THE IRON FIST TOURNAMENT IS BACK.
Tekken is a series of games that have been in my life for….. well, as long as I can remember playing games. We had Tekken 3 for the PS1, and the biggest moment in my life for gaming was getting a PlayStation 2 in 2002 at 5 years old, and one of the first 3 games we got for it was Tekken 4. To say I have been impatiently waiting for the newest installment, Tekken 8, would be an understatement. I even voted for it as my most anticipated new game in The Game Awards 2023, over other games I care about nearly as much. Does this new title hit the mark, or was it a disappointment?
I am happy to say it blew my expectations out of the water!
Installment after installment, it would be easy to think “It’s a 3D fighting game, how far can you really take it in a new title this far in?” and, although I could easily point you to the absolutely insane story so far in Tekken, a game that at this point is as much about “The Iron Fist Tournament” as the Fast & Furious franchise is about illegal street racing(definitely stole that comparison from senpapigabe), where I feel Tekken 8 really shines is the way the game FEELS to play. Somehow, Bandai Namco has tweaked the combat to the point that everything, from every punch, every kick, every grab, and every combination has the PERFECT amount of weight to it. It is easily one of the most satisfying fighting games I have ever played in the way it feels. Add in the additions to the rage and heat systems, and the gameplay not only feels weighty, but also crazy fast paced, making for an incredibly satisfying flow of gameplay from one fight to the next. The cast of characters is pretty stacked, although at this point in the franchise, I am sure all the DLC characters will just be old characters not in the launch lineup(Todd Howard, this is your fault somehow).
Online gameplay feels great, connections in game are typically stable, and the new online Tekken Lounge is a fun way to see all the players who most definitely are about to demolish you. Unlike a lot of other fighting games nowadays, there are a lot of solid single player modes in this one too! The classic Arcade Mode / Character stories are there and are fun to blow through when you have a few minutes of downtime per run, and the new Arcade Quest, replacing the old ranked offline arcade mode, is so freaking fun, and although its cheesy in the way its written, its just cheesy enough and doesn’t force you to have your hand held. Speaking of offline modes…..
Good LORD, the story mode of this game is peak.
I don’t want to spoil anything about the story, but, it is a story that knows when to take itself seriously and when not to, explores the lasting effects on Jin’s mind after games’ worth of havoc, the beautiful father and son relationship he has with Kazuya(didn’t see that coming, did you?) and doesn’t overstay it’s welcome.
Overall, Tekken 8 is marvelous, and one of my favorites in the franchise (and probably my favorite since the PS2).
If you are a fighting game fan, or ESPECIALLY if you are a Tekken fan, I definitely recommend picking it up when you can. I almost guarantee you will not be disappointed.