Tekken’s combo system has always been one of its defining features — intricate, high-reward, flashy, and, at times, brutally punishing. But over the years, especially in Tekken 7 and Tekken 8, the length of combos has stretched to frustrating extremes -- not because they reward skill, but because they often rob agency from the defending player for several seconds at a time. Therefore, the solution for Tekken 9 isn’t to lower combo damage, which would actually just undermine the reward structure that competitive Tekken thrives., but to to shorten combo sequences while retaining full damage output.
By keeping the damage high but reducing the number of hits, Tekken 9 could resolve one of the series’ core design flaws. It would keep the threat of punishment intact, while making neutral gaps and calculated pauses feel more deliberate and impactful. This would also help eliminate the boredom and helplessness that long combos cause.
Tekken 9 Should Atone For One of Its Predecessor's Sins From The Get-Go
While one aspect of Tekken 8 has probably let down the players who expected more, its sequel doesn't need to suffer from the same issue.
Why Shorter Combos Would Actually Make Tekken Harder and Better
Tekken is at its best when microdecisions matter; player display their prowess by sidestepping, punishing whiffs, and baiting counter-hits. But right now, many matches hinge on memorized 8–12 hit strings that leave both players disengaged: one passive, one following a rigid execution path. Shorter, high-damage combos in Tekken would demand cleaner execution and smarter optimization. If Tekken 9 goes down that road, it would compel players to maximize damage with fewer moves and optimize their routing instead of relying on extended juggles to cover mistakes and amputate the opponent, regardless of either player's other skills.
In many ways, this would raise the execution ceiling for competitive dynamic of Tekken, not lower it. Right now, many matches hinge on a few big moments, and the game is often about luck and timing. One combo can lead to a 60% life loss with no way to escape once a combo is in motion. In a system with shorter combos, the flow would favor more exchanges: smaller but still lethal opportunities to press advantages without removing control from the defender for absurd stretches.
Tekken’s Future Needs Engagement, Not Just Spectacle
Tekken 9 must recognize that the visual spectacle of long combos is not worth the gameplay cost. Spectators might marvel at long strings once or twice, but real excitement comes from rapid shifts in momentum, not extended autopilot sequences. Tekken's short, brutal combos, ones that end quickly but hit just as hard, would lead to faster resets, more scrambles, and a faster pace to matches overall. Players would be encouraged to stay sharp every second instead of checking out mentally once launched.
What’s equally important is that it helps new players, too. Learning effective combos should feel less like memorizing a playbook of input strings. It should instead be about who can figure out the best combination of perhaps a four-hit play, a grab, a block, and a surprise signature move of the fighter they're playing with. That encourages mastery and doesn't burden newcomers in Tekken with bloated, impractical combo trees.
Reducing Tekken's Combo Length Could Give Importance to Defense Once Again
If Tekken 9 adopts shorter combos and the same damage philosophy, it would redefine how Tekken feels at every level of play. Defense would matter more, just as it initially did back in Tekken 3; neutral moments would be richer, and the real-time mind games Tekken was built on would return to the forefront. Winning Tekken rounds would be about reading the opponent better and striking faster instead of memorizing a 15-second juggle path.
Tekken’s strength has always been its pick-up-and-play appeal with infinite mastery potential. Overlong combos threaten that balance by making large parts of matches passive and non-interactive. Correcting that in Tekken 9 would restore the core experience that made the series legendary.
Tekken 8
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 99%
- Released
- January 26, 2024
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment, Arika
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer, Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- PC, PS5 & Xbox Series X|S
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Fighting
