Tekken 8 Reviews

Tekken was already a big deal before Tekken 3 came along, but the third instalment rocketed Bandai Namco's series to truly awesome heights. It was both a revolutionary 3D fighting game and a commercial juggernaut, helping define an entire console generation.

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!

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.

“Tekken 8 doesn't quite land a perfect combo, but its strong enough to be a champion.”

Everyone's already weighed-in about TEKKEN 8 but now, it's my turn so buckle-up and get ready for some top-notch fighting gameplay.

Tekken 8 is not just a return to form, it's a Tekken masterpiece. Without question, this is the most fun I've had playing a Tekken game in a very long time. It's only a matter of time for people to call this one scrubby too, and I am here for it. Harada, hat tip to you. Beautiful and very fun game.

Tekken 8 doubles down on all of the right aspects and delivers the ultimate Tekken experience through an extremely polished combat system, a beautiful presentation, a surprisingly well-crafted story mode, a few novel mechanics, and a groundbreaking new game mode.

Tekken 8 is a classy fighter that wisely never takes itself too seriously. Sweeping and silly, it uses cutting-edge graphical tech to deliver an experience that is both bruising and beautiful. However, it has too many self-indulgent story mode cutscenes.

Tekken 8 blew us away with its excellent, engaging features that are fine-tuned to fit every fighting game fan's preference. It also offers a battle system that new and veteran players can enjoy...as long as you can take the Heat.

Tekken 8 doesn't reinvent the wheel, but the new changes make for a fantastic new entry.

A masterclass in fighting game design, perfect for both new and old players alike.

TEKKEN 8 hits hard with what could quite possibly be the best TEKKEN entry to date. Fresher than newcomer Azucena’s signature coffee blend, this title does everything in its power to make this King of Iron Fist tournament worthy of all players.

Tekken 8 is a perfect fighting game that hits almost all the important spots. The story mode is arguably the best in the franchise, having fantastic CGI cutscenes, emotional moments, and cool fights. The combat system is very strategic and forces players to use their resources wisely. If you feel the combat is overwhelming for you, the game has fantastic tutorials and a replay system that helps point out your mistakes. The addition of rollback netcode and crossplay removes any barrier you cou...

A new aggressive fighting system and a healthy cast of characters make Tekken 8 pack a powerful punch.

Content rich, mechanically deep, and stunning from an audiovisual sense, Tekken 8 cements itself as the current king of fighters for newcomers and veterans alike.

Tekken 8’s gorgeous graphics and bombastic storyline all wrap around an incredibly welcoming set of tutorials to detail the wonderful fighting mechanics that show the franchise is better than ever.

A little less than seven years ago, back in the earlier days of this website, a younger me stated that Tekken 7 was, at the time, the best fighting game of its console generation, and possibly the best fighting game to have been release over the past decade or so up until that point. Ever since that game came out, I don’t think we’ve had something that was able to topple it. Street Fighter 6? Mortal Kombat 11? The King of Fighters XV? Guilty Gear Strive? All fantastic games, but not parti...

There’s a wide range of content available in Tekken 8 – a pleasant change from how relentlessly monetized fighting games are. Tekken Ball is a goofy little side mode that combines volleyball with combat for a nice breather between battles, while Character Episodes provide fun little arcade endings for fans to take in. Each character in the roster even comes ready with different costumes to use from the get-go using currency that is quickly earned through any mode. I know there will surely be more microtransactions to come in the future, but the content available from the start here is certainly appreciated as a refreshing – if temporary – change of pace.

Despite being a niche genre, fighting games are in the midst of a renaissance. Tekken 8 is a welcome addition to the party that includes Street Fighter 6, Mortal Kombat 1, and Guilty Gear Strive, just to name a few fantastic brawlers released over the last two years. This installment has impressive graphics, a solid character roster, and a robust combat system with several new twists. While some of the extra modes, particularly Arcade Quest, are a swing and a miss, the game still packs a mighty punch.

Tekken 8 is a stellar entry to the series with something for everyone. Whether you're a grizzled veteran or just want to play as the guy who looks like Bruce Lee, there's never been a better time to enjoy the King of Iron Fist tournament.

In-depth tutorials and new gameplay systems make Tekken 8 both a perfect entry point for series newcomers, and an evolution of the fighting game formula fans have spent decades trying to master.

There really is a lot to love about Tekken 8, and the great thing is how familiar the game still feels while constantly impressing you with everything that’s new and shiny. This is a new generation of Tekken that is sure to keep you hooked for a very long time.

But what Tekken 8 proves more than anything is that the infamously complex franchise is still capable of evolving. The new game makes a serious investment in making its most intimidating features accessible to a wider audience, while also offering weird detours and an ambitious story mode that reveals the limitations of the Tekken brand.

Tekken 8 is as equally ridiculous as it is sensible. It makes crazy, entertaining choices for its story while also opening its doors to a more contemporary, wider audience through some systems that increase the game’s approachability.

TEKKEN 8 offers the next evolution for fans of the nearly 30-year-old franchise and story, as well as newcomers with its more accessible and aggressive fighting style. The Mishima bloodline battle for supremacy unravels further with the highs and lows of the King of Iron Fist Tournament’s latest instalment.

Tekken 8 is a fantastic fighting game experience worth diving into, even if you’ve never been to a volcano-fueled family picnic.

Almost perfect if not for the nitty-gritty. If it’s quite there but not enough to push the boundaries, it’s still an awesome game.

The best Tekken to date proves that plenty of depth makes for a vibrant fighter, justifying its current-gen exclusivity to deliver a skull-thrasher that really feels like an evolution rather than a simple update.

More than the sum of its parts and some really quite magnificent visuals, Tekken 8 is a truly terrific fighting game, which, in the midst of a resurgence for the genre, is quite something. After thirty years, Tekken 8 proves there's a lot of life left in the series yet.

Taking into consideration its wealth of content and aggressive combat system, it’s clear that Tekken 8 is one of the best fighting games around. With its numerous single-player modes and online offerings, there’s something here for everyone. And its character roster should be applauded for its depth and variety. Above all, though, Tekken 8 succeeds because it’s simply such good fun to play. Stunning visuals work with its clever camera to inject battles with genuine drama. And thanks to more accessibility options than ever, more players can have fun whether they’re a seasoned pro or an absolute newcomer.

Tekken 8 is an incredible fighting game that expands on the series while retaining what makes it great. And it can run wonderfully on the Steam Deck.

Tekken 8 is a fantastic entry in the long-running franchise and a fitting celebration of its 30-year history. With a varied roster packed with unique move sets, the addition of the Heat system and recoverable health gauge, plus a huge variety of modes, Tekken 8 is unmissable for both newcomers and fans alike.

Tekken 8 is a shot in the arm for the series, advancing the story while offering addictive combat, exceptional presentation and a suite of features to attract new and experienced players.

Tekken 8 is a beautiful blend of nostalgia for longtime fans and a pair of welcoming arms for newbies.

Tekken 8 is a marked improvement over Tekken 7 and a perfectly executed balancing act, keeping older players happy while revealing its trademark freedom to newcomers.

Version Reviewed: PlayStation 5

Whether you want to sit down for an evening and throw hands with a devil or hop online to grind ranked, there are multiple ways to enjoy both on top of plenty of extras to sink your teeth into. And, with DLC already on the way, there will be plenty of content to enjoy in the future, too.

Tekken 8's shift towards aggressive matches fits the series well, and its epic campaign and great newcomers make this a mighty combatant.

Tekken 8 is a little light on single-player content in comparison to some of the other big fighters out there right now, and it does give off the initial impression of being super-slick over strategically balanced early on. Stick with it though, dig down beneath all the fancy new heat moves and screen-shaking rage attacks, and you'll find a classic fighting system that feels better now than it ever has. Once you're in the zone, pulling off Phoenix smashers, dashing fists and sandwich claps whilst side-stepping like a pro, any slight shortcomings this game may have are left at the entrance to the arena.

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.

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.

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

Honestly, it's hard not to readily recommend Tekken 8 to fighting game enthusiasts and curious newbies alike. So much of this title shines with the developer's desire to provide players with the best experience possible that the game's scant flaws are negligible. Those who have even a passing interest in the title owe it to themselves to give this fantastic entry a look.

Tekken 8 is a faster, hyper, and fuller package than before. A must-grab for fighting enthusiasts.

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.

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.

Get ready for the next chapter in the legendary fighting game franchise, TEKKEN 8. PS5 version reviewed. Review copy provided by company for testing purposes.

Previous Tekken games have sported excellent customization options both cosmetically and through gameplay. Tekken 8 has continued that trend and then some. Every playable character and their controls can be highly customized. Various cosmetic options include different clothing, hairstyles, and accessories. Some characters can be changed so much that they become unrecognizable when fighting other opponents online or another player's ghosts. Customized fighters can even learn the player's style and be uploaded into Tekken 8's servers as Ghosts to challenge other players in multiple modes and help the player train their abilities in the Super Ghost Battle mode.

Street Fighter 6 just raised the bar for AAA fighting games midway through 2023, and its long-time 3D rival Tekken has already matched it. Tekken 8's story mode is a breath of fresh air after T7's, and its abundance of single-player modes will give casual fans plenty to do afterward. Veterans can enjoy Tekken 8's new characters and mechanics without the game’s fundamentals being compromised, and a top-notch presentation will impress without technical hiccups. No one could have expected Tekken 8 to improve this much after Tekken 7 was already so strong, but it's clear that the new game won’t settle for anything less than being the series’ best.

Throughout my long hours of playtime with Tekken 8, I struggled to find bad aspects of this game. The online and offline modes are plentiful. The roster is robust and varied. The online plays smooth and crisp under even undesirable conditions (with plenty of options to restrict those conditions). And the cherry on top is that this game looks and plays absolutely gorgeous. The move to Unreal Engine 5 seemed intense given how much Bandai Namco had to build from the ground up, but the payoff is obvious. And with the Heat System and Special Style controls, whether you’re a newcomer to Tekken or an old hand, this is a ridiculously fun game to learn. You want the best the King of Iron Fists Tournament has to offer? Tekken 8 is it, and looks set to carry that torch for years to come.

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 there are possibly frame rate issues with their version. If these issues are patched, then Tekken 8 will be the best fighting game on the market.

One last bit, I got to play a bit of online play while the servers were up. TEKKEN 8 features rollback netcode and, from what I could tell, the experience was good. One disconnection, one unplayable match due to serious frame drops likely caused by the connection or my opponent’s PC, but the rest were pretty good even at high ping. Mind, this was in the American lobby, so it’ll remain to be seen how netcode performs across regions. But thanks to crossplay, there will be a better chance of finding players in lobbies closer to your location.

Tekken 8 improves on its predecessor with a complete graphics overhaul, drastically improved netcode, and a robust base game package featuring 32 characters and 16 stages. With DLC fighters already in the pipeline, there’s more than enough content to keep fighting game fans packing punches for the foreseeable future.

The Tekken series is one that needs no introduction. Debuting on the very first PlayStation console, the franchise by Bandai Namco reached the peak of popularity with the release of Tekken 7, which went on to become the most popular fighting game of the previous console generation.