Yakuza 4

Before I start I suppose it's fairly obvious to say that before you consider Yakuza 4 you should play through the first three in the series. I put off playing this series for a long time as it appeared to be a general sandbox affair but I could not be more wrong. Yakuza is clearly inspired by Shenmue a great deal and it pulls it off very well. Streamlining many of the flawed elements of it's precursor, cutting away all the junk to make everything feel so perfect. Now don't get me wrong, I love Shenmue. It was a fantastic achievement and in many ways still is but I think I can say that after four Yakuza games, it's clear to me that Yakuza is the superior franchise.

Yakuza 4 is the most drastically different so far as the game is no longer just about you playing as Kazama Kiryu, you now have four characters throughout the game, each with their own playstyle. You have Shun Akiyama with his fast kicking combos, Taiga Saejima with his powerful knockdown moves, Masayoshi Tanimura with his jujitsu holds and throws and finally Kazama Kiryu with his ultimate style combining bone crunching punches and kicks with wrestling throws. The game also has tons of minigames throughout the story. You can scout and train girls for a hostess bar, you can train students in a martial arts minigame and aid in the capture of an elusive criminal. There are tons of other sidequests and minigames but these are some of the major ones. The only real problem with the major minigames is that they are only accessible during that character's point in the story. It's impossible to miss starting the quest but it's a shame that the option is not there throughout the game.

Combat flows just as well as in the earlier games in the series, if not better. Because each character plays differently it does make you do more than just mash the buttons until they're down. This is even more the case with Tanimura who adds the most depth with his grabs and parries. For those new to the series. The combat is a Light attack combo to heavy attack finisher type of deal, similar to what you'd expect from Dynasty Warriors but the many variations in moves, Make this experience incredibly enjoyable. While being hit and hitting the enemy you fill up a heat gauge which allows you to do a powerful attack on a downed or grabbed enemy. Be this acquainting their face with the wall or picking up and throwing them over your shoulders onto their friend. It's all very satisfying.

The most important part of Yakuza is the story and every single one is amazing but I may have to say that Yakuza 4 is the best so far. Every character has so much depth and it all fits in so perfectly with the main plot. The story is so gripping that I rarely wanted to stop and mess around with any of the sidequests. The only flaw I could pick is that you do not get to see how Kiryu comes into the story until late in the game but each character is so interesting that this is not very important at all.

My Score: I cannot fault Yakuza in any sense. I only wish that Yakuza 5 was not so far away. 10/10

The People: There is something for everyone in Yakuza. Any problem I could only see as nitpicking. 10/10