Bravo Sega!

User Rating: 8 | Ryuu ga Gotoku PS2
By RichardMurphy | Review Date:
Having been interested in Japanese culture for some time, it came as no surprise that I enjoyed playing Yakuza (Japanese title – ‘Ryū ga Gotoku’) immensely. Set in a fictional district of Tokyo, the plot revolves around Kiryū Kazuma, a Japanese mobster who must clear his name and find his boss’s killer having done a 10 year stretch (trying to get into the lingo. Failing miserably) for his murder. You must befriend Yakuza, Police, the homeless and a small (and badly voice acted) girl in your quest to uncover the goings on of that fateful night ten years ago. To be honest, the set up is fairly standard if a little complex due to the number of characters and gangs. Despite this being fairly overwhelming at first, it soon becomes apparent that most of these characters can be forgotten about fairly quickly as the main protagonists are focussed upon and their motives become clearer. Despite the plot’s complexity, it does rattle along at a steady pace and is intriguing enough to keep interest up. The characters are well defined and appealing, coming from all walks of life and all having their part to play in the overall mood of the game. It is this, which adds to the atmosphere of the play area. As you walk the streets, you will be put upon by all manner of believable creatures of the Tokyo night scene. Visually and aurally you are reminded that this is a dangerous red light district, which I found very involving. These leads to some equally involving fight sequences, which acts as the main play dynamic and the only way to statistically raise your characters profile. It is also one of the better design aspects of the game.

When designing the fighting engine the producers have kept things fairly simple. It wouldn’t be prudent to say that button mashing is the order of the day, as quick-time events kick in as finishing moves, but basically Kiryū Kazuma can take down scores of goons with the use of the square button alone. This is not exactly a bad thing. The simplicity of the combat means the player has to be inventive to get the most out of a fight. This is where the creators have unleashed there sadistic side and informed the animators to produce as many excruciating death moves as possible with the use of Tokyo street furniture. This leads to some bone crunching brutality with all manner of objects, my favourite being the humble bicycle and it’s destructive qualities. I feel this is where the main appeal of the game lies for me. The level of destruction you inflict upon enemies is intoxicating! Limbs snap, faces are caved in and punch-perms are flattened; it’s rough stuff! Initially battles are all integrated into the story arc, but further on they become more random and frequent. This however, slightly takes the edge off them. At the beginning of the game facing off against three or four street punks seemed fairly imposing, by the end you find yourself wading through scores of Yakuza and thinking very little of it.

As far as longevity goes, reaching the maximum stat level for your character is not too taxing and will happen naturally by the end of the game without too much ‘training’, but for those looking for a more conclusive experience there is quite a lot here to see and do. Finding and completing every side quest is a challenge in itself, mini games are plentiful whilst getting drunk on sake and chatting up hostesses can take up full evenings. Who then does this game appeal too? Obviously anyone who has played and enjoyed the Shenmue games will get a lot out of this, equally those who enjoy the intensity of fighting games and the complexities of story driven titles. Those looking for simple hack and slash dynamics may feel the extend cut scenes slow the pace of the game. Equally those who appreciate the filmic qualities of story based games will feel let down by the basic combat mechanics, so an understanding of balance between the two (despite their fundamentally opposed styles) is imperative. Ultimately, anyone able to be patient enough with it, Yakuza will delight and shock in equal measure also it’s a must for anyone with an interest in the Tokyo underworld.

In conclusion, Yakuza is a very well rounded game. It is clear that it has been a labour of love for the director. Compulsive narrative and compelling characters coupled with repetitive if enjoyable gameplay make Yakuza a little known gem in Sega’s (as well as the PS2’s) already sparkling crown. Anyone willing to sit and be fully immersed in a brilliantly realised world is in for a treat. The only noteworthy negative point is the voice acting (no option for the original soundtrack. WHY?) But other than that, an extremely well executed (pun intended) story driven action game. Bravo Sega!

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