Tekken 8 Review: The devil’s blood is more powerful than ever

From the first preview to its full release, Tekken 8 promised to be a gigantic leap forward for the legendary fighting game franchise. From overhauled features and stunning visuals to a blockbuster story, Bandai Namco has delivered a knockout blow with only a few missteps.

After almost nine years with Tekken 7, Tekken 8 makes all the right moves to modernize the series to compete with the best fighting games. The game plays like a dream and has the looks to match across its offline and online modes, so you can’t really ask director Katsuhiro Harada for more. 

Gameplay with a buttery smooth impact

The developer of Tekken 8 emphasized how each character retains the core of their past iterations while also being ground-up reworks in this entry, and it shows. The combat is smooth and makes every hit feel impactful, with every returning fighter having a mix of familiar and new sauce to spice up their kits. The newcomers all fit in perfectly, too.

I have already spent ages gushing about the game’s Special Style controls and how they make picking up new characters and trying them out easier than ever for new and old players, and it feels just as polished in the final build. Likewise, the Super Ghost AI feature still looks like it will push the game’s limits as more players utilize it to train both online and offline. 

Speaking of online, the servers weren’t up while I was reviewing the game, but I did get a limited chance to play with a decently sized group of other players. And, while I spent most of that session getting my ass handed to me, the online performed well, and I only experienced a few hiccups when testing it on both PC and PS5 with various matchmaking settings.

Fist meets a stunning fate nearly 30 years in the making

Tekken stories tend to be mixed, either taking themselves too seriously or going the opposite way into being a campy mess. Tekken 8 tows the line between the franchise’s two vices almost perfectly, settling on an over-the-top story about friendship, family, and trying to eradicate the Devil Gene that has plagued the Mishima family.

When you begin your journey through The Dark Awakens story, you take control of Jin Kazama and have a devil-powered showdown with Kazuya Mishima that sets the tone both visually and narratively for the entire game. The stunning cutscenes transition nearly seamlessly into and out of gameplay while keeping you engaged in each chapter without the need for endless exposition. 

My only complaint with Tekken 8’s story is that Bandai was hyper-aware that the game has a cast of 32 characters and felt like they all needed a key moment to shine. It didn’t bog things down too much, but there is a point in the middle chapters where it does feel like characters are being tossed at the screen to pad out the playtime a bit—though this is balanced out by excellent voice acting and a surprising combat shift that I won’t spoil. 

It might not compare to the depth of Street Fighter 6’s World Tour or reach the same cinematic gravitas as Mortal Kombat 1’s story, but Tekken 8’s unapologetic focus on pushing its characters to the limit paired with breathtaking visuals leap over both in terms of how much I enjoyed the ride. I think the finale of Tekken 8 is easily my favorite ending to any fighting game in recent memory, and the teaser for how things will carry on in the future has me excited for more. 

Bandai also made a great call in offering an optional, abridged recap of the entire Tekken story up to where Tekken 8 begins for new players so they don’t feel left out or need to deep dive into the series’ lore before jumping in. 

Extras mostly hit the mark

As for modes outside the main story, Character Episodes fill the role of a traditional Arcade Mode and allow you to learn more about each fighter through smaller stories. Don’t miss out on the extra lore you can get from them, especially for newcomers like Reina and Victor. 

Tekken Ball returns with plenty of new options to spice up the beach volleyball bloodbath you can now play online. I didn’t get to spend a lot of time with the latter, but the FGC seems hyped to host some Tekken Ball tournaments. 

The final mode is Arcade Quest, a new side story where you create an avatar and participate in several tournaments. I was not keen on the mode when I got to preview it back in December, and it still hasn’t won me over fully. I love what it is going for by trying to tell a story using arcade culture paired with the Tekken World Tour, but it feels half-baked when it comes to narrative, and visiting new arcades gets repetitive. As a way to gameify tutorials and combat trials for newcomers, it does a great job, but for returning players, it will likely be a hit-or-miss grind for accessories.

Good Ass Tekken?

Tekken 8 is one of the most complete fighting game experiences you can ask for. The story is nonstop action with enough depth to pull you in, the gameplay sings whether you play traditionally or with Special Style, and the visuals are second to none on current-gen consoles. 

In the words of former MMA champion Frank Shamrock: “Fighting is art, and there is nothing more beautiful than the painted canvas of just totally kicking someone’s ass.”

Whether you want to sit down for an evening and throw hands with a devil or hop online to grind ranked, there are multiple ways to enjoy both on top of plenty of extras to sink your teeth into. And, with DLC already on the way, there will be plenty of content to enjoy in the future, too.