Fighting Games Friday: The Kings and the Iron Fist

After a long wait since the reveal in September 2022, Tekken 8 has finally released, a title that very much looks and visibly feels like a brand-new game in the franchise, and looks much better than just a mere update to Tekken 7. The game has arrived with several features, including a roster with 32 characters (with three of them being brand-new), new gameplay mechanics that emphasize the game’s rush-down nature, and a story mode that elaborates on the newest Tekken lore for anyone into that. Just as Tekken 7 was the only title in the franchise released during the last console generation, Tekken 8 is set to follow suit for the current generation. Bandai Namco needed to put their best Mishima feet forward here.

They certainly appear to have done their jobs… mostly. The game is reviewing incredibly well, with the new gameplay features being praised by critics and the fighting game community alike. There’s a new control method made for ease of use, as newer games in the genre are wont to include. But the game remains deep enough for a visible skill gap to remain prevalent through online matches and especially the tournament scene. It helps that the game is feature-rich too, potentially justifying that high $69.99 (or an equivalent) price.

One aspect that’s particularly grabbed my interest, as someone who can’t play this game yet thanks to lacking the means to (as in, I don’t own a platform capable of playing it), is what this is teasing for Tekken’s lore. The entire Mishima saga that’s surrounded the franchise has needed a shake-up for several years now, something series director Katsuhiro Harada acknowledged before Tekken 7 released, let alone the eighth installment. All they needed to achieve this was adding a lady named Reina to the mix, one who seems awfully familiar.

Given the focus she’s received thus far, it kind of feels like they’re setting her up to be the new protagonist, the new main Mishima. Kazuya’s probably too old and too evil to be the focus now, and Jin is damaged goods after single-handedly starting World War III in Tekken 6. Having Reina as the main face would make for a nice change of pace. She follows in the footsteps of the previous Mishima protagonists in being an anti-villain edgelord, but the fans are vibing with her more compared to other family members. This is evident through how there are a flood of Reina players online, despite the need to know how to pull off Electric Wind God Fist being a huge barrier for mastering her.

Anyway, Reina should be given a more straightforward rival soon. If only, for instance, she had a cousin wavering around with nothing to do in the story right now. Maybe the developers can fix that in a future update.

Speaking of the online: The other question I wanted answered pertained to just how good online play would be for the game at launch. And… well, the jury’s still out on that as of this writing, because it’s a mess of crashes across all platforms with messy matchmaking. (I wanted to think that this was Under Night In-Birth II’s time to capitalize, but that game is reportedly having crashing issues online too. Yikes!) Fortunately, Bandai Namco has already provided a fix. This shows how they’ll rush-down any issues that manifest in the near future.

News of The King of Fighters XV’s demise has been greatly exaggerated. SNK appeared to have put the game on somewhat of a backburner following the conclusion of the game’s second season, which ended with the release of the long-MIA sumo girl Hinako Shijo. The fact that they’re introducing a new mechanic at this stage suggests otherwise.

They’re specifically adding the “Advance Strike,” a move that represents a combination of an offensive and defensive maneuver. The move can auto-block an incoming attack for an offensive maneuver to land, with the severity depending on what the opponent is doing. If they’re merely standing or jumping, it will simply knock them back when it lands. But if they’re attacking, it will work as a counterattack that crumples the opponent for a big combo opportunity. Even if the opponent blocks it, it will leave the player who performs it at a frame advantage. They made sure to make a mechanic that’s too good not to use. It doesn’t 100-percent resemble the Focus Attack or Drive Impact from Street Fighter IV and SF6 too heavily, respectively, though remains reminiscent of them.

It’s hard to believe that SNK is introducing a new mechanic that will change the metagame and how matches flow at this stage if they aren’t planning on releasing at least one more season of characters. This is the time to get those wish lists ready again. It’s not too late for the USA Sports Team after all.

I don’t know how anyone will find the time to play all these fighting games, but here’s something to remember that you totally didn’t realize: You do not, under any circumstances, have to play all of them. Limit yourselves to a couple of games in the genre at a time, especially if you’re an old person like me. Perhaps at least wait until some games have their online play fixed and ready to go.