Is Yakuza 4 for PS3 an Improved Installment in the Series?
So, SEGA has dared to bring the flawed series back, but has anything changed with Yakuza 4 for PS3? Well, considering Famitsu, a Japanese magazine for gamers awarded Yakuza 4 with a 38 out of 40 rating and Japan Game Awards granted it an Award for Excellence, it’s safe to say that there are some noticeable and appreciated improvements.
Storyline
While there is a definite storyline, following it is not all that simple. Even if you do speak Japanese, you may find it challenging to keep with four different storylines that come together to make one very long-winded plot. Yakuza 4 is basically a mafia movie where you play a loan shark, a jaded cop, escaped convict and Yakuza, a reformed Japanese mobster. The story takes place in a fictional red-light district referred to as Kamurocho. Like any area of it’s kind, it’s a breeding ground for sleazy neighbors and mobster outlaws. There’s four main characters, each with their own unique story, this allows you to get involved and wrapped up in one incident from four different angles.
Gameplay
So, as mentioned, if you don’t speak Japanese, you may get a little turned around, sometimes even really lost. Grant it, the game is outstanding but when it changes you from one character to the next and you have to rely on remembering faces, etc., it gets tough. A few English subtitles would have been appreciated SEGA!
Yakuza 4 is brutal, exciting and pretty fulfilling. What’s not to love about being rewarded for bashing in some guy’s head using a baseball bat? Yes, the better you fight, the higher your heat meter rises which empowers you to select some pretty devastating finishes.
Unfortunately, if you played Yakuza 3, these great acts of violence will be a complete yawn to you since most are merely recycled and slightly enhanced. Despite the fact that there are four unique storylines, you just can’t help but feel you’re doing the same thing over and over again. On a positive note, the cut-scenes pack a punch and are pretty awesome to watch, even if you have no clue what the dialogue means.
In addition to violence, there’s definite sexual innuendos, just what you’d expect in a red-light district! Pole dancing, massages and paid hostesses are all in abundance, you can even romance some of these fine ladies and try to increase their heart meter to see what it gets you!
There is so much to do in this game that even if you get lost or bored with the storyline, there are endless side missions and hostesses to explore. You may unlock a few new moves by accident along the way.
Graphics
Graphics are superb in Yakuza 4 but then again, graphics have never been a real concern with the series. The franchise has a reputation for detail and this installment is certainly no exception. In fact, there are a few places you can actually see the pores on the faces of some of your characters.
The game is always so busy, you may find yourself wanting to play it through a second time just so you can take in all of the environments. Everything has been well thought out from the larger than life posters on buildings to the detail in those high-dollar suits.
Conclusion
Whether you’ve played the first three installments or not, you are likely to have mixed reviews over this. Had SEGA released an English version or at least added subtitles for the Western civilization then maybe there could be more appreciation for the storyline. It would be nice to know what your hostess is actually saying to you. It would also be appreciated if the map wasn’t so difficult to understand, especially with four characters! Four games in and the map feels like 2001 rather than 2011.
At the very least, play the game to enjoy the graphics and the freedom to get your knuckles bloody on someone’s face!