Greetings one and all...
🥁🥁🥁
...to the Tekken 8 preview series! - Paul Phoenix. Yes! Tekken's lovable oaf is back and more sassy than ever. Yes! We are addressing the elephant in the room from the jump. That hair! I know, I know, I felt the same way when I first saw it. But honestly? I kinda like it now that I've gotten used to it. 😁
Character Name: Paul Phoenix First Appearance: Tekken 1 Nationality: American Fighting Style: Modified martial arts based on Judo
Paul has been a staple of Tekken since its inception. As such his moveset and character have become iconic. And while we will touch on the hair, which has become the main topic of discourse around his Tekken 8 design, there is much more to talk about this character.
And so! 🕺 Let's talk about him!
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🔷 GAMEPLAY TRAILER 🔶
Everyone knew how Paul looked before the trailer. But not everyone, everyone. So when this thing came out that was the only topic of conversation. Paul's hair is iconic. And this new preppy-boy look didn't sit well with any of the Tekken player base. If you are not a part of the community this might seem strange. If you are though, you know exactly what I mean. Take a look for yourself. 🎥
The rest of his moveset is your standard Paul. Well, as standard as it can be with all the Heat changes. He doesn't have any glaring differences though like say Law or Jin. The trailer shows all this, but people were too focused on his damn hair. 😁 Alright, let's talk about it so we can actually get to his implementation.
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🔷 APPEARANCE 🔶
So, the look. Everything about it is acceptable except for the hair. Yes, I don't mind the hair. I don't love it either though. I understand why the fanbase is up in arms over it since Paul's hair is kind of his signature. I remember putting on the red gi and imagining myself to be Goky from Dragon Ball playing him. With this new, more stylish cut, you will certainly not be imagining Goku. 😁
The rest of the outfit is cool. I would say Tekken 8 does a phenomenal job with the outfits in general. Paul definitely gives off the biker energy associated with his character. So why did they give him this controversial haircut? Well, according to Harada, the Tekken Overloard and Game Director, Paul's hair is like this in every fourth installment of the game. So Tekken 4 was its inception and now we are bringing it back. Make of that what you will.
His moves are great. I love his voice lines and poses too. His character shines bright. I love this big positive oaf, and his energy comes off as very Paulish. Also, I love the use of effects on his character. Minimal but potent. Fairy but not too much. I think they nailed his look and feel.
As for his Rage Art. It's a Death Fist - what else would it be? I feel like it serves its purpose, and the sleeve rip is really cool to me. Since we got to see Paul before the CNT, his arm sleeve rip was not present in that version of the game. So the little improvements are really appreciated. It's not the most wow Rage Art out there, but it's not lackluster either.
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🔷 NEW TECH 🔶
Paul plays surprisingly similar to his previous iterations. His Rage prowess is scary, yes. And his chip damage is insane. Again, none of this is final so we can't really look too deep into it. But he is the same bruiser he's ever been.
You can still sidestep him like crazy, especially to the right. Granted, sidestepping has been generally buffed in 8. Which is a welcomed change in my book. But Paul is even more linear now.
So if you don't know how to play against him you'll get wrecked. Death Fisted into infinity. But if you actually use the third dimension you can demolish weaker Pauls that are not aware of his weaknesses.
But the execution of his Death Fist is still imperative. So there are definite differences between the good and amazing Pauls. All in all, he seems pretty balanced as is. And I hope this translates to the base game.
Thank you for reading my post, you rock! (and maybe roll) 👏👏👏
🖼️ Image Sources: 01, 02, 03 🖼️
Shout-out to the 🍕PIZZA🍕 gang, 🤙 gang. 🤙
Another one bites the dust. 😀 Thank you all for continuing to read these. I really love making them. Next up? I'm not sure honestly. We'll probably do King, as there is a lot to talk about the new counter-grabs in the game. So stay tuned for that Tekken fans!
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Have a great start to your week! 🙌
Return from Paul Phoenix | Tekken 8 Preview to Јоцко's Web3 Blog
