Tekken 8: hands-on with Heihachi Mishima

Tekken 8 launched earlier this year, but it feels like so much has happened in the game between then and now: several major tournament showcases, numerous game updates and adjustments, and two fan-favorite DLC characters. Now, Tekken 8 is preparing for the return of none other than Heihachi Mishima, unkillable like a cockroach and eager to reclaim the title of Mishima clan overlord.

Bandai Namco gave us a sneak peek at the upcoming version 1.08, which launches on October 3 on PS5, that adds Heihachi as a playable character along with a brand-new stage and a new set of story fights and cinematics continuing the Tekken 8 saga. We also chatted with Tekken series Creative Director Katsuhiro Harada and Tekken 8 Director Kohei Ikeda.

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If you’re worried that Heihachi’s near-death experience fundamentally changed his gameplay, fear not. Much of Heihachi’s moveset will be very familiar to Tekken veterans, and the old, beloved staples like the Wind God Fist are still around to make you feel right at home.

That’s not to say that he doesn’t have any new tricks. Two new stances, Thunder God and Wind God, can be entered into at certain points and allow him to use some powerful new moves. And that’s not all: Heihachi can also transform with Warrior Instinct, a powered-up state that requires Heihachi to go into Heat state three times. Warrior Instinct grants various buffs, like more damage to recoverable health, and altered/additional skills. For example, Heihachi’s axe kick, which is already a good pressure tool, gets additional follow-ups when Warrior Instinct is activated. However, since Heat usage is restricted to once per round you’ll only be able to see Heihachi at his maximum potential when you’re pretty deep into battle.

“When we brought Heihachi back from his ‘death,’ we needed it to feel convincing. He needed to seem powerful if he was able to survive. I wanted a new gameplay mechanic to link into the story. The Tekken Monks, which debut in the new story content, are also linked to Heihachi. We wanted him to feel like he’d learned some of the secret, long-buried techniques of the Mishima Style,” states Tekken 8 Director Kohei Ikeda.

Heihachi also comes with a brand-new stage, the Genmaji Temple, a secluded hideaway among a beautiful forest where the Tekken Monks train around the clock. Both daytime and dusk variants of the level are available to fight on.

“We wanted the stage to be a centerpiece for Heihachi’s return,” Ikeda continues. “We wanted the stage to reflect Japanese stylistic tastes, like the falling leaves indicating the shift from autumn to winter. But since it is a training ground, we wanted to hammer home that it’s a place where people have practiced martial arts from long ago — but there’s also a touch of humor when you see the strange moves the Monks are doing.”

The tale of Fists and Fate continues

I also had the opportunity to run through the new story content being added in the next update. This episode, titled Unforgotten Echoes, focuses on Eddy, Lidia, and Yoshimitsu coming together in the midst of the ongoing conflict. Eddy’s trying to atone for his crimes with the Tekken Force, while Lidia’s received word of a secluded tribe of monks with ancient ties to the Mishima clan. When they travel to the Genmaji Temple, the trio encounter a very unexpected but very familiar face.

“Heihachi is very important for the ongoing story, but he’s also a character that a lot of players want,” says Katsuhiro Harada who is the Creative Director of the Tekken series. “The same could be said for both Eddy and Lidia. Eddy was necessary for the storyline, and Capoeira is an iconic martial art that a lot of people enjoy, so we wanted to include him. And then Lidia was added at the end of Tekken 7. She uses karate and proved to be extremely popular. So the factors we consider are: they play important story roles, players wanted them, were used a lot, or had new fighting backdrops. The DLC characters so far have those elements, which is why they were added.”

The Tekken 8 update patch drops on October 3 on PS5. Early access begins September 30 for those who preorder. Even if you’re not planning on purchasing Heihachi, the Unforgotten Echoes story and some other new content, including a customizable home screen, will be available for free to all players.