Tekken 8 - GAME PREVIEW

Greetings one and all...

🥁🥁🥁

...to the Tekken 8 preview series! - I know we didn't cover all of the characters, but we did what was important: covered all the characters that I care about. 😁 And so there is only one way to put a cap on this series before the launch of the game, and we transition into a different type of series - time to preview the overall mechanics, game modes, and goodies that you can experience in this latest installment of one of the greatest fighting game franchises of all time.

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Release Date: January 26, 2024
Developers: ARIKA, BANDAI NAMCO Studios, Tekken Project
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows
Hype Levels: Off the charts

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And so! 🕺 Let's get into it then!

🔷 GAME MODES 🔶

We cannot talk about Tekken without talking about the soundtrack. Tekken has one of the best catalogs of songs throughout its storied franchise. They are high-paced, violent, and serene. From Trance to Dubstep to Epic Chanting, Tekken has it all. This newest installment definitely adds to the playlist of "Best Tekken tracks", while also having some other... more questionable entries. 😅

One thing I have to mention is that in Tekken 8 you can amke your own custom playlists while playing the game. This feature was present in Tag Two and in Tekken 6, but was absent from Tekken 7. Now, it is back and optimized. Better than ever. Tekken being a franchise of so many amazing tracks, the fact that you can make your own playlist while playing the game is an incredible feature and one I am glad they're adding.

_{A playlist of all the songs releassed thus far.}

STORY MODE

Tekken 8 has the return of the tried and classic story mode found in all previous Tekken titles (well, all except 7 which has this lame narrator trying to connect the chapters). We are back to classics here, following a storyline in the standard usual format. I like that Harada tried something different with 7. But I also liked that he recognized it didn't really work and went back to something everyone recognizes and appreciates.

Furthermore, this storyline should be one of the best, most involved yet. Granted, fighting game stories are always wacky and not meant to be taken seriously. But you can't hide the fact that Tekken has the most long-running storyline in the genre. Is it goofy? Yes. Is it also very unique and charming in its own way? Another resounding yes.

BATTLE MODE

Standard 1v1 is here as always. I wished there was a Team Battle Mode as well like in previous entries. But we can't all have nice things unfortunately.

It bears to mention that there are no more continuous battles in Ranked Mode. Each time you get matched with an opponent you fight in a best-of-three. Once that concludes you're off to find another opponent. This is an interesting change and one I can see both sides of the argument on. You do like playing the same person over and over again, but there is validity to the more structured approach as well.

ARCADE QUEST

A brand new game mode to the Tekken series but not new to the genre. A form of this game mode has been present in Virtua Fighter and the latest itteration of Street Fighter. At first, I was apprehensive about its addition, but now I am glad it's present.

You play as a chibi character in this arcade hub. Where all your friends and other online people play as well. In it, you are guided as you make your way to the ultimate competition the Tekken World Tour. You go from Arcade Cabinet to Arcade cabinet. Learning the ins and outs of the game while playing a storyline customized for the arcade experience.

TRAINING MODE

Tekken 8 has the best training mode of any fighting game. Full stop, period, conversation ends here. Let's go over what it provides:

• Practicing all your combos and access to your move list while waiting for a match.
• Able to jump in any of your previous matches, and replay key moments to see if you could've gotten out of some situation (this si crazy btw).
• Fight Ghosts of yourself and other popular Tekken personalities. The Ghosts are next-gen technology that allows you to fight a mirror of whoever you chose, yes even yourself. This has been present in previous fighting games, but not to the level that is shown here.

There are also other bells and whistles meant to help our new players. This training mode has it all. And if any fighting game requires such an extensive training mode, it's Tekken.

TEKKEN BALL

In Tekken 7 we had bowling. But who cares about that stuff? Also, it was only a local/friend co-op, so you couldn't even play it with people online. Lame! Now we have the return of one of the most loved side modes - volleyball!

First introduced in Tekken 3 this game mode lets you play on a volleyball court, with a huge ball that you can do combos on. It's a pretty unique experience that you wouldn't understand unless you play it. But trust me: it's hype, it's great, and Tekken players love it. Not sure if that reasoning is enough to convince you but it's the truth. 😀

🔷 TECH AND CODE 🔶

The TEKKENTEAM worked hand in hand with Epic to optimize the game in its brand new engine - Unreal 5. They keep on talking about how there are still levels to get to when it comes to the graphics and optimization. And frankly, I believe them. Unreal 5 is an amazing engine.

The Net Code still leaves a lot to be desired. Street Fighter 6 really raised the bar when it comes to seamless online matches. Tekken hired an external team that helped with the making of that Net Code in the hopes of replicating that effect. So far though, in the previous two public game tests, that hasn't been the case. With frequent lag spikes and disconnects. And if you're playing vs a WiFi player? Forget it. Let's hope they fix it by the time of the release. 🤞

This is a very important benchmark for the game that I hope they reach. Having the same Tekken 7 Net Code is not acceptable in this day and age. I know it will be better, but how much is the question?

I am beyond the hype for this game. So much so that I might just fork up the 70$ to buy it on day one. I usually never play games on day one, but I just might here. 😁

I plan on doing several posts for this game and I hope you all join me, either on Steam or in the comments.

Anyone that wants to play Tekken 8 with me, put your Steam name in the comments and let's fight!

Thank you for reading my post, you rock! (and maybe roll) 👏👏👏

🖼️ Image Sources: 01, 02, 03, 04 🖼️

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Have a great start to your week! 🙌