The crime genre
in games has been, in the past, mostly centered on western urban gang members to
the mafia crime syndicate. While the yakuza has made an appearance in
crime-themed games as secondary threats, Sega’s Yakuza makes this organized
crime syndicate the star of the show. It is in this game where we learn its many
traditions in a story that will have you playing this game to the very end. If
you have always wanted a peek into the world of the yakuza without losing a few
fingers, this is the game for you.
Yakuza tells a
beautiful story of friendship, betrayal, love and honor with a cast of
interesting characters. You assume the role of Kazuma, one of many soldiers in
the Dojima Family who takes the blame for the murder of his family’s boss by his
childhood friend Nishki who was only defending their mutual friend (and Kazuma’s
love interest) Yumi. Ten years later, Kazuma is released from prison and finds
that Tokyo’s underworld has changed dramatically since he was gone. Finding
himself hunted by the very people he called family, Kazuma finds himself
fighting for his life as well as look after a nine-year-old girl named Haruka,
who looks to him for protection. To make matters worse, Yumi has disappeared and
his friend who once called him “brother” has become vicious yakuza crime boss.
It is this epic
story that will keep you exploring the world filled with criminals and Kazuma’s
only friends who will help him along the way. There is much to explore in this
city and the game hardly ever pushes you to complete a story-based mission. You
are free to wander the crowded streets to stop and chat with people as well as
go into stores, restaurants as well as places of entertainment. On top of the
various story missions, there are side missions to take on as well as other
mini-games to complete just for the fun of it. Secondly, Kazuma is not your
typical hero. He is sensitive when it’s called for but at the same time he isn’t
shy about slamming a guy’s head into the wall. Take, for example, the time
Kazuma is conned by a pretty girl he saves near a bar. She invites him to the
bar for a few drinks and gets him good and drunk only to wake up with a hangover
and no money in his wallet. He’s been swindled by the oldest con in the book, so
he casually goes back to the bar and not only gets his money back by thrashing
the bartender that helped in the con but gets more money by threatening to
destroy the bar.
In short, Kazuma
is the ultimate badass who is skilled with his fists and feet and proves it
often in the game. Not only does he go up against dozens of yakuza henchmen but
he also deals some damage to street thugs, thieves and other troublemakers
looking to make a name for themselves. Kazuma is a talented fighter who cannot
only throw mean punches and kicks but also dishes out cool combo moves and
Special Actions. Special Actions are specialty moves that have Kazuma slam an
opponent’s head into the wall or break their backs against the surface of a desk
or table. He could also grab weapons or environmental items such as crates or
garden fixtures to use against the enemies. The more opponents you defeat, the
more experience you earn to level up moves such as your dodge and grabbing
moves.
Unfortunately,
fighting in the game becomes repetitive very quickly despite the new moves you
get to unlock. There are skillful opponents you will come across in the game and
good boss battles but every fight will begin to feel like a major annoyance.
You’ll often find yourself wanting to finish a fight quickly to get back to what
you were doing before a battle erupted. In a way, Sega’s classic Dreamcast game
Shenmue beats Yakuza in the fighting department.
Speaking of
Shenmue, Yakuza’s adventure game elements are what will draw you into its
universe. There is a lot to do aside from the game’s main story mode missions.
There are fun side quests such as the time you’re hired as a bouncer for a bar
and, like Shenmue, there’s some fun collecting as well. You can go into a local
arcade to win a stuffed animal or head over to the casino to play everything
from Blackjack to Pachinko. You can even head over to a strip club looking for a
specific stripper or get a massage in the city‘s Red Light District (Yakuza is
rated M for Mature) as well as head into a hostess bar to win the heart of many
a lovely hostess by wining and dining them and giving them gifts. You can buy
medicine in a pharmacy as well as look through their magazines or catch a bite
to eat in the many restaurants in the city.
The game’s story
missions are also the game’s strongest elements, keeping you enthralled with
interesting missions that have you working alongside a detective that felt you
were innocent of the murder of your Oyabon (boss) as well as crashing a yakuza
boss funeral to find out what exactly happened to his once friend Nishiki.
On the visual
front, Yakuza is actually a very visually stunning game. The character models
alone are wonderfully expressive and the character movements are actually very
natural looking in both the cut scenes as well as during the game’s exploration
and fighting sequences. The game’s biggest attraction is its depiction of
neon-lit Tokyo that is alive with people taking strolls, chatting with friends
outside stores or stopping to light a cigarette.
The game’s sound
is also not bad at all, especially when it comes to the voice acting and how can
it not be with a cast that includes Michael Madsen, Eliza Dushku, Rachael Leigh
Cook, Mark “Luke Skywalker” Hamill and Michael Rosenbaum (Lex Luther from
“Smallville” fame). Unfortunately, the game insisted on using bad language as a
means to sound cool but instead sounds forced and unrealistic. The game’s
cinematic score during the cutscenes are great while the heavy guitar riffs and
jazz-styled bass lines are not as annoying as they could have been. What really
stands out are the sound effects, especially when it comes to giving the
impression that you’re walking in a busy street or store. You’ll hear the sounds
of dozens of voices speaking at once, the tapping of forks on plates in
restaurants and music playing in the loud speakers in some stores. Do yourself a
favor and play this one using a good sound system.
Yakuza is a
unique and fun adventure that takes us into unfamiliar territories that are
unforgettable and interesting but when it comes to the fights the game falls
somewhat flat. Still, it’s hard not to enjoy a game that delivers a great story
with rich characters and a world that will captivate you from start to finish.
This is one of the summer’s most enjoyable adventure games you will want to have
for your PS2 so do pick this one up.
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Gameplay: 8.2
If you’re
looking for a lengthy adventure filled with a number of side quests along with
some interesting distractions (collecting stuffed animals or sitting down with a
pretty hostess for wine and conversation just to name a few of the many things
you can do) Yakuza will not disappoint. The fighting sequences are fun at first
but become distracting and repetitive after a few scrapes.
Graphics: 8.5
The is quite a
visually stunning PS2 game that won’t fail to impress with it’s gorgeously
detailed environments, be it out in the crowed streets or inside a busy store.
Even the character models look very impressive as does the cool martial arts
techniques.
Sound: 8.0
The strong
voice-acting cast and the incredible sound effects are best heard on a great
sound system so do turn that baby up. The music is wonderfully cinematic, making
this a game that not only looks good but sounds good as well.
Difficulty:
Medium
Kazuma can
certainly handle more then one opponent at the same time but there are moments
when he has to take care of wave after wave of gangsters like the time he
crashes the funeral of a murdered Yakuza boss. The hardest enemies come in the
form of bosses as well as the more rotund henchmen.
Concept: 8.2
Tokyo’s flashy
streets are alive and you can do everything from eating at a diner to skimming
through magazines in a convenience store. The little side missions are just
downright enjoyable whether you’re hitting balls at the local batting cage or
playing Blackjack at the casino. Kazuma can upgrade his martial arts moves and
can use just about anything as a weapon. The real treat is following the story
and its great characters.
Overall: 8.5
Diving into
the Japanese criminal underground in Yakuza makes for an interesting, violent
and stylish adventure that blends fighting and exploring a living world a
complete joy. While the game’s fighting elements pale in comparison to Shenmue –
Sega’s similar action-adventure game – the story will not fail to hook you.
