| Tekken 8 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Release Date | Gameplay & Story | DLC & Pre-Order | Review |
| Release Date | |
|---|---|
| January 26, 2024 PlayStation 5, Steam, Xbox Series X|S More Details |
|
| Genre | |
| Action, Fighting | |
| Platforms | Price (MSRP) |
   |
$69.99 |
| Developer | Publisher |
| Bandai Namco Studios Inc. | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
| Number of Players | Age Rating |
| 1-2, 16 (Online Lobby) | ESRB T PEGI 16 CERO D |
| Time to Finish | Cross Platform Play |
| 3-6 Hours (Story Mode) | Yes |
| Official Website | Official Website for Tekken 8 |
Tekken 8 Latest News
⚫︎ Tekken 8 Season 3 brings back three veteran Tekken fighters, Kunimitsu, Bob, and Roger Jr. for Season 3. A mystery fourth fighter has also been revealed for release in the winter. (GamingBolt)
⚫︎ Tekken 8 Season 3 has been announced, promising a "back to basics" approach to gameplay alongside three returning DLC characters: Kunimitsu, Bob, and Roger Jr. (GamingBolt)
⚫︎ Tekken Series Director Katsuhiro Harada leaves Bandai Namco after 30 years. The famed producer and director is expected to depart the company by the end of 2025, but will still make an appearance at the finals of Tekken World Tour on January 2026.
⚫︎ Tekken 8 DLC character Miary Zo launches December 1 for Season 2 Character Pass owners, December 4 for all. Her arrival to the game comes alongside a new stage, "Baobab Horizon" and minor balance changes. (Gematsu)
⚫︎ Tekken 8 developers note that negativity surrounding the game can "seem bigger than it is," when speaking in response to the backlash to the launch of Season 2.(GameSpot)
Tekken 8 Overview
Tekken 8 is the eighth mainline iteration of the popular 3D fighting game Tekken. The game is developed and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment (formerly Namco), who have continually improved and changed the game since its first release back in 1994 on arcades and eventually the PlayStation. Players participate in one-on-one bouts with the choice of a diverse set of characters with unique movesets, all with the goal of getting the opponent's hitpoints to 0 and winning a maximum number of rounds.
The game was first teased in August 2022 at EVO 2022 (Evolution Championship Series 2022), and was officially revealed the following month at Sony's State of Play in September 2022. The reveal showcased the game's high-fidelity graphics, new character designs, and the cinematic showdown between Jin Kazama and his father, Kazuya Mishima.
| Digital Storefronts | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam |
Playstation |
Xbox |
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| $69.99 | |||||
Tekken 8 Gameplay
Experience the biggest iteration of Tekken yet with the new "Heat" mechanic and 32 unique characters to learn and master in the next chapter of the longest-running videogame storyline. Enjoy new and improved visuals to show off every fighter's hard-hitting moves.
The game is set after the events of Tekken 7, where it continues the saga of the Mishima bloodline with its father-and-son grudge matches. After defeating his father, Heihachi, Kazuya Mishima uses this as an opportunity to wage war on the world in his quest for world dominance. It's up to his own son, Jin Kazama, to put a stop to his reign of terror.
Tekken 8 continues the game's core gameplay loop of having one-on-one battles between a diverse roster of 32 characters with different fighting styles and movesets. The game adds a new mechanic called "Heat" which adds a more cinematic flair to every battle, as well as turning the aggression of the game up as opposed to previous installments. Additionally, the game has numerous single-player features like Arcade Quest, Story Mode, Practice Mode, and Ghost Battle.
Tekken 8 Characters
Jin Kazama
Jin Kazama, the son of Kazuya Mishima and Jun Kazama, fights to overcome the Devil Gene, the curse of the Mishima bloodline, and the source of the family's generational cycle of violence. In-game, Jin is a jack-of-all-trades, master of all types of characters, with a plethora of tools for every situation and playstyle. He has strong, fast poking tools up close, effective long-range space control moves, and several options to mix opponents up, such as his many stances. As a descendant of the Mishima bloodline, Jin also adapts key moves from his father and changes them to fit his kyokushin karate style, such as his own version of the Electric Wind God Fist, the Electric Wind Hook Fist.
Kazuya Mishima
Kazuya Mishima, CEO of G Corporation and son of Heihachi Mishima, wishes only to take over the world after killing his father and fully control the power of the Devil Gene. He is a straightforward, oppressive, and mix-up-heavy character that, while lacking good poking moves or gimmicks, rewards good defense, movement, and timing. Kazuya is the purest embodiment of the "Mishima" character archetype, depending on the smart use of key tools like the Crouch Dash, Flash Punch Combo, Left Splits Kick, and Electric Wind God Fist to open up opponents, heavily punish mistakes, and deal large amounts of combo damage.
King
King, a Mexican luchador who runs an orphanage, is the game's signature grappler, specializing in a plethora of throws and grabs for every occasion. King's gameplan revolves around his throws, with his core moves and tools, which are already very good on their own, letting players land grabs that opponents must guess to break free from them. For instance, guessing between breaking his Giant Swing, a throw that comes out as fast as a standard jab and deals massive damage, and his running Tomahawk throw can be quite difficult because of their shared animation and speed.
Yoshimitsu
Yoshimitsu, the "Mechanized Space Ninja" and leader of the Manji Clan, lives up to his mysterious, wacky backstory by being one of the trickiest characters in Tekken 8 and having some of the most unique tools in the game. Yoshimitsu plays by confusing, tricking, and even robbing the enemy blind through his seemingly endless bag of tricks, with over 11 different stances that each have a handful of moves. Central to Yoshimitsu's gameplan is the Flash, the fastest move in Tekken 8 in terms of speed and one that can easily interrupt some of the most common pressure and flowcharts in the game for massive damage.
Lili
Lili, a spoiled rich heiress to a Monaco oil tycoon, gracefully pirouettes around her opponents with her strong movement, long-range tools, and evasion. She has the best sidesteps in Tekken 8, allowing her to laterally evade moves that most of the roster simply can't and forcing opponents to keep her locked down with homing moves. Her evasiveness even extends to her key moves, such as the infamous Matterhorn, which can even duck mids and launch opponents for highly damaging combos. She also has strong space control, courtesy of long-reaching moves like Circle Kick and Black Swan that can both keep opponents away and close the distance between them at will.
Tekken 8 Reviews
A Fighting Game Masterpiece
It's without a doubt that Tekken 8 has been well-received by critics and fans alike. Game8 awarded Tekken 8 a score of 90/100, highlighting the game's visuals as its "best form in the series in every possible way." Additionally, the reviewer also praised the game's new mechanics as they add more nuance to the historic franchise that builds on its foundation as a fighting game. Lastly, Game8 also called it a "must-play fighting game," and has "cemented itself as one of this generation's best fighting games."
Tekken 8 has also received Universal Acclaim with a score of 90 on Metacritic out of 98 critic reviews and a current Generally Favorable User Score of 7.6.
IGN also gave the game a 9/10, highlighting the amount of single-player content available, the suite of training tools, the great online experience, and exciting new mechanics that make the series more dynamic than it has ever been. The reviewer also made emphasis to how the game "honors the series legacy yet continues to move forward," with the game's new additions and tweaks to already existing mechanics.
Tekken 8 Announcement Trailer
TEKKEN 8 - Season 3 Trailer
TEKKEN 8 — Miary Zo Gameplay Trailer
TEKKEN 8 — Armor King Gameplay Trailer
TEKKEN 8 — Fahkumram Gameplay Trailer
TEKKEN 8 – Anna Williams Gameplay Trailer
TEKKEN 8 – Reveal Trailer
Tekken 8 Trivia
⚫︎ Tekken 8 is the first game in the series to release straight to consoles and PC without an initial arcade release.
⚫︎ According to former game director Katsuhiro Harada, Anna Williams is the best cook in Tekken franchise, while Jun Kazama is the worst cook. This is excluding robots, apparently.
⚫︎ Tekken fighters often take inspiration from real world fighting styles and pop culture icons of combat; for instance, Marshall Law is a clear homage to Bruce Lee and Jeet Kune Do, Bryan Fury is inspired by Rutger Hauer's appearance in Blade Runner, and Steve Fox is an amalgamation of every single style of boxing.
⚫︎ Only 4 characters have appeared in every single Tekken game: Nina Williams, Paul Phoenix, Yoshimitsu, and now Heihachi Mishima with his return as a DLC character.
⚫︎ The Tekken series has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as having the longest running storyline in a video game, since the game's story has been continuously running from 1994 to today.
⚫︎ Tekken 8 marks the highly anticipated return of Jin's mother, Jun Kazama, after being absent since her initial appearance in Tekken 2.
⚫︎ In Super Ghost Battle, you can find several of the producers, testers, and even Harada himself as opponents you can fight against.
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