San Diego Comic Con always featured a bevy of offsite activities. With the SAG and WGA strikes, we opted for something away from the TV/movie side of things. In that, we experienced the Tekken 8 and Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon Lounge. Each lounge provided drastically different experiences.
Tekken 8 Lounge
Like most fighting games, they quickly distinguished an attitude for the franchise, and their offsite reflected this. It felt like walking into a mix between a club and a gym. The music was pumping with Tekken 8 demo stations to one side, a feature for cosplayers in the middle and a boxing punch machine on the other.
All the cosplayers were incredible and looked like they were straight out of the game. To the tiniest detail, they hit it all the way out of the park.
The Tekken 8 demo kiosks were great and provided a nice reprieve from the madness. My favorite, though, had to be the boxing machine. It was one of those where you have to throw a punch and you get a power score. My form may have been a bit off, but the overall scene of watching con goers punching a bag was hilarious.
Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon Experience
Where Tekken 8 felt like an experience, the Armored Core offsite was more an interactive experience. We were tasked with taking aptitude tests to ensure we were prepared to pilot our own mechs. The staff being in character was a nice touch. Each station required and tested a different characteristic needed to be a serviceable pilot. The standout here had to be the giant mech outside, or the oxygen bar. While it was weird to stick something up your nose during these times (they were all brand new), it was a cool experience pumping in scented oxygen.
Tekken 8 and Armored Core IV: Fire of Rubicon are two big Bandai Namco titles releasing somewhat soon. Tekken doesn’t have a firm release date (but should be out early 2024), whereas Armored Core is releasing August 25.