Highlights

• Tekken 8 is a visually stunning game running on Unreal Engine 5, attracting fans to the flagship fighting series.
• Tekken 8 ranks among the best in the series with solid single-player content and an excellent introduction to multiplayer aspects.
• Tekken 8 is the most feature-packed entry in the series, with improved storytelling, visuals, and accessibility.

Now that the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5 have firmly established themselves as the current-gen systems, the more prominent titles are slowly coming through. One of these titles is the next entry in the Tekken series.

Tekken 8 has attracted fans to its flagship fighting series with stunning visuals running on Unreal Engine 5. With a long and storied history of lore and characters, where does the eighth installment of Tekken rank?

Updated February 13, 2024, by Michael Llewellyn: Fighting game fans have had much to celebrate with Street Fighter 6, Mortal Kombat 1, and Tekken 8 launching within a few months of each other. Thankfully, Tekken 8 has lived up to expectations with its solid single-player content that is an excellent introduction to the multiplayer aspects online and offline. Let's look at where Tekken 8 ranks among the best and worst in the series.

17 Tekken's Nina Williams In Death By Degrees

Metascore: 51

The worst-scoring game in the Tekken franchise is Death by Degrees, which features Nina Williams as the lead protagonist of an action-adventure game. The combat system differed from the mainline fighting games, implementing the analog sticks similarly to Jet Li: Rise to Honor.

Unfortunately, it lacked the fluidity of Jet Li's game. The mechanics are awkward, the camera angles are terrible, and the combos are far too challenging and confusing. Death by Degrees seems like a rushed attempt to capitalize on Dead or Alive-style fan service with over-the-top costumes, bikinis, and silly massage oil mechanics.

16 Tekken 3D: Prime Edition

Metascore: 64

Seeing Namco's flagship fighter running on the 3DS and looking as good as it did is impressive. Including all 41 of Tekken 6's roster is equally as substantial on the little handheld. However, the title was criticized at launch, resulting in the 3DS version becoming the lowest-scoring game for the series.

Furthermore, Tekken 3D lacked decent single-player modes, and the online multiplayer is unreliable and laggy. There is little to no replay value, which is a shame because Tekken 3D Prime is one of the best-looking titles for the system.

15 Tekken Hybrid

Metascore: 65

Tekken Hybrid is a compilation of the Tekken Tag Tournament HD remaster, a demo of Tag Tournament 2, and a Blu-ray of the movie Tekken: Blood Vengeance. The original Tekken Tag Tournament was a PS2 launch title and a great multiplayer game.

Unfortunately, the couch co-op fun was not extended to online multiplayer. The visuals are upscaled, and Tekken Tag was still as fun as it ever was, but selling the game as a full-price game was excessive, thanks to the poor effort put in by Namco.

14 Tekken Revolution

Metascore: 70

It is hardly worth mentioning the PS3 title Tekken Revolution. The game is no longer available and was not a favorite among fans. Tekken Revolution came out when the PS3 was on its last legs, and the series seemed to want to bow out with a treat for PS fans.

However, it turned out to be not as much of an original game as it was copying Tekken Tag Tournament. The only allure to getting Tekken Revolution was that it was a free game and could easily be downloaded. Other than that, there isn't anything here that players haven’t played before.

13 Tekken

The Classic Original Is Still Worth Playing

Tekken was released when the series wasn't as established as Street Fighter – or even the Virtua Fighter series – Tekken was mainly a vehicle that showcased the strengths of 3D combat in arcades and the PS1. The result was still satisfying, as characters like Kazuya and Paul shined through.

The game has aged even compared to Tekken 2, but it's fun to go back and see the foundations and mechanics that still exist today. Mainstay characters like Nina, Paul, Kazuya, and Law still feel the same, with many of the same combos proving to work just as well decades later.

12 Tekken 4

Metascore: 79

Focusing on the story aspect has worked wonders for games of different genres, but the gamble didn’t play out so well for Tekken. The fourth installment suffered from taking a step back from the explosive action and focusing on the plot.

It is a shame critics did not appreciate this turn, though, as Tekken 4’s story is one of the best in the fighting game genre. Gameplay-wise, Tekken 4 also faced criticism for the terrain available, as moving higher meant players were at a significant advantage compared to those on lower ground. On the other hand, the character models did receive some praise.

11 Tekken Advance

Metascore: 82

No, that is not a low-quality picture above. This is precisely what Tekken Advance looked like. At the time, the Nintendo Game Boy Advance was hopelessly outmatched in graphics compared to home consoles, so this was the best players could get.

It’s also a non-canonical entry in the series, so players didn’t need to immerse themselves in the plot since it was irrelevant. However, the entertainment value received was good despite limited controls and a small roster. Repeated plays brought enough attachment for the player to keep continuing.

10 Tekken Tag Tournament 2

Metascore: 83

The seventh generation wasn’t the best for the Tekken series, as its simultaneous release across platforms meant it couldn’t stand out compared to PS and Xbox exclusives released around the same time. Tekken Tag Tournament 2 was great for fans of the classic games but wasn't a step up from Tekken Tag Tournament on the PS2.

Here, players had the most extensive roster available, as characters like Jun Kazama and Baek, among others, returned after a long hiatus. It was not a bad game, but it was hardly revolutionary enough to be memorable. Then again, having multiple characters on hand is always fun in a fighting game.

9 Tekken 6

Metascore: 82

The series’ introduction to the seventh generation of consoles didn’t live up to the mark set by its immediate predecessor, as Tekken 6 turned out to be an okay release in a franchise that had seen many highs and few lows.

The criticism was chiefly attributed to the character of Azazel, a generic monster with a bevy of moves to overcome the defensive player. Tekken 6 did a fine job with the rage mode and the upgrade in customization features, and it was still one of the best-playing fighting games on the PS3 and Xbox 360. The PSP iteration was also great.

8 Tekken 7

Metascore: 82

Fans had to wait about a decade before this sequel made its debut on consoles, and it was perhaps this hype that made Tekken 7 seem on par with its similarly average predecessor. Thanks to the graphical quality on display, it is easily the best-looking Tekken yet.

The downsides involved the ho-hum story mode that failed to deliver on the expectations of closure provided by Namco before the game’s release. It has aged well, though, since characters like Negan from The Walking Dead have made it more versatile with time.

7 Street Fighter X Tekken

Metascore: 84

Street x Tekken was more of a Street Fighter game than a Tekken entry, but there’s still the fact that characters from the latter series were featured here. There was supposed to be a Tekken X Street Fighter, but that never materialized.

It wasn't a commercial success, but fans of both series enjoyed how well the stylistically different fighting games worked. There is no denying that having match-ups between characters like Ryu and Jin was a dream come true for fighting game fans. It’s the best game to bring together fans of either series.

6 Tekken 5 (2005)

Metascore: 88

As one can see from the picture alone, Tekken 5 was when things got bigger and better as the Mishima family’s twisted history became even more engaging. The level designs were much more gorgeous than ever. Even today, one would not notice any problems.

This time around, it was the soundtrack that got the adrenaline pumping. Every location had an extra flavor. Characters seemed like they belonged rather than being shoehorned in, and many hours can be spent perfecting their move sets. Offering a lot of content and tight gameplay that was about as good as 3D fighters got at the time, Tekken 5 was a marvel with very few downsides.

5 Tekken Tag Tournament

Metascore: 85

At launch, the Tekken Tag Tournament was an evolutionary step in the fighting genre with its tag team mechanics. The opportunity to play more than one character at a time was too good to pass up, and critics lauded Tekken Tag Tournament for bringing a never-before-seen entertainment value to the series.

The story mode had some genuine input from the developers, so playing through this brought a different side of the characters regardless of being a non-canon entry in the Tekken series. However, there are issues with its balancing and featuring too many overpowered fighters.

4 Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection

Metascore: 88 (An Expanded And Improved Version Of Tekken 5)

Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection is a near-perfect port of the fifth mainline entry. However, Dark Resurrection adds extra features, like new character customization and a renewed ranking system. More importantly, it adds Armor King 2, Emilie, and Sergei as new playable characters.

Dark Resurrection was ported to the PS3 later via the PSN and featured upgraded visuals. Unlike the 3DS version, the PSP release provides an incentive to go back and play the game with multiple modes. There is an arcade mode, Tekken Dojo mode, league matches, and tournament matches.

3 Tekken 2

Metascore 89 (A Massive Improvement Over The Original)

Anybody would be blown away by a sequel that stepped up so drastically from the original, and this was the effect on critics when Tekken 2 arrived. The vast assortment of environments was thematically an improvement over its predecessor.

It was also the first game to feature supernatural elements in the fighting mechanics. This brought in a nice variety of fighting styles to choose from. Although graphics certainly don't hold up compared to Tekken 8, the gameplay solidified the series as a serious contender in the fighting genre.

2 Tekken 3

Metascore: 96 (A Revolutionary Leap For The Tekken Series)

Over two decades since its launch, it does not seem like there is another Tekken game that will even come close to achieving the critical acclaim Tekken 3 garnered. This entry could be spoken in the same breath as games like Soulcalibur or Street Fighter.

It is hard to explain what makes Tekken 3 an excellent fighting game. At the time, the story felt like a breath of fresh air and how the roster was revitalized with youthful energy. It looked and played much better than its predecessors and has multiple entertaining gaming modes for fans. One can only hope the series brings in originality as the third installment did once again in the future.

1 Tekken 8

Metascore: 90 (The Most Feature-Packed Entry In Series)

While it's hard to top the evolutionary leap between Tekken 2 and Tekken 3, Tekken 8 is a vast improvement from Tekken 7 in its storytelling, single-player content, visuals, and accessibility. While it's a shame that certain legacy characters like Lei, Julia, Baek, and even Eddie are missing at launch, there's a good chance that several new characters will be released as DLC.

Tekken 8 is easy to pick up for new players with adjustable controls, and its story mode does an excellent job of introducing the mechanics. In addition, Tekken 8 has a wealth of single-player content, unlockables, and customization features to keep fans busy for a long time.