Tekken 8 preview: The King of the Iron Fist tournament has never been so exciting

Recently, I had the pleasure of getting hands-on with the final build of Tekken 8. Alongside a myriad of other content creators and journalists, we spent the entire day diving into the game modes, and also had access to the full roster. I have played every single Tekken game, dating back to the first Tekken 1 cabinets at my local arcade as a kid. With that in mind, it’s hard to express just how excited I was to get hands-on, other than the Network tests.

While I don’t play 3D fighters quite as much, Tekken and its over-the-top presentation and characters have always had a hold on me. Let me tell you: Bandai Namco’s flagship fighting game franchise has never looked or felt this good. Tekken 8 is incredible; let’s discuss why, though.

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Tekken 8’s story is absolute madness, and that’s a good thing

There’s one thing Tekken 8 does that no other fighting game has yet to do: Keep a long-term story that is both memorable and compelling. I can’t talk about the story itself or show you any footage to avoid spoilers. But I did play the first few chapters and came to a very important conclusion, at least for me.

Tekken 8’s story feels very much like the most brutal, insane version of the Cell Games from Dragon Ball Z. It’s extra in the best way possible. Even anime fighters don’t have an anime story like Bandai Namco has crafted here.

The King of the Iron Fist tournament takes center stage in a new way while the world watches on in horror. In most fighting games, the “tournament” doesn’t feel like it’s important to anyone but the fighters taking part. In this case, it’s life or death for everyone. You will not want to miss out on this.

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Plenty of Game Modes, and all of them matter

When it comes to game modes, Tekken 8 delivers. We had access to everything in the game besides deep into the main story/online modes. Do you want to just pound through a series of increasingly more difficult challenges? Then you want Arcade Battle. That’s where I probably spent the most time, other than Arcade Quest.

This was quite possibly my favorite part of the game, besides the actual combat. As someone who grew up in the 80s, the death of the arcade scene makes me sad in a profound way. I used to head to Aladdin’s Castle in my local mall almost every weekend to play Street Fighter 2, Tekken, and, of course, quarter-munching beat ‘em ups.

Arcade Quest has you create an avatar and brings back the arcade scene in a fun, fresh way. Players will go through matches with other NPCs and eventually tackle tournaments as they go from arcade to arcade. This was so much fun, and it serves a dual purpose: In addition to just being charming, it’s an incredible tutorial.

It helps guide new players towards game mechanics and teaches skills that will serve them well online. I feel like it’s going to help build player’s confidence to play online more. You also have the Ghost Battles/Replays, where you can get advice on what you could have/should have done in previous battles.

While testing the Ghost Battle content, I saw my AI opponent learn as I continued to play. Personally, I go from throws at any chance I get one, and so my opponent picked up on cues like that. Some people have said it’s just a dumb gimmick, but I don’t agree. You can load in pro players, or even your friends, and use the Ghost to train and improve.

Replays and Tips is where it’s at, too. The ability to have the game give you some guidance and advice on portions of matches where you messed up is incredible. Not everyone has someone on call to give advice, and we aren’t all Knee or JDCR.

On top of that, there’s just fun nonsense like Tekken Ball! That’s right, Tekken Ball is back, and while I only played a few rounds, I absolutely loved how ridiculous it is. Tekken 8 brings the heat when it comes to useful, fun game modes, and I think fans are really going to eat it up.

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Tekken 8’s gameplay is brutal and intense

I feel like I’ll always be casual at best when it comes to this franchise, but I felt a level of confidence I haven’t had before in Tekken 8. A lot of mechanics and fundamentals I picked up from previous games were there, and I want to take some time to talk about the Heat Gauge. I know that metered mechanics are new to this series, but unlike some people, I don’t think it’s a bad idea.

Is it a great way to bring fans in from other fighting game franchises? Of course, it is. Do they do tons of damage and look cinematic as hell? They most certainly do. Are they a guaranteed way to win battles? No, not at all. Sure, in a lot of my footage, I panic and hit those buttons in dire situations - that’s something I have to work on.

Even if you aren’t a master of Tekken 8’s juggling combos, you can still get into the game and have a lot of fun. It will help teach you what you need to know to get started, without a doubt. While at the preview session, I mostly played Bryan Fury, Kazuya, Yoshimitsu - who did not feel like a joke character, let me tell you - and Reina.

So, let’s talk about Reina briefly - or, as I dubbed her at the event, Femhachi. Her moveset is going to feel familiar while also being fresh. She has more mobility than Heihachi while retaining his pure violence and unrelenting onslaught of hard-hitting attacks.

Reina can do brief ground rolls to get under mid/high attacks and surprise people with some truly stunning combos. I didn’t play as everyone, but everyone I played with felt great in one way or another.

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Tekken 8 is the most beautiful fighting game on the market today

This isn’t hyperbole, either. Unreal Engine 5 is a powerful tool, and Bandai Namco is really getting the most out of it with this latest fighting game. The cinematics are gorgeous, the character models are truly impressive, and I love being able to cinematically smash opponents through walls or down through floors.

The voice cast is incredible, and everything about the game’s aesthetic is smart. Visually, the game impressed me a great deal. January 2024 cannot come quickly enough, so I can get hands-on with this game once again.

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Final Thoughts - How is Tekken 8?

Tekken 8 is going to be one of the best fighting games of 2024. All it needs to do is have a solid netcode, and it’s going to be a force of nature. It has all the game modes, a stacked roster of playable characters, and tons of game modes right out of the gate.

All I need to know is how the final build will play online. That’s the most important part. But this Tekken title gave me something I haven’t had in a fighting game in a while - confidence. I love fighting games but don’t always feel confident when playing. I think it’s going to be the smash hit of 2024, as long as it has a good netcode. January 26, 2024, cannot get here fast enough.

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For those who simply cannot wait for more Tekken, a demo is coming soon! It will begin on December 14, 2023, on PlayStation and on December 21, 2023, on Xbox and Steam. We don't know why the dates are different, but you won't have to wait very long.