This is what I'm talking about! This is how you make a polished, superb, and well-made fighting game!!! I'm so giddy that I don't even know where to start. I've been a big fan of this franchise since I was in elementary school. I've always loved playing this and found the Lore behind the characters and the plot Fascinating. I had expectations and I'm happy to report that they've all been met and, in some cases, exceeded by this latest entry.
First of all, the story mode! Man, what an Epic experience! I've always found Tekken to have the most fascinating of fighting game lore, however, I was also quite disappointed in Tekken 7's story mode thanks to the godawful narrator. The plot was dynamic, and the end fight scene was spectacular, but I also knew that Bandai Namco could do better and they have. Tekken 8 The Dark Awakens is the most ambitious and thrilling Cinematic story mode ever produced. It's not as long as the NRS Mortal Kombat and Injustice Story modes but man is it enthralling and quite anime-like in its execution. Its picks up right where Tekken 7 ended. Jin Kazama is still dealing with The Devil Gene that is has been cursed with and is entrusted with the task of taking down his evil father Kazuya Mishima in a no-holds brawl for the future of mankind. It's cheesy, over the top, and a little ridiculous, which is perfect imo! I loved that Its not just the Mishimas this time, every major character has a role to play in the plot, whether it's Xiaoyu and her confessing her love for Jin and defending him from Jack robots, Lars Alexanderson being a commander of an entire army, Victor fighting to uphold the UN's believe in balance of power, or the mischievous Reina, and her desire to take the Mishima Zaibatsu for herself. There's so much here and it's bound to keep you returning to relive your favorite moments time and time again. I got goosebumps by the finale. Honestly it's better than most recent films of a similar type.
Besides the story, there's plenty to do. Character endings are back and unlike the lackluster Tekken 7, these are worth playing through and watching. They are rather goofy and don't do a ton for the plot as most are non-canon what-if endings, but some give insight into the character's drives and ambitious and a few are pretty clever as well. There's Online multiplayer of course and if you're too intimidated there's also Super Ghost Battle and Arcade Quest as fun light-hearted single-player simulations of competitive fighting. There are over 32 characters in the base roster with many more to come in the future. There's Tekken Ball, a fun classic mini game from Tekken 3, and a decent customization mode. The fighting is as dynamic and as electrifying as ever, with new strategic mechanics like the heat system to keep things interesting. The Graphics and presentation are unreal. The biggest revolutionary upgrade since Tekken 5. What a time to be alive! I wish tons of success and excitement for this game for years to come. Between this and The Masterful Street Fighter 6 fighting game fans are eating good this year!
