T w e n t y S i d e d

I’ve discussed the series before and it’s time to give it a true spotlight. The Yakuza series is a kooky blast. I love it. There’s tons to do from bowling to batting to mahjong, there really is something for everyone. And I never would have even given any of the games a chance if it wasn’t for a YouTube let’s play series that spotlighted the game. I assumed that the Yakuza games were just Japanese Grand Theft Auto. I think that was the common thought at the time and likely still is. But the fact of the matter is they are very very different.

The majority of the Yakuza games are more akin to beat ’em ups with RPG elements than the third person shooters of the GTA franchise that people are familiar with. The series is extremely experimental with its gameplay. Yakuza 1-3 are mostly the same style of combat. You play as Kazuma Kiryu and punch, kick, and bash your way though enemies and pump points into improving stats and skills. Yakuza 4 added a few characters with different playstyles that really varied up the gameplay loop. Yakuza 5 got really wild and pretty divisive with the edition of an idol questline for one of the main characters. It revolved entirely around rhythm games and it was mandatory. I enjoyed it but it pushed a lot of people away. Yakuza 6 got back to the roots of the series. You play as Kiryu again as the only protagonist. Then 7 was a JRPG. Turn-based combat. Complete genre jump. Those are just the mainline titles, too. Yakuza 0 revolves entirely around money and forgoes the use of experience points. It’s all about the grind. Yakuza Dead Souls is a what-if zombie game with the worst shooting controls I’ve used since Syphon Filter on the PS1. Ishin is Yakuza set during the end of Edo period. Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii includes ship combat kind of similar to Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag. They don’t always stick the landing, but they are constantly trying new things and its typically a blast to see the similarities and differences in each game.

The main draw of combat are Heat Actions. Heat Actions are special moves where you utterly brutalize your opponents in ways that would definitely kill them in real life. Repeatedly stabbing someone, throwing a Harley Davidson onto them and stomping on it, throwing people off a bridge, giving them a piledriver, curb stomping them or many other fun acts of assault/attempted murder. Heat actions are a showcase of the anime-esque hyper-stylized combat of the Yakuza series.

If combat stops scratching the itch for a bit, you can go and play any of the dozens or minigames available. I’ve already discussed some of those games, but I also learned a few fun ones that I had never heard of before. Oichi Kabu, Koi Koi, and Japanese mahjong were a requirement for me to learn to get the platinum trophy at one point and out of necessity I found a niche set of games to enjoy when I play each of the games. Once in a while I even play them on my phone, but I suck at them so I typically get frustrated enough to quit if I’m playing against other people. Each series has its own special set of mini games too. One of my favorites is the Yakuza 5 taxi simulator that kind of feels like Crazy Taxi if, instead of ignoring the law and any survival instincts you have, you have to follow a stringent set of rules to follow while trying to dodge suicidal pedestrians. I also enjoy the hunting minigame in Yakuza 5, which is pretty much what you’d expect. Except you fist fight a bear.

Which brings me around to the most divisive element that exists in all the games. The story. The stories of the games is always a bit of a slog. The devs use text scrolls, walk-and-talk segments, and cutscenes to tell the goofiest anime shit you’ve ever seen. People can survive basically anything unless they can’t. Everyone is double and triple crossing each other. Kiryu is simultaneously the smartest and dumbest person in the room depending on how they want to exposit any given storyline. And most frustrating of all, said exposition never ends. I remember one night being tired but knowing I wanted to play the newest Yakuza game I had purchased. I figured, I’ll put a time limit on this. I either finish all the cutscenes and dialogue or go to bed at midnight, whichever came second so I could just boot the game up and play next time I felt like getting some console time in. Yakuza’s cutscenes were second… by an hour. And since the series didn’t start dubbing the games until Yakuza 7, you can’t half pay attention and do something else. You either lock in or accept that you’re not going to really know what’s going on.

I love the Yakuza franchise. I love the mainline games. I’ve really enjoyed the spinoffs that I’ve played. I am a crackhead completionist who has a long list of activities to check off of a list and, by god, I check those boxes. But I have a hard time wholeheartedly recommending them to people. Unless you’re comfortable mashing your way dialogue and ignoring the details of the story or dedicating some serious time to reading the story, it’s hard to say it’s worth picking up. If you want a more grounded experience, Yakuza isn’t for you. I highly recommend you at least give the games a look if any of what I said above sounds interesting, though. As much as I whine about the clunky story telling, the stories in each game are typically pretty fun if not outright good. Yakuza 0 in particular is a great place to start. You’ll miss out on some prequel “mind blown” moments but I promise it’s not a big deal. Yakuza 0 has my favorite story and character progression. Combat’s great too but Yakuza 4’s system reigns supreme in my heart. Just know what to expect going in. It’s more anime than primetime network TV.

Just keep a lookout. Majima is everywhere.

Ethan Rodgers