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Long consideredone of the most difficult fighting seriesto hit the gaming world, theTekkenseries gives players amazingly deep controls, allowingindividual use of each limb of the fighters along the rosters of each game. While this control scheme offers players an immense variety of attacks and combos, it can make learning the game and learning a new fighter seem like an impossible mountain to climb.
InTekken 8, players are graced with a completely new control scheme, making the barrier to entry to the series significantly more friendly to players who may not be familiar with Tekken games, or fighting games in general. Additionally, this new control style allows players toeasily explore new fighters using a standardized layout,identical across all fighters. This can let players try new characters and discover some of their special attacks without having to dive too deep intothe unique move list of a fighter.
With this new fight style, known asSpecial Style, players will have to explore the two styles to find which option works best for them - here’s a full breakdown of each control layout and the pros and cons of each.
How To Use Special Style
Tekken 8introduces a new fighting style and button layout called Special Style. Players can activate Special Style with the Special Style input,the L1 button, or the Left Bumper, on consoles and O on PC.Special Style will replace the recommended inputs window (if active)with the Special Style inputs window,appearing in the bottom left of the screen. Similar to theModern Controls layout in Street Fighter 6,Special Style activates a simplified control scheme, allowing players tounleash devastating combos with ease. While players will be limited in what combos and chains they can unleash with each character, Special Style can be a great introduction toTekken 8for players unfamiliar with theTekkenseries.
Special Style reformats the button layout into a simplified control scheme:
Special Style will also prompt players to use special abilities like Rage Arts andHeat Smashwhen these attacks become available, making Special Style aneffective training tool for learning how to properly time activationof these incredibly powerful abilities.
Traditional Style
The traditional control scheme inTekkenuses the four main inputs on the controller to control an individual body partof the selected fighter. When combined with directional inputs, or when pressed simultaneously,players can unleash the full potential of a fighter’s move list,unleashing incredibly devastating and unique abilities. The traditional controls forTekkenare:
Players can use throws by inputtingLeft Kick + Left Punch, or Right Kick + Right Punch. Players can alter any of these inputs, including throws, bycombining them with any of the directional inputs,allowing the most control of any fighter by using the traditional controls. Forspecial moves likeHeat Styleand Rage Arts, players will use the same controls as Special Style;however,players will not receive prompts in the HUDto initiate these actions when using traditional controls.
When using the traditional controls, players willhave access to the full move list of their selected fighters.Check the move list for each character in the pause menu to discover their unique combos and attacks.
Which Playstyle Should I Use?
If players are new toTekken 8,they shouldexplore using both sets of controls to find which fits best for their playstyle. While the simplified fighting style ofSpecial Style may make usingevery character in the game a breeze,players who are familiar with fighting games with diverse rosters (while maybe not familiar with the Tekken series itself) may fight the Special Style overly basic and limiting. Additionally, veterans of the series will find that their favorite techniques are often unavailable in this style,requiring players to revert to traditional controls to truly explore thedepth of each fighter.
Despite this,Special Style has huge benefits that cannot be overlooked- allowing players toexplore every character in the rosterusing the generalized control scheme. With such a complex set of controls available inTekken 8,it can take players of any skill level a while to learn a new characterand all the nuances of their complete move list. It can be disappointing to spend several hours or days of game time to learn a new fighter, only to find the fighting style of that character doesn’t quite fit with your playstyle. If players are looking to explore a new character and want the opportunity to get a taste of a character’s move list without dedicating the time to fully learning the ins and outs of that fighter,Special Style can give you a glimpse into a new member of the roster before committing to studying them completely.
In addition to being beneficial for learning,Special Style can also allow players to spam and unleash rapid combos with incredibly easy inputs,for times when being fancy is less important than surviving (or more accurately, eliminating the enemy). Being able toquickly launch into Heat Style by using the Specialty Move input can let players still claim a win even if they panicin stressful fighting conditions.
Players looking to truly masterTekken 8will learn to integrate both playstyles into each other, seamlessly switching between the two with the Special Style input. Knowing when touse finesse to unleash intricate special abilitiesor successive juggling combos with the traditional controls, and when to switch into Special Style to easily lock an opponent with a Power Crush followed up by a Specialty Move combo will allow players to dominate round after round.
Players will also have the option to go into the control setting and set up custom control layouts, allowing for an even more detailed and personal touch to the fighting styles of each character. Players can also set quick keys for combination inputs to assist with inputting complicated combo attacks.
