Tekken 8
TEKKEN 8 is a blend of nostalgia for fans and a pair of welcoming arms for newbies
Tekken 8 feels like returning home. A bit of a cringe opener, I know, but across my 40 hours spent with this game for this review I couldn’t help but feel like I was being reunited with an old friend; a series I adore so dearly. Tekken is freakin’ back, baby, and I couldn’t be happier.
It’s a game so rife with nostalgiainducing moments yet manages to bundle them together into this incredibly approachable, newbiefriendly package. It’s a far cry from the bare-bones experience that was its predecessor – Tekken 8 is truly the next generation of fighters, a bombastic showdown that you should absolutely witness now matter how long it’s been since you last peeped into a King of Iron Fist Tournament.
Tekken 8’s nostalgic vibes feel deliberate. It’s going all-in on its story – called The Dark Awakens – building up to a dramatic conclusion to the war between Jin Kazama and Kazuya Mishima.
It’s such a fitting culmination, one that genuinely shocked me at how good it actually is. The story mode is fantastically paced, seamlessly transitioning from cinematics to fights across its numerous chapters. The cutscenes are beautifully animated, going for some huge-ass anime-scale fights, which were rad to watch. Some chapters even diverge from the standard ‘cinematic into fight’ formula – like one that turns things into an old-school Tekken Force-style brawler – which made sure things never got too monotonous.
Truly the next generation of fighters, a bombastic showdown
Dialogue and translations can be a bit shaky and stiff at times, but it’s one of the more cohesive stories Tekken has spat out.
Tekken 8’s story is filled with little callbacks to previous games and references that long-time fans will absolutely eat up.
Something that definitely made Tekken 8’s story mode even more enjoyable for me was its new Special Style control scheme. Think of it like a condensed, more casual and actiony way to play. Combos are pulled off at the press of a single button, with directional buttons affecting which moves get thrown out.
I’m not super well-versed in every character on the roster, and Special Style made chapters where I was playing unfamiliar fighters so much more fun to play. I didn’t feel like a flopping fish trying to frantically figure out strings and combos, and while I think Special Style is a lot more limited compared to similar offerings, it’s an amazing starting point for beginners or casuals who want to join the fu
