Tekken 8 Will Feature Ghost Matches

Ghost mode was a game  mode in Tekken 5 that let you play an AI controlled version of your character using data from your matches as a source of information for the AI. It was a fairly successful feature but did not return in subsequent Tekken games— until now. 

It has been reported that Tekken 8 will feature a Ghost Mode. This was somewhat popular back in the day as Mario Kart on the Super Nintendo also had a similar feature for its time trial mode. There, when your race was done and you played the stage again, a translucent version of your avatar driving the exact way you drove in the last race, became your opponent. This way, you could measure your performance against yourself and observe your improvements or mistakes. 

Now in Tekken 8's closed beta, it has been discovered that Ghost Mode is back. 

How wil it work? Well, imagine wanting to play Arslan Ash. Now you can simply check out his profile and play an AI-controlled fighter using Arslan's character of choice and using his match data to imitate his playstyle. 

On the bright side, this could be a great training resource for both casual and pro players. So, imagine wanting to play a pro player and they don't give you the time of day, you can now play their ghost. Or, imagine a pro player prepping for a tournament where he might face a player they usually lose to. You can study that player's matches, you can play players who use the opponent's character. But, you can now also play the player's ghost to get a better feel of how they might approach the game. 

This is not an exact science or a foolproof elixir for winning, but it does add another layer to what is looking like an amazing game. 

On the flip side, jokes abound about how you will ask pros for games and they'll tell you to go face their ghost instead as a means to reject fans, which might come across as rather insulting. We'll see if this is indeed the case when the game is released. 

Tekken 8 will be released in January 2024, but before then, you can read up on this Harada and Michael Murray interview from Gamescom where they talk about the highly anticipated game.