Yakuza

The greatest thing about Sega is that they’re still stuck in the last decade. Nowhere else can you find a company that will make games that have soundtracks with names like “Magical Sound Shower”. However, this is also what makes Sega games hard to recommend. And despite Yakuza’s many attempts to be hip and cutting edge, it is ultimately the healthy serving of Sega cheese that is its downfall.

That’s not to say that Yakuza is a bad game. It’s just not a game for everyone. The first group of people it's not for is anyone under the age of 18. This game is violent, crude, and many other things that would shock your grandmother into an early grave.

It’s natural for a game about Japanese criminals to have some rough subject matter, but Yakuza doesn’t pull any punches. Every second word is profanity, sex and corruption is everywhere, and the general premise of the game is to beat the crap out of as many people as possible. There’s a reason this game has the rating it does.

The second group of people this game is not for are people who dislike anything remotely cheesy. Yakuza is actually quite dark and gritty in places, far more serious than Shenmue ever was. But even though this is a darker Sega, it’s still Sega.

Sega’s trademark style is always present at the very front of the experience. If you’re a Sega fan, this is excellent news, but if you’re more inclined to purchase something like Call of Duty, you might want to rent Yakuza first.

However, if you’re a Sega fan who has fond memories of the 90’s, and if you’re looking for something a bit more “mature” now that you’re all grown up, and if you can handle some pretty rough subject matter, you might want to look at Yakuza.

The media often touted Yakuza as the next Shenmue – even we’re guilty of it. And Yakuza does share many things in common with Shenmue: the large, sprawling city, littered with a variety of shops and people that protagonist Kazuma can interact with. If you feel like it, you can just flag the main quest and chill out in arcades or pit fights.

But Yakuza is more action-orientated than Shenmue. It plays more like Capcom’s recent Beat Down: Fists of Vengeance. Kazuma’s exploration will be constantly interrupted by a variety of people looking for a punch-up, and it’s Kazuma’s job to oblige them.

The game then switches from the free-roaming city to a combat mode, where Kazuma can beat the crap out of multiple opponents at once. Like any good beat-‘em-up, Kamuza has an array of combos at his disposal, and he can learn more by gaining experience.

Kazuma can also pick up a variety of weapons and objects in order to gain an advantage. The combat can get a little repetitive at times, but smashing a golf club over someone’s head never grows stale.

Although the gameplay is solid enough, the real draw card for Yakuza is the story. Penned by award-winning novelist Hase Seishu, Yakuza’s story follows the tale of Kazuma’s return to the criminal underworld after ten years in jail. A lot has changed in ten years: his old family is in disarray; his best friend, whom he covered for, is out to get him; and somewhere along the line a 10 million Yen girl factors into the equation. The story is certainly convoluted, but in a good way. It’s actually surprising to find a story this solid in a video game, and it’s worth playing just to experience the story.

The only real downside to Yakuza is that it’s a prime example of the PS2’s age. There is frequent loading between sections of the city, the load times between fights can be tedious, and there is often slowdown in hectic situations. The graphics do look stunning when they’re running well – the neon glory is a sight to behold – but ultimately the graphics do let the experience down a little.

The sound is also pure Sega cheese, and it comes straight from last decade. It certainly gets the adrenaline pumping in the right moments, but it’s eerily similar to Tekken 3’s soundtrack. Unfortunately, like Tekken 3’s soundtrack, Yakuza’s is also rather forgettable. Fortunately, the voice acting is rather solid, even if it is littered with too many swear words.

Yakuza is a good game, but it’s just not for everyone. If you can get past the deliberate crass nature of the game, if you like beat-‘em-ups with a side of exploration, and if you like Sega’s traditional style, you’ll enjoy Yakuza. Everyone else may want to give it a rent first to see if it’s their cup of green tea.