The marvelously madcap world of Tekken is primed for the next generation, and Screen Rant went hands-on with the newest incarnation of the King of Iron Fist tournament for this preview. Arriving almost seven years after the last installment, Tekken 8 sees the historic 1-v-1 fighter series running smoothly on Unreal Engine 5 and loaded with content for patient fans. Its signature weighty gameplay feels responsive and precise, and an increased emphasis on tutorial mechanics makes the game feel more welcoming to newcomers than ever.
Tekken’s last outing hit home consoles and PC back in 2017, when Tekken 7 introduced its own new features to the franchise and expanded on the gonzo narrative; in a presentation with Screen Rant, producer Michael Murray reflected on the series’ Guinness World Records acknowledgment as the “longest-running video game storyline,” now approaching its 30-year anniversary with no reboots. Screen Rant was able to try out the first few story chapters of Tekken 8 at a preview event in Los Angeles, with the story focused on Kazuya’s son Jin Kazama, a key Tekken protagonist since the late 90s.
We spent approximately three hours with Tekken 8, which included a sample of Arcade Quest, a new mode which frames the game’s online functionality as an interactive social lobby, complete with its own bespoke narrative. As with the previous installment, Tekken 8 features different game modes, purchasable cosmetics for individual fighters, interactive stage gimmicks like destructible floors, and a dynamite soundtrack, including new renditions of old favorites. And yes, Tekken Ball makes its return here, and can even be played online this time.
Summarizing Tekken’s multigame lore is futile by this point, but newcomers should expect a creatively irreverent stew of apocalyptic prophecies, mad science, international corporate intrigue, and emotional family drama. By the start of Tekken 8, Kazuya Mishima reigns as the head of both the Mishima Zaibatsu and G Corporation, warring megacorps that have devastated the planet in service of a long-running familial feud (and, somehow, saving the world). Kazuya Mishima’s “devil gene” was exposed to the world after the events of the previous game, and his son Jin Kazama has set his sights on taking dear old dad out of the picture.
Of course, this being Tekken, it’s the perfect time to roll out the King of Iron Fist tournament; even amid global chaos and devastation, the common people remain appeased by violent bread and circuses. With Jin contending with other fighters and his mystical evil interiority in equal measure and Kazuya’s truest goals still obscured, Tekken 8 presents another grand arc framed by massive set pieces, comic relief, and last-minute rescues, interspersed with 1-v-1 bouts in glossy environments.
2023-12-12 12:00:05
Original from screenrant.com
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