The renaissance of fighting games has been amazing and has succeeded in reaching a new audience.
Many well-known series in the fighting game community- or FGC for short- like Guilty Gear, Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, and Tekken, the focus of this article, have reached a new height and have seen an influx of players. Through all these new releases, I think Tekken 8 takes the crown for the best new fighting game. While the other new releases are amazing in their own right, Tekken has surpassed the other games in terms of graphics, gameplay, character design, and presentation.
Ever since Tekken was first teased, the hype for the game has only been growing and it hasn’t slowed down. Bits of gameplay were slowly being released to generate talk about characters and how they would play in the game. They also had interviews with the developers about how the game’s development is going and what players can expect to see. Towards the launch of the game, the official Bandai Namco channel, which is the company that makes Tekken, released the opening movie, story snippets, and a lore recap narrated by Brain Cox, who gave a quick rundown on the series. Aside from gameplay reveals, I feel that the game’s visuals helped set it apart from Mortal Kombat 1 and Street Fighter 6. Tekken has always had a very interesting and appealing art style, being somewhere in between realistic and cartoonish. With Tekken 8, that style is amplified even more with the amazing environments and lighting contrasted with the effects that characters and arenas showcase.
Speaking of characters, part of the draw of Tekken is the hugely diverse cast of characters. The Tekken series incorporates fighters from all over the world, including countries like Japan, Korea, Sweden, Brazil, America, Ireland, the UK, France, Peru, and many more. It is very similar to Street Fighter in that aspect, as many of the characters are from different countries. The difference between Street Fighter and the Tekken series is that all the characters speak their own countries’ language, with a few exceptions. This is unique for video games as a whole, not just fighting games. It’s kind of funny, because every single character can understand each other regardless of whether or not they know the language. No real explanation is given as to why they can understand each other, but that’s part of the charm of Tekken. Another funny part about the characters is that many of them aren’t even “people.” Characters like Panda, Kuma, Alisa, Jack, Roger, and Alex aren’t human. Panda and Kuma are a panda and a bear. Alisa and Jack are both robots. Roger is a boxing kangaroo and Alex is a boxing dinosaur. They are goofy, funny characters with many fans who want to see their return.
Gameplay is also very important, and Tekken 8 delivers great mechanics and new additions to the Tekken series. Tekken is known for being 3D and allowing fighters to sidestep and sidewalk, meaning every single part of the arena can be walked in. Certain attacks from fighters can also be dodged by sidestepping. The introduction of the new “Heat” system also gives players many more techniques to practice and experiment with. Heat gives the player access to new moves and can perform a heat smash. Some moves will activate heat if they connect, and heat can also be activated through a button press where an attack will come out to activate it. It’s a powerful attack that deals a lot of damage. The player can also dash after certain moves, which can help them continue their attacks. The games have always had an in-depth combo system, and with the 3D landscape, movement and attacks feel different which allows for more player expression.
The story of Tekken is very long, with the games spanning many in-game and real-life years. Heihachi Mishima is the head of an organization named the Mishima Zaibatsu and the father of Kazuya Mishima, who he thinks holds the devil gene. The devil gene is a gene that turns normal people into monsters that resemble devils. He’s scared of what his son might do, so he throws him off a cliff. Kazuya survives and seeks revenge on his father. Eventually, through many tournaments, Kazuya has a son named Jin Kazama with a woman named Jun. Jin hates his father and wants to get rid of the devil gene, which Jin also possesses. He causes World War 3 in Tekken 6 to eliminate the devil gene but is unsuccessful. In Tekken 7, Kazuya finally succeeds in killing his father Heihachi. Kazuya wants to get stronger and take over the world.
Tekken 8 is the conclusion of the Mishima story. Kazuya destroys New York and holds another tournament. Kazuya gets even more power from a monster named Azazel trapped in one of the fighters at the tournament. Jin goes on his journey and attains the power of angels from his mother, Jun, who has held angelic powers. Jin fights Kazuya and suppresses both of their devil abilities with the power of the devil and angel.
This is where the first Tekken 8 trailer takes place. Jin and Kazuya have an all-out duel on a giant rock in the middle of the ocean. Jin and Kazuya go all out, using their vast combat knowledge and moves. Eventually, Kazuya knocks down Jin with a counterattack. Jin stands up and fights back with an electrified punch. He then performs a rage art, which is a super move that deals a lot of damage, which causes Kazuya to get knocked down. Jin then strikes a pose and uses his moveset from Tekken 3. Kazuya gains the upper hand this time, and Jin is beaten badly. Jin collapses against the wall as his father, Kazuya, walks away. Jin remembers his friends and those who helped him even after all the mistakes he made. Jin gets up and shows his grit and tenacity by fighting back, enraging Kazuya and forcing him to use all his power to finally get rid of his son. Jin forgives himself for the war he caused, and he finally accepts himself and his friends. He uses his new power to finally stop Kazuya, and as they lunge towards each other with their fists out, they each land a giant hit. The camera pans out to show them locked together in a stalemate before Kazuya falls and Jin is victorious. The world begins to recover after the huge war Kazuya started in response to Jin trying to stop him.
Tekken 8 is a masterpiece in terms of gameplay, characters, visuals, and story. While Mortal Kombat 1 and Street Fighter 6 are great games on their own, Tekken 8 has been handled better by its developers and acts as yet another amazing entry to the series. I’ve been enjoying playing the game, and I’m so excited that it has grabbed the attention of the old FGC and new FGC alike. Teken 8 will only get better over time, and I’m excited to see where it goes.
