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Tekken 8, while the most beginner-friendly release of the entire series, is filled with legacy systems and mechanics that aren’t touched upon much - or at all - in the game’s Practice or Arcade Quest modes. This isn’t to say the onboarding process of Tekken 8 is terrible by any means. It just means that Tekken’s many systems, rules, and mechanics can still be daunting to newcomers.
Arcade Quest does an excellent job at teaching the player how to perform specific actions but never goes into too much detail about universal system mechanics. Things such as ducking, sidestepping, parrying, etc., are left out of seemingly every training mode. And, as you could have guessed, these are crucial to the game and will go a long way once you learn and get them down!
Tekken 8 Notation Guide
Before we dive into the thick of the universal systems and mechanics of Tekken 8, we must first outline thegeneral notations used for Tekken.If you ever looked at a combo for your favorite character online, you likely saw something like ’d/f 1+2.' If you do not know what this means, stay in this section. If you’re familiar with this, you can safely move on to the next section.
Tekken 8 Notations
In Tekken,numbersare used torepresent your attacks,whilelettersare used tonotate the movement.So, if the attack you need to do isForward and Right Punch,the notation would read ‘f 2.’ If you mustpress two buttonsfor the attack, it would look like ‘2+3.’
Furthermore, if themovement input combines Forward and Down,it would be displayed asd/f.Thetable below will give you a full rundown of all the inputs and their notations.We strongly urge you to commit them to memory, as you will see them often when looking at character guides!
1
2
3
4
d/l
d
d/r
b
★
f
u/b
u
Up/Forward (⭧)
u/f
Neutral (★) means you don’t press any input. So, if you see this input in your character’s Move List, simply don’t press any Movement or Attack Inputs for a split second.
Additionally, some inputs can be held for additional properties, changing the notation from a lowercase letter to a capital one. So, if you have to hold Forward for a combo, it would be displayed as F 2.
Tekken 8 Movement Guide
Movementis a crucial aspect of Tekken, enabling you todash, backdash, sprint, and much more.Being a 3D fighter, having access tomove into the foreground and backgroundis massive and can go a long way once you know how to utilize it to your advantage.
With thebasic notationscovered, this section will cover yourgeneral movement options and how to use them to implement strong movement and positioning.Knowing how to move and position yourself properly is crucial to your success and is generally overlooked.
How To Move Into The Foreground And Background
As mentioned above, you canmove into the foreground and backgroundin Tekken. For example, if you’refacing to the rightand want tomove into the background,you wouldtap the ‘Up’ direction once, then tap and hold it a second timeto have your opponent begin walking into the background.To move into the foreground,you woulddo the same thingbut with the’Down' direction.
Holding the ‘Up’ or ‘Down’ direction without first tapping itwill have you perform ajump or crouchmotion. So, be sure to tap the direction you want to move first, then tap and hold it immediately after to begin moving into the foreground or background.
Tapping the ‘Up’ direction once will have you swiftly sidestep into the background. To quickly sidestep into the foreground, you must double-tap the ‘Down’ direction, as just tapping it once will have you crouch.
Dashing, Backdashing, And Sprinting
Next, we’ll cover how todash, backdash, and sprintin Tekken 8.Dashing and backdashing are crucial elementsof Tekken, asdashingenables you toextend combos or maintain pressure.In contrast,backdashingcan be used toevade incoming attacks and force your opponent to whiffan attackfor you to punish them.
Todashin Tekken 8, simplytap the ‘Forward’ direction twice,having you swiftly move forward. Tobackdash,you willtap the ‘Back’ direction twice,having you perform a speedy backstep.Backdashingis almost always used as adefensive measure,while you will often see theforward dashused incombos,displayed as ‘ff.’
Lastly,sprintingis an option in Tekken 8. It is done bytapping the ‘Forward’ direction once, then tapping and holding the direction once moreimmediately after, having youbegin running forwardat full speed. This can be used toperform unique attacks, extend combos, or maintain pressure!
Remember, the notation for moving forward is f, but since you must press it twice and hold the second input to sprint, the notation would read as fF. If you ever see a movement input notation capitalized, you must hold it!
Tekken 8 Defense Guide
Now that you have the general notations and movement options of Tekken 8 down, it’s time to dive into thedefensiveportion of the game, which is woefully overlooked in the game’s many tutorials within Practice or Arcade Quest.
The sections below will dive into all thedefensive options you have at a system level, which will make you more confident when on the defensive. While some characters will have access to more defense options, these willgenerally be the same across the board!
How To Block
Blockingyour enemy’s attacks is crucial in any fighting game, and Tekken 8 is no exception. Fortunately, there areseveral ways for you to guard against your opponent’s incoming onslaught.
GuardingagainstHigh and Mid-Attackscan be achieved byholding the ‘Back’ directionor by simply staying ‘Neutral.‘That’s right,pressing nothing automatically blocks High and Mid-Attacksfor you. Either method works, but getting used to Neutral-Guarding will make punishing your opponent when an opening appears more effortless.
You musthold the ‘Down/Back’ direction to block a Low Attack.Low Attacks can be some of the most potent attacks in Tekken 8 but are typically easily telegraphed and punishable.
Parrying Low Attacks And Special-Mids
While blocking your opponent’s Low Attacks via Down/Back is a viable option, you canparry all Low Attacksbypressing and holding the ‘Down/Foward’ direction justbefore the attack lands,having you flip them over, enabling you to carry out a full combo.
As mentioned earlier,Low Attacks are generally pretty strong, but they can be punished just as harshly,making them risky to attempt against an opponent that knows how to read and counter them correctly.
Furthermore,some characters will have Special Mid Attacksthat can also beparried by the same method,but these attacks are rare and aren’t universal to every character like Low Attacks are!
Sidestepping And Ducking
Sidestepping and duckingare also crucial defensive options in Tekken 8, as they allow you to evade an attack by simply crouching underneath them or stepping into the foreground or background.Crouchingvia the’Down’ movementoption willevade most High to Mid attacks and Grabswhilesidestepping will help you evade ‘Unblockable’attacks.
However, keep in mind thatthere are ‘Homing Attacks’in Tekken 8, meaning they cantrack you even if you’re sidestepping,making it a risky option to rely on against opponents who know how to respond to it.
Homing Attacks have a light blue trial following the attack, making them easier to read and react to. If you see the light blue trial, don’t attempt to sidestep the attack, as you will likely get hit!
Teching Throws
Our last defensive section revolves aroundthrows,asevery character can access at least two basic options(typically 1+3 and 2+4). If you’re guarding a lot, you’re able to expect an experienced player to attempt to open you up with a throw, whichcan also be guarded against with a method called ‘Throw Teching.’
Totech a throw,there aremany systems you must consider first,as thebuttons you press to break out of a throw depend entirely on your positioning and the type of throw your opponent is utilizing.The table below will cover all scenarios and show you how to evade them!
Front-Facing Throw
Standard 1+3 or 2+4
Tap either 1 or 2 at the beginning of the animation.
Do NOT tap both buttons simultaneously, as it will not work.
Right-Side Throw
Tap the 2 (Right Punch) button at the beginning of the animation.
Since the opponent is on your right side, you must break out of it with 2.
Left-Side Throw
Tap the 1 (Left Punch) button at the beginning of the animation.
Since the opponent is on your left side, you must break out of it with 1.
Back-Side Throw
Throws initiated from behind cannot be teched out of.
Some characters have many Throw options, giving them access to Special Throws, which must be teched via your Right Punch or Left Punch buttons. To determine which button must be pressed, keep an eye out for whichever limb they extend first. If it’s their left arm, pressing 1 will tech it; if it’s their right arm, then 2 will be the proper response!
Tekken 8 Recovery Guide
Ourfinal sectionwill cover themany recovery options within Tekken 8,which will help you escape sticky situations. This section will cover how torecover your ‘White Health’ after receiving ‘Chip Damage’andall recovery options you have upon getting knocked down.
Perfecting these methods willgive you a strong advantage against opponents who love to rush in and press buttonsordon’t quite know how to capitalize on opponents they knock downyet.
Ground Recovery
If an opponent launches you and fails to capitalize on the combo,sending you crashing into the ground,you can instantly move into the background or foreground the moment you hit the ground.Pressing either1 or 2 will have you roll into the backgroundwhile pressing3 or 4 will have you roll into the foreground.
This methoddoes not apply if you’ve been hit with a move that Tornadoesand isknown as’Landing Tech.’ Teching the landing is crucial as it allows you to punish hyperaggressive opponents. However,if you missed your windowto tech or have been hard-knockdownedby your opponent after a combo, you will enter the ‘Grounded’ state.
When Grounded, you will have several options to get up off the ground,which we will highlight in the table below!
Down/Left Kick (d 3)
Roll into the foreground.
Health Recovery
Finally, there is also a system in Tekken 8 known as ‘White Health,’ which is recoverable health thataccumulateswhenreceiving chip damagewhenguarding against specific attacks, beingattacked while airborne or grounded,or byblocking any attack from an opponent currently in Heatmode.
Thishealth is recoveredbyhitting your opponent,having yougain more HP on successful hits,andgaining little HP back if they’re blocking.Some characters will have access toSpecial Actionsthat makerecovering White Health faster but typically require a long animation,making it risky.
Be aware ofLow Attacks,as they willsignificantly carve down your White Healthon contact.Rage Artswill alsocompletely drain your White Health,so be wary of getting hit by those as well!
