Tekken 8 Review (Sv. Prolivije)
Thank you, Tekken 8
For the past few years, I've genuinely struggled to get excited to play any game I own or could buy. My passion for gaming reached an all-time low near the end of 2023. And 2024 brought more of the same—a new year, same old burnout plagued me. Things weren't looking good, bruv.
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I was legit thinking of calling it quits, but only after publishing my cute little flipbook project I worked on for the past 6+ months. Plus, I was once again (still am) tormented by (I assume) RAM issues, despite already getting a brand new kit from G.Skill on the 3rd of January after going through their RMA process.
But that's a story for another day.
Back to Tekken 8.
On (Orthodox) Christmas Eve, I was scrolling through my YouTube feed, and Tekken 8's teaser popped up. I already watched it back when it was first shown—I did not care! Yet, now I did!? After that, I watched the story trailer for the first time. My tummy felt weird—'twas butterflies! I was giddy with excitement. I was looking forward to a game for the first time in forever! And it was a game from a franchise I did not care for and from a genre I don't even like. It was an (Orthodox) Christmas miracle! Then and there, I decided—I must play it day 1! As fate would have it, I had just enough TF2 keys sitting in my inventory to fund this desire of mine. So, I did.
To pass the time until it fully came, I played the demo, loving every second of my 23 hours spent with it. Sure, its content offering was small: only 4 (out of 32) playable characters, the first battle of the story mode, the intro section of the Arcade Quest mode, and a few Super Ghosts fights that let me reach only the Warrior rank. But it's the motion of the ocean that counts! And, oh boy, did it rock my boat! The 26th just couldn't come soon enough.
The gameplay shocked me by how easily I jelled with it. Fast, flashy, and furious, yet it was welcoming to a complete noob like myself. I was loving the learning process, and it didn't feel overwhelming. I even managed to get gud at doing some simple combos and air juggling, so that's nice. And I love the new gameplay addition—the Heat system. Being able to stop my opponent's attack flow by using the Heat Burst attack, which is uninterruptible, is music to my ears. Sure, you can easily block it, but this is where the fun begins—trying to time it, just right! Plus, the Heat Engager and Heat Smash (I do be engaging in smashing) attacks can be used to extend combos and deal even more damage in the process. Simply majestic. The trade-off is that Heat only lasts 15 seconds. But do you really need more than that? Sometimes less is more, you know.
Speaking of cool attacks, Rage Art is present once again. This is essentially a super funky high-damage special move you can only do when your health is low. I can't count the number of times using it saved my noob behind from dying. And I gotta say, they are always a treat to watch. This superbly animated sequence, combined with the game's insane visuals, sparks joy each and every time I watch one play out.
And all the fighting is extra spiced up by the crazy amount of special effects on the screen each punch, kick, grab, or flying leg kick thrown produces. I can't explain why, but I love the sight of them. It makes watching the punch land that much more oh-so-satisfying. The animations are also fantastic, further adding to the amazing feel of the combat.
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The visuals are simply insane. Unreal Engine 5 shines, and so do daddy Kazuya's massive pecs! Everything, from the arenas, some with multiple rooms you can blast your opponent into, to the character design, is superb and extremely rich in detail. Just amazing stuff. But there's one complaint from me—Paul lost his iconic hair and looks like a Karen (why Bamco?).
Also, if you enjoy character customization as much as I do (a lot), then the Arcade Quest mode will be your wet dream. Here, all bets are off, and we'll get free reign over how our fighters look. Will they look wacky? Yes. Creepy? Also yes. Lewd? Hopefully. Giving players more customization options and freedom is always a plus in my book!
Lastly, the over-the-topness of the story seems to be intact.
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I can't wait to see what one of gaming's most dysfunctional families, the Mishimas, is up to. Likely a lot of half-naked men fighting each other, preferably near a cliff, volcano, or maybe a cliff overlooking a volcano. We shall see.
Simply put, it's all (gonna be) perfect!
And after having written 99 reviews, my 100th review will be the first and last improper one. But Tekken 8 deserved this sacrifice, as it reignited my passion for gaming when no other game could.
So, thank you, Tekken 8.
Thank you to all the developers who poured their hearts and souls into this game.
Lastly, thanks to all of you, top bananas, for coming to my TEKtalk.
I hope you all enjoy Tekken 8 as much as I am.
And if you want to see proper reviews, 10/10 dentists recommend the Gospel of Sv. Prolivije.