Gameplay discussion: Is TEKKEN 8 walking a tightrope?

[@BlazerK1914]

I highly enjoyed watching Jin’s Karate moves, and I really like how he does his rapid punches, including his Double Chamber Punches, Suigetsu Strike, his Power stance, etc.

[@fragmentedpixels]

they’re so cool!! I like how sharp, angular and subtle those moves are.

[@JoeGodHand]

I like how the heat system works. You have the heat burst- go straight into heat with an armor move with plus frames that gives you less heat to use(unless I’m desperate I probably wouldn’t use it ). You have heat engagers- key moves that reward you for landing attacks and give full heat. More time to use enhanced properties. Im going for heat engagers whenever I can. Heat dash- turn key moves into launchers, bounds, or pressure tools on block.(I miss heat energy but oh well. This is probably for the best) Heat smash- rage drive(unless I’m desperate I probably wouldn’t use it personally)

[@fragmentedpixels]

hm, I guess my thoughts will change when I start playing the game and getting a rough idea with the mechanics

[@JoeGodHand]

@@fragmentedpixels yeah personally I recommend stay in heat as long as possible. Use burst, dash, and smash if you need a quick shift in momentum. But you’ll get more out of playing on your character’s unique attributes in heat. It’s very fun.

[@Demon_Aura]

1:53 With heat dash you can choose whether to dash out of it and get the combo/followup or not dash out of it and get the normal effect. I think you were talking about heat engagers, with that you are forced into heat, and you also get all your grey health back so it's very rewarding to do that and also annoying if your opponent does that. I think it's a great system and gives new flavor to the game which hasn't happened since Tekken 5. The thing I don't like is the fact that they are nerfing so much defense: -low parry does not give you the possibility to extend the combo with Tornado, which is really annoying when dealing with all those cheesy strings like law b2,4,3 and cheap lows like Hwoarang d3,4 or all the ch launcher lows that are plus on hit and only -13 or -14 for some reason. Make them launch punishable and stagger on block and I will be ok with the new low parry. -I didn't count them, but I felt like there is more cheesy strings and stuff. To really make the game REALLY easier for beginners they should remove all the knowledge checks that are gimmicky, 10 hits strings to start, I know they leave them for a legacy reason, but is it really worth that? -against some characters blocking too much will do a ton of chip damage, although I didn't check if this was nerfed on the beta - simple backdash is improved but the distance itself of the dash is less, meaning techniques like bb,d,bb,d reverse wavedash and korean backdash are nerfed, I use the former one and it is good enough for its simple execution, simple backdash is decent now and is the one that leaves you less vulnerable. From what I saw there is a good reason to not use the advanced techniques anymore unless you are out of range, they should have left the advanced techniques as they were in t7. Although this isn't a big deal compared with the above Still, I can't wait for January to play a new Tekken, (really new this time) and I prey for another beta.

[@fragmentedpixels]

Thanks for the info! So low parries are a bit different in this game? Interesting. Yeah, I got heat engagers and heat dashes mixed up in the vid, so I had to clear that up while I edited it😭 With heat engagers I think should you should have the option to have a move as an engager? Like a version of Jin’s Median Line Destruction (1+2) for example in Heat, but then one without it. I mean… I don’t think it would activate when the Heat bar runs out. But while in battle, I think that the aspect of doing those moves adds a bit more to the learning curve. I think the 10 hit combo stuff is fine but I’ve only really been able to do one of Asuka’s combos and Jin’s old-school 10 hit combo… that was a while ago. 😅 To me, that’s like Tekken‘s philosophy of taking what’s useful and discarding what’s useless. As in: it’s something you can do if you want to… but you don’t need to learn a 10 hit combo to understand the game-but the option is there. Yeah and the chip damage is an odd thing-I don’t see the point in that since you have power crushing? I remember in earlier games you could optionally activate guard damage. Imagine If Tekken had that mechanic (not optional) in the game. I think people would go nuts! 🤣

[@Demon_Aura]

@@fragmentedpixels Welcome, why wouldn't you want to go into Heat Mode? Only reason can be if you want to be defensive, bandai dosen't want that, they want you to be aggressive that's why you are and you always be forced to into heat mode. You didn't get me in 10 hit strings, I wasn't talking about learning them but learning to counter them, 10hit string are just a generic example of gimmicky strings, meaning when you learn to counter them they are useless, tekken is full of that kind of things and a lot of beginners and even experts have to waste time learning: which follow up to parry, block, how minus it is, if you have a gap to interrupt or at least to sidestep and in which direction. Instead they should be learning fundamentals like spacing, whiff punishments, throw breaks, punishment on they key moves and learn better they own moves, but thanks to bandai they will do that less. Also if you lab onr of the rare characters that you get once every chrismas good luck remembering all that stuff, you are going to be blown up and leave the set there probably. Just to make an example with your main(i guess) 3,1 starts with mid, good dmg, gives you room to sidestep on block, has a follow up ch launcher low which is only -13 or low parryable, and you can also go into zenshin. But IF the opponents can duck it on reaction it's a useless move. Learning to duck that isn't easy unless you often fight/fought Jin for a period, now times that by 32 characters and then count that everyone has AT LEAST 10 strings like that, I think only Claudio has a few. The point of chip dmg is incentivize to be aggressive, most of the moves that chips are slow plus on block moves which makes sense to incentivize aggressiviness, they want you to be aggressive to get your grey health back, they also want you to mash like a mad dog when you are in heat. I prefere to be defensive so of course I don't like the chip dmg thing, but are they are reaching their goal? Yes.

[@fragmentedpixels]

I’m not saying I don’t want to go into heat state, but with that point I was referring to the heat engagers. Like, I just think in that aspect it should be like: if I want to use a heat engager there should be the option to use it; not have the move go into that state automatically. You know? Oh, I see what you mean…countering the 10 hit combos, right? was kind of confused there. I agree, after learning how to counter those it’s not really practical and gimmicky. Yeah, it can be quite impractical-and to be fair it’s not really a move you’d use in a match. I agree Tekken could be a bit more streamlined in learning the technicalities of the game, but like for me, I see it as ‘it’s something that’s nice to know, but I may/may not use it’. I think with 8, in regard to ‘difficulty’ it’s a thing of simplification and not really making the game ‘easy’. It may be easy for those doing special style but then outside of that the learning curve is still the same I feel. Yeah, I see that with chip damage. Though, balancing that with numerous characters is gonna be messy 😅

[@researchbashio]

I think of the decision to remove magic 4 is actually a benefit towards the gameplay. You get to interact with your opponent more in close ranges and the buff to sidesteps makes feel like it def not just mashing back, But it definitely feels a bit more difficult to make moves wiff these backdash changes i hope just a bit more range on them and the neutral in the game would be perfect. In regards to balance decisions I still i'm questioning a few things in regards to how good offense will be in the game. Some moves in heat are not too difficult to play around and some are raw 5050. As well as the inclusion of more jailing highs and easier runing moves. I hope they're not trying to use enforce Mix-Ups appeal to casuals because braindead offensive options doesnt matter to someone who will drop the game after story mode anyways. I don't expect this game to come out and be nearly as balanced as Tekken 7 console release considering that game had three or four years in arcade, but thats ok i just hope they continue to listen to our feedback.

[@fragmentedpixels]

Thanks for your comment! I see what you mean about magic 4s. I guess that got toned down due to the game-plan of using that move each time to evade opponents. I agree that Korean backdash should’ve been toned down a bit, but not to the extent I’ve seen-but I get it. Whether it was due to how it was used in tournaments or by competitive players (or even casual players), I think it was a lot (as seen in the example shown in the video). As long as it’s not like Tekken 4’s non existent KBDs, I think it should be good. 😅 It’s a plus that normal backdashing (back, back) is simpler to execute. Yeah, I think that too with the offensive. How good is it in practice? But it’ll take some balancing and tweaks to make 8 a decent game as this was the case with Tekken 7. There are some things I agree and disagree with. But in the end, it’s all down to the end result. We’ll see.

[@amon22347]

Not going to lie when i was playing the beta i was trying to figure out for a whole how to do my heat engage move without going into heat😅. It does seem weird that it forces you into heat

[@fragmentedpixels]

yeah, it’s something that I’m (and others are) gonna have to get used to in 8. 😅

[@neonthunder3261]

So I'm not the only one worried! I feel like the increased attention on aggression in an already aggressive game just sounds wrong on paper. Hopefully when the game comes out it improves, but I really do feel worried for what the outcome will be.

[@fragmentedpixels]

yeah, you’re not alone! I know 8 is gonna be a decent game, but I think with certain mechanics there should be some room for options.