Syed Imran Haider 
The Tekken series goes back three decades and is nothing short of a legacy. From the knowledge and mechanical skills required to compete to its iconic characters and music, every new entry in the series has a heavy burden to uphold its legacy. Tekken 8 has come up with a simple yet profound solution to this dilemma; accepting what has come before, but not letting it stop you from moving forward. It comes with impressive training tools, a new Heat system and a compelling story.
The change
The good thing about Bandai Namco is that they have not tried to change any parts of the combat mechanics of Tekken because they were already great. Block punishing, spacing, movement and whiff punishing continue to remain important, but there have been two major additions that twist these mechanics in exciting ways. These are the new Heat System and recoverable health.
Recoverable health is now playing a very important part in matches, which is a first in the history of the series. The only way you can get your health back after you are knocked airborne, take chip damage, or block big attacks is by carrying out your own attacks. You cannot recover just by blocking and standing still and the only way to reclaim your life is to go on the offensive. This is a major shift because Tekken has mostly been a defensive game.
This new offensive mindset goes perfectly well with the new Heat system. There are several ways you can enter it and it is designed to enhance your offense and it makes the game a lot more dynamic than before.
Training tools
One of the notable things about the Tekken 8 are the training tools, as they are some of the best ones you will find in any fighting game. There is also an Arcade Quest mode that allows you to ramp up the difficulty of CPU opponents slowly and there are incredible features that are included in the Training Mode. These include save states, combo challenges and punishment training.
However, the integrated replay system is the best element because it allows you to watch your own replays, or even that of other players. You can also take control of the characters at any time, along as a human has played them. This allows you to do something better every time because you can identify what you did wrong through the replays.
New challengers
Three fighters have been added to the returning mainstays that are part of the roster. This includes the enigmatic Reina, Azucena who is an energetic coffee entrepreneur and a French UN agent named Victor who has been voiced by actor Vincent Cassell. As soon as you pick Victor up, he will show some flashy attacks. His connection to the story is also interesting.
As for Azucena, she is always moving and her moveset and personality bait you into attacking. Reina, on the other hand, functions as a bridge between the gameplay of both Tekken 7 and Tekken 8. She is aggressive and flashy and comes with some simple tools that are tough to master.
The Verdict
Tekken 8 certainly does not disappoint and is one of the best entries in the series. It comes with some interesting tweaks and additions that are worth trying.
