Tekken 8
Tekken 8 is a 2024 fighting game developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Arika and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. It is the eighth main installment in the Tekken series and the first one to debut on home systems instead of arcades. Game tests were held starting in July 2023 before the 8th game was released for the PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on January 26, 2024.
The base game's story mode, titled The Dark Awakens, takes place six months after the events of its predecessor and focuses on the final confrontation between main protagonist Jin Kazama and main antagonist Kazuya Mishima, as well as the introduction of late Heihachi Mishima's daughter, Reina. Jin's mother Jun Kazama also appears alive in her first canon appearance since Tekken 2. Meanwhile, an additional story mode titled Unforgettable Echoes focuses on Lidia Sobieska, Eddy Gordo, and Yoshimitsu on uncovering the Mishima Clan's ancient history, as well as the resurrection of Heihachi himself after his defeat against Kazuya.
Focusing on more aggressive tones, Tekken 8 was developed using Unreal Engine 5, and it features upgraded fighting elements and systems from its predecessor. Tekken 8 also introduces brand-new mechanics, such as the "Heat" system and "Tornado" hits. Arcade Quest was another addition to their online mode, which includes tournaments, arcade features, customizable avatars, and specialized currency that is featured throughout the game. Upon its release, Tekken 8 received critical acclaim, with critics praising the game's graphics, story, overall progression in the series, and aggressive gameplay.
Gameplay
Tekken 8 follows the same fighting game format as previous Tekken games. Katsuhiro Harada, the game's producer, stated that Tekken 8 will be "more aggressive" than its predecessor, indicating that the system will reward players who are proactive in attacking rather than those who are defensive. To achieve this, the game introduced a new system known as "Heat". When a character unlocks the "Heat" state, they cause not only chip damage and additional movesets, but also changes the properties of some of their moves, such as a heavy guard break. These fighters can also dash cancel their moves while in the "Heat" state. Heat's timer can be stopped if fighters' movesets are used. Fighters will also receive chip damage when guarding against a normal state's heavy attack or Heat State characters, allowing them to regenerate their health bars. Unlike the Tag mode-only health bar regeneration system from the Tekken Tag Tournament games, fighters' recoverable health can only be restored by attacking their opponent.Tekken 8 includes a number of technical updates and reworked features. The "Rage" system, which debuted in the previous entry, returns in Tekken 8 with new changes. For example, the "Rage Drive" has been separated and reworked as "Heat Smash", a "Heat" system super move. The "Screw" mechanism was removed from Tekken 8 and replaced with a "Tornado" extender; the system places opponents in a ground-bound state when they fall to the ground quickly. Specific stages in the game also have hazards, such as some with harder walls and floors that must be broken multiple times by fighters' harder knockout attacks, while others will cause damaged opponents to blast upward when hit by an explosive on the walls and floors.
In addition to technical improvements, Tekken 8 includes changes to other elements. Harada stated that Tekken 8 aims to provide a more cinematic fighting experience, with a focus on stage destructions and specific characters' reactions to them. Furthermore, all character models and voice acting are entirely new, rather than recycled content from previous entries. The online mode includes a battle lobby called "Arcade Quest", which features arcade environments, regular online battles, and tournament matches. "Arcade Quest" allows users to customize their avatars and will use a "Fight Money" currency. Tekken 8 is powered by the next-generation Unreal Engine 5, becoming the first major fighting game to use this engine.
Tekken 8 features crossplay, enabling PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S players to play against each other for the first time in the franchise's history. Cross-Platform Play can be enabled or disabled depending on the player's preference.
The Scenario Campaign-based Tekken Force Mode from Tekken 6 is only exclusive in the base main story's chapter 10. This mode has exclusive Heat and Rage systems features which original head to head combat scenario systems did not have, such as a Rage Burst, and a Heat gauge that can regenerate automatically and become reusable at full bar. Additionally, when fighting against Azazel or in Tekken Ball Mode, Rage Arts are disabled, with the latter has Rage Arts replaced with Rage Burst.
Plot
The Dark Awakens
Six months after Heihachi Mishima's defeat, Jin Kazama, alongside Lars Alexandersson and Lee Chaolan of the Yggdrasil Rebel Army, ambushes his father Kazuya Mishima in Manhattan, New York. However, as Jin is forced to watch Kazuya kill millions in the city, causing him to be haunted by a vision of Ogre killing his mother Jun Kazama, he loses control of his Devil Gene powers and is defeated, causing the operation to fail. Amidst the chaos, Kazuya, now openly revealing his devil form to the public, announces a new King of Iron Fist Tournament, where representatives of various nations fight one another. The winning nation will be rewarded, while the losing nations will face destruction.A week later, before the King of Iron Fist Tournament qualifiers begin in the sixth day, Jin, recovering from his injuries, spars with Lars, while Lee analyzes their sparring. As Lars and Lee feared, Jin discovers that he no longer can activate his Devil Gene powers at will. After a brief talk with Alisa Bosconovitch on the third day before the tournament, Jin makes up his mind and joins the qualifiers in Japan, while Alisa, originally going to replace Jin in the tournament, is enlisted to keep an eye on a possible set-up by G Corporation. There, Jin meets Reina, a student from Mishima Polytechnic, whose combat prowess resembles Heihachi, his late grandfather. Jin manages to secure a spot in the main tournament, defeating Reina and his old rival Hwoarang, occasionally showing bursts of his Devil Gene powers in combat. After the battle, Reina requests to join Jin in his fight against Kazuya, keeping her true intentions hidden.
Elsewhere in Rome, Italy, Claudio Serafino, Zafina, and Ling Xiaoyu watch the tournament. Zafina reveals to Claudio the reason Jin declared a third world war against Kazuya during his time leading Mishima Zaibatsu was to lure the demonic creature Azazel and destroy it. However, Azazel's soul was still alive after its defeat and is now sealed in Zafina's left arm. She discovers that Kazuya's growing avarice had been a main source behind Azazel's growing power, and warns Claudio that they need to seek out Jin to stop it. Meanwhile, Leo Kliesen and their father Niklas arrive at the Yggdrasil base, where the latter reveals his research on Azazel and the Devil Gene. He reveals that Azazel granted the gene to ancient man, creating devils to act as its servants, and to access its power, one must have a strong desire. The Hachijo clan, from whom Jin and Kazuya are descended through Heihachi's late wife Kazumi Mishima is one of the servants' descendant clans.
At the main tournament in Rome, Lars meets up with the UN Independent Forces leader and Raven Unit founder Victor Chevalier who agrees to support Yggdrasil in capturing Kazuya, while independently, Claudio, Zafina, and Xiaoyu infiltrate the tournament. Jin defeats Leroy Smith, the tournament's East American Coast representative, who then teaches Jin to let go of his fears and follow his heart, while also being grateful for his heroism against Kazuya's attack in Manhattan. As both Yggdrasil, UN, and Claudio's team begin their assaults, Jin and his expanded allies are too late to realize that the tournament was a set up by Kazuya to lure Zafina, and gather enough dark energies surrounding the turmoil of coliseum during the finals to resurrect Azazel's physical form. Breaking the seal on Zafina's arm, Kazuya unseals Azazel and defeats it, absorbing it to transform a True Devil form. Reina, aware of the Devil Gene, battles Kazuya in this new form but is defeated. In an attempt to buy time for Jin and his allies to escape, Claudio uses his powers and manages to injure Kazuya, seemingly at the cost of his life. Still wrestling with Azazel, Kazuya retreats.
Believing that there is a way to regain control of his devil powers, Jin embarks on a journey to the Kazama Sanctum at his birthplace in Yakushima, deep in the forests of the island, where Jun presumably died at the hands of Ogre. On route to Yakushima, Emilie De Rocherfort reveals that Jin is now the sole survivor of a main branch of the Kazama Clan, which is facing extinction after Jun's disappearance. Kazuya moves his remaining forces to Yakushima, intending to slow down Jin and destroy the rebel army. A coalition of Yggdrasil, the UN, and several combatants from the tournament, including Leroy and Reina, battle against G-Corporation's army, led by Nina Williams and several other tournament combatants under their payroll, while Xiaoyu single-handedly protects Jin from mass-produced Jack-7s as he falls into a deep slumber. Kazuya then appears, obliterating both sides. Lars retreats to the forest to protect Jin from Kazuya, while Reina, believing that near death would awaken some sort of power for her, lets herself be seemingly killed in the blast. Ultimately, as she successfully survives Kazuya's blast and wakes up from a near death, Reina is revealed to be a Devil Gene carrier like Jin and Kazuya.
Deep within his subconsciousness, Jin encounters his devil self, who then mocks Jin's previous failures and crimes. After a lengthy fight against himself, Jin finally accepts his devil side and regains full control of his powers, just in time to save Lars from Kazuya's attack. Kazuya plans to obliterate the island, but Jin stops the blast. After seeing visions of Jun encouraging him, Jin awakens to his Angel form and attacks Kazuya. Kazuya and Jin fight all the way to space, the resulting blast from both sides purges each other's Devil Genes. Landing back on Earth, Jin and Kazuya engage in a final battle between father and son, with Jin emerging victorious. Finally free of the Devil Gene, he thanks his mother and departs with Xiaoyu. An unconscious Kazuya is later approached by a seemingly alive Jun.
During the credits, as the world celebrates their freedom from G Corporation's tyranny, some of the tournament combatants, including ones formerly affiliated with Kazuya during the Yakushima fight, are shown opening food kitchens in Manhattan to help restore the city, Leo and Niklas continue their expedition to parts unknown, the Yggdrasil and UN celebrate their successes in Paris where Shaheen watches the celebration at the yacht, and Zafina and Claudio are both shown alive in the Middle East.
In a mid-credit scene, Reina stands from the ground and vows to avenge her father, Heihachi, while assuming her newly awakened devil form.