Summary
Considering the status of its technical fidelity, it could be said that the latestTekken 8will be the first true fighting game of the next generation. The series has always pushed the limits of technology across its long history of mainline entries, butTekken 8’s status as an entry released eight years after its predecessor has positioned it to make an unprecedented jump in presentation compared to its contemporaries.
It may find itself classified alongsideStreet Fighter 6andMortal Kombat 1as one of the “big three” in the latest generation of the fighting game genre’s pillars, but the technology that Bandai Namco has put intoTekken 8has serious potential to establish it within a league of its own. Apart from the fact it features 3D combat versus the 2D fare the rest of the genre typically consists of, the upcomingTekken’s usage ofEpic Games’ well-supported Unreal Engine 5is a totally new occurrence for fighters as a whole. There’s a lot of praise associated with the titlesTekken 8is competing against, but looking under the hood reveals an inherent technical advantage.
Tekken 8 is Set to Surpass Existing Fighting Game Technology
Street Fighter 6’s Engine Has Been Around For Over 5 Years
Despite the game’s high visual fidelity, the engine that powersSF6is the same one that Capcom originally built forResident Evil 7. It began development in 2014 before debuting withRE7in 2017, and has since gone on to power everything fromMonster HuntertoDevil May Cry. The RE Engine has been capable of impressive visuals for years now, butCapcom’s next gen REX Enginehas already been announced as its successor.SF6certainly has a bright future of continued post-launch support ahead of it, but the engine may begin to show its age sooner or later.
Mortal Kombat 1 Still Uses Unreal Engine 4
It’s undeniable that it features some of the most realistic graphics ever featured in a fighting game, butMK1is technically still built in a version of Unreal that debuted back in 2014. Even its predecessor,the chart-toppingMortal Kombat 11utilized the even older UE3. There’s no doubt that NetherRealm Studios has pushed Unreal to its limits for years through its resourceful usage of the engine, but the developer still has yet to tap into the new potential of UE5.
Tekken 8 Enjoys the Advantages of Unreal Engine
Unreal’s Prevalence Provides a More Sustainable Development Environment
An engine merely consists of the tools that enable a game to be developed, and the team behindTekkenactually puts most of its effort into the proper use of custom programming work on top of Unreal. The level of in-house adjustments that the series tends to require has complicated production in the past, but UE5 has enabled a workflow fit for a long lifespan among a diverse array of developers due to its presence in the industry. In an interview withIGN, producer Michael Murray emphasized this seamless process:
“In the past, it would have been difficult to try to get them up to speed on our current game code and how we were creating the game. But now you may just say, “Okay, this person has experience with UE5,” and also for creating tools or something for the game. It’s much easier to take those tools over to other games because they’re imported into UE5.”
Unprecedented Graphical Fidelity and a Bright Future
Utilizing UE5 primarily offers a higher level of visual quality in elements like like cloth simulation and lighting, as Bandai Namco’s gameplay tools are mostly custom code. The engine’s youth means it can only continue to improve and allow the game to be updated further, a dynamic that was already visible withTekken 7and contrasts with the “two-year cycle” that studios like NetherRealm have become known for. It’s already looking to push the boundaries of stylized realism, and there’s no telling what technical achievements UE5 will enable by the end ofTekken 8’s post-launch support in 2024alone.
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.
