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Forget Street Fighter 6; Tekken 8 is the best fighting game I’ve played in years

11K View2024-01-25

TEKKEN 8

8.6

ActionFighting

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SHOULD I PLAY TEKKEN 8?

If you have even a passing interest in fighting games, you should absolutely play Tekken 8. Not only is it one of the best titles in the entire Tekken series, but it’s one of the most entertaining fighting games I’ve played in years. From its over-the-top, anime-esque story to its flashy special moves, Tekken 8 is pure, unadulterated fun. Once I started playing, I didn’t want to stop, and if I didn’t have to write this review, I’d still be playing right now. To see more of Tekken 8, check out our video review.

TIME PLAYED

I’ve played around nine hours of Tekken 8, and I plan on playing a whole lot more. So far, I’ve completed the main story, played through several character side stories, and spent time checking out the other game modes, like Arcade Quest and Tekken Ball. I received an early review copy, so I haven’t been able to test out online play yet, but I can’t wait to start battling other players.

WHAT’S AWESOME ABOUT TEKKEN 8?

• Incredible combat. Traditionally, Tekken has been a defense-focused fighting game, but Tekken 8 has switched things up, and it feels fantastic. While the core combat is essentially the same, there are a few new features that dial up the aggression meter and make fights more intense. Now every battle is a fantastically fun thrill ride.

The biggest addition is the new Heat System, which gives players multiple ways to boost their damage output. Entering Heat State increases your offensive power for ten seconds and gives you access to flashy and powerful special moves. While this system can make battles feel like a ticking time bomb, Tekken 8 has also added features like recoverable health, so it’s easier to launch a comeback. I absolutely loved this new system, especially when I managed to finish off my opponents with a superpowered attack.

• Ridiculously entertaining story mode. Story modes in fighting games frequently feel like an afterthought, but Tekken 8’s narrative is a blast from start to finish. While the core plot revolves around the conflict between Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama—you can get a primer here—the story twists in all kinds of directions. During one point, I played my way through a tournament, choosing the fighters I wanted to play as. At another part, the game shifted from traditional one-on-one fights to musou-style horde battles, which had me on the edge of my seat.

Not only is the story thrilling, but it’s presented in a highly cinematic way. Cutscenes seamlessly transitioned into battles, which made me feel like I was actually part of the story. The narrative takes some pretty crazy turns, but for me, that’s part of its charm. During one scene, I was asked to press X to confirm I believed in my heart. If that appeals to you, you’ll love Tekken 8’s story as much as I did.

• Awesome roster of characters. Tekken 8 currently has thirty-two fighters in its roster, with options for every type of player. There are plenty of returning favorites here, like assassin Nina Williams, luchador King, and Kuma, a literal bear, but there are also a few newcomers. My personal favorite was Azucena, an MMA fighter/coffee entrepreneur. There are costumes and other customization options for every character, so you can make your fighter feel like your own.

• Tons of offline content. Even if you can’t find a second player, Tekken 8 has enough single-player content to keep you busy for a long time. The main story is around four hours long, and there’s a short character story mode for every fighter in the roster. The Tekken Ball minigame has made a return, and there’s also a brand-new game mode: Arcade Quest.

Arcade Quest is a side story mode that has you create a cartoony avatar and battle your way across arcades. The NPCs you compete against are designed to feel like real human players. Every NPC uses a customized version of a Tekken fighter, and they all have their own unique playstyles. It’s like an expanded version of the Treasure Battle mode from Tekken 7, which is another way of saying it’s extremely fun.

• Absolutely killer soundtrack. Tekken games have always had fantastic music, but the Tekken 8 soundtrack is especially great. It has a terrific mix of tunes, from thumping electronic tracks to upbeat, jazzy numbers. There’s even a Jukebox mode that lets you blast tracks from older Tekken games, like the amazing Tulip Festival theme from Tekken Tag Tournament 2.

WHAT SUCKS ABOUT TEKKEN 8?

• Customization options are pretty limited. Honestly, it’s hard to muster up any complaints about Tekken 8, but I do wish there were more options for character customization. There are only a handful of hairstyles, and the clothing selection is fairly small. It’s not a huge deal, but I love playing dress-up in fighting games, and Tekken 8’s customization options could definitely use more variety.