In the introduction to game mechanics with Paul and Law as test subjects, the 36 minutes below emphasized the aggression that will be at the heart of the experience, starting with the Rage System which will present unified controls across the entire roster for its Rage Art (R2 on PS5) and which has removed the Rage Drive from Tekken 7. Rage will activate if our health decreases below a certain threshold, with a white recovery gauge borrowed from the Tekken Tag sub-series. However, this time, our health will be restored by giving and receiving hits, so being aggressive will be profitable.
But the most important point is the Heat System unique to Tekken 8, recognizable by the blue flame surrounding the character. In this state giving the advantage to the attacker, a blocked hit will still hurt the opponent by causing the recovery gauge to appear and our fighter's unique characteristics will be improved for certain attacks. It can be activated manually with R1 for a duration of 10 seconds, which is called a Heat Burst, or through a Heat Engager by successfully hitting the opponent in a certain way. Thus, it will be easier for beginners to try more members of the roster. By the way, it was said that aerial combos will be close to those of Tekken 6. The two chain-shaped (or 8-shaped) signs on the Heat bar are linked to two special actions, the Heat Smash and Heat Dash, and to an energy system. Thus, activating a Heat Burst will grant us a Heat Energy, while a Heat Engager will bring two. A Heat Dash will consume one and a Heat Smash will consume all.
Finally, two different control schemes will be offered, usable in all game modes. On the one hand there will be the Arcade style for a classic Tekken experience, and on the other hand there will be the Special style combining the combo and assistance features of Tekken 7, with improvements. By pressing L1, a control panel will appear on the screen, making it easier to perform complicated techniques that are normally difficult to achieve. In addition, actions related to buttons will change depending on the situation (Rage, Heat).