the game where you learn more about a specific character you would like to use.

You can choose whether to have your CPU opponent be defensive or offensive depending on whether you'd like to practice combos and grabs or block their attacks.

Super Ghost Battle is a new addition in which you can test yourself against the ghost of yourself, a CPU ghost or a downloaded one from an online opponent to fight against and improve at Tekken.

You will unlock this mode once you complete chapter one of the Arcade quest story.

Arcade battle is a mode which is a staple of the Tekken franchise in which you face eight consecutive battles against CPUs or ghosts.

VS is a mode that allows you to do a one-off fight practice against the CPU or play offline against a friend.

You also have the option to have a CPU-controlled fighter fight another cpu controlled fighter.

Tekken Ball, the mode I mentioned before, has returned in Tekken 8.

In this mode, you will face an opponent, and instead of just attacking them, you will use a beach ball to inflict damage.

You will do this by hitting the beach ball with certain moves and charging it up to do damage to your opponent.

The Gallery section of the game allows players to watch back the summary of all seven previous mainline Tekken games to give them an understanding.

Overall, the offline modes give players plenty of content to get their teeth and teach them how to improve at the game.

Online Modes

The Online section of the game allows you to test yourself against players from all over the world.

Tekken Fight Lounge is where you go to meet and fight against players from around the world.

This is a great way to make new friends, find rivals and test your skills against other players.

The ability to talk with other players and customise your character and avatar within the mode is brilliant.

Ranked Match allows you to play against people who are the same or have a similar rank to you to prevent you from becoming overwhelmed.

You can filter by how many ranks a player is above you and by network connection.

Quick Match lets you choose a character and jump in against any opponent.

Matchmaking is filtered by network connection only.

Player Match is where you create a lobby to play against others one after the other.

You can create a session using filters or search for a session to join.

Overall, I think the variety of online modes allows players to play the game their way, whether they want a competitive or relaxed experience.

This is an area of the game new players should avoid at first until they get to grips with the game and how their favourite characters' move set works.

Customisation

Character customisation allows you to change the appearance of a character.

Whether that be hair colour, clothing or adding an extra weapon for your character.

However, it can only be used by pressing a specific input.

Avatar customisation allows you to create and customise an avatar. These are used in the Arcade Quest and the Tekken Fight lounge modes.

The customisation available in Tekken 8 is fantastic because you can change how characters look and have fun with it.

However, for some characters like Nina Williams and Hwoarang, it would have been great to give them clothing from some of the classic Tekken games.

Tekken 8 is a great fighting game for gamers of all skill levels and allows players to continue to improve.

The selection of modes available provides players with hours of entertainment and customisation options, allowing you to add your personality to your favourite characters.