| Tekken 8 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Release Date | Gameplay & Story | DLC & Pre-Order | Review |
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Tekken 8 Gameplay
Tekken 8 maintains the classic, tried-and-true 3D fighter gameplay that it's been developing over since the 90s, but with all new, innovative systems that spice up the already complex gameplay. Key to this is Tekken 8's new Heat system, a versatile resource that can do anything from exert pressure on opponents, extend combos, and give characters access to special moves that are unique to their Heat states. Other unique gameplay mechanics, like parries, throws, and guard breaks are also a prominent part of Tekken 8's gameplay.
Tekken Fundamentals
Movement
The foundation of Tekken 8's gameplay is built upon the game's movement system. As a 3D fighter, players can move around forwards, backwards, and laterally, with players being able to evade moves through movement. This makes Tekken play much more differently compared to 2D fighters like Street Fighter or Guilty Gear, where offense and defense are dependent on the player's ability to capitalize on the full 3D range of movement.
Some of the key movement techniques in Tekken 8 include the "sidestep," which is done by tapping either up or down twice, "sidewalk," which is done by tapping up or down and then holding the button, and the infamous "Korean Backdash," which is done by cancelling a normal backdash with the down+back input to move backwards faster while still being able to block. Certain characters also have unique movement options that unlock powerful, important moves, such as the Mishima characters' "Crouch Dash" which lets them close the gap on their opponent quickly and exert their oppressive gameplans.
Pokes
Another core aspect of Tekken 8's gameplay are "pokes," or moves that allow players to initiate their offense and set up a character's general gameplan. Pokes are usually fast moves that are relatively "safe" or unpunishable when blocked, and in Tekken 8 these usually come in the form of the universal jab, the fastest move in the game that always hits High, and a corresponding move that hits in the Middle, otherwise known as a "Mid".
Blocking while standing will usually allow you to block High and Mid attacks, while movement through backdashing and sidestepping can help you avoid them as well. Moves that hit low, though, must be blocked while crouching, and being interrupted while poking can lead to a "counter-hit" state that usually leads to guaranteed follow-ups or, even worse, highly damaging combos. The core of Tekken 8's gameplay, then, is figuring out the ebb and flow of when you should poke, hit a low, block, backdash, etc.
Combos
Perhaps the flashiest part of Tekken 8's gameplay are the combos, which are long sequences where your character can perform a number of moves in succession while juggling an opponent, who is unable to do anything during this time. Combos are usually initiated through launcher moves, and every character has their own unique launchers apart from the generic uppercut and hopkick. It is worth noting that most launcher moves in Tekken range from being moderately punishable to severely punishable when blocked, so they're best used situationally.
Combos also vary heavily between characters, but the general structure for combos begins with landing a launcher, then performing some moves in the middle to deal more damage before performing a Tornado move, a combo mechanic which flips the opponent in the air and allows for either a strong combo finisher or an extension through Heat. Every character has their own unique combo routes to perform, and it is best to learn and practice them accordingly.
Throws
Another core aspect of Tekken's gameplay are "throws," or moves which grab opponents and deal damage. Every character has two generic throws which can be peformed by either pressing Left Punch and Left Kick or Right Punch and Right Kick at the same time, and players can break out of these throws by pressing either the Left Punch or Right Punch button. Certain characters, such as Dragunov and King, have special command throws which can only be broken by watching the leading hand and pressing a corresponding punch button. For example, if a throw is led with the left punch, players have to press left punch right before it lands to break it.
Throws are extremely versatile in that different characters can do different things with them, from simple repositioning, knocking opponents down, breaking floors and walls, and even letting characters perform combos off them. Experienced players can break these throws on reaction, though, and most throws hit high and can be punished severely when ducked.
Parries
A slightly more niche aspect of Tekken 8's gameplay that's still worth knowing about are parries, or maneuvers that allow players to neutralize incoming attacks completely without taking any damage. The most common of these is the low parry, a universal technique that can intercept a low-hitting move and start a smaller combo. Low parries are done by pressing down and forward right as a low move is about to hit a character.
Most characters have their own specific parries integrated into their moveset, with certain characters like Asuka and Leroy being built around their parry mechanics. It is worth noting that certain move types, such as weapon moves or knee and elbow strikes, cannot be parried by most of the roster.
Heat
Heat Burst
One of the ways to access Heat is through performing a Heat Burst, which is done by pressing either the dedicated button for it or by pressing 2+3. The Heat Burst is a power-crush move that always deals around 10-15 points of recoverable damage on normal hit and is relatively advantageous on block. When performed in the middle of a combo, a Heat Burst will spike the character on the ground in a "Bound" state that lets players extend the combo while spending the Heat meter. It is worth noting that Heat Bursts can be sidestepped very easily, so players need to use them sparingly.
Heat Smash
When a character is already in Heat state, pressing the Heat Burst button again will activate a Heat Smash, a powerful cinematic attack that deals significant amounts of damage but spends the entire Heat bar. Every character has a different Heat Smash with unique properties depending on a character's signature gameplan.
For instance, characters that lack powerful low attacks that knock down, like Lee or Victor, get Heat Smashes that hit low, knock down, and break walls. Meanwhile, characters defined by their pressure and offense like Heihachi and Steve get Heat Smashes that leave them heavily advantageous when blocked and automatically transition into their stances.
Heat Engagers
Another way to access Heat is by landing a "Heat Engager," which are moves that unlock Heat state. Unlike landing a Heat Burst, going into Heat through a Heat Engager lets players use the meter for its entire duration. Every character has their own unique set of Heat Engagers which can be accessed through the move list.
When landing a Heat Engager while already in Heat, players can opt to cancel them into a Heat Dash which leaves characters heavily advantageous on block, while allowing for anything from special follow-ups to full combos when landed on normal or counter-hit.
Character-Specific Heat
When a character enters Heat state, they gain certain benefits and access to powerful moves that complement their character design. For instance, Kazuya gets access to his Devil Form when in Heat State, which lets him power up certain key moves with laser beams and demonic powers. Some characters will also regain Heat meter when performing moves that are key to their gameplan, such as King regaining Heat when landing throws or Lee regaining Heat when performing precise, just-frame moves.
Installs
Some characters have "installs," a unique, temporary power-up state that can be charged over time through landing specific moves. These can range from installs that temporarily unlock and empower certain moves such as Bryan's "Snake Eyes," as well as Heihachi's "Warrior Instinct," and Lidia's "Medal" system which can stack every round to unlock permanent buffs to attacks. These installs are either stacked or activated during the entirety of the duration of Heat state.
Tekken 8 Story Plot
Tekken 8 Story
The events of Tekken 8's story directly follow after Tekken 7's conclusion, where Kazuya finally kills Heihachi and Jin awakens from his coma. A battle between the two of them in New York City's Urban Square results in Jin's defeat, prompting him to retreat. Kazuya announces a new King of the Iron Fist Tournament that decides the fate of countries around the world, while Jin works with G Corporation and his allies to overcome the Devil Gene and defeat Kazuya once and for all.
Tekken 8 Setting
Tekken 8 is a globe-trotting adventure that doesn't take place in any one specific setting, with stages and story locales being found all over the world. Some of the most notable locations include New York City, Yakushima Island in Japan, Peru, France, Italy, and even a meteor in outer space.
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 type of character, with a plethora of tools for each situation and every playstyle. He has strong, fast poking tools up close, effective long range space control moves, and a number of options to choose to mix opponents up such as his many stances. As a descendant of the Mishima bloodline, Jin also adapts some 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 known as 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 for in order 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 their 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 that 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 Base Game Newcomers
The Tekken franchise has been known to have a very diverse cast of characters as well as having a massive roster of over 45 fighters spanning more than 10 installments. In Tekken 8, they add 3 brand new characters into the mix with Azucena, Victor, and Reina, making the total usable characters in the game to 34.
Azucena "Perfect Blend" Castillo
Azucena Milagros Ortiz Castillo, or known better as the "Coffee Queen", is known for her innocent personality and fighting style as a mixed martial arts champion. Hailing from Peru, she is the daughter of the family who owns Ortiz Farm, which is a coffee plantation located 2000 meters above sea level. Azucena is a simple, stance-based rushdown character who's playstyle revolves around dancing around the opponent and pressuring them through her two main stances, Libertador and Backturn. While she can play compact, fundamental Tekken quite well, her stances offer her uniquely strong mix-up capabilities.
Victor "Refined Violence" Chevalier
Victor Chevalier is regarded as a living legend who founded the UN's independent forces as well as the special ops force called the "Raven Unit". He is Tekken's first ever French representative in the historic series (Lili Rochefort is actually from Monaco, despite speaking French). Victor, also known as the "Phantom Raven," is an accessible, simple to learn all-round character that excels at closing the gap between his opponents, capitalizing on mistakes, and landing flashy, high damage combos. His Super Spy CQB fighting style grants him access to a plethora of different weapons, and his weapon attacks are usually highly advantageous on block and lead to greater reward on hit.
Reina "Purple Lightning"
Perhaps the more mysterious addition of the Tekken 8, arguably even the most mysterious one. Not much is known about Reina other than being a student of the prestigious Mishima Polytechnical School and her being related to the Mishima bloodline. Reina's gameplay is a new take on the Mishima archetype, mixing the infamous Mishima-ryu with Taido and similar martial arts. She brings a new twist to Heihachi's style of aggressive, rushdown Mishima style through her multiple stances. She has classic Mishima tools like the Flash Punch Combo, Left Splits Kick, and Electric Wind God Fist, but her Sentai, Unsoku, and Heaven's Wrath stances give her access to unique tools that other Mishimas don't.
Season 1 DLC Playable Characters
Eddy Gordo
During the Tekken World Tour 2023(TWT2023), lots of new information were revealed for Tekken 8. One announcement that caught the attention of many was the unveiling of the first playable character coming to Tekken 8 Season 1, Eddy Gordo. Many have been heavily anticipating the arrival of Eddy for the longest time, as his iconic fighting style of Brazillian origin, Capoeira, has captivated many fans over several games. Eddy plays as a slippery, evasive stance character that excels at evasion, backwards mobility, and forcing high risk, high reward 50/50 mixups through the Negativa and Handstand stances. Eddy also receives the Mandingo install system in Tekken 8, where landing certain moves will grant him medals that empower his Handstand attacks.
Lidia Sobieska
Lidia Sobieska returns as the second DLC character for Tekken 8. Hailing from Poland, she returns as a stance heavy character who practices Traditional Karate. She is revealed to be the Prime Minister of Poland as well as one of the main characters for the upcoming free Story DLC - Unforgotten Echoes. Lidia's playstyle revolves around pressuring and oppressing her opponents through her strong, albeit linear and highly commital, pressure tools that are highly advantageous on block and always go into her Horse and Cat stances. Entering Heat state with Lidia grants her access to Heaven and Earth stance, her stronges stance.
Heihachi Mishima
Heihachi Mishima returns seemingly from the dead as Tekken 8's third DLC character. He is known to be an antagonist for most of his appearances in the Tekken series, as well as the master of the Mishima style. He is the main focus of the Story DLC - Unforgotten Echoes, as explains his survival after his epic battle against Kazuya as well as his motivation for returning. Heihachi returns as an aggressive, pressure-based rushdown Mishima, which has been his playstlye throughout the series, but also comes with some new tools to fit better in the Tekken 8 system. Heihachi now has access to the Wind God and Thunder God stances, which grant Heihachi access to unique moves and parries including a mid-hitting Wind God Fist. Being in Heat State with Heihachi will also let him stack his Warrior Instinct install, which, when stacked three times, lets Heihachi enter an empowered state where his moves are reminiscent to his boss-battle iterations in previous Tekken games.
Clive Rosfield
Hailing from the Final Fantasy series, Clive is Tekken 8's first guest character and the main protagonist of Final Fantasy 16. Clive plays as a long-range, pressure oriented character who can close the gap between the opponent quickly and employ flashy, magic-empowered mix-ups. Much like Noctis in Tekken 7 before him, his weapon attacks have significantly greater reach than the rest of the roster and enable his high-risk, high-reward mix-ups from Phoenix Shift stance. For his Rage Art, he summons Ifrit to rain Hellfire on the opponent, similar to Final Fantasy 16.
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