Tekken 8, the eighth main installment and tenth overall in the series, is an anticipated fighting game for both single-player and multiplayer modes, developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Arika. It marks a significant stride forward in the Tekken series, as the first major fighting title to employ Unreal Engine 5, promising a more immersive and visually stunning gaming experience.

Plot

The story of Tekken 8 takes place six months after the events of Tekken 7 and revolves around the conflict between Jin Kazama and his father, Kazuya Mishima. The tension that has been built since Tekken 4 comes to a head when Jin, haunted by his Devil Gene anomaly, transforms into his Devil Jin alter-ego during the battle. The symbolism of the broken chains in the trailer’s final scene hints at Jin’s intention to free himself from family conflicts that players could observe through several games. This climactic battle, also brings a surprise with the return of Jun Kazama, Jin’s mother, along with other familiar faces.

Gameplay

Tekken 8 game places a new emphasis on aggression by introducing a new ‘Heat’ gauge system. It rewards players who adopt an offensive strategy instead of the ones with a defensive stance. A newly reworked ‘Heat Smash’ system and the addition of ‘Heat State’, which grants chip damage and changes the properties of characters’ movement sets, have been added. The gameplay also emphasizes stage destruction and character reactions to make it visually entertaining for spectators. A novel system for extending juggle combos replaces Tekken 7’s “Screw” damage property, and fighters can only regain their health by attacking opponents.

Key features:

Unreal Engine 5, providing a more immersive and visually impressive gaming experience.
Iconic characters like Paul Phoenix, Marshall Law, King, Lars Alexandersson.
Entirely new characters’ models made from scratch.
New Heat gauge system, rewarding aggressive gameplay.