If there was a game I was excited for this weekend, it’s Tekken 8. Bandai Namco’s booth was dedicated to the newest installation of the Tekken series which is going to be released this January 24. And the thing is, it seems that Bandai Namco isn’t the only one excited about it! Tekken is highly featured in this year’s ESGS. The gaming convention featured a number of booths, big and small, that have Tekken 7 on their hardware demos. Some booths even feature the game for their activities and challenges. Samsung, which is one of the first big booths that you see as you enter the event halls, has both Tekken 7 and Tekken 8 on their two display TVs which are free to play.
When you visit the dedicated Bandai Namco booth, you can try the Closed Network Test version of Tekken 8 after scanning their QR code and answering their survey. Controllers and fight sticks were provided at the booth. After a quick game, you can get freebies. There were posters, stickers, and temporary tattoos. I think the tattoos were a nice touch. They had Jin’s arm tattoo, but if you prefer to transform into Devil Jin, don’t worry because they also gave out DVJ’s face tattoo as well! They also had instructions for their raffle contest where you could win your own fight stick, with the draw happening on Sunday.
I was excited to get my hands on Tekken 8 again. I was actually able to play both the Closed Network Test and the Closed Beta Test. Compared to Tekken 7, they really upscaled the graphics. It looked great, but I had to play in low settings for it to play smoothly on my computer. It’s a different experience seeing the game in its best resolution on a large TV. It made me realize that I really do need an upgrade soon. I’d want to see the game how I saw it at the Bandai Namco booth!
As mentioned earlier, the version of the game that is playable at the event is the Closed Network Test. This means that the changes implemented in the Closet Beta Test are not there. This includes the playable characters, such as the first new character to be introduced in Tekken 8, Azucena, and returning fan-favorite fighter Raven. Nevertheless, you can still fully experience what Tekken 8 has to offer. You are definitely pushed to be more aggressive in this new installation, especially with the introduction of the Heat mechanic and chip damage.
Lastly, my personal highlight for their booth is making your own character reveal trailer. If you’ve seen the trailers Tekken has dropped, you’ll recognize their style. If you want to get introduced alongside the iconic announcer voice, this is a definite must-try! My only tip is to think about what you want to do before going inside the green room since it goes by pretty fast once you’re in there. You can also download your video immediately after taking it via a QR code.
Out of all the activities I got to do today, this was my favorite as it was the most creative. It definitely showed a bit of the game and the community’s goofy side and was a hit amongst the players!
Aside from the Bandai Namco booth, you could get more Tekken 8 action at The Fighting Game Arena. They had a community Tekken 8 show match happen on their program yesterday. The games featured two teams of local pro players, with one team led by JinMei and one team led by LJ Lee, in a knockout-style team battle. The game was on full display. Today, the Tekken 7 tournament is scheduled to happen with Pools starting at 2:15 p.m. Top 6 is scheduled at 7:30 p.m. If you missed out on the action yesterday, there will be another Tekken 8 show match at 3:15 pm so be sure to check it out!
More show matches are happening, as well as a tournament so be sure to drop by at World Trade Center Manila this weekend at ESGS to join in on the action!
