Tekken 8: hands-on with Heihachi Mishima

blog.playstation.com:

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.

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