I don't remember the last time I was as excited for a game as I am for Tekken 8. I've had the pleasure of playing it four times this year—twice at public gaming events, once for October's closed beta test and, finally, a closed invitation to try the completed game in late November—and every single time I walk away from it buzzing for hours on end.
It's a stark contrast to my feelings about Tekken 7, a game I've spent a lot of my time this year playing, watching and gradually becoming exhausted with. I've been a lifelong fan of the series, but struggled to latch onto Tekken 7's clunky movement, lack of casual singleplayer modes, and load times. So much loading. It's not entirely Bandai Namco's fault that it's so primitive—Tekken 7's budget was considerably smaller than previous entries—but it sucked to see a lacklustre story and shoddy netcode bog down what was at its core solid brawling with an enjoyable character roster.
