TEKKEN 8

The King of Iron Fist Tournament is back – and what a comeback this is! Tekken 8 takes the 3D fighting formula we know and love to the next level, introducing new and exciting features while retaining the core gameplay that long-time fans of the series have loved since the PS1 days.

For the first time in a while, Tekken 8 aims to even the battlefield between seasoned and new players. While Tekken has never been as technical a series as, say, Street Fighter, the new control schemes seek to create a game where everyone has their time to shine.

Seasoned Roster

If there's one thing that Tekken has always excelled at that would be delivering one of the most eclectic collections of fighters from all over the world. As much as the character selection in Tekken 8 is rich and well-balanced, it's clear that players shouldn't expect to see as many characters as we saw in Tekken Tag Tournament 2.

New and old classics like Jin Kazama and Marshall Law will be returning for this bout, and so will other fan-favorite characters like Kazuya Mishima and Lars Alexandersson. Whether you're new to the series or already a seasoned veteran, every character in Tekken 8 is fun to play and features an accessible array of moves to try out.

Evening the Score

New to Tekken 8 is the ability for players to switch styles mid-match. What this means is that players can change from an assisted to a non-assisted mode on the go, which is great for when you're just learning how to play with a certain character.

Let's say you're getting accustomed to Lars' high-speed combos. You can begin playing using the assisted mode to nail those tricky combos and, once you get the timing right, you can change back to the non-assisted mode which allows you a more open-ended combo setup.

This all sounds a bit similar to what some players saw in the Wii U version of Tekken Tag Tournament 2, which included some useful combos on the Wii U Gamepad's screen. Still, this new switch mode will make it easier for new players to get their Tekken fix against more seasoned players – all while still keeping things fair for those who've already learned how to use their favorite characters.

A Graphical Leap?

One thing that could certainly disappoint some fans is the lack of bells and whistles in Tekken 8's graphics department. Following the tradition set by Tekken 7, Tekken 8 utilizes Unreal Engine 5 instead of 4 to achieve its visuals – and the results are a bit mixed.

While the game certainly looks great – with all the amazing animations and colorful sparkles you'd expect from a Tekken game – the game looks too similar to what we saw in Tekken 7. For those looking for a game that would blow them away with life-like visuals and whatnot, Tekken 8 is not that kind of game.

Pros

• Satisfying combos and responsive controls
• Tons of options for character customization
• Good selection of characters in the base game

Cons

• The netcode still needs some work, leading to some lag in online matches