It’s pretty remarkable how ten months can change one’s interpretation of how quality an item is. When Tekken 8 launched on January 25th, it was almost immediately hailed as one of the pinnacles of modern fighting games and building off the greatness of the previous entry. Many even felt it could be an early Game of the Year contender due to how it played and looked. However, as time went on, cracks began to show, and gamers started to hate what they saw from the game. As such, Bandai Namco is in a bit of “damage control” mode, and its new “Fall Update” trailer likely won’t help much.
The video itself highlights the “biggest update yet” for the game while focusing on the paid and free content that Tekken 8 players can either purchase or receive. The biggest draw is the arrival of Heihachi Mishima, who was apparently NOT killed in the battle with Kazuya last time around. Go figure. There is also the new stage that comes with him and certain cosmetic packs that you’ll need to purchase to wear, including the Reaper Pack and Seduction Pack.
The free content is surprisingly robust, as there’s a new story episode called “Unforgotten Echoes,” alongside a plethora of free cosmetic items, mode changes, and the ability to alter the main menu to become the character you want it to be. You can check out the full trailer below:
If you wanted to know what people thought of this update announcement, you need only look at the comments on YouTube. It’s pretty negative, and they’re not afraid to spell out why they’re not into what Bandai Namco is doing. For example, the battle pass is a particular thing that they hate. These passes weren’t part of the game’s launch and then were put in well after the game had sold millions and gotten critical praise. Many saw it as a “jerk move” to lure people in and then attempt to force them to pay money for things they didn’t want.
Another gripe is with the battle stage that comes with Heihachi. While it’s not something you have to pay for if you have the season pass, it was initially intended to be that way until gamers went into an uproar. Bandai Namco backpedaled heavily, but the players aren’t so easy to grant forgiveness. Finally, they’re mad at the imbalance of paid and free content in this update and that someone like Heihachi is a DLC character instead of added for free due to his legacy status.
