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I love fighting games, but I’ve never really gotten into Tekken. This is mainly because I was a huge Sega fanboy as a kid, and I preferred Virtua Fighter over Tekken.
However, with Tekken 8, I think I’ve finally found my way into the franchise and I have to say, it’s fantastic.
Let the iron fists fly
Despite being new to Tekken, I found it surprisingly easy to get into. It’s simple and intuitive. You can start playing with any character and have a good time just by pressing buttons.
With a base roster of 32 fighters, there’s a lot of characters to choose from. I personally enjoyed playing with Reina, a new character in Tekken 8, after spending some time in the Practice mode which helped me get comfortable with her moves.
In the new Arcade Quest mode, which also serves as a tutorial, you make an avatar and go through different arcades while being taught new techniques. It’s a fun way to practice with your favorite character and unlock some cosmetic items.
The story mode is also enjoyable, although it mostly focuses on Jin. However, each fighter has their own short narrative content and watching their endings is fun. Overall, Tekken 8 provides plenty of content for solo players.
Fight everyone
The game also offers the standard online battles, both casual and ranked. From my experience, the matches felt good for the most part, with only a few instances of noticeable lag. The virtual lobbies in Tekken 8 are enjoyable for gathering with friends and engaging in some casual competition. And for some fun, Tekken Ball, a combination of volleyball and fighting games, is a great way to break up the more serious battles.
Better late with 8 than never
Tekken 8 is a solid entry in the franchise, delivering satisfying gameplay and a wealth of content for solo and multiplayer experiences. It may have taken me a while to get into Tekken, but it’s been worth the wait.
Tekken 8 launches on January 28 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. The publisher provided a PS5 code for this review.
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