There were definitely some wild discoveries over the weekend.
Tekken 8, Bandai Namco’s newest entry to the legendary 3D fighter franchise, held its first Closed Network Test last weekend. Even though it was an invite-only event available only on PS5 consoles, players who managed to get in were more than eager to dig into what the game had to offer.
Similar to other early access builds, the Tekken 8 CNT only gave access to online multiplayer and some tutorials. Barebones as it may be, that’s all players needed to explore what the 16 available characters and the new Heat System were all about.
The Heat System is the new universal mechanic in Tekken 8 that encourages players to play more aggressively. It’s explained in more detail here but the idea is that every character can now keep up the pressure. Whether that’s to run after an enemy, break open their defense, or blow them up with a massive combo, the Heat System makes sure that the action stays explosive.
Crazy combos are one thing, but as this is still an unfinished game. There were bound to be some wacky, unintended interactions.
And of course, the game balance could also use a bit of fine-tuning.
The Discourse
Soon after the CNT servers went down, many prominent figures in the Tekken community were already sharing their opinions about the game. The overall sentiment seems to be positive, but that’s not going to prevent people from comparing this new installment to the old one.
It’s important to not lose sight that this game is still being worked on. No matter how polished the early preview might be, everything shown so far is subject to change. The developers have already confirmed that they’re taking the feedback seriously and promise to address any outstanding issues before the game’s release.
All in all, the Closed Network Test just brought up the overall hype for Tekken 8. What’s more, is that they have a second one starting next weekend. This time it’ll include Xbox and PC, increasing the number of players to truly test its online capabilities. It’ll be interesting to see what else will be uncovered over the weekend with even more people playing.
Banner image courtesy of Bandai Namco.
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