Next-Gen Debut for the Dragon
Yakuza (or Ryu ga Gotoku) has been one of my favourite series for the PlayStation consoles. Owning the first two games is a blessing, as they provided good gameplay mechanics and a great story about a former yakuza gangster, known as "The Dragon of Dojima" and his adventures in Kamurocho (a fictional version of Tokyo's Kabukicho).
Now that Kazuma Kiryu (the aforementioned "Dragon of Dojima") lives in Okinawa and runs an orphanage, alongside his adoptive daughter, Haruka (from the first), his life is peaceful and swell. But, his orphanage is threatened by a land deal that could see him and his little orphan group evicted... Not only that, the Tojo Clan (his old yakuza group) is invovled. The story, unfortunately, takes a back seat as there are several holes in the plot line and several twists that people may see coming. Graphically, the game is strong, showing intricate details on the character models. Likewise, the Japanese voice acting is top-notch.
Despite that small setback, the core fighting mechanics have vastly improved, but it is still not perfected. Punches and kicks can still catch air. However, beating enemies through fists, feet and weapons will net experience points, which can be spent on character upgrades. Said character upgrades can also be achieved through other means. For instance, you can see a karate master to learn newer techniques. Heat Actions is a mechanic where you perform a brutal attack on the enemy (i.e. bashing someone's head on the wall, slashing stylistically on an enemy, etc.). Such use of these Heat Actions will also net experience points.
The amount of side materials has vastly improved. You can try playing some of the many mini-games like a batting cage, slot machines or the typical casino games like blackjack or roulette. Not only that, there's an addition of karaoke where you tap buttons a la DJ MAX to match the lyrics and notes. And when you're ready to carry on with the story, you can follow the convienently placed spot on the map and continue with the main story.
In short, this game is worth a shot if you are a fan of the series or if you are looking for a game with straight-up Japanese content.
