After eight years and numerous DLCs and updates, it will finally be released in the near future. Tekken 8Publisher Bandai Namco aims to usher in the next chapter of its legendary fighting game series with this new release. To ensure everything runs as smoothly as possible, the team hosted a closed network test in recent days. This gave us the opportunity to get a first impression before the official release.
Right at the start of the test, we're presented with the new features. The biggest innovation is clearly the so-called "Heat" mode, in which our power is boosted to an immeasurable level for 10 seconds once per round, causing attacks to deal more damage and even blocked attacks to have an effect. This mode allows for an extremely aggressive approach for a short period, unlike anything typically seen in fighting games. The status effect ends either after the aforementioned 10 seconds or with a devastating finishing attack. The feature feels really good and provides some welcome variety in a genre where practically everything has already been done somewhere. The Heat mode is no exception.
Tekken 8 with more new features
In addition, there's the Rage state, a kind of last resort that kicks in when we're running low on health. Here, our energy increases, and with a powerful attack, we can counter our opponent and break their attack chains. Perhaps this will give us a chance to win the round after all. In our preview, the Rage state helped us out of tight spots on more than one occasion and is a welcome addition to the gameplay.
Also new is the Recoverable Gauge, a slightly grayed-out bar below the actual health bar that can be restored by hitting our opponent again with punches and kicks. The bar regenerates based on damage taken from aerial combos or strong, blocked attacks.
Tekken 8 for Rookies
Feature number 4, which has been added recently, is a real boon. There's a new controller style that can be accessed by simply pressing L1. On the one hand, this gives you the arcade style with numerous combos, frantic button mashing, and exactly what you'd expect.
On the other hand, there's the Special Style, where we only need a few buttons, each pre-assigned to a specific character and situation. This style is primarily aimed at casual players who don't want to spend time learning all the different attack combinations. In our experience, we found that a mix of both styles has its charm and can be quite appropriate depending on the situation. Furthermore, we're sure that some players who just want to enjoy a good old-fashioned brawl now and then will definitely benefit from it.
In terms of graphics and atmosphere, Tekken 8 It already makes a very solid impression. The series holds the record for the longest storyline in a video game, and yet manages to advance the plot with each installment without becoming too boring. This installment features some familiar characters from the past, such as Jin Kazama, as well as Paul Phoenix and King. The characters and arenas look great, and you immediately feel right at home. That's exactly how it should be!
All in all, this first network test left a very good first impression of the upcoming part of the Tekken-series. The gameplay is well done and has been nicely enhanced by some new features. We, for one, are really looking forward to the release of Tekken 8However, a release date is still missing.
It's a matter of opinion whether the plot should be moved forward. Tekken (7)'s problem was never the gameplay, but rather strange roster choices and the lack of single-player content, or rather, a strange story (Tk5 had the best story mode). With the World Tour mode and mini-games, SF6 set a very high standard in terms of scope. MK1 will have a very well-written story mode (unrivaled in the genre) along with guest characters who are fan favorites. The marketing is too focused on the characters and their gameplay; there's no information about Story Mode, Tekken Force Mode, etc. And the mere fact that the characters speak to each other in their own native languages instead of a uniform language (all English or Japanese) suggests that the focus is once again too heavily on esports instead of expanding the original lore or the universe. Sure, graphically it looks better than Tk7, but it hasn't reached the level of MK11 or MK1 (this could also be due to the anime style). We'll have to wait and see.