Customer Reviews

Yakuza 4

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I had the game yesterday and punched in about 5 hours and will update as I play along. The Yakuza series brings back familiar faces along with new ones.. A Loan Shark,a crooked cop and a ex-con.. Everything almost looks the same but that does not mean it's a bad thing..New areas such as rooftops and underground malls have been added along with new store fronts and hostess bars..Pachenko Slots have been added with a mix of a couple of new games..The arcade shooter is back from part 3 in the sega arcade..The battle system is fun,granted I only been using the loan shark as that is who you start off with.. His dashing kicks and move sets are really refreshing for the series.. As you progress through the amazing storyline you will cross paths with other characters you will play later which I always found an awesome concept..The soundtrack is great barnone.. The city to me now feels more live then it ever was before. If you are in to beat em ups like streets of rage with that element of shenmue with a mix of fantastic film making I say buy this now..Other reviewers really scarred this game for no GOOD reason other then lacking time to do a review to show up for PAX..what a joke..will update when I use other characters

Quick Update: There are multiple Hostess bars. Leaderboards for various mini games including the arcade shooter. Nothing big just forgot to point out.

UPDATE: I'm taking my time with this game but really upset at the lackluster hype for this underrated gem..Reminds me of part 2..Anyway I wanted to mention a few more things but also want to mention I'm still on the loan shark(doing more adventures then missions) The beat them up and flap them back up from the floor to continue combos is great and gives you a a$$ kicking feel. Singing duets and voices for each character really makes karaoke more fun then 3 hands down..Areas hidden at first for certain characters..This is a new element for the series but works well since there are tons of new areas in general..(also once you beat the game everything is unlocked) The key radar really helps when looking for all the keys in the game. Will update again when I get more in depth with the characters..the loan shark I must say is suave just like Kazuma so I can see why they brought him back in Yakuza of the End..


FINAL UPDATE: I am near the end of the road with the main missions and plan on beating it on EX hard when I'm done.. This game will make you Laugh,Cry and anger you at times(not the game itself the bad guys) There are a few characters from the past game that are in the storyline that add to the mix..So many twists and turns people will think you are possessed with your head spinning on wth really went on in this story..I always said Part 2 was my favorite of the bunch but part 4 is creeping up behind it..I am amazed on how well a story on a video game is played out..The sub stories are fun and engaging..The music I'm pretty sure I mentioned it before outstanding,from selection screens to battles the music keeps you motivated.. I will be sad when the series finally hits the end of it's life line..Part 5 is in development and won't release until mid-late next year and for us if we do get it will be maybe 3 years from now.. A solid game,a Masterpiece really..I bought 2 copies in support..Go buy it,don't have second doubts...If you own a PS3 this game should be in your collection..

I have never played Yakuza series from Sega before and I heard raving reviews and accolades about the series and the 4th installment of the game seems to be awesome so far. Having played about 5 hours, I am already hooked. Before starting the series, I reminisced what happened in Yakuza 1-3 and know the basic storyline so far. As the other reviewers stated, the game is a mix of beat em up, RPG, action and adventure. The cut scenes are top notch although they can get a little bit on the long side. However, the graphics are a beauty and blew me away overall. Everything feels top notch as the movements, environment all seem so real and makes you feel like you are in Tokyo.

There are so many things to do that it makes you worry something has been missed or you forgot to talk to someone. Talking to people (they have green or blue arrows on top of their heads) or even eavesdropping on people is a charming task and it gives you an insight as to what's currently going on. (I've spent 3 hours doing just this) The fighting sequences are awesome and the punches, kicks, throws and grabs are real moves and not exaggerated. You can pick up various objects around you and beat the living crap out of the bad guys. It's a stress reliever for sure after a long day at work. =)

Overall, this game gives you the importance of respect, honor, philanthropy and revenge. Akiyama, the loan shark loans money to people in exchange of volunteer work or other humanitarian actions without charging interest. As the story unfolds, it remains to be seen what happens to each character. (can't wait) I will updating this review as soon as I put more hours to it. I cannot recommend this game more, it's that GOOD! If you are skeptical, Best Buy had it for $39.99 (probably still do) when I bought mine at Game Stop trading in some old games. I have purchased Yakuza 3 given the very good reviews on Amazon and cannot wait til I play it after Yakuza 4 is over.

PROS:
+Amazing Graphics (Production value is very high)
+Cinema Quality Cutscenes
+Great Storyline (so far)
+Character customization/advancing
+Amazing environment interaction (Going in to convenience stores/restaurants/clubs etc adds to the gameplay experience)
+Great characters and fighting sequences (accomplishing missions during fights is rewarding)
+Easily worth the $60 given the hours of addictive gameplay and extras

CONS:
-Need for install on to HDD (Doesn't take that long. Be prepared to read each character's bio about 6 times at the least =)
-Slightly long cut scenes (minor issue)

LA Noire and Catherine are another top notch games that I have pre-ordered so far. Hoping for the best that they turn out like Yakuza 4.

UPDATE 3/24/2011:

This game continues to amaze me. I went through the cops chasing me sequence and that was pretty fun being able to run away from the cops and throw them off when captured from back and run away again is awesome. I was also approached by a soldier named Daigo and I had to chase his pupil down who took my office keys. Chasing after him and ramming him when in proximity also adds to the fun. In addition, you are able to throw beer bottles at him and slow him down as well. Nice! These are some of the "extra-curricular" activities incorporated in to the main gameplay in which adds to the total experience of the game.

I finally had a chance to go to a hostess bar and talk to 3 girls and depending on what you say, they either like you or they leave you and another girl replaces them (at least that's what happened to me). I got 2 business cards from the girls and am totally loving this game even more :). Some nice touches where you can help a "nerdy" (for a lack of a better term) guy score a hostess girl or even help a homeless man with a drink makes you think Sega put extra effort in to this game. Upgrading abilities by utilizing souls also gives your character more moves and learning taunts recovers your heat gauge (so you can perform special moves) quickly.

The story can get confusing at times as the cinematic sequences cross references the Ueno Clan and the other clan whom are families, but in such a way that you sometime confuse this person as Ueno and the other as the other clan member. However, this is not a big issue as just roaming around the city and beating away bad guys, gangsters, visiting Karaoke bars, Hostess Clubs, Convenience Stores, Restaurants and earning experience points by listening to people is the main thing that interests me. I must conclude and say that Sega really has outdone themselves with Yakuza 4 and hope to give their critically (and fan) acclaimed Shenmue series by Yu Suzuki a try as I hope that they re-release it for the PS3.

i really think sega out did themselves with this sequel. almost every aspect from 3 has been improved and expanded upon. City, NPCs, characters, voices presentation wise have been improved significantly. weather effects like rain have been added. day and night cycle. combat feels and plays alot smoother, but yes sometimes its hard to lock on but its a minor problem. the story and pacing are alot better and flows very well. playing as 4 characters back to back makes the game feel less like a grind or repetitive. each character has a unique personality and back story. i cared what happened to each character. even the Kiryu (main character of the whole series) has been improved with more insight on his back story and even more fighting techniques and attacks. one of the weak parts of 3 in my opinion of the redundant sub stories. there are less sub stories in 4 but they feel significant and not redundant. for note the game is 99% true to its original Japanese content. the only cut content are the opening song because of licensing issues, and a trivia game called Answer x Answer. barely noticeable this game is brimming with content. so go buy it now.

This review is going to be quite an undertaking because frankly, I don't even know where to start but I know it'll be overly long. Perhaps you should skip it if you don't like reading a lot of text haha. I suppose I should start by saying that Yakuza 3 was the title that initiated me into the franchise after hearing vague notions of its similarities to Shenmue. I loved the 3rd installment and almost everything about it. We had a great protagonist: sometimes stoic, honorable, calm under pressure, and really just completely bad ass! So when I heard that the narrative for Yakuza 4 was going to be split between 3 other heroes, I have to admit I had my reservations.

This is one of the best video game purchases I've made in a while. I still can't decide which I like better, this or Yakuza 3. As soon as I started playing with Akiyama, I couldn't help but be reminded of some cross between Oh Dae-su from Oldboy and Spike Spiegel from Cowboy Bebop. I believe the moment I knew I was going to love the rest of the game was the cutscene when the appropriately stereotypical mob goons got really hot-headed with him and Akiyama stayed cool-headed and retorted with smug insults. I mean how much better can you get than that? Not only does it brings us into the world of that fantasy, but with main heroes that likable and charismatic, it made me want to see the whole story through with them.

I'm just before the very final section of the game, and I can see how some of the reviews thought that Yakuza 4 had a ponderous quality to the story-telling. It didn't stop me from being engaged though. But the catalyst that makes it work so well, that makes me want to keep watching the story unfold from betrayals to reunions is the CHARACTERS and their RELATIONSHIPS. If I had to choose two things that marks the game's strength, those would be it. And those absolutely go hand in hand. The literal things that happen along the way probably wouldn't mean as much if all these people (including NPCs) had no real depth, life, or passions. Almost all the characters in this game have a personal meaningful struggle and I can't help but empathize with them. And in order to convey all that meaning, is the technical prowess portrayed throughout the in-game cut scenes. Correct me if I'm wrong, but for some reason, I don't remember the rendered faces in Yakuza 3 being as beautiful, subtle, and meticulous. I'm talking about the cut scenes with the voice acting, not the text boxes. Sega has really done something wonderful to surpass the uncanny valley. Our heroes are no longer just angry, or just happy, or just sad. There are many facial hints to their expressions that it's almost lifelike to me. The recognition of irony in Akiyama's face with a subtle smirk, the look of barely concealed savagery with Saejima. At some points, during some of the game's greatest revelations (pun intended), I was disappointed that when a character found out something extremely important, the game sometimes resorted to the text box sequences.

Much of the story plays out in Japanese melodramatic fashion...and that's a good thing! It's a pity that we have this idea that melodrama is something not to be taken seriously due to its over-the-top nature. Just because something isn't merely slice-of-life doesn't take away from the truth of what characters do and feel within the construct of the fantastical, living, breathing world Yakuza 4 gives us. And truth is much greater than being real. Realness is a confined quality, where truth can span the entire spectrum of human experience. So when a character stays behind to buy time so that someone else can escape, confesses to a 25 year old sin, and yes, gets into a fist-fight for the sake of honor and life's duty, there is a clear, strong, and palpable reason why these characters do what they do. In that way, I couldn't help but think of many other great stories that we've been blessed with: Macbeth, Hamlet, Oedipus Rex, many Kurosawa films etc. It doesn't have to fit into our world because the world of Yakuza 4 is so expressive and vibrant that it can hold all those typically "melodramatic" things.

Something else very striking to me is this "institutionalized sexism" I've been hearing about. I'm not talking about this to go on a moral rant or anything but some of it made me feel a bit uncomfortable. I don't remember feeling that way at all in Yakuza 3. In time, you'll have played through two mini-games: mini RPGs where you train young girls to be good hostesses and men to be fighters, respectively. In order to make a girl a good hostess, you have to dress them up appropriately, teach them social interaction, and cater to the club-goers' needs. It's like a rather insidious Barbie dress-up game. If you choose the option to allow them to go on a break, they talk on their cellphones like what one would think frivolous little girls would do. On the other hand, when you train a male fighter, you improve his strength, speed, and to an extent, assertiveness. The gender roles are very clear and yet it's the male NPCs in this game who usually come off very approval-seeking and lower in status while they pursue women like trophies. Let me just be clear: none of what I said is a criticism of the game, but I do think it's worth noting. Heck, western games have their own version of it, most likely to satirize it. The fact that this game calls out a real facet of Japanese culture is certainly a credit to it.

The actual gameplay is not too different from the last installment. I get bored easily with fighting games (at least 1 vs. 1 style fighting games like Soul Calibre etc.) but I never get tired of beating the crap out of punks who talk a lot of smack. I suppose what makes it all the more exciting and satisfying, particularly with the boss fights, is that from a narrative standpoint, the bad guys usually have a low expectation of you despite how bad-ass you are. They keep talking as if they can easily kill you and easily outnumber you, and all that does is make me want to fight that much harder. As far as battles among the main players, there is always such a profound mutual respect between the "good" guys and the "bad" guys, that I can't help but admire their individual appeal. Sure, the main adversaries may be twisted by our standards, but it's because they have a vision of how they see their world filtered through their own sense of justice. No two dimensional typical Yakuza bad guys here except for the henchmen which is pretty appropriate. My favorite moments in the boss battles have to be the scripted HEAT action sequences. It's so interesting to me that through a couple of well-timed on-screen guided button presses a la Shenmue or Heavy Rain, it can make you so emotionally invested in the over-the-top drama of battle. When a great punch or kick connects because you happen to hit X at just the right moment, you can't help but feel responsible for it, especially the final battles.

There's been a lot of debate regarding whether someone should start with earlier Yakuza titles if they're new to the series. In my opinion, Yakuza 4 is superior to Yakuza 3...but you should still start with Yakuza 3, or even earlier games. If I had a PS2 compatible system, I would be on those myself (except for the first one, I just can't imagine playing with dubbed English voices). The reason I say this is because much of the emotional pay-off that comes with Yakuza 4 is structured upon the journey you take with Kiryu in the earlier games. You have a greater appreciation for his struggles, as well as his relationships with the likes of Majima, Daigo, and particularly Hamazaki. Sure, for the sake of convenience there are recaps of the first three games and while I appreciate Sega putting those in for newcomers, I imagine it just wouldn't be the same as playing through Yakuza 1-3, or at least 3. When you finally get to the orphanage, you can't help but identify emotionally to what that place means for you considering that in Yakuza 3 you spend a lot of time there. I sort of equate it to watching a show like LOST starting from season 2 or 3. Yeah, I mean you can do it and have your friends recap the particulars of the first season, but it's just not the same satisfying feeling of going through so much history with familiar faces over the course of four games.

That you only spend a fraction of the game playing as Kiryu shouldn't detract you from the game. If anything, it makes it all the more satisfying to reunite with him when you finally get to play as him. Anyway, I realize this is long and probably didn't talk about things in length such as gameplay, sound, etc. but you need to pick this game up. This is one of those games that I would probably tell people is more like an "experience" that you need to have. And when you finally beat this game, you get a trophy aptly called "Thank You". When game creators are gracious toward their fans (like MGS4, Uncharted 2, and now this), it really shows throughout the entire experience. I literally felt like I spent a whole week in bustling Tokyo (Kamurocho).

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I'm going to beat this game before I elaborate on some of the more technical points (which are all excellent, particularly the ambient sound and voice acting). I can't bring myself to beat it before I complete most of the sub-stories. I know there's a premium adventure once you beat the game but I know like the last one, I won't go back to it once the main story is finished.

You either like this series or you dont. If you do, you're gonna love Y4-
Here's why:
Panty-thiefs falling from rooftops to opera music and visions of bras
Hobos put your enemies into half-nelsons
Kidnappers enraptured by fishnet stalkings
Tough Yakuza signing soft ballads
Dont know wtf I'm talking about? Ya, exactly, welcome to Yakuza 4-
This game is nuts, you just walk around and beat the tar outta people, in between beatdowns, there are tons and tons of side stories, collection quests, revelations and .
Seems like everything is here too: All the games, all the hostess quests, all the quirky sideshops, the japanese culture, tons and tons of side stories.
I've put in about 16hrs and I'm like 3.99% done...unreal. There is SO freakin much to do in this game it's crazy.
The upgrade system has changed a little, you now get the 'soul points' per level that you can use or save for the moves/abilities that require 3+ soul points.
And with more 3 new characters to play come new fighting moves, and the heat moves are nastier than ever.
I probably only have so little completed cause all I do is run around looking to unleash these moves on these guys who dont like the way I just walked by them.
Another to mention are the cutscenes. They're kinda deep. Some of the things they talk about arent about the game at all but about life, social issues, economic issues, political stuff...I'm not a cutscene kinda guy but I've always enjoyed the ones in Yakuza for whatever reason.
There is one major problem I've encountered with this game...your first fight in Okinawa. It could just be a mental thing but after 8 tries I couldnt do it and refused to lower the difficulty lol.
In closing, this is how a sequel should be made:
A familiar setting but with more content and new features added in with the old.
The safest pre-order I've placed in years.

I bought this game just to try it out. Surprisingly it was fun and you didn't need to play the previous games to know the storyline. A lot of the storyline is done through flashbacks and story scenes. It is fun playing the different characters and their styles, plus leveling them up the way you want them to play is good too.

Story was descent, but the gameplay was sort of repetitive. Fight this, fight that, get items, looks for loot and puzzle pieces, finish out story scenes. You are either doing a story scene, a side mission, or collecting items for your trophies.

I give it 4 stars because it is fun overall, it lost a point because I didn't like the repetitive nature in the game play but if you like that style of play this game is great for you.

I actually bought this game a year ago when it first came out in Japan, and I have to say that this game RULES!!! You feel like a total bad@$$ mobster when you're beating people up. You play as four different characters with distinct personalities and fighting styles. Although each character would be considered a "bad guy" in real life, the story is so good that you totally feel for the characters and want them to win their lives back. If this game was a movie, it would win awards for its awesomeness. The story was actually so good that even my video game hating wife begged me not to stop playing. IGN disgraced the whole entire gaming world with their pathetic 6.5/10 score, and should not be listened to for their review of this game. My only problems were with the controls during the running stages; since your character is unable to stop running/moving during these stages, if you run into anything it is hard to turn and get back on track. Other than that, the game was 100% satisfying!!!

If you like a good story in a game, and want to feel like a total bad@$$, this is the game for you!!!

If you've played the previous Yakuza titles, then this is a MUST! Mini-games, side quests, it's all here. Like the fact that Sega switched it up a bit, and allowed you to play other characters in the game to put together the story puzzle. Just finished part 4, and can't say enough good things about this game.

Can't wait for Yakuza 5.

Incredible game, SEGA really outdid themselves this time, you are looking for at least 200 hours of nonstop action, the game is deep & you will find new stuff to do throughout the entire aforementioned 200 hours, what you don't have 200 hours to spend on this game, well it's your loss but you can finish the storyline & have a complete satisfying experience in much more less than that say about 20-30 hours..

I will not even attempt to explain all the cool things that you can do here, hostess bars, amazing story line, sub stories, deep fighting system, 4 playable characters, bowling, batting cage, darts, pool, Karaoke rhythm game, huge interactive city..

I've become spoiled by this franchise I would be disappointed by all the other games that I play, "yeah that's fun but it's not Yakuza"..

What are you waiting for go buy this game right now..

It starts slow but give it time and the game really starts to breathe. You play as four different characters (you can later switch between them) as they try to unravel a mystery that binds them all together.

The gameplay is mostly combat-based with multiple kinds of quest. Think of it as combat-centric GTA without cars, and about 12 different mini-games.

I've sunk 80 hours into it and found it infinitely more arresting and varied than GTA, eventually. As it does start out slow and continue strong.

Definitely a purchase I'm happy with. Makes my PS3 feel less like a paperweight that plays Blu Ray discs I don't need.