Fathers And Sons And Fists In Faces
HIGH Amazing visuals. Top-notch controls.
LOW Occasional stuttering. Some weird translations here and there.
WTF Kuma hitting enemies with a giant trout is just… perfection.
I can’t write this review right now, as it will take me away from playing Tekken 8, and that is simply unacceptable.
[An editor, offscreen, mutters something unintelligible]
I’ve been reminded I am required to provide a full review.
FINE.
Tekken 8 furthers the sordid story of the Mishima clan, who have sponsored a series of fighting competitions. The prize? Control of the Mishima Zaibatsu and its seemingly-unlimited resources. Whoever is crowned the victor will have the power to do anything, including either caring for the world, or allowing it to be consumed by the forces of darkness.
Fundamentally, Tekken 8 is a 3D fighter, with players combining various button presses and movements to attack opponents, wearing down their life bar in best-of-three battles. Moves and throws can be strung together to decimate an enemy’s health, while dodges, blocks, and counters can mitigate incoming damage.
The roughly ten-hour story campaign features gorgeous cutscenes and has everything from heartfelt stories of redemption, love, and friendship to madcap slapstick comedy and one-liners, to the completely absurd (Bears. Getting. Married.) The tonal whiplash is real, but it’s so damn entertaining that I just don’t care. The story mode also allows players to get a feel for the whopping 32 characters available at launch, each with vastly different movesets and playstyles, including everything from close-in brawling to high-flying martial arts.
Standouts this time around are newcomer Azucena, with her perky, coffee-based banter (apparently I’m in the minority by thinking her constant talk about it is adorable.) I plan to use her often in the future, as I’m a big fan of her MMA-style strikes, speed, and ability to punish at range. I’m also taken with Alisa Bosconovitch, an android who finds herself so attracted to rebel leader Lars Alexandersson that she can (literally) lose her head over him. I’m enamored by her adorkable personality and the fact that she has chainsaws for arms to support a playstyle of speed and aggression, which is just right for me.
I want to say it’s difficult to pick a favorite fighter from the bunch, especially with those two in the mix, but it really isn’t. Since the early days of Tekken, I’ve loved pro-wrestler-turned-fighter King. His ring gear, (including an eerily lifelike jaguar mask) is fabulous, and he hits like a train with rolling kicks, clotheslines, and myriad throws, many of which can combo into one another. He’s always been a difficult character to use and requires incredible precision, but he’s been buffed into a top-tier fighter. His complex, multi-step inputs are a bit easier, and his special moves absolutely devastate at close and mid-range. It’s about time!
A new, additional singleplayer story mode titled “Arcade Quest” tells the more light-hearted story of a group of friends trying to make their mark in the world of competitive Tekken Arcade battling. This approximately five-hour mode serves as an extended tutorial, teaching players the ins and outs of picking a specific main (which can be changed at any time) and strategies that will help a player achieve success in online battles by explaining Tekken 8‘s new systems and how to use the right moves in certain situations. Watching my customized avatar wander around talking to NPCs was delightful, if a bit hokey, and the battle tips translated into wins in the online Ranked Mode later — something I’ve never achieved in a fighter before!
Of course, tips aren’t worth much if the controls aren’t there, but the inputs were remarkably precise on my standard DualSense pad, with no delay between my button presses and subsequent character actions. I rarely, if ever, felt like missing a move or combo was because the game didn’t recognize the input. Rather, it was usually because my timing was poor, or my opponent’s defense was impeccable. That said, I did and still do wonder if investing in a fight stick might be worthwhile if I really want to master Tekken 8’s standard controls…
Fortunately, the developers have included a clever new input system for those unable to remember or execute some of the more complicated sequences. By pressing the L1 button at any time, controls are switched to a relaxed “Special Style” which simplifies inputs, allowing players to pull off spectacular moves and combos with one button press, while still allowing experienced players access to the rest of the moveset. I love this new feature! The theme for Tekken 8’s Arcade Challenge is that play is meant to be enjoyable and accessible to all, no matter what character, skill level, or play style is chosen, and this mode supports it perfectly.
Also new to Tekken 8 is the incredible “Heat System.” Once a round, players can input a command to enter Heat Mode. While in this state, characters have ten seconds of enhanced power where they can activate a dash (to quickly approach an opponent) or a smash — a character-specific combo which can truly ruin an enemy’s day if it connects. For instance, masked wrestler King launches his opponent into the air with a hammer blow, and then leaps to catch the hapless victim in the air with a vicious powerbomb. If the hammer blow is blocked, King immediately switches to a sprint/dropkick combination. This mode adds an extra layer of strategy, as determining the best time to enter Heat and execute a powered-up attack can turn the tide of a battle quickly.
It’s also worth noting that Tekken 8 offers an embarrassment of riches in terms of play modes apart from the ones already mentioned. Beyond the story and Arcade Quest modes, there are the usual PVP offerings such as on- and offline matches, ranked contests, and the volleyball inspired Tekken Ball (attacking opponents with a charged sphere rather than directly). Online lobbies including the adorable Avatar Arcade lobbies are populous, and it hasn’t taken me more than a minute to get into a brawl with a fellow player. The game features solid rollback netcode, skipping frames of animation to cover for any lag, ensuring a smooth experience. Matches are quick to load, and it’s easy to track players I fought, allowing me to turn them into friends (or rivals!) in an instant.
No matter what mode a player chooses, the screen is soon filled with vibrant color, incredibly detailed character models and backgrounds, blazingly fast frenetic action, and llamas. I will never not be amazed when I can see, for example, things like the stitching on Victor’s immaculately bespoke suits, or the embossed patterns on Jin Kazama’s leather jacket (this is a big game for patterned leather jackets).
Speaking of costumes, Tekken 8 offers an almost ridiculous level of customization available to players. Not only could I customize my avatar to look like me, complete with my usual t-shirt and jeans gaming combo (and a reasonable facsimile of my glasses), I have the ability to change the way every fighter looks. By unlocking additional gear with in-game currency (not microtransactions) players can make characters look like everything from Santa to Tomb Raider‘s Lara Croft, and just about everything in between. Tekken 8 has a style for everyone.
Tekken 8 is an outstanding offering with almost nothing to complain about, but I do have two minor complaints. First, some models can clip through one another, which is especially noticeable when attempting a throw on a larger character such as one of the bears. It doesn’t affect gameplay, it’s just a visual quirk. More of an issue is when the camera angle shifts to catch a “better” view of a particularly powerful move or combo, which sometimes makes the action or impact hard to see.
In case it hasn’t been made abundantly clear by now, Tekken 8 is a must-play for fans of the series, fans of the genre, or even for new players wondering what all the hype is about. It’s a standout entry in a phenomenal series, it respects the player’s time, and gives them a ton to do, and it’s a joy to play. Go get it.
Rating: 9 out of 10
[EDITOR’S NOTE: After this review was published, GameCritics learned (Source A, Source B) that Bandai Namco will be adding an in-game shop. In this shop, real-world currency can be exchanged for “Tekken Coins” in order to purchase items such as classic versions of costumes. The exact pricing is not known at the time of this Editor’s Note. The customization options described in the review remain accurate, but we can no longer say that Tekken 8 is microtransaction-free.]
Disclosures: This game is developed by Bandai Namco Studios Inc. and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. It is currently available on XBX/S, PS5, PC. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the PS5. Approximately 15 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and the game was completed. 3 hours of play were spent in multiplayer modes.
Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated T and contains Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence. The official description reads: This is a fighting game in which players engage in one-on-one combat with a large cast of human, animal, and supernatural characters. Players use martial-arts punches, kicks, and throws to drain opponents’ life meters in fast-paced combat. Some characters use swords, laser blasts, and explosives to deal damage against opponents. Battles are highlighted by impact sounds, cries of pain, and screen-shaking effects; some attacks are depicted with zoomed-in camera angles and colorful bursts of light. The game contains some female characters designed with revealing outfits (e.g., bikinis, deep cleavage) and jiggling breasts; a Gallery Mode also depicts female characters with revealing outfits, exaggerated-sized breasts, and provocative poses (e.g., bikini-clad characters bent over). The word “sh*t” appears in the game.
Colorblind Modes: Colorblind modes are present.
Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: This game offers subtitles. The subtitles cannot be altered and/or resized. All gameplay audio cues have a visual component. Spoken dialogue during character introductions before a battle do not always have subtitles. All dialogue in story mode is fully subtitled.
Remappable Controls: Yes, this game offers fully remappable controls.
He juggles this passion for gaming with his most important job, being a husband and dad.Fortunately, his boys are growing up as gamers (with decidedly more skill, much to his annoyance) and he has a very understanding spouse.
He hangs out on Twitter sometimes as @JPSJeffOrt, Facebook FAR less frequently, and while he misses performing all the interviews from his former online life, he’s much more relaxed now!
- Axis Football 2026 - October 28, 2025
- Dungeons & Dragons Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition Review - September 16, 2025
- MACROSS: Shooting Insight Review - May 13, 2025