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10 things set to rock your world in Tekken 8
Ahead of the return of the iconic fighting series on January 26, here are some of the wildest new mechanics, game-changing features and new Tekken fighters underscoring this soon-to-be classic.
Tekken releases aren’t only a landmark for the fighting game genre. Having pushed the envelope on every major console since the early nineties, bringing with it almost unrivalled influence and longevity, the reverberations are also felt in the wider gaming world.
No more so with Bandai Namco’s latest offering, Tekken 8, which, close to a decade since the previous instalment, comes packed with excellent new fighters, dazzling stages and ridiculous mechanics and modes that go above and beyond.
Following a first-play in London, where Red Bull was able to sit down with both a producer and director of Tekken 8, here are the 10 most important takeaways from the new title.
FYI, the fact that the return of Tekken Ball (still heaps of fun) has not made this list should attest to what a dizzying uppercut this game is to the senses. Let's dig in, shall we?
01
It might be the best-looking fighting game ever made
High-quality fights in Tekken 8
© Bandai Namco Studios
As the very first fighting game to run on Unreal Engine 5, Tekken 8 wastes little time in reminding players that this title has been developed solely for ninth-generation consoles. It’s easy on the eyes and smoother than 4K butter, with each stage and character gift wrapped in meticulous detail. But don’t take our word for it: when pressed on what fans have been most impressed by in early previews, two figures who’ve been at the coalface of this new game engine for several years – namely long-time designer Michael Murray and director Kohei Ikeda – both agreed it was the “graphics”.
A lot is going on under the hood, all right, but it plays brilliantly, too. Whereas Tekken has traditionally been hard to excel defensively at, requiring a lot of knowledge to avoid being on the receiving end of never-ending combos, Tekken 8 seems to offer players slightly more fluidity and manoeuvrability in the stickiest of moments while serving up the most explosive battles in the series so far.
02
Heat is a new mechanic which will fire things up in a big way
Where once Tekken had Rage – a combo boost unlocked when health is low to give you a fighting chance – there is now Heat. The major difference here is that Heat can be used at any time, adding another tactical layer as you calculate when might be best to unlock these special powers and stretch combos for longer. Do you save it for the closing stages when your opponent tries to leg-sweep their way to a tetchy victory? Or do you want to lay down a marker with an explosive start?
Kohei Ikeda, the game’s director, told us that Heat is one of the reasons the game is so on the front foot: “We wanted to use [Heat] as an aggressive system. In fighting games, if two players are equal, it’s sometimes hard to go on the offensive, but now you can say: ‘This is my chance to go on the counter.’ And so, this is really designed to make you feel like having fun by attacking your opponent.” It will be interesting to see how the likes of Arslan Ash use Heat in the biggest of events.
03
A story mode that’ll reignite your love of offline gaming
The father-son quarrels aren't done yet
© Bandai Namco Studios
Gone are the days when story mode was king (he’s back as well, in case you wondered). Online play has changed all that, of course, but it hasn’t stopped the developers from pouring time and money into a frantic story mode which will hook you in minutes. We pick things up from where they left off in 7, as Jin Kazama and Kazuya Mishima’s father-son squabbles continue to leave the fate of the world hanging in the balance.
Sure, hashing out daddy issues may feel a little done at this point, but it’s seriously good fun, rewarding fans who’ve long been engrossed in the lore while unleashing the Unreal Engine 5 with aplomb. One moment, it’s in AAA blockbuster territory. The next, you’re back to bashing your controller as cut scenes blend seamlessly into real combat challenges; including one downtown rumble you won’t forget in a hurry.
04
The latest characters prove a real handful
Reina
© Bandai Namco Studios
Victor
© Bandai Namco Studios
Azucena
© Bandai Namco Studios
Considering how left-field some of the character additions were in later seasons of Tekken 7 (The Walking Dead’s Negan, anyone?), it felt less DLC and more DCU. For now, at least, Tekken is going back to its roots with three original new characters, kicking things off with Reina, a mysterious Japanese student with enough voltage to light up a small city. Designer Michael Murray calls her one of the most exciting character inclusions in the series to date, citing her variation of moves (“she has so many tools”) and badass nature as reasons why she could be an instant hit.
Director Kohei Ikeda, meanwhile, is a huge fan of another strong new female character in the game, Azucena. This Peruvian has a technical prowess rivalling any other fighter in the series, entering one stance that will help evade fighters with such ease that “you really feel as if you're much better than your opponent".
Rounding out the new batch of recruits is Victor, a sharp-suited, sharp-shooting French spymaster voiced by actor Vincent Cassel. He trained up the Raven Unit and is early on in the thick of the story mode action. Expect a penchant for the flamboyant, both in his personality and playstyle. This debonair powerhouse specialises in swordplay but moves in a way that isn’t all that dissimilar from Noctis back in Tekken 7. One to watch as the seasons progress.
05
The new stages will provide as much wanderlust as bloodlust
Introducing a new battle stage, Ortiz Farm
© Bandai Namco Studios
There’s a dizzying amount of memorable new stages in which to smash your opponent to bits in Tekken 8. From Victor’s mega yacht floating on the Seine in Paris to a dojo in Vienna, it’s packed with absolute showstoppers, many wonderfully teeing up the new characters. Ortiz Farm, Azucena’s home level, for instance, is perched high in the hills of Peru’s Machu Picchu, and provides the perfect foil for her larger-than-life personality.
The balcony break here is a real treat, and it proved a real passion project for director Kohei Ikeda. “I love beautiful World Heritage locations and historic landmarks like Machu Picchu, and I wanted to achieve that. If you played Tekken 6, you’ll know there was a similar stage featuring sheep [Hidden Retreat] that had a unique soundtrack. And I wanted to do something similar this time with the alpacas.”
06
Ghost mode uses AI to help you to clone your playstyle
Artificial intelligence may be infiltrating almost every other form of entertainment, but it’s been hard for gamers to experience this in any tangible sense. Until now: Tekken 8’s Ghost Mode uses state-of-the-art AI to learn your moves in unbelievable detail, creating a version of yourself to fight against after only a few bouts. The more you play, the more likely your ghost will know what you’re thinking in matchplay before you do. Better yet, bank a copy of your friend’s playstyle for when they’re not there, as we’ve all had moments when trading blows with a CPU becomes repetitive or when the Wi-Fi connection is lagging.
It has been possible to fight ‘ghost data’ before, as far back as Tekken 6’s online mode, but this is a far bigger leap for machine learning in the gaming sphere. Ghost can be used for all 32 fighters on the initial release of Tekken 8, and Murray hopes it will keep you more determined to overcome setbacks: “If you’re playing against an AI ghost character, it plays like a human opponent, but somehow it doesn’t feel as bad losing to a human opponent.” So, remember, if you lose to a ghost, don’t beat yourself up – again.
07
Devil Jin has undergone one hell of a transformation
There have been some changes to Devil Jin
© Bandai Namco Studios
Devil Jin is one of those Tekken mainstays who divide opinions. He’s never been the easiest character to master, but this time around, designers on the team have altered his playstyle in a big way, making him more accessible than ever.
Designer Michael Murray, whose go-to character is Devil Jin, jokes that the changes have been a blessing and a curse for him: “If you’ve played Devil Jin before, it was quite technical with some of the combos, the filler in that you had to do, like forward-forward-left kick, and you had to cancel it and stuff like that, where now it’s just left kick only and more streamlined – he’s more approachable. So, on the one hand, it’s annoying personally that I put all this time into learning Devil Jin, and it was difficult, and now he’s made it easy! But I think that a lot more people will be tempted to pick him up and find out what a cool character he is.”
With updates expected further down the line, there’s no telling which fighters will be nerfed, but for now, it could be the year of Jin’s alter ego.
08
My Replay and Tips could turn you into a top player overnight
First introduced in season 2 of Tekken 7, My Replay and Tips has been overhauled in a huge way for the new game. All the battles in Arcade Quest and Ghost Battle are recorded, allowing you to hop back in and take over your fighter at any time you like. Go over old matches, and the system will pinpoint weak areas as you go, offering real-time solutions to your encounters, which you can take or leave. This might prove to be one of the smartest training features ever to hit the genre; the game’s designer, Michael Murray, certainly thinks so.
As a martial artist in real life, he’s aware of how honing muscle memory can have a positive impact on performance, believing that this system will turn low-level players into medium or higher-level players in no time: “It’ll stop the video in the middle of the replay and be like: ‘Hey, you blocked this attack, and you didn’t punish. The best punish in this instance is this.’”
09
Special Style will open up a live move list as you fight
Special Style help for the newbies
© Bandai Namco Studios
More experienced players may not be too affected by Special Style, a new in-game interface which pops up in the corner of the screen to assist you in putting together killer combos, but it could be a real game-changer for newbies. Simply press the left bumper/L1 mid-game to enable this shortcut that lists everything from speciality moves to air combos to low attacks to throws, prompting you on exactly what buttons to hit at that exact moment.
Having a move list constantly in your eye-line won’t be for everyone, but if any gamers are keen to pull off flashier moves and sustain more prolonged attacks without putting in the practice, or players typically loyal to one character fancy tinkering with a new fighter in real matches, this is a shortcut and a half.
10
Arcade Mode is a love letter to IRL arcade gaming
The nostalgia-filled Arcade Quest
© Bandai Namco Studios
On the off chance all this talk of Tekken hasn’t already triggered your gaming nostalgia, wait until you try Tekken 8’s Arcade Quest, which sees players navigate a virtual gaming arcade to explore the game better. Highly useful for those unfamiliar with the series, it’s also a fun way for the diehard fans to get up to speed on the latest features, such as Ghost, which you must unlock by playing Arcade Quest. Customise your own avatar, converse with fellow arcade dwellers, join mini-tournaments and play for loot.
More than anything, it’s a love letter to these physical gaming spaces, which are disappearing at a rate: “We wanted to create a place where players and communities can meet and have fun together,” says Ikeda, with Murray adding: “When we were developing the game, it was right during the COVID situation, so people weren’t able to go to real events or tournaments and all that stuff that they used to love... We wanted to give people that same motivation to keep playing, just like the arcades do.”
Tekken 8 is released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and PC on January 26
