Tekken 8 Shows Its Character Select Screen, Gives Off A Classic Vibe

Following the exciting reveal of Hwoarang in Tekken 8, we have now received the first look at its character select screen straight from the event in Korea. The image shows the game running on the PlayStation 5 along with some text in the Korean language. It goes without saying that this is far from being the final build of the game and everything you see here is subject to change. Nevertheless, there are some interesting things here.

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The image features two fan-favorite characters, Kazuya Mishima and Jun Kazama in a way that’s extremely reminiscent of Tekken 3 and Tekken 6’s character select screen. It’s almost possible to hear the music from Tekken 6 and the aesthetic of old-school fighting games is gushing out of this image. Another thing to note is that the build shown in the image doesn’t quite feature all of the characters that have been revealed till now.

Hwoarang is the most recent addition to the roster that was revealed during the event in Korea. However, The image excludes characters such as Leroy Smith, Asuka Kazama, and Lili Rochefort.  This may indicate that the characters are not entirely programmed yet or were simply not part of the build shown at the event. Earlier this year, a hands-on showcase allowed some influencers to experience Tekken 8’s early build.

Notable names within the community went on to say how the game is actually pretty engaging and fun. The sentiment has been fairly positive thus far within the space despite the introduction of new mechanics and the departure from Tekken 7’s neutral and poking-centric playstyle. Tekken 8 features the Heat Gauge, a mechanic that is set to replace Rage Drives, and lower execution along with a system enabling the recovery of lost health.

The Heat system incentivizes aggressive play and is the developer’s response to the slow pacing of previous Tekken tournaments due to several factors, including the Korean Back Dash. Other systems are also being introduced to make the game more accessible and friendly to newcomers regardless of whether it’s their first Tekken or fighting game experience.

There’s a lot more to come from Tekken 8 in the near future as we get closer to the eventual release date announcement. We recently got a peak of its title screen and are currently sitting at 14 confirmed characters. The developers are also working hard to improve the visual fidelity and gameplay experience for what seems to be one of the most ambitious entries in the Tekken franchise.

Tekken 8 is being developed in Unreal Engine 5 for  Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PlayStation 5, and PC.