Summary
Tekken 8is the latest fighting game to be released, following up on the success ofTekken 7. The franchisehas been around since 1994, and in that time, its universe and the characters in it have grown in scope. The first game was released with eight characters but later expanded to 18 in the PS1 version. In contrast,Tekken 8has 32 characters at launch. With almost 100 unique fighters appearing across the series' many entries, there is no shortage of combatants for each game to pull from. One of the most highly regarded games in the franchise isTekken 7, and a lot of its success can be attributed to its diverse roster.
Tekken 7was released in Asian arcades in March 2015 before releasing everywhere on home consoles and PC in June 2017. The initial release in arcades had 23 characters, as opposed to the 36 on console. Bythe successful release ofTekken 8,T7had amassed over 50 characters.
Tekken 7 Roster
Tekken 8’s Roster is Comprehensive
Tekken 8was released directly to home consoles, and as such, its roster is a little bit more limited than theT7console launch roster. In spite of featuring fewer fighters, theT8roster covers a huge variety offighting game archetypesand has 32 members, with more to come as DLC.Tekken 8’s launch roster is, like that ofT7, comprehensive and provides a well-rounded group of combatants to start the game’s life.
Tekken 8 Roster
Of the 32 characters inTekken 8’s launch roster, only six did not make an appearance inTekken 7. Raven and Jun are series veterans but did not appear in the last entry. Jack-8 is a new version of the Jack robots that appear in each game, but is extremely similar to Jack-7, meaning that some fans do not count him as a new character. New toTekken 8are Reina, Victor, and Azucena. Reina and Azucena bring unique fighting styles to theTekkenseries, whileVictor Chevalierreprises many of the mechanics that were unique to Noctis inT7.
Does Tekken 8 Have a Better Roster than Tekken 7?
Tekken 7’s massive roster has a lot more to offer than that ofTekken 8,due in large part to years of post-launch support and DLC characters. WhileTekken 8’s roster is more limited at this time, comparing the launch roster of each game tells a different story. The initial line-ups of each game are largely similar, but characters like Akuma and Lucky Chloe were controversial inT7, whereas all the newest game’s additions have been largely well-met.Azucenais flashy but easy to pick up, and Reina provides an interesting new spin on the Mishima style.
Tekken 8'’s launch roster may be more restricted thanT7’s full array of characters after almost nine years in the spotlight, but the foundation it provides is just as strong, if not stronger, thanTekken 7’s launch roster. Newcomers likeReinahave immediately become fan-favorite characters, andT8’s success means that it is likely to receive DLC for years to come, just like its predecessor. The elimination of characters like Akuma, who introduced fireballs and other mechanics atypical ofTekken,makes this new entry feel more in line with the spirit of the series as well as more approachable for newcomers.Tekken 7will be remembered as one of the series' strongest entries, but so far,Tekken 8seems like a more than worthy successor.
