The IncastroPC test
Mike Abbondandolo · November 2026Tekken 8 is over the top, unapologetically flashy, and proud of it a fighting game that raised the bar on almost everything, but still has a few gaps to fill.
What we liked
- +The Heat System transforms every match — deeper than it looks on the surface
- +Visually in a league of its own compared to the competition
- +Netcode finally up to scratch stable and reliable
- +Massive roster, with characters that feel genuinely distinct from one another
Less convincing
- −The simplified controls feel more like a showcase feature than a real tool
- −With such sweeping system changes, questions about balance are completely fair
- −A bit more content at launch wouldn’t have hurt
How we tested it
Performance
Average FPS over 9 min 52 s of gameplay, measured with MangoHud. The line marks 60 FPS. Average FPS: how many frames per second on average. 1% low: the FPS in the worst moments (the slowest 1% of frames). The closer the 1% low is to the average, the smoother the game, without stutters.
Also applies to other mini PCs with the same Radeon 780M graphics: Ryzen 7 7840HS, Ryzen 7 8845HS, Ryzen 9 7940HS Same integrated graphics, so similar FPS. They can vary a bit with RAM (speed and dual channel) and with the power limit set by the manufacturer.
Test timeline
Power is the processor's (CPU and graphics) as read by MangoHud: at the wall it's a few watts more. Lighter areas are pauses, menus or loading screens (5 seconds), left out of the calculation.
Launch and tweaks
Few franchises in fighting game history have held on this long and this comfortably as Tekken. The credit isn't just longevity it's a rare ability to evolve without losing its identity. Tekken 8 is perhaps the clearest example of that philosophy: on CachyOS with a Ryzen 7 8745HS and Radeon 780M via GE-Proton11-1, it hits 55 FPS at 4K Medium with no upscaling a strong result for an iGPU on a game this demanding visually. On first launch, the game scans your hardware and automatically sets the recommended graphics options on the Radeon 780M it landed on Medium, and the results speak for themselves.
The new Heat System is the most talked-about addition, and in practice it's also the most successful. On the surface it looks like a shortcut for players who want big damage without much thinking; in reality it's a layered mechanic that rewards careful use and punishes spamming. Every character uses it differently, and that goes a long way toward making the roster feel more varied and distinctive than ever.
The story mode is deliberately, shamelessly over the top a non-stop string of absurdities straight out of the '90s that somehow comes full circle and becomes almost irresistible. Arcade Quest is the stronger single-player offering: a guided path that teaches the core mechanics without feeling like a chore. The Ghost system AI opponents that learn your playstyle is one of the most original ideas the genre has seen in years.
The netcode is a clear step up from Tekken 7: solid against European opponents, with the expected issues over long distances. It doesn't quite reach the top tier of the genre, but it's well above what most people were expecting. There are occasional light frame drops during play never disruptive enough to affect combat, but noticeable. The overall balance still needs watching the system changes are significant and the launch content could have been a little more generous. But Tekken 8 is the most fun fighting game out there right now, and with a dev team as hands-on as Bandai Namco's, the best may still be ahead.
