Tekken 8 – all the best characters for newcomers to start their journey with
Tekken 8 is finally here, and with a roster of 32 characters, it can be hard to settle on a main character. Here's who we think are great characters for new players to start with.
Tekken 8 is the latest in the long-running series, but as with every new release, there's bound to be some new fighters stepping foot into the ring for the first time. So if you're struggling to pick up someone amongst the giant Tekken 8 roster, here are some ideas to send you in the right direction.
This isn't the 'best characters in Tekken 8', because I'm not qualified to tell you who those are, and it's probably still too early for an actual tier list to form. Rather, these are some characters that new players may exceed thanks to their strong damage potential or lightning-fast attacks.
Paul Phoenix
Paul is a Tekken mainstay, having been in every single entry of the series to date, and outside of the Mishima/Kazama clan, King, and maybe Yoshimitsu, we'd say he's probably the most iconic character in the series – especially thanks to his signature look. Despite Paul ditching his iconic towering hair this time around, he's still a hell of a fighter, and one of the most satisfying characters in the series to play.
As for why I would recommend Paul for newcomers, well, considering one of his match intros is him breaking a brick wall with a single punch, it's safe to say the man hits like a tank. He deals out high damage, his age-old strategy of 'lows 'n throws' is still as great as ever in Tekken, and his combos are reasonably simple. While his sway stance has the potential to throw newcomers off a bit, it's not an integral part of his kit in the same way other characters rely on stances.
Why Star Wars Jedi: Survivor's six week delay is a good thing
Hwoarang
I know I just said that Paul was good because of his lack of reliance on stances, only to then name a character who is far more reliant on them. But in my experience, no one can overwhelm opponents quite as well as Hwoarang. While getting his more elaborate combos down may be tough for some, his sheer speed and ability to get in an opponent's face is an extremely strong asset, not to mention he's got an arsenal of great low and high attacks. He's also a very hard character for new players to fight, I still have a lot of trouble with a good Hwoarang and I've been playing since the PS1 days.
Jack-8
Speaking of raw power though, there's no single character in the game with as much raw power as Jack-8. The latest version of the long-running Jack series of robots, which has been a mainstay in almost every game since Tekken 1. While his latest design may be one of his worst from a visual standpoint, his playstyle hasn't lost any appeal.
This hulking behemoth of a robot deals a lot of damage in very little time. His combos are fairly simple to get down, with devastating consequences for your opponent if they get hit with them. However, this damage potential does come with the issue of Jack being slower than a lot of the cast, so actually getting those combos in may prove difficult, especially when up against someone like Hwoarang or Marshall Law.
Marshall Law
Every fighting game series has to have its Bruce Lee tribute, and Tekken's Marshall Law may be the best of them all. Like Paul, he debuted in Tekken 1 and has made an appearance in every game – barring Tekken 3 and Tekken Tag Tournament, in which his son took his place.
Law, like Hwoarang, is an excellent choice if you want to overwhelm your opponents with sheer amounts of speed. Law has tons of flipping attacks, which make for great juggle opportunities, as well as a strong low-high game.
Whoever you want
At the end of the day, fighting games are about having fun. Picking up a character just because they're supposed to be a top tier is a valid option, but honestly, for me, the best way to play fighting games is to play the character you like the look of. Zangief is one of the weakest characters in Street Fighter 6 but he's so fun to play that I simply don't care. Kuma has never really been a strong character in any Tekken so far, but it seems like he's my main in Tekken 8. Play with who you want to play!
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
