While the upcoming Tekken 8 looks stunning to fans, the producers of the game aren’t entirely pleased with its graphics. The latest installment in Bandai Namco’s long-running 3D fighting franchise was confirmed with a brief teaser during last summer’s EVO championship, and there has been plenty of Tekken 8 footage to go around since. Franchise mainstays like Kazuya Mishima and Nina Williams have been shown returning to the arena, and new mechanics like destructible stages and the Heat System highlight how Tekken 8 will be more aggressive than its predecessors.
It will also be more visually impressive than past Tekken games, thanks to Tekken 8 being built with Unreal Engine 5. Combatants look more lifelike than ever as they unleash their various punches, kicks, and WWE-inspired combo moves on their opponents. Special attacks are appropriately flashy as well, and characters like the Bruce Lee-inspired Marshall Law can be seen flexing their muscles before the next round of battle with an impressive level of detail. Tekken fans have also praised the game’s lighting, which enhances the drama during emotionally charged showdowns between Jin Kazuma and his father Kazuya.
However, the producers behind Tekken 8 still feel there is room for improvement in the game’s graphics. Katsuhiro Harada and Michael Murray recently sat down for an interview with German gaming site CerealKillerz (via TKNGMR), during which they expressed a desire to fine-tune Tekken 8’s already impressive lighting for even better visuals. Murray in particular notes that lighting has been a challenge for the team at Bandai Namco, and that they haven’t been satisfied with the alpha builds that fans have been testing out in this department.
Murray and Katsuhiro Harada were also asked about how they decided which characters would return in Tekken 8, explaining that factors like a fighter’s popularity among fans and how they fit into the story the developers are trying to tell play heavily into their choices. Not much is known yet about Tekken 8’s plot as of this writing, save that it will mark the beginning of a new storyline following the apparent death of longtime archvillain Heihachi Mishima. There’s also little word about whether Tekken 8 will feature any bonus game modes, but many are hoping for the fan-favorite Tekken Bowl minigame to return.
Tekken 8 is supposedly launching later this year, but there is still time for the developers to improve its graphics and lighting as Michael Murray wishes. The game already looks stunning in its current form, so should these improvements come to pass, Tekken 8 could be a strong contender for the best-looking installment in the series - if not the most visually impressive fighting game on the market.
Tekken 8 is in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X.
Source: CerealKillerz (via TKNGMR)
