Summary
It seems that developer Bandai Namco listened to those fans who were dissatisfied withTekken 7’s story mode.Tekken 8doubles down on its overarching narrative, for example. Introducing a longer, more completestory mode titled The Dark Awakens,Tekken 8’s story mode is more than twice the size ofTekken 7’s and presents a more linear, coherent plot that largely centers on protagonist Jin Kazama and his immediate circle of friends. The game’s ending provides something of a conclusion to the series arc but features a couple of key mysteries for fans to ponder over.
The longest-running video game storyline elevates to new heights, quite literally, during the events ofTekken 8. Jin and Kazuya’s rivalry reaches a raging climax, with both fighters able to tap into their devil gene’s true power like never before. The result is that players experience both characters in brand-new forms: Angel Jin and True Devil Kazuya. The game’s closing chapters see these fearsome warriors beat each other senseless atop a falling comet, in a spectacular battle that feels like it’s been ripped straight from an Anime series.
Tekken 8’s Ending Leaves Several Questions Unanswered
Tekken 8’s Story Seemingly Resolves the Devil Gene
The result of Jin and Kazuya’s penultimate battle is that neither father nor son can exert their dominance fully. Still, importantly, Jin is seemingly able to achieve what he set out to do, erasing the devil gene from both him and his father. With both men reverting to their human selves, the battle recommences, and a vicious fistfight ensues. During this fight, Jin is finally able to overpower his father and leaves him lying unconscious face down on the floor. He confirms that this meansthe devil gene is gone from the world, before spotting a dove flying past, signifying his mother’s presence. He picks a white flower up from the floor, thanking his mother for her help and guidance in defeating Kazuya.
The game then shows Jin riding his motorbike on a highway in the USA before he pulls over to the side of the road, where Xiaoyu awaits him. The footage then cuts back to Kazuya, and a mysterious pair of shoes is seen walking up to his lifeless body. Eagle-eyed gamers will spot that these shoes belong to Jun Kazama, Jin’s mother, heavily implying two pieces of key information: Kazuya is not dead, and Jun is alive. Up until that point, Jin believed his mother to have died at the hands of Ogre, and it is implied thatJun’s part inTekken 8’s storyis only spiritual, with her current status not confirmed.
Tekken 8’s Story Conclusion Will Probably Not Be Explained Anytime Soon
While each of the32 fighters onTekken 8’s rostergets their own character episode, these are not thought to be canon, so Jun’s, in which it’s revealed she went into hiding after being defeated by Ogre only to return to help her son defeat Kazuya, cannot be considered as concrete proof that she is alive. The scene in which she arrives at Kazuya’s side during the game’s climax is the biggest hint yet that she is actually alive, but this will likely be confirmed in the future.
The game’s post-credits scene shows the mysterious new characterReina confirming she is the daughter of Heihachi Mishima, before awakening her own devil form and vowing to find and defeat her brother Kazuya. This is potentially setting Reina up as a big part of the series' future. She may even become a possible antagonist in the series' next installment, although, ifTekken 7’s longevity is anything to go by,Tekken 9will not arrive any time soon.
Tekken 8
WHERE TO PLAY
Tekken 8 brings the fight to the latest generation of consoles, powered by Unreal Engine 5. Feel the power of every hit in Tekken 8, the latest entry in the legendary fighting game franchise from Bandai Namco. Utilising the power and realism of Unreal Engine 5, Tekken 8 pushes the envelope for fighting games by taking full advantage of the power of the latest generation of consoles. Ground-breaking new features, breathtakingly detailed character models and dramatic environments make this one of the most visually stunning and immersive titles in the genre yet. Tekken 8 picks up after the gruesome battle that ended in Heihachi Mishima’s defeat in Tekken 7, focusing on a new rivalry, pitting father against son as Jin Kazama stands in defiance against Kazuya Mishima in a city-shattering face-to-face showdown.
