Yazuka franchise still as captivating as ever
THE venerable Yakuza series of games has certainly enjoyed more mainstream success in Japan than in the western world.
Often dubbed the East’s answer to series such as Grand Theft Auto or Saints Row, it is sometimes an unfair comparison in that the Yakuza games are generally a touch more introspective and thoughtful in terms of content and story.
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life is no different. In fact, the story is perhaps the most emotionally gripping offering so far in the franchise and is the final instalment in the saga of Kazuma Kiryu.
Beautifully delivered both aesthetically and diegetically, Yakuza 6’s plot is deftly woven throughout scaled but faithful recreations of the cities of Tokyo and Hiroshima.
Although characters that have always been of significant importance to the series are now relegated to a handful of peppered cutscenes, Kiryu’s tale of mystery and revenge is compelling and considered enough that the game never suffers for it.
Yakuza 6’s gameplay has admittedly been dumbed down since last year’s Yakuza 0.
Fighting, in particular has been pared back almost to the point that you can very quickly figure out a repetitive tactic that will carry you through most of the games encounters.
Nonetheless, the fighting and interrogation is still enjoyable in much the same way that it is enjoyable in any of the modern Batman games.
While there is less side activities than what you would nor- mally expect from a Yakuza game, the old adage of ‘quality over quantity’ is never more appropriate than it is here.
Much of the side activities are furnished with heat warming stories, giving you a genuine reason to see them out to the end. Particularly memorable is the Onamichi Baseball League which involves managing a group of no-hopers, player scouting and a light dusting of drama.
Yakuza 6 is an absolutely enormous game, heavy on the content and the captivating storylines that the series was always known for.
To write any length of review on this game is to only analyse it on the most superficial of levels. To really get the measure of the final game in a great series, you need to play it.