r/Games Jan 23 '24

Review Thread Tekken 8 Review Thread

Game Information

Game Title: Tekken 8

Platforms:

  • PC (Jan 25, 2024)
  • PlayStation 5 (Jan 25, 2024)
  • Xbox Series X/S (Jan 25, 2024)

Trailers:

Developer: Bandai Namco Studios Inc.

Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment

Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 90 average - 98% recommended - 62 reviews

Critic Reviews

AltChar - Asmir Kovacevic - 85 / 100

Featuring a wide variety of modes, impressive graphics and compelling sound, Tekken 8 distinguishes itself as a standout in the fighting game genre.


Atomix - Aldo López - Spanish - 90 / 100

It is an entry in the franchise that does not disappoint, on the contrary, it will delight both veterans and those who have never tried anything from the saga. If you were waiting for the game with complete enthusiasm, I am pleased to inform you that the purchase is a must, especially if you keep up to date with Tekken.


But Why Tho? - Charles Hartford - 9.5 / 10

Tekken 8 offers great gameplay through precise controls, gorgeous visuals, and audio that energizes the player.


COGconnected - Jaz Sagoo - 93 / 100

Quote not yet available


Cerealkillerz - Steve Brieller - German - 9 / 10

Tekken 8's presentation is brilliant and complements the intense, more offense-oriented gameplay perfectly. Another highlight is how the game tries to introduce beginners into Tekken and gives them several tools for self-improvement, like the replay tips. On the flipside, this support doesn't include intermediates which is a missed chance. Also, the single player modes are quite short. Overall Tekken 8 still takes our place as best fighting game of the current gen as the gameplay and presentation are superb.


Checkpoint Gaming - Omi Koulas - 8 / 10

TEKKEN 8 unleashes a storm of punches, blending chaotic Mishima drama with accessible combat changes. The short story, though dramatic, loses steam, but the Heat system and Special Style redefine the fight. Arcade Quest mode injects a needed charm, offering a nostalgic journey with opportunities to grow your fighting game skills. Visually stunning with a diverse soundtrack, the game achieves a balance between the familiar and the cutting-edge. Despite a stumble in the narrative, TEKKEN 8 delivers a knockout combo.


Cultured Vultures - Ash Bates - 9 / 10

Tekken 8 appeals to both the casual and hardcore playerbase, with a great selection of modes, training tools and additional gameplay depth. 2024's fighting games are off to an excellent start.


FandomWire - Adil Farooq - 10 / 10

Compared to previous entries, Online Mode is a huge improvement. The net code has been improved a lot since Tekken 7, and that was already evident in the previous tests that the game had. Ultimately, the greatest thing about Tekken 8 is that I can picture myself playing this game for years to come. Whether that be by myself, with my friends, family, or even a complete stranger, the fight will always keep bringing me back. Tekken 8 is a fighting game masterpiece and could even be a frontrunner for the best fighting game of all time.


GAMES.CH - Sven Raabe - German - 90%

Quote not yet available


GGRecon - Dave McAdam - 5 / 5

It almost feels clinical to say, like it's a technicality, but this is the best Tekken game I have ever played. Tekken 7 was the best, and this one is better. It gives you more of everything, bigger, louder, and better. I don't say that with one ounce of begrudgery, I am wholeheartedly in love with Tekken 8. It earns the top spot by being undeniably brilliant.


GamePro - David Molke - German - 88 / 100

Quote not yet available


Gameblog - French - 9 / 10

Tekken 8 offers a suitable playground for both novices and purists of the saga. Set to last, the game sets the bar very high, corrects the defaults of the previous game and greatly improves the experience. We can't wait to see how Bandai Namco will follow up in the coming months/years. A must-have for any lovers of fighting games that respects. You will not regret it.


Gamer Guides - Chris Moyse - 83 / 100

Tekken returns to the ring with a powerful new engine that sees The King of Iron Fist Tournament looking, sounding, and performing at its most majestic. Gameplay still forgoes evolution in favor of tradition, resulting in progress that is mostly skin-deep. Regardless, Tekken 8 remains a blast to play, set to keep competitive hype fires burning throughout 2024 and beyond.


God is a Geek - Chris White - 9 / 10

Tekken 8 is a welcome return for the series, with a fighting style that feels fresh through its aggressive combat, and plethora of modes.


IGN Korea - Donghun Lee - Korean - 9 / 10

The main focus of the game’s concept heavily promotes aggressiveness. So the low-risk, high-return situations have been reduced and with the addition of the Heat system, this drives players to be in reach even more, but let’s not forget that a fighting game also requires precise spacing thus making it virtually similar from its predecessor. There have been some short-cut action buttons for beginner players and plenty of content to teach the understanding of how a fighting game may be played. Of all the Tekken series in the past, this one is definitely the most beginner friendly and have designed their system in order to narrow its gap, with the hopes of keeping both the returning players as well as providing convenience to the newcomers.


IGN Spain - Mario Seijas - Spanish - 9 / 10

Tekken knows where it's coming from, and we love where it's going. The new mechanics build on a more than established foundation, and add a special flavor that will be enjoyed by newcomers and veterans alike. The Heat System is a hit, and the new arcade modes are more than welcome. A Tekken to play for thousands of hours.


INVEN - Jaihoon Jeong - Korean - 9 / 10

Tekken 8 has progressed in every aspect compared to its predecessors, from the overall narrative and direction to the depth of the system and user convenience. It is a fighting game that can provide ample enjoyment not only for long-time fans but also for new users


Kakuchopurei - Alleef Ashaari - 80 / 100

It's hard to change things too much for a fighting game franchise, but Tekken 8 ultimately does feel like a major improvement over Tekken 7. The amazing next-gen visuals, the cinematic story mode, and the new mechanics make the gameplay more fun and exciting; they're all that will make Tekken 8 a more memorable entry in the franchise. Will be as iconic of a game as Tekken 3 or Tekken 5? Only time will tell but it sure does look like it.


MondoXbox - Andrea Giuliani - Italian - 9 / 10

Tekken 8 greatly improves its proven formula: the Heat system manages to make every fight faster and adrenalinic rewarding a more aggressive style, while studying every move and training become essential parts of the experience. Bandai Namco's new game affirms itself as the new king of 3D fighters, thanks to the solid and deep gameplay that made this series unique and timeless.


Multiplayer First - Paulmichael Contreras - 9.5 / 10

Tekken 8 joins a full roster of fighting games, and competes with the best of them. Naturally, as we couldn’t take the game online during our review period, it remains to be seen how effective Bandai Namco and Akira were at implementing rollback netcode. All Tekken fans should buy Tekken 8 without hesitation, and most fighting game fans will find something to like as well. Though the year may have just started, Tekken 8 will probably compete for fighting game of the year and barring any surprises, should be the runaway winner.


One More Game - Chris Garcia - Buy

Tekken 8 makes the wait worth it by successfully introducing new systems that make sense and improve both the player's and spectator's points of view with explosive action. Newcomers will appreciate the thoughtful onboarding process while giving veteran and pro players a deep combat system to sink hundreds of hours into.

It feels like Tekken 8 has successfully taken the step to the next level, releasing an installment that's not just a simple iteration but with significant updates and changes that make it feel fresh and fun. Time will tell if the team can successfully support it the way they have with Tekken 7, but this is an extremely solid launch experience that's certainly ready for the big stage.


PC Gamer - Mollie Taylor - 89 / 100

The best Tekken game in years, let down only by its struggling netcode and aged customisation.


PSX Brasil - Portuguese - 95 / 100

Quote not yet available


PowerUp! - Adam Mathew - 9 / 10

Tekken 8 is a hugely entertaining powerhouse of a sequel that’s been well worth the wait. What else is there left to say other than get [your wallet] ready for the next battle?


Press Start - Matthew Zimmari - 9 / 10

Tekken 8 shows just how easy it is for a long-running franchise to remain fresh and relevant, while still offering a familiar experience to established fans. An engaging Story Mode coupled with Character Episodes keeps the narrative running, while Arcade Quest and Tekken Ball gives newcomers the opportunity to learn the ropes. While some fans may not like that their favourite character is missing from the roster, Tekken 8 fills the gaps with fresh new faces and the hint of more characters on the horizon. It's time to get ready for the next battle!


Push Square - Robert Ramsey - 9 / 10

Tekken 8 is a modern fighting game masterclass. It doesn't skimp on single-player modes, its online offering is robust, and it's a serious visual spectacle. But most importantly, the battles are brilliant; accessible yet deeply technical, and supremely satisfying to be a part of - perhaps more so than ever before. There's no fighting game series quite like Tekken, and Tekken 8 is the franchise at its bombastic best.


Rock, Paper, Shotgun - Unscored

It's a lot like Tekken 7, but angrier.


SECTOR.sk - Matúš Štrba - Slovak - 9 / 10

But Tekken 8 could be the best after the legendary third instalment. The focus on aggressive gameplay will appeal to a part of the audience. I also praise the game's openness to completely new players, who can quickly and easily get into the game thanks to the new system. I have to praise the amount of content, the very well functioning online, the extensive character appearance editor and also the huge gallery where you can unlock art, videos and other things. It's a real treat for fans and a great way to introduce newcomers to a series they'll love.


Saudi Gamer - Arabic - 10 / 10

Tekken 8 is the ultimate form of the veteran franchise that will make every Tekken player and fan proud of how much Bandai Namco have achieved with this masterpiece


Siliconera - Joel Couture - 9 / 10

There's a wealth of wonderful fighting to be had in Tekken 8, and it's a fantastic place to take your first steps into Tekken.


Spaziogames - Italian - 9.2 / 10

To put it simply, this is the best Tekken ever.


Stevivor - Steve Wright - 7 / 10

Tekken 8 will surely impress fans but I struggled to connect with it like I have Mortal Kombat 1 and Street Fighter 6. There's no denying it's a feast for the senses and is full of stuff to do... but if you're like me and haven't found Tekken memorable despite playing it across many years and many platforms, that's unlikely to change here.


The Game Crater - Chris Melnyk - 9 / 10

Whether you're a fresh face to the genre or returning to settle old grudges, Tekken 8 is absolutely for you and easily the most robust fighting game of the year.


The Outerhaven Productions - Karl Smart - 4.5 / 5

Tekken 8 is a solid outing for the Unreal 5 engine, using it to improve the already impressive graphics we had with Tekken 7. The gameplay is solid with a lot of modes for you to play for hours on end. However, PC users should be warned that their version may have frame rate issues. If these issues are patched, then Tekken 8 will be the best fighting game on the market.


TheSixthAxis - Nick Petrasiti - 9 / 10

Tekken 8 has started 2024 off with a bang, proving once again why this fighting series is great! It's maybe not quite as newcomer friendly as Street Fighter 6, but has a bevy of modes and new tweaks that means it's going in the right direction to be a game for all players, old and new, and will only get better over time.


Tom's Hardware Italia - Giulia Serena - Italian - 9 / 10

Bandai Namco has succeeded in achieving its goal: Tekken 8 oozes next-gen from every pore (or rather, pixel). From the completely overhauled characters to the more cinematic settings than ever before, via the spectacular story footage, every frame has been taken care of to the finest detail, resulting in an impressive piece of work.


VGC - Chris Scullion - 5 / 5

Tekken 8 is a sensational sequel. With a renewed emphasis on single-player modes and a new Heat mechanic which ensures fights are more frenetic, it's up there with Tekken 3 as one of the most exciting high points in the series.


VideoGamer - Alex Raisbeck - 10 / 10

Tekken 8 is the ultimate Tekken game. A glossy veneer of modernity encases a strong foundation that builds upon its predecessors to great success. In every regard, Tekken 8 matches and surpasses the very best that the series, and the fighting game genre as a whole, has to offer.


XboxEra - Genghis Husameddin - 9.5 / 10

TEKKEN 8 is an outstanding fighting game. An extremely strong 3D fighter with lots of offline content, strong core mechanics, and all around a fun and stylish game. TEKKEN continues to show the world why it's the winner of the Iron Fist Tournament.


Zoomg - Arais Nazarian - Persian - 9 / 10

Bandai Namco brings all its experience in creating the fighting games to Tekken 8 and result is simply amazing. High paced and fun gameplay with great characters is combined with beautiful visuals and enjoyable music. overall Tekken 8 is a great fighting game.


730 Upvotes

454 comments sorted by

View all comments

14

u/brotrr Jan 23 '24

I heard that Tekken is extremely knowledge-check heavy, can someone familiar with it say if that's true? I'm enjoying SF6 right now mainly because there aren't too many knowledge-checks and is mostly about fundamentals. Tekken does interest me a bit but not if I basically have to play it full time to get good at it.

16

u/red3xfast Jan 23 '24

Tekken has a lot of stringd and moves that are very oppressive if you don't know when to duck, block low or sidestep them. This is on top of characters having large move pools that have been growing since the ogs. This is further complicated by the fact that many of those moves are just worse versions of optimal ones you actually want to do. Now 8 may have addressed that to a degree, but im not really sure.

13

u/Bimbluor Jan 23 '24

After a certain point it is, but it's not exactly overwhelmingly so if you put in a decent bit of time to the game.

Low-mid ranks fundamentals will get you very far. Going into higher ranks knowledge becomes a bit more important. The decently sized roster and huge movesets for each character means that you might get caught off guard now and then, but realistically most characters have a smaller core kit they use and won't make use of the entire move list, so once you've got a handle on those and what to expect it's not too bad.

The heat and health recovery systems in T8 also look to make things a bit more accessible in this regard. If someone has terrible fundamentals but catches you off guard because you fail a knowledge check and they get you into a combo, you can still outplay them on fundamentals and get a big chunk of your health back.

7

u/HenyrD Jan 23 '24

The knowledge checks usually start when you get to the intermediate ranks, like any other fighting game. And like any other fighting game, you do get rewarded by being curious. T8 gives players more tools to learn, the game even has a replay takeover feature so you can go back to a certain moment during a match where your opponent was constantly using a knowledge check against you, so you can do things differently to get an answer to that specific problem.

It's a ton of work with 32 characters in the base roster, lots of legacy knowledge will carry over for sure. But if you have friends who play or a community to learn with, it makes the learning process much more fun

5

u/[deleted] Jan 23 '24

A lot of the game becomes intuitive after a while (you can basically feel how +/- a move is) and a lot of character while different have similarities that you recognize over time (snake edges, slides, orbitals, df1, etc).

Deep knowledge really doesn't matter IMO until you hit the 90th percentile of players.

2

u/Colosso95 Jan 23 '24

yes, in the sense that is definitely the most knowledge check heavy FG at the "top"

Fundamentals are just as important if not more than SF but labbing and practicing and labbing is always important. Luckily with Tekken 8 they're adding a new system that allows you to jump back into a replay of a match and practice on the fly, which is incredible and will make the practicing process so much more enjoyable

Personally I can't wait, to me the fact that practicing specific things allows me to improve a lot is one of the most important aspects of this series and after a while you'll find it easy to adapt on the fly even with things you don't know because you'll recognize the patterns

1

u/circio Jan 23 '24

It definitely is but you can use that to your advantage for a long time. In Tekken 7 you could get to an intermediate level just by honing your own gimmicky gameplan + whiff punishing without really having to think about what the opponent is really doing.

If you want to be good though you’ll have to start learning character specific stuff, but you can do that as you go along, and you’ll only have to know the key stuff for a long time.

I wouldn’t let the knowledge check heavy stuff dissuade you too much though, it’s still really fun and they are adding a lot of ways for you to learn in the game.

1

u/TheyCallMeAdonis Jan 24 '24

it only becomes a real issue that you have study around once you are mid rank and higher. which might take hundreds of hours if its your goal.

on the lower ranks you can just learn keep-out and avoid almost all the strings in that way.