Tekken 8 Review (PS5) – GameRevolution

Although a niche genre, fighting games are experiencing a renaissance. Tekken 8 is a welcome addition to the party that includes Street Fighter 6, Mortal Kombat 1, and Guilty Gear Strive, to name just a few fantastic brawlers released in the last couple of years. This installment features impressive graphics, a solid character roster, and a robust combat system with several new twists. Although some of the extra modes, particularly Arcade Quest, are a miss and a miss, the game still packs a powerful punch.

Rule with an iron fist

Namco Bandai made some trendy changes to Tekken 8, although it's still the same game that relies on juggles, extended combos, mix-ups, and good reads against high and low attacks. Every character on the roster, which numbers an impressive total of 32, boasts smooth animations and stunning character models, taking advantage of the power of this console generation. For casual players, the addition of the Special Style simplifies the controls enough that learning the full list of moves isn't necessary for those who want to pick up and play.

The most interesting addition is the Heat Gauge, a boost that can be used once per turn and makes fights more dynamic. When activated, your character uses an attack that breaks combos and gives them access to several new moves, including a Heat Smash and a Heat Dash. In this state, some regular moves will also be buffed, and all moves will deal chip damage which the enemy can recover over time. Chip damage and HP recovery need no introduction in the Tekken series, and it can be difficult to follow when you're in the heat of battle. That said, with Rage Arts, the Heat Gauge gives players another way to come back and apply pressure when they need it.

I was able to pick King, Jin, and Xiaoyu as my main leads in Tekken 8 quite easily, even though I hadn't played Tekken 7 in over four years. A handful of entries are easier to perform, including King's chain throws. Overall, long-time fans shouldn't feel lost despite the gameplay changes.

The Devil (Jin) is in the details

Tekken 8 offers several offline modes, the main story mode fares better than Arcade Quest and the character episodes. The four-hour campaign features a cinematic take in which you primarily control Jin as he fights (and broods) against G Corporation and his father Kazuya Mishima. As a franchise with dinosaurs, bears, and robots, Tekken isn't meant to be taken seriously, and the plot is suitably melodramatic, over-the-top, and full of Japanese anime tropes. In the end, it felt like a Tekken x Dragonball Z x Saint Seiya crossover. Some chapters lasted longer than necessary, but at least they provide a storyline that connects the characters together.

However, the character episodes aren't particularly interesting since most of them have you fighting in the same MMA-style arena for five fights. Arcade Quest, which has an avatar you create and challenges NPCs in various arcades, doesn't fare much better. It's a tutorial, but it's long and pales in comparison to similar modes, like Street Fighter 6's World Tour.

Super Ghost Battle and Tekken Ball attempt to make up for this, although Tekken 7's Treasure Battle is a more exciting mode and other classic Tekken modes like Tekken Bowl or Tekken Force would have been a better choice. In fact, there's a whole chapter in the campaign that plays out like Tekken Force, so it feels strangely sidelined.