Tekken 8: The Exclusive First Interview with Katsuhiro Harada - ‘A Turning Point’
In a room high above downtown Tokyo, Bandai Namco Entertainment general manager Katsuhiro Harada is getting ready to show off Tekken 8. He’s exchanged his customary sunglasses for a face mask as the game’s debut trailer plays on a television next to him.
Describing the trailer as it plays on loop, Harada explains how the scene – which depicts series mainstays Kazuya and Jin battling amid rain, lightning, and crashing waves – sets the mood for another climactic moment in the long-running series.
“Tekken 7 kind of showcased a showdown of the two Mishimas, but it was Heihachi Mishima and his son Kazuya. Now we've kind of progressed down the timeline so that you're seeing the face-off again between father and son, but different characters: Jin Kazama against his father, Kazuya Mishima,” Harada says.
Announced earlier this week, Tekken 8 picks up one of gaming’s longest running soap operas for a new generation of consoles. Fans are speculating on the nature of the imagery peppered throughout the trailer, and Harada is happy to provide some answers while withholding others.
“You can see the chain effect where it then breaks and then forms into Tekken 8 – 8 portion for the logo. We didn't just do that because it looks cool, but there's actually very strong story elements that are tied to that,” Harada explains “This kind of chain motif has been seen in the past with Devil Jin, for example. This is because Jin's not only really conflicted because of his Mishima roots in the bloodline, but also Devil Gene within him and how it kind of takes control over his life. So showing the chains break away is kind of showing Jin becoming free of all these things that are restricting him. He's forced to kind of face those elements of himself,
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