Yakuza

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.

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.