Tekken 8 is the return of the king

I still remember my first Tekken experience. I was 8 years old, and print game magazines still carried demo discs. One of those was Tekken 3, with Jin Kazama on the cover. I had no idea who or what this was about. But I knew it was cool. It felt magical in a way. I didn’t understand the controls, but it didn’t matter. The game made me feel a part of the action in a way no other had at the time.

Fast-forward some 25 years, and Tekken 8 repeats that magic trick. After a few iterations of trial and error, it’s a perfect encapsulation of everything that has made the franchise an icon. Combined with incredible visual style, a fantastic story mode, and more accessibility options than ever before, and Tekken 8 is an easy contender for one Game of the Year. And it’s only February.

The only thing that will be inaccessible to newcomers is the story. Yet even there, Tekken 8 has you covered with a thoughtful “history of Tekken” video. As someone who still remembers fighting the grand patriarch Heihachi Mishima, now long gone, this kind of retrospective is more than helpful.

Not that it will clarify everything. There’s a lot of jargon about devil genes, global domination, and anime-levels of hyperbolic destruction. Most of it so impenetrable that, if you’re really committed, a trip down the Tekken Wiki is more than necessary.

Does that matter? Not one bit. Tekken 8 is so breathtakingly insane that comprehension is secondary. It’s a fast-paced action epic that, at its best, rivals anything out there in the cinematic landscape. Think of a combination between Stephen Chow, James Cameron, and Takashi Miike, and you’re on the right track.

While the story might prove impenetrable, the mechanics are anything but. The rage system, originally seen in Tekken 7, returns with some welcome updates. As your health falls past a certain point, your character can unleash a furious reprisal, designed to balance out the playing field. It’s more of a Hail Mary than an instant victory, as seasoned players can block the attack if you’re not careful.

Health bars can recover based on how you attack your opponent, making this the most aggressive Tekken game to date. While blocks, grapples, and counters are still there, it’s clear that Tekken 8 favors the attacker. For someone like myself, who has never excelled at blocking, it’s a welcome addition.

And if you find the controls overwhelming, fear not. Tekken 8 comes with a simplified control scheme that proves a lifesaver for new players. At the touch of a button, you can change your approach to something easier, that still never feels like it gives you an unfair advantage towards the opponent.

The levels have received upgrades as well. Visually, they’re stunningly imaginative and full of detail. It’s almost a shame the combat gets in the way, I could enjoy just looking at them for hours on end. But throw your opponent at a wall or the ground hard enough, and you’ll discover the entire stage crumbling away, shifting to another landscape entirely. It feels dynamic, exciting, and it genuinely changes the fights every time they happen.

Online, where the meat of the content resides, you’ll find a plethora of activities. You can create an avatar to journey through the Arcade Quest, explore the arcade lobbies for both practice and fighting company, or just chill in one of the numerous social spots with like-minded fans.

One of the great things about Tekken and fighting games in general is the communal spirit. Attend any live event, and you’ll witness dedication to the esport that rivals any football game. There’s a genuine joy in watching star players beat the hell out of each other with moves that you didn’t even know existed. Tekken 8 brings that experience even closer with improved social functions, a terrific matchmaking mode, and stellar net code that during my testing worked like a charm.

Best of all, you’re not limited to playing with a single platform. Thanks to a robust cross-platform accessibility, you can join friends on any console where the game is available.

While I’ll never be able to truly compete in the online space, I applaud Tekken 8 for its ambitious and successful efforts of making that community easily reachable. It feels like I have an entire group of friends, both familiar and those I’ve yet to meet, who are always at my fingertips. Joining in on a game is easy, and the challenges never feel frustrating. Or, if they do, it’s the kind of frustration that is still fun.

For fans of the franchise, Tekken 8 represents the best of what The King of Iron Fist can offer. For newcomers, it’s one of the best entry points to this genre. A spectacular display of technical and visual prowess, distilled to near perfection.

It’s going to be a good year for fighting games.