If there is one thing Fighting game series Tekken teaches us that being thrown off a cliff into a volcano is nothing. I don't recommend you try this at home (or anywhere else where there's an active volcano), but as an example, I recommend the upcoming DLC for Tekken 8This is because it marks the return of the iconic Heihachi Mishima.
For the uninitiated, Heihachi was the final boss of the original. Tekkenthe main character of Tekken 2and a sort of hero-villain character of the series, who apparently met his end by being thrown into a volcano by his son,
Kazuya Mishima, who was also thrown into a volcano by Heihachi at the end of Tekken 2 but survived. There is much more to this, as the story of the Tekken The series goes far.
But rest assured that Heihachi Mishima and his Mishima Style Fighting Karate are back and better than ever, thanks to Tekken 8Unreal 5 Engine-powered graphics and refined motion sets.
Like the incorporation of Eddy Gordo and Lidia Sobieska in previous Tekken 8 This year, access to Heihachi will be part of the paid downloadable content. But Bandai Namco is releasing an update 1.08 that, among optimizations and new features, such as being able to use an online practice mode with friends, adding your favorite character to the main menu screen and gaining access to new customization elements in the game, also brings a new story in the form of the Unforgotten Echoes campaign.
As part of a hands-on event, I was able to play through the first five chapters of the new story, which put me in control of Eddy as he sought to regain control of a beleaguered Tekken Force.
The story then moves on to Lidia, who is chasing down the enigmatic Tekken Monks and comes face to face with Heihachi, who was thought to be dead. From there, I was given control of the legendary fighter, who, without giving too much away, seems to be a more likeable guy this time around rather than a power-hungry warrior.
I'm sure there will be some twists and turns as the story progresses, and plenty for fans of Tekken lore to chew on. But just being able to control a Tekken Icon rendered in state-of-the-art graphics with the full feature set of Tekken 8 It was pure joy and immense fun.
A temple to exchange blows
Heihachi is a powerful character in the series, with devastating moves that can wipe out health bars in an instant and punish missed attacks. Bandai Namco has refined his moveset with two new stances and extensions to his techniques, all of which make Heihachi even more lethal when his combos connect.
After taking control of him in the new story, I put Heihachi through his paces in a whole series of battles against various opponents at the new Genmaji Temple, a beautifully rendered temple lit up in the light of an autumn evening, with falling leaves dancing in the air, which then fades to night after two rounds and takes on a more “final showdown” vibe with an intensified soundtrack.
Not only is it a great arena, with plenty of room to maneuver and plenty to look at (there are monkeys running around in the background) if you have a moment to breathe, but it was also a great stage to launch Heihachi.
Mishima for the win
There, I discovered that Heihachi has a number of powerful moves that can overwhelm opponents, and with Tekken 8Heihachi's special style made executing devastating moves easy and fluid, even in my relatively inexperienced hands.
He would use a series of high and mid attacks to crush guys like Kazuya, building up the heat gauge and then following up with more powerful blows that would slice the health bar to pieces in a matter of seconds.
I also enjoyed that despite trading speed for more damage, Heihachi still has a few tricks to interrupt attacks; I found a quick punch that countered a series of attacks, giving Heihachi the advantage to follow up with a crushing combo of blows. All of this left me with a smile on my face and laughing out loud at times when a failed counterattack or punish would lead to me completely destroying an opponent in a way that seemed completely over the top.
I feel like Heihachi is a bit lacking in terms of extended options for low attacks. This was the case in previous Tekken games, so it's characteristic and leaves Heihachi with low attack moves that I found weren't fast enough to be particularly effective and were open to punishment.
Still, I think it's been a long time Tekken Fans will be happy with this interpretation of Heihachi, though I suspect his return might spark debates about the strength of the Mishima Style.
As you will see in our Tekken 8 In the review, it seems like one of the most complete and evolved entries in the series, and the addition of Heihachi feels like a triumphant gesture, even though there is still one more DLC character to come after him. But Heijachi's return also seems like a new catalyst to inspire both beginners and veterans to jump into the adventure. Tekken 8 as she approaches her first birthday.