End of the dragon era
Yakuza 6: Song of Life represents the end of the Kiryu Kazuma arc. Kiryu, unlike other gaming mascots, matures and ages throughout the franchise. In Yakuza 0, he is a fresh-faced Yakuza grunt; In Yakuza 3, he is a civilian running an orphanage; And in Yakuza 6, he becomes a grandfather. Despite the numbered title, Yakuza 6 is an excellent starting point for newcomers, it starts from a relatively clean slate with a litany of new characters. The game also sports a brand new game engine that makes it look and play differently than past titles. Yakuza 6 is great, but there are two glaring weaknesses: the combat and the story.
Yakuza 6 is not a reimagining of the franchise and just like the previous games you can expect an overly convoluted story filled with secret alliances and betrayals. The story begins with Kiryu, volunteering to be locked up as a scapegoat for the Tojo Clan. Haruka, Kiryu’s adopted daughter after retiring from her idol career, flees to Hiroshima to avoid harassment by the press. Three years later, Kiryu is released from prison to learn that Haruka has been hit by a car. Haruka is alive, but in a coma. To Kiryu’s disbelief, Haruka was clutching a baby boy at the time and the baby remained unharmed after the car accident. Kiryu decides to take the baby and find the baby’s father in Hiroshima. Kiryu unknowingly is carrying a baby that has enormous consequences for the Tojo clan and even all of Japan.
Yakuza 6 plays similar to past titles with noticeable improvements. Kiryu now has a smartphone and can save anywhere instead of going to a phone booth. There are no more loading screens when entering buildings. Combat on the streets can take place anywhere without being trapped in fixed arenas. Kiryu can gain experience points by doing just about anything like playing mini-games or eating at restaurants. All dialog is voiced, even for lowly forgettable NPCs that appear on substories.
The combat is unfortunately paired down. There are no multiple stances and numerous heat actions in past games, Yakuza 6’s combat is barebones. Kiryu is stuck with his “Brawler” style for the entire game. He does have a new rage mode. Rage mode uses all of his heat action points to temporarily dish out unblockable attacks and take less damage. Environmental objects can also be used as weapons like in past games, but they only have three uses before breaking and Kiryu cannot hold weapons in his inventory. The combat is fine, but quickly wears out its welcome as players will naturally gravitate to using one combo for the entire game.
While Yakuza 6 hits all the right narrative notes, I found the story lackluster and subtly racist. Without spoiling too much, Kiryu’s decision to suddenly snap up the baby is borderline kidnapping. It also doesn’t help that Kiryu is a complete dope and is incapable of taking care of the infant. Kiryu literally attempts to feed the baby with adult food before being reprimanded. The story also includes both the Chinese and Korean mafia. There is a sharp contrast between how the mafias are portrayed. The Japanese are seen as honorable warriors, the Chinese as disgusting, gruesome murderers and the Koreans as narcissist gigolos. In real life, there is bad blood between these three nations, but these depictions feel like cheap unnecessary jabs.
Yakuza 6’s new attractions are hit and miss. The primary mini-game is the Clan battles where Kiryu has to direct members to attack an opposing group named JUSTIS. It’s a reverse tower defense game that doesn’t involve much strategy other than to swarm opponents with legion after legion of attackers. It’s an easy way to earn experience and money, but an otherwise boring endeavor. There is also a harpoon mini-game where Kiryu dives in the waters of Hiroshima and hunts for fish as if it were a light gun game. It’s an okay game, but quickly loses its charm because there are only three stages. It wouldn’t be a Yakuza game without a more risqué experience and this time it comes in the form of real life cam girls. It’s a simple mini-game where Kiryu has to finger type his way to charm the girl, but the real fun is reading the conversations from the other participants. Another game featured is a baseball management sim where Kiryu manages the line-up and occasionally bats at important moments. I honestly didn’t spend that much time on this game because I’m not a fan of baseball. Probably the best mini-game is where Kiryu hangs out at a bar called the Snack Hourglass. Kiryu has to drink with the regulars and do the right things to earn points. After befriending a regular, Kiryu can engage in a conversation and unlock a hidden sidequest.
Overall I’m generally mild on Yakuza 6. The numerous quality of life improvements are welcome additions. The engine and graphics overhaul is a significant leap forward from the past three games. It’s just that I wasn’t a big fan of the combat or the story this time around. There is simply not enough variety in the combat for the game’s length. The story isn’t as interesting because Kiryu and other characters make some really dumb and questionable decisions. With the exception of the beginning chapters, Kiryu never takes the initiative but instead is forced to chase after one person after the other. The main plot is very serious and lacks moments of levity like fighting a tiger or a guy riding a motorcycle in the sewers. The game is nowhere near my favorite in the series, but still deserves a spot on any Yakuza’s fan shelf.
My Yakuza Ranking:
- Yakuza 0
- Yakuza Kiwami 2
- Yakuza 5 Remastered
- Yakuza 6
- Yakuza 4 Remastered
- Yakuza Kiwami
- Yakuza 3 Remastered
