One Major Change Tekken 9 Should Make to Combos

Oh boy, Tekken. It’s a wild ride, huh? So here’s the thing: Tekken’s combo system? It’s kinda like juggling chainsaws. Intricate, flashy. But also, yikes, sometimes it feels like you’re just watching your life bar vanish while sipping coffee.

I mean, don’t get me wrong, combos are cool. But in Tekken 7 and 8, geez, they just stretched on like an awkward silence. You know, the kind where you’re like, “Should I say something?” Anyway, the solution for Tekken 9? Don’t lower the combo damage. Nah, keep the smackdown just as fierce, but chop down the hits. Like fewer punches, same ouch.

So imagine this: High damage but fewer hits. Sounds like a paradox, right? But really, it could fix a core design flaw. Keeping that threat of punishment alive, while chucking out the boredom. Yeah, those endless combos? Snooze-fest. Your eyes glaze over and you’re just waiting to get back in the game.

Now, about those microdecisions. That’s where Tekken shines—little sidesteps, whiff punishing. But right now, it’s all about memorizing a string of moves. And it’s like, man, even the players look checked out. What’s the fun in that? Shorten the combos and suddenly, it’s about cleaner execution, like a dance but with face-smashing. Think: shorter, sweeter, deadly, and you gotta be sharp as a tack the whole time. None of that autopilot jazz.

Here’s something else: for new folks wading into Tekken’s world, it shouldn’t feel like you’re cramming for finals. Like, really, who has time for that? Learning combos should be like a puzzle—snap together a few hits, maybe toss a block or a surprise move. Not this labyrinthine nightmare of inputs. Keep it snappy and fun, you know?

And, hold up, defense could make a comeback too! Throwback to when Tekken was about dodging and weaving, reading your opponent like a gripping novel. A match should be an exchange, not a soliloquy—a real back-and-forth, not one player delivering an endless monologue of pain. It’s like, bring the excitement back. Real-time mind games, yes please. That’s what keeps Tekken legendary, right?

Man, sometimes I feel like I’m asking too much—or maybe I’m just stuck in nostalgia. But, Tekken 9 could truly hit the sweet spot. If it remembers what makes it great—quick, brutal, mind-bending—that could be the ticket to bringing players old and new on board the Tekken train. Okay, now where was I… Oh yeah, definitely try to avoid those tires sounding like wet cardboard!