Yakuza 6: The Song of Life

Last year’s Yakuza 0 charted the rise of Tokyo gangster Kazuma Kiryu. The Song Of Life brings his reign to a close. For once, the plot (mostly) eschews grand conspiracies for a personal tale of familial ties, whether by blood or by bond, with Kiryu investigating a hit-and-run that has left adoptive daughter Haruka in a coma.

Kidnapping her infant son Haruto, he sets out to find the boy’s father, whose identity is the first of many secrets to unearth. It’s a typically slow start, with Kiryu left literally holding

the baby as he flits between the sleepy coastal town of Onomichi and his old stomping ground. Those familiar streets are noisier and busier than ever, with brawls now spilling into stores and restaurants – and you’ll be refused service afterwards if you’ve left a mess. Just as the story adopts a narrower focus, the camera follows suit, zooming in on the action to lend real heft to the cathartic violence.

Despite being Tokyo’s most revered Yakuza, Kiryu, we’re reminded, has never actually killed anyone. The knowledge that he may finally have to break that rule to protect Haruka and Haruto – and that his own fate hangs tantalisingly in the balance – makes for an electrifyingly tense final act that ruthlessly goes for the emotional jugular. Throw in a role for Beat Takeshi, wonderfully understated, and you have a finale that gives its hero the stirring sayonara he deserves. Chris Schilling