Tekken is my favorite game! The same three characters continuously attempt to kill each other in this silly yet hilarious franchise that is over-the-top in the greatest ways. Even though I haven’t played every version, I opted to start with the most recent one because this is probably one of the best years ever for fighting games. Mortal Kombat 1 and Street Fighter 6 showcased some of the greatest aspects of each brand. Is the hat trick completed in Tekken 8? With an occasional hiccup, I believe it does.
Thankfully, Tekken 8’s main menu features recap sections to fill in any knowledge gaps on the backstory of the Tekken franchise. They are rendered in a black-and-white, shaky storyboard manner that evokes the franchise’s long-standing edge. These synopses are mostly focused on the developing hostility within the Mishima family and don’t go into great detail. The narrative revolves around the relationship between Jin Kazama and Kazuya Mishima. This isn’t their story, despite an ensemble cast drawn from many parts of the world, some new, some old. They are supporters, which might be harmful.
The storyline of fighting games may not appeal to everyone, but most brands have made an effort to give their vast casts some sort of agency or to treat their lore with a little more seriousness. You play characters because you were engrossed in their story arcs, not merely because of their combat style. The game seems to focus more on Jin and two other characters, whose identities I won’t reveal, even if many of the other characters have wonderful personalities and some really entertaining banter made between particular interactions. The tale revolves around Jin’s quest to vanquish both his imaginary and actual inner demons; eight games in, we’re still playing the same “conquer your inner demon” plot that you’ve seen in every other franchise. Jin learns, though, that he doesn’t have to be a monster to overcome another monster, thus it’s handled properly. He is entitled to a happy ending.
If the story’s level of cheesiness is off, I would be more critical of it. The direction and framing of the game indicate that we, the viewer, aren’t intended to take the scenario seriously, even though many characters do. One of the playable characters is a bear, which occasionally communicates with other characters even when it is silent. Even though each character speaks a different language, there is never a communication problem! Everyone needs to be able to read the subtitles on film or be multilingual. Even big effects moments continue to wink at the camera. I’ll overlook it, but Tekken 8 won’t immediately satisfy your desire for a more intensely felt narrative involving the other characters.
Perhaps you want a fun, engaging fighting game to play with friends instead of getting into Tekken 8 for the plot. That makes perfect sense, and Tekken 8 excels in that capacity. From the start of the game, a large cast of characters is available, and each character has a unique gameplay style. Attack patterns are all roughly translated to the same default layout, but the specific movements you use and how they affect your opponent will differ. Each character has a unique fighting style, sometimes influenced by their own country; examples of these styles are Steve’s boxing, Azucena’s mixed martial arts, and Jin’s karate. Not only window dressing, but many moves are representative of those combat skills. Jin uses strong, yet straightforward punches and kicks in his karate technique. Steve, who turned out to be my second favorite character, is a skilled puncher despite not using his legs. Then there’s Kuma the bear, a strong animal with a very limited range.
By observing your opponent’s directional inputs, you may effectively block and counter moves, but you can also counter your opponent if you attack them at the appropriate moment. The primary feature of this game is the Heat System, which lets you enter a “Heat State” in every round to execute particular combos and finishes. If you can maintain the pressure, you can even regain some health in the middle of the battle. Additionally, a new control scheme that is ideal for beginners has been created, easing the transition from learning complex button combinations to performing more difficult movements. Although some characters’ ranged moves throw them off balance a bit, it makes narrative sense for them to have some otherworldly skills. Nevertheless, I had a reasonably enjoyable, well-balanced time experimenting with various characters in both the main story campaign and the arcade mode, even in the thick of things, on normal difficulties.
There were a few hitches with anything outside of the main battles, though. I’ve played the PC version of this game, and because I stream frequently, my PC requirements are a little bit over average. Regretfully, even while I respect the efforts the game does to mix gameplay and cinematics in a smooth manner, there are glaring slowness and frame dips anytime the game tries to switch between them, and load times before important moments happen shockingly frequently. Although the models’ animation rendering is excellent, the game frequently disrupted my concentration. Even during cutscenes, there were times where I’m quite sure a soundbite was either muted or loaded in at a low volume, making it difficult for me to hear. I too periodically encountered this issue when attempting to set up online matches in the online hub. You can go around and interact with other people’s avatars in the lobby, but occasionally the game lags and stutters when you just run around in it. It felt strange that everything around the matches had these apparent drops in quality, but I’m glad I didn’t seem to have any framerate or input lag issues with them.
You can earn coins by participating in online matches and meeting requirements. With these coins, you can buy makeup to apply on your virtual avatar or outfits for your personalized playable character. While it’s not the most intricate customization—most characters only need to have their streetwear or casual attire changed—it is endearing. It’s good to see these characters in a variety of settings and attire, especially given how expressive the game’s art style is.
Easily among the best aspects of the game, the corresponding soundtracks made the characters really stand out. Naturally, with a cast drawn from all over the globe, the soundtrack is extremely diverse, incorporating everything from techno to hip-hop to jazz and even a little classical. Even the menus’ main music is incredibly catchy and addictive. The energetic nature of the game is complemented by the unrestrained energy that permeates almost every track, making you want to get up and work out.
Tekken 8 was a really fun game. The additional elements offer a strong basis for both novices and experts and are entertaining without detracting from the main gameplay. Tekken 8 finds a nice balance between being dark, edgy, and ridiculously funny. It’s quite endearing, and many fans still seem to be involved in the battle. Tekken 8 is a game worth checking out, even though there should have been more from the rest of the ensemble cast and some areas of the optimization could have used some improvement. Because the game is cross-platform compatible, you may play it with your pals on any console, wherever you are. Organize a competition to see who is the greatest of the best!
