Tekken 8 wowed everyone earlier this year with its stunning graphics, intense action, and unforgettable characters.
Even though many popular characters were there from the start, some big names were missing. Fans were thrilled when Eddy Gordo was added, followed by Lidia Sobieska, but there was still a noticeable absence – the Mishima family.
Heihachi, thought to be dead after Tekken 7, is making a comeback. Despite being thrown into lava by his son Kazuya, Heihachi somehow survived. In the crazy world of Tekken, where characters survive explosions and transform into devils, this isn’t too surprising.
The latest update, version 1.08, not only adds Heihachi to the game but also introduces a new side story called Unforgotten Echoes. This story explains how Heihachi survived and features his stage, Genmaji Temple. The update is free, but Heihachi and his stage are part of the paid Character Year 1 Pass. There are also new items from Nike and Gentle Monster, plus improvements like online practice and menu customization.
Game director Kohei “Nakatsu” Ikeda shared, “I remember the initial discussions when we were talking about what to do for the 30th anniversary of the franchise, we were thinking, ‘That’s really hard to do without Heihachi, who is such a central figure to the franchise.'”
Unforgotten Echoes focuses on Eddy, Lidia, and Heihachi in a story parallel to the main Tekken 8 plot. Since it’s free, players can try out these characters even if they haven’t bought the Year 1 Pass. This is a great chance to get to know their moves and stories, especially how Heihachi came back.
Producer Michael Murray said, “Because Nakatsu and I made it look so convincing that he died in Tekken 7, we can’t just throw him in the game and say, ‘A-ha! We fooled you!’ There’s got to be some kind of motivation and feeling of believability to the scenario, to some extent. It was really important to show people why he is not dead, and to make it feel genuine and authentic.”
Fans think it’s cool how they explain Heihachi’s return.
I played through the first five chapters of Unforgotten Echoes. Eddy starts off on a mission in South America, battling various characters. Then, the story shifts to Lidia, who fights Reina and encounters strange smoke and hallucinations. This leads her to Genmaji Temple, where she meets the Tekken Monks, who want to restore the purity of the Mishima Style.
Lidia’s journey at the temple is about balancing mind, body, and technique. In the last chapter I can discuss, you take control of Heihachi, who has been with the Monks for six months. He lost his memory and now has a calmer look and personality.
Ikeda explained, “The dev team felt it was necessary in portraying Heihachi and how he came back from being pretty much dead […] it was, like, if we just brought him back and he’s up and running, he’s evil, and he’s slugging it out with Kazuya again, it’s not as interesting as having him lose a part of himself. And ‘What would he look like if he’s just a good person?’ which we’ve never seen in the past. That’s probably more intriguing to the player base as they follow that journey, that story arc of Heihachi.”
Heihachi’s new look includes flat hair and monk-like clothes, but his powerful fighting style remains. “We wanted to make him more aggressive and more powerful than past iterations, like less poking, et cetera,” Ikeda said. “We focused on his mid and high attacks, where he had a lot of strong options to begin with, but to make them even stronger in this iteration, and also by adding those two stances–the Thunder God and the Wind God–those techniques that came out of that are just way more powerful than you’ve seen in past iterations, and they may come even more aligned to that concept of being aggressive and going on the offensive against your opponent.”
After Chapter 5 ends with a mysterious vow, I continued through the rest of the story mode. I can’t share more about the remaining chapters, so let’s move on to Versus matches.
Getting to know Heihachi’s fighting style better, I realized he might become one of my favorite characters. His powerful moves fit perfectly with the balance of mind, body, and technique that the Tekken Monks strive for. I enjoyed learning his combos and using his Heat Smash attacks, as well as his new Warrior’s Instinct mode, which activates after three uses of Heat in a match.
Versus matches on the new Genmaji Temple stage were a visual treat. The stage transitions from a dusk autumn setting to a nighttime winter scene, with a daytime variant also available.
After many Versus matches, including special animations when Heihachi faces Kazuya, I explored character customization. Tekken 8 continues the tradition of crazy customization options. I created a younger Heihachi with long black hair and a scruffy beard, and another version with a Freddy Krueger sweater and a loaf of bread on his face. No matter how ridiculous Heihachi looks, he stays serious.
Heihachi has been a key figure in Tekken since the beginning. While his presence was felt through characters like Reina, it’s great to see him back on the roster. With a new side story and a beautiful stage, this fall’s update is Tekken 8’s biggest yet.
Heihachi, the Genmaji Temple, Unforgotten Echoes, and version 1.08 arrive on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC this fall.
