OMG! Tekken 8 is HIDEOUS!

Tekken 8 needs to turn that Unreal Engine 5 down a bit.

Hit Sparks, Fire Balls, Explosions so large they obscure the character body designs
Hit Sparks, Fire Balls, Explosions so large and so frequent they obscure each characters fighting animations
Everybody on the Tekken 8 Roster look like they have steroid addictions or been juicin or something
Each hit sounds like a gunshot or shotgun blast
Many of the Rage Arts look like there is some kind of HDR or 4K glitch or malfunction going on
The Fireball, Hit Spark, Explosion, Whirlwind Animations make all the fighters and styles look the same
There are literally no observable nuances during a fight sequence

IMO Tekken 8 has the worst graphics presentation of any of the Tekken releases (Including Tekken 1 & 2)

I know the graphics are supposed to take advantage of UE5 and all, but OMG! It almost looks like devs had so many colors, and lighting effects, and texture mapping options they didn't know which ones to use, so they used them all at the same time

The Tekken Community needs an intervention Watching the reaction videos e.g. Lil Majin, MainManSwe, Maxillian Dood, etc they've convinced themselves that this ugly bull$#it looks good. Somebody's gotta tell em, It don't The animation presentation with all of the extreme over the top pyro-technics is just Plain Ole Butt Ugly. For the good of 3D fighting games everywhere we gotta get those Tekken 8 folks to snap out of it. We gotta get them to realize that Harada and the design team must have been hella high when they were designing Tekken 8.

If the next VF imitates Tekken 8's presentation or follows any of their design leads then VF5FS will definitely be the last VF that I take seriously.


There once was a game called Tekken
Whose martial arts styles used to come in a close Second
Now there are no martial arts in the game if you're Checkin
Muscle bound brawlers and colorful explosions are all that matters I Reckon.

 

Of course YouTubers and community are gonna shills for their money and their game.

Tekken 8 trying to be DOA, KOF, MK, Yakuza "heat"... But these trailers don't really hype or impress me.

For now personally, it kinda looks boring or stupid. Because gameplay looks over flashy, like too much flashy ruins the flashy.

Maybe it's just me and it can change, but i remember being 10 times more excited and interested for the Tekken 7 release.

 

Tekken 8 looks incredible on paper, but yes, there is a bit too much detail. The gameplay though seems very promising actually. Because Tekken has incredibly strong defensive options, the game will actually be balanced out with offense vs defense.

While Tekken was made to be more flashy, Virtua Fighter on the other hand was always more focused on the actual gameplay rather than the presentation and the visuals. For Tekken, I don't think that the over the top spectacle is that bad, but Virtua Fighter will suffer considerably from it.

That said, Tekken used to be the one that copied Virtua Fighter, not the other way around. However, It seems to be happening right now.

 

I don't really have a lot of criticism for the Tekken engine. I think the engine is more or less ok. My only problem with the execution of the engine is that it just seems like too many attacks lead to some kind of launch in Tekken In so many high level Tekken matches the characters spend most of the time in the air being floated and comboed across the stage Just too much floating and launching for me. But other than that the engine I think is solid.


But the over the top presentation in Tekken 8 is beyond the pale. I thought Tekken 7 was heavy handed. Somehow Tekken 8 has managed to make Tekken 7 look
somewhat mild

TBH I have always thought Tekken 4 was their best looking presentation. But it turns out that many in the Tekken community hate Tekken 4

In Tekken 6 and previous versions there was more of a focus on the animations, and fighting style simulations. With Tekken 7 and Tekken 8 and the rage art thing, there is far more of a focus on special effects, explosions, whirlwinds, and pyro-technics, and big on screen graphical flashes. Its almost like the developers are purposely trying to hide the martial arts motion capture movements and the body deflation animations and the intimate combat exchange animations

Agreed, but the nice offensive and defensive animations are drowned out and overwhelmed by the over the top graphic flashes and explosions and audio bursts. The Tekken 8 presentation has very little nuance (and it used to!)

Its almost like they're trying to force the excitement through over the top graphic extravaganzas as opposed to creating excitement through amazing martial arts offensive and defensive animations and smooth combat exchanges

Virtua Fighter gets this right. That's why the hit sparks were a negative for VF5US. They weren't needed. They took away from the excitement that is naturally creating by amazing and believable offensive attacks and defensive response animations.

The excitement of the combat in the Virtua Fighter series stands on its own. It doesn't need large colorful on screen graphic explosions to create the excitement.

On the other hand Tekken 7 and to an even greater degree Tekken 8 totally rely on ancillary graphics and colorful distractions to artificially create excitement in the match

Exactly! I think its costs less and is easier to use these color explosions to artificially create action and excitement, rather than coming up with interesting, plausible and engaging martial arts offensive and defensive animations and motion capture.


So Tekken 7 and Tekken 8 have saved a lot of money (probably 100's of thousands of dollars) by not investing in the AI programming necessary for single player, and the high quality offensive and defensive motion capture necessary to create exiting combat exchanges. Instead They've gone the route of 2D fighting games by artificially creating excitement through explosions and loud bangs

 

Excellent point there! My favorite thing about fighting games like Street Fighter and Samurai Shodown is the supreme focus on intricate and engaging gameplay. I feel that Tekken 7 is a slightly overrated game because the game tries to artificially up the spectacle not because of its visuals, but because it weakened movement to the point where sidesteps were relatively useless. My favorite thing about Tekken 8 so far is that it revamps movement so that the game is genuinely more engaging. Upping the spectacle does reak of artificial excitement, but at least Tekken 8 seems to be focusing on making the gameplay actually engaging as well.

 

As I saw Nina Williams pull off a Fox Mc Cloud smash bros throw, by grabbing the opponent, then flinging him high into the air, and blasting him with gunfire, I knew this Tekken game, would be the most over the top, cartoony tekken of all time. But then again, tekken was always like that. But this game is like a super overdose of it. From the vids I've seen, the game looks like Smash Bros and KOF was mixed into it.

 

In Tekken 7 they added that Rage Art animation and Rage Drive animation and now the focus is more on trying to top the Rage Art from Tekken 7. It appears almost like a competition of which character can have the most over the top RageArt It seems like the Tekken Devs are trying to out do the Project Soul's Reversal Edge, Soul Charge etc attack animations (which are beautiful) in comparison to Tekken's Rage Art.

Starting with Tekken 7 there is more of a focus on bombastic Rage Art animation and less of a focus on offensive and defensive animations taken from new motion capture technologies. Tekken 8 is now starting where Tekken 7 left off by focusing even more on over the top ridiculous Rage Art, and Heat animations.

For Namco Its easier and cheaper to focus on these big color splash explosions than to spend the money on new and better motion capture animations and martial art combat animations. So Namco saves money by pushing all these extreme rage art animations and loud explosive sounds instead of investing in legitimate combat animations

I played a little Tekken 4 today. Wow it was clean, and the martial art animations are smooth and clear, the hit sparks do not obscure the character movement animations. Martial Law looks the right size And Baek looks good

Tekken 8 looks grotesque and exaggerated and is more about show casing the over the top Rage Art, and Heat animations than the martial arts the game was originally built on


From the way its looking Tekken 8 is a lost cause. I wonder how long it will take for the Tekken community to catch on

 

Soul Calibur 6's animations are truly beautiful. But I'm not sure you're talking about SC6

Perhaps you're right. Lars's Rage Art in Tekken 8 looks awful because nothing actually has impact, and it's hard to see what's going on.

Tekken 8 does seem to be increasingly focused on the spectacle at the expense of fun engaging gameplay. The Jack 8 trailer was genuinely concerning for me because the Jackhammer move seems to catch sidesteps now.

I've never played Tekken 4, but I believe that that was Hwoarang and not Baek. Correct me if you didn't mean Tekken 4

The state of play trailer was amazing! I don't think anyone can disagree there. Every trailer after that though seemed to be mildly promising at best and genuinely worrying at worst.

Both literally and figuratively.

 

Yes Soul Calibur 6., edge reversals, the soul charge animations etc, are beautiful and appropriate. Its weapon based and because of Soul Edge, and Soul Calibur and some of the characters there literally is magic in the game And weapons clashing hit sparks are okay. Immortal characters, demigods, its all good in Soul Calibur., But it doesn't fit Tekken. And yes I meant Hwoarang and Tekken 4 (on my PS2)

 

Virtua Fighter has always been more grounded and realistic, Soul Calibur has been more fantasy focused combined with traditional weapon martial arts. And Tekken has always been bouncing back and forth to both sides. Tekken 4 went VF with realism and Tekken 5 went Soul Calibur with the mix. Yes, Tekken is more fantasy focused usually, but has always represented traditional martial arts to a fairly solid degree. Tekken 8 on the other hand is going almost fully fantasy and anime.

 

Even though Tekken 8 is going full fantasy with the fighting styles, I think the game also manages to telegraph what the characters are doing (aside from Lars's rage art. I hate Lars's rage art). The game seems to not be trying to up the spectacle too much outside of Lars's awful rage art.

 

I dunno bout dat

• Heat Burst Animations (over the top)
• Heat Smash Animations (over the top)
• Heat Mode Animations (over the top)
• Heat Dash Animations (over the top)
• Heat Engager Animations (over the top)
• Rage Art animations (over the top)

Compare all of this to Tekken 6 animations or Tekken 5 animations Tekken used to be a game based in somewhat martial arts realism and a little fantasy here and there. But now starting with Tekken 7 and totally with Tekken 8 its not about martial arts realism with a little fantasy thrown in. Its full out Fantasy Brawling complete with Supers, Charge Ups, Comeback mechanics, Heat Bursts, Heat Smashes, Rage Arts, Explosions, Projectiles, Weapons, Flying, Appearing-Disappearing-Reappearing, Whirlwinds, Fireballs, Heat Dashes, Heat Smashes, Gun Shots, Rail Guns, Lazer Beams, etc. It appears with Tekken 8 its all on the table. Whatever bombastic firework that can be included will be included. Its Fantasy Brawling by characters that used to be Martial Artists

Not any more



I honestly, truly, desperately hope the next version of Virtua Fighter goes in the complete opposite direction Tekken is going in. Virtua Fighter's strength is its fighting engine, balanced roster, clean graphics presentation, authentic stages and quasi-realistic martial arts.

 

The game looks gorgeous though, Tekken 8's problems look poultry compared to our VF issues. I agree that the effects are borderline too troublesome but glass half-full - the game looks good and might be offensive biased in gameplay.

 

Perhaps, the animation is pretty over the top, but you at least are able to connect with what's going on pretty solidly.

You're totally right there!

I know you are. I am too, and I assume we all are. Virtua Fighter has always focused on gameplay rather than spectacle. So I sincerely hope that Virtua Fighter keeps that up and doesn't live in Tekken's shadow. Tekken used to live in VF's shadow, but now it seems to be the other way around.

 

I'm really trying to stay positive but after the hit sparks and the Tekken skins, I've got a sinking feeling that the next version of Virtua Fighter is going to be 1/3 Tekken, 1/3 Guilty Gear and 1/3 Street Fighter

VFekken Gear Fighter 6

Seiji Aoki does not appear to be an innovator, he doesn't appear to have any fresh ideas. He seem like the kind of dude that will follow the crowd Monkey-See-Monkey-Do. After getting Tekken skins in VF its clear he's sucking the Tekken pipe. VF and Tekken have always been rivals. I would rather have had them add Kung Lao and Lui Kang from Mortal Kombat before adding our arch nemesis characters Seji Aoki could have added skins from DOA. DOA 5LR had VF characters why not reciprocate by adding DOA skins to VF5US Anything but FN Tekken

I want be positive I really do.,. but its hard


@GustavoHeisenberg agreed, the stages are gorgeous. some of the character costumes look good., but the body types (too much steroids, too big, too bulky)

 

Perhaps you might be right. While there's absolutely nothing wrong with being derivative of other things, but you have to make it seem and feel original. You shouldn't blatantly copy the work of others and try to make it seem like your own. But that is possible for VF in the future.

 

Regarding Tekken 8, i wouldn't say all is ugly but i agree with most of the opinions expressed here. The trailers that followed the initial one didn't catch the same vibe. Particle and lighting effects are way too much and aren't as sharped as the ones in the reveal trailer. Also, some render as hair feel a bit dated and female characters faces not as deep as male ones, and every mâles with steoroid wrestler bodytype IS bad taste. Still some good stuffs to watch, the night spark stage and jun stage are beautiful, and i like they have mixed differents grounds on the stages, animations and mocap still top tier (but sometimes irelevant), Jun beside her weird face is so classy ! , love the female announceur, Etc.

As a legacy player, I regret the loss of movement and the more 2D orientation of the game, with FADC cancels that deviate from the 3D spirit of the genre and its purity (still Hope heat system isn't too prevalent) .
The animations have taken on a more "anime" and 2d look and are less focused on martial arts (not a fan of tk8 Jin..).

The innovations should deepen and reinforce the progress and evolution of of the 3D fighting game genre (without compromising the gameplay staples of course). This was attempted with vf3 and Tekken 4 for example, but I find that Tekken 8 leans too heavily towards 2D games mecanics. Why ? so many 3d innovations could be find or modernised (like uneven ground stages idea for example, more rules about side hit, etc.).

Virtua Fighter 6 has an opportunity to stand out by offering a true 3D game, with (almost) pure gameplay and an artistic touch that emphasizes martial arts, something that Tekken may have lost now.

 

Personally, I think the announcer's voice is slightly weird, but I respect your opinion, and I have mine. Other than that though, I agree with what you're saying.

You're absolutely right there! Tekken is supposed to be a 3d fighting game, and that's exactly what it should be. But the Jack 8 trailer proves that the developers still feel the need to make sideways movement weaker.

Uneven ground is very interesting on paper, but can be extremely broken in practice, due to the massive advantage that the character on the lower ground gets. That said, it could be improved with creativity, who knows? More rules about side hits though is pretty interesting.

It sure does. If VF does exactly what you described, it will hopefully outsell Tekken 8 by a massive landslide.

 

Hi everyone! Thanks to the recent Asuka Kazama trailer, it looks like Tekken 8 is still keeping martial arts representation for some characters. It's a win!

 

It's still got juggling combos