Tekken 8 is a throwback in the best of ways. In an era of $70 games feeling like just a base, with season passes and other DLC required to get a full experience, the newest Tekken game is packed with a roster of 32 characters you can use in an array of modes. This is exactly the type of content a marquee fighting game should have.
Building off the gameplay of previous games in the series, Tekken 8 introduces a new “heat” mechanic that winds up rewarding aggressive play. This new state is easily triggered with a tap of the right bumper and introduces a bevy of time-limited boosts: chip damage, unique moves (including the devastating heat smash), and more. The rage system from Tekken 7 has been reworked, but there’s still a super move that can be triggered when you’re at low health, which can change the tide of battle and deliver some really epic comebacks as a result. Tekken has never been a series to reinvent the wheel; instead, it prefers to continue refining what works, and this is the best-playing entry in the series yet.
The majority of the characters are returning veterans, which is a good thing considering how many great fighters the series has had over the years. However, the new additions are quite fun, with the highlights being Reina, a stylish purple-haired Japanese girl who uses the Mishima karate style and is a blast to play as, and a Peruvian female mixed martial artist named Azucena Milagros Ortiz Castillo, who loves coffee and is willing to fight over it. It’s a really strong roster, one that is bolstered with alternate costumes and a ton of customizability options that can be unlocked with in-game currency rather than trying to get you to constantly buy microtransactions to afford them.
The game’s story mode is an improvement upon the one found in Tekken 7, which had a boring framing device of a journalist investigating the Mishima clan. Instead, this focuses on Jin and Kazuya clashing once again as a tournament takes place. It’s a cutscene-heavy affair, similar to what NetherRealm does with Mortal Kombat, and one whose big moments really stick out as special, even if the story can be convoluted at points. The final clash helps the story end on a high note and is particularly fun to experience.
While it will only take a few hours to get through the story mode, there’s plenty of content here. Aside from excellent online play, there are small character episodes that span five fights and feature ending cutscenes, the arcade mode players have come to expect, and Tekken Ball returns as a mini-game. There’s also a new mode called Arcade Quest, which serves as an extended tutorial and features a fun cameo from producer Katsuhiro Harada.
Tekken 8 isn’t just a joy to play, it’s the most content-complete fighting game I’ve played at launch in years. Bandai Namco has done a great job delivering a great-looking game that backs up its punch with a ton of modes and reliable online play. Impressive all around, this is by and far the best fighting game released this generation.
SCORE: 9/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 9 equates to “Excellent.” Entertainment that reaches this level is at the top of its type. The gold standard that every creator aims to reach.
Disclosure: The publisher provided a PlayStation 5 copy for our Tekken 8 review. Reviewed on version 1.001.002.