Players in the CIS countries have a special relationship with the Tekken series. Despite the fact that the fighting game is only one of the recognized kings, promoting the genre along with Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, many domestic gamers born in the 90s spent a lot of time in Tekken 3 – the main “brawler” on the Sony PlayStation. Many years have passed since then and many games have been released, but in 2023-2024 we will again discuss and compare the same games – Street fighter 6 Mortal Kombat 1 and new Tekken 8. After jumping into the next iron fist tournament with both feet, we tried everything the fighting game has to offer, went through the story mode, achieved famous lyules in online battles and are ready to tell you why Tekken 8 is the best part of the series and one of the best games overall.
How it is played
As far as gameplay goes, it’s still the same good old Tekken. Each button is responsible for a specific part, and the controls have remained virtually unchanged since the previous part. Those who have mastered the seven will immediately feel at ease. There is also a simplified mode that allows all newbies who are not familiar with multi-stage controls to create beautiful combos. You can turn it on and off at any time.
Rage mode is also present. It activates when the hero has very little health left, and allows you to quickly turn the tide of battle in your favor.
However, there were some innovations. Just below the health bar, another one has appeared, which is responsible for a completely new mechanic: Heat Burst. It can only be used once per round and is similar to X-Ray from the latest Mortal Kombat, but with some changes. You don’t just make one fancy move, but strengthen the fighter many times, allowing him to perform various devastating combos or some special attacks for a while, called Heat Smash. You can block this, but if you catch the enemy in the air you will see a series of animations where the character literally tramples the opponent into the arena. Of course, each of the heroes has their own punches and it’s a pleasure to see this.
In general, the game as a whole has become much more colorful and effective. Almost every blow is accompanied by some kind of glow, sparks or flashes of energy. The settings menu even has a separate column that controls the number of such “fireworks”. With the right approach, there are times when fighters literally hide behind an abundance of all kinds of light, but fortunately this is always appropriate and in no way affects the control of attacks.
The developers promised that they would rethink the gameplay, make the battles more dynamic and push for an aggressive strategy. And so it happened. If Mortal Kombat 1 felt much slower than previous entries, Tekken 8, on the other hand, increased its speed. Being in a block won’t work, and with the same boost mode your opponent can easily break through your defense. You literally have to go into battle and use everything you know. This gives incredible emotions and creates excitement, which is sometimes lacking in modern fighting games.
In addition, a care reimbursement system has been created. Yes, yes, if you successfully counterattack and land multiple hits, you will regain some of the health lost. Another unusual and interesting way to stimulate player activity.
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Things to do
If you haven’t followed the series that much and decided to delve into the world of Tekken only from the eighth part, then you can rest assured. The main impression that remains after the first hours of the game is the endless attention of the creators to newcomers. Before the campaign you will be shown short story videos about each of the parts, which will immediately inform you and provide the necessary familiarity, and for those who do not want to fight in a simplified mode, a separate arcade story has been prepared, where you slowly learn the controls, allowing you to try out different characters and master all the details of combat.
In arcade mode you will have to create your own avatar, which will end up in a special hub with arcade machines. The goal is simple: master Tekken 8 and defeat the main champion. There are also dialogues between ‘real’ people who will teach you, and detailed descriptions of each action. If this sounds familiar, then the recent Street Fighter 6 did indeed have something similar. This decision seems like plagiarism, but we think it is logical. Otherwise you won’t be able to delve into the details of the combat system and the boring training mode will be long outdated.
In the same hub you can get acquainted with the online game. Let’s say right away that this does not require additional dances with a tambourine, as was the case in Mortal Kombat 1. Our version for PS5 was not purchased with a Russian account, but no one stopped us from connecting to the servers from a Russian profile. The speed is excellent and there are enough players.
After noticing the avatar of another user, you can fight with his ghost or start looking for an opponent using a separate button. Before you start, the game evaluates your skills in a test battle and determines the difficulty level. This will help you select people close to your skills, so you don’t lose all the time. The more battles you complete, the higher your rank.
Interestingly enough, you can also fight your own mind. This makes it easier to see yourself from the outside and appreciate your mistakes. Despite its apparent simplicity and friendliness towards beginners, Tekken 8 is still, at its core, a serious fighting game that can and should be mastered for a long time and carefully. Fortunately, you have everything you need for this.
If this is not enough, the Tekken Ball mode has returned, where, as before, you have to charge the ball with blows and send it to your opponent. Funny? Doubtless.
Finally, the story campaign and character episodes deserve a few words. The story is short – about 5-7 hours. According to tradition, what happens begins exactly at the same place where the previous part ended. Let’s say right away that the madness here is very different from what was shown in the recent Mortal Kombat 1. If the story there is very serious and pathetic, then Tekken 8 doesn’t stray from the ‘real anime’ formula.
There will be space and good direction, but the plot doesn’t try to go beyond the level of a B-category action film. Separately, it is worth noting the non-standard approach and attempts to diversify the fights. The story is divided into chapters and each chapter is slightly but different from the others. I especially remember the episode where the heroes had to take turns fighting entire groups of enemies on a huge field. You don’t see this often in fighting games.
I just want to criticize the story mode a little. Personally, we didn’t have enough character development and any intrigue. The story moves along like a train, without being distracted by details. And they’re just desperately missing. If the timing was a little longer the game would just look better. In any case, the writers have already left the basis for the ninth part, so the finale is still a long way away.
Character episodes are jokes about what would happen to specific characters if they won the tournament. Five battles are prepared for each of the 32 fighters. It is not so difficult to go through it, and the inserts themselves will pleasantly complement the impressions of the plot part.
Details
This variety is completed with an improved adjustment system. There are already many videos on the Internet showing how Leon Kennedy, Solid Snake and many others are made into heroes. Modified characters can be used in battle or simply put into beautiful poses for photo shoots.
As we said above, there are a total of 32 heroes to choose from. This isn’t the largest list for Tekken, but as usual many will be added in future DLC. Among the newcomers: a coffee lover from Peru, Azucena, who uses the style of mixed martial arts, a spy from France, Victor, who does not hesitate to use a katana and a pistol in combat, and the mysterious Reina, whose origin and fighting skills will remain secret almost until the end.
But the famous Heihachi Mishima is no longer in the pool of fighters. The developers confirmed that the monstrous grandfather died completely and irrevocably.
One of the important features worth mentioning is the incredible stability of the game. And this is when developing on Unreal Engine 5. The graphics are beautiful. The rich colors and character models are surprising, but the affordable system requirements and stable 60 frames are even more surprising. To play comfortably on a PC, it is not at all necessary to buy a video card for the price of an airplane.
A really nice thing was the voice acting. The project has Russian subtitles, but the characters themselves often speak their native language with characteristic accents and features.
Tekken 8 takes the best of previous titles and takes it to the next level. While studying the game, you will get a lot of positive emotions from every element, from the graphics to the network mode. It’s also a great starting point for the series and fighting games in general. You don’t have to take expert lessons like in Street Fighter, they teach you everything.
The most important thing the new product does is entertain. The story is fun to follow, the fights are fun, and the character costumes are fun. This is truly one of the best projects that is equally suitable for both casual gamers and fighting game professionals.
Source: VG Times