Yakuza

"Step Into The Shoes of A Legendary Dragon"

I remember when this game first came to the States, I wasn't sure if it was going to be good or not. I saw it several times in stores and rental shops. I'm really big into Japanese culture, and the game's box art looked promising. I heard about it, some people called it "GTA Japan". Thats not the case. Its different from GTA in many ways.

So a friend of mine bought it. He said it was too hard for him, so he lended it to me. After I got into Chapter 3 of the storyline, I fell in love with it.

Step into the shoes of Kazuma Kiryu, the Dragon of Dojima, the most legendary Yakuza of all time. The story is so gripping and the cutscenes are like out of a Drama Film. Kazuma goes to prison for ten years for a murder he didn't commit, he took the blame for his best friend in order to save him. Getting out of prison all hell breaks loose and is in search for the women he loves along with the help of mysterious little girl, he is able to find the answers. A war is going on with Yakuza groups he was once a part of, and he's right in the middle of it.

Time to crack your knuckles and make your fists fly into the faces of enemies in the best Adventure Fighter I've ever played. What made me fall in love with Kazuma besides his personality, is his ability to fight. Being able to pick up weapons all around you leaves variety. Bats, swords, chairs, trash barrels, crowbars, batons, poles, pliers, lamps and so much more.

You can perform special moves called HEAT Actions using weapons and enviornments.
All this is a great "badass package" for a video game character.

Explore Tokyo by foot and enjor nightlife entertainment, funny moments flirting with women.


To sum it all up:

Graphics: Main characters and enviornments look excellent. But minor characrers, and people in the city look crappy. The graphics on minor thugs and such need work. Faces are well detailed in cutscenes. 7.8/10

Gameplay: Think of Streets if Rage. Kazuma uses brutal streetfighting abilites to defeat enemies. You can upgrade 3 skill sets up to ten levels. Enjoy nightlife entertainment as well. You don't drive, instead travel by foot. 8.2/10

Story: Incredible story, don't want to spoil anyone!
8.9/10

Audio: Good audio, but the English voices are annoying. Would be way better with orginal Japanese Voices with English Subtitles.
5.5/10

To sum it up completely, its a great game, the start of a great Japanese made series. My favorite series ever. I love Kazuma!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/02/09

Game Release: Yakuza (US, 09/05/06)