When Heihachi Mishima was revealed to be Tekken 8’s subsequent DLC character, I used to be each shocked and never shocked. The sequence antagonist was killed off within the earlier entry, Tekken 7, by being thrown right into a volcano, however miraculously survived by some means. The one factor stronger than loss of life is DLC, I suppose.
Heihachi’s return comes with a brand new story mode known as Unforgotten Echoes, which particulars what the opposite DLC characters — Eddy Gordo and Lidia Sobieska — have been as much as throughout the occasions of Tekken 8. Fortunately, Unforgotten Echoes is a free replace, so gamers can check out the DLC characters with out having to pay for them.
Digital Tendencies performed the primary 5 chapters of Unforgotten Echoes and sat down with producer Michael Murray to debate why Heihachi was introduced again, how he differs in Tekken 8 in comparison with his earlier iterations, and the way characters are balanced in comparison with the remainder of the roster.
Bringing again unhealthy
It looks like Bandai Namco couldn’t let go of Heihachi. Each followers and the builders missed him, so it solely made sense for him to return again. At first, director Katsuhiro Harada instructed the crew to make Heihachi “look very useless,” and so they truly went into the method with the intention of killing him off.
“However then Harada was like, ‘What? I didn’t say kill him!’” Murray tells Digital Tendencies. “I assume he meant simply to make it look lifelike with out truly killing him. So lots of the enjoyable of Tekken 8 was attempting to plot a approach to convey him again from the useless. So we actually did intend it at first.”
Heihachi comes with a brand new gameplay mechanic known as Warrior’s Intuition, which modifications the properties of a few of his assaults and provides a sinister reddish aura round him. On this powered up state, he can deal extra recoverable well being injury and has entry to extra extensions on his strikes, making it simpler for him to combo and juggle his opponents. This mechanic ties in narratively too, because the crew wished Heihachi to nonetheless really feel highly effective.
“In Tekken 7, he was a extra technical character, the place you had much more superb detailed strategies, like little strikes right here and there that you simply had to make use of to attempt to open up your opponent to wreck,” Murray says. “Whereas now he has a extra dynamic and highly effective manner of having the ability to assault your opponent.”
So as to steadiness out Warrior’s Intuition, considered one of its disadvantages is how lengthy it takes for Heihachi to activate it. He can’t achieve this on a whim; he has to enter Warmth state 3 times, which might solely be executed as soon as a spherical. So Warrior’s Intuition received’t even be out there till later within the match. As a personality, Heihachi nonetheless has weak low assaults, making him prone to being blocked and counterattacked. This manner, Heihachi isn’t terribly overpowered in comparison with the remainder of the forged.
New horizons
The replace additionally brings a brand new stage known as the Genmaji Temple, which has a pivotal setting for Unforgotten Echoes because it’s a secluded coaching floor for Tekken monks. The setting options intricately detailed temple buildings crammed with shiny mild and surrounded by lush greenery. To commemorate Heihachi’s return, the builders wished to create a Japanese-themed centerpiece stage.
“They actually prefer to concentrate on that change from autumn into winter. Falling leaves decide the colours and accents, that sort of brown orange going into white snow,” Murray says. “We wished to concentrate on that being a hidden space the place folks had practiced martial arts whereas not being too severe and to provide it a bit little bit of a Tekken comedic aptitude.”
One of many extra notable new characters in Tekken 8 was Reina, who was positioned as a brand new large menace. However with Heihachi within the highlight once more, the place does Reina slot in? Murray mentions that he and Harada wished to do a feminine Mishima character for fairly a while now, and are pleased with the optimistic reception Reina has obtained.
“Simply because Heihachi comes again doesn’t imply she’s going to be sidelined,” he explains. “However whether or not there’s going to be a deep path about her and Heihachi is one thing we are able to’t actually discuss. You’ll simply have to attend for the long run.”
Tekken 8‘s DLC 3 launches on October 1 for Season Go house owners and October 4 for everybody else on PC, PS5, and Xbox Collection X|S.