Yakuza (PS2)

Author's product rating:   

Gameplay/Playability	A good game - good gameplay & playability
Graphics	Excellent Graphics - visually stunning
Sound	Good sound effects & music
Value for Money

Advantages:	A great beatem up style rpg with lots to see and do !
Disadvantages:	The loading times x2

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Hi peeps. I recently completed it, so I figured I would share my experience with all of you :-)

This game is a beat em up/ rpg. It has a certification rating of 18+ because of the sheer amount of swearing in it,

Its made by Sega and is available from amazon for £14.97, however, I picked it up from Gamestation for £10 ( well it was on the 2 for £20 so it was a tenner). The way the PS3 is sneaking in you should be able to pick it up even cheaper soon.

STORY

In this game, your name is Kazuma, a member of the yakuza (the Japanese equivalent of the Mafia). The story sees our hero at the scene of a murder where his best friend has murdered the family boss. Our hero takes the blame and ends up spending ten years in jail. It is here, 10 years later on the day of his release that our story starts. With ten billion yen being stolen and our hero being blamed, he sets out to find his old friends, avenge the death of his old boss and locate the stolen money. Along the way the story unfolds with plot twists galore and a handful of allies to aid your quest. Friends become enemies and enemies become allies in this huge story .

GAMEPLAY

The gameplay is set into two different sections, one is the main adventure stage where you can walk around, talk to people, enter shops, bars, clubs etc… and the other is the actual fighting. Firstly I will go into the fighting as there will be A LOT of it throughout the game. When Kazuma is approached by a street thug, gang member or yakuza, he is insulted then thrown into battle. The fights always take place on the location you were, just in a closer view. You are able to pick up many objects to use as weapons or use the ones you have in your inventory. These weapons can be anything from an umbrella to a broken bottle. Even signposts, bicycles and pipes come into play in this no holds barred street fest of violence. Kazuma is a very good fighter and has combos, punches, kicks, special moves, throws, weapon using and of course blocking all at his disposal, which can be upgraded as you gain experience points.

In the adventure mode you walk (or take a taxi) around what seems at first a small version of Tokyo, however in the small space, they have managed to put in a lot to do. There are people in distress amid the hustle and bustle of the busy filled streets who when approached by you will ask for help and in helping them, you will gain rewards in many forms. From experience points, yen to the location of secret shops and casinos. There are 50 sub missions that are optional in the game, however the more you do, the more you will be prepared for the last chapter (13).

Apart from those two aspects, the game follows the story so you can go to the pink blip on the map to continue the story as and when you want. Without giving any more away, the story is what shines most in this game. It has had a lot of thought put into it so that it is covered from many angles and in detail too.

Experience points can be earned by eating in a restaurant (which also replenishes health), helping people, winning fights and chatting up hostesses. Then in the start menu you can access your four stats to increase your overall attributes, from health, strength, new moves and upgrading your special moves.

Also you can be upgraded by finding various armour and gurus who will train you with new moves as and when you have proven yourself enough on the street.

GRAPHICS

The graphics in my opinion are great. The cut scenes are very watchable and the special moves put the game into slow motion so you can watch the bad guys get a special pounding. On the streets, high attention has been paid to detail and the neon lights, crowds of people and plethora of places you can visit are all like this, giving the feel that you really are in Tokyo.

SOUND

Voicing in this game is very good if not a little heavy on the swearing, every other word begins with F if you catch my drift. While walking down the streets the noise of a busy city is prominently in the background, talking, cars, dogs etc…. When thrown into battle a fast beat tune starts playing, which picks up the mood for the enjoyable fights that are many.

CONTROLS

Pretty basic controls, left analogue move, R3 map toggle, start is pause, select is menu. Circle is your interact button on the streets and X confirms. Then in the fights, Circle will grab/throw weapon, Triangle special move and hit with weapon, while square is for your normal attacks but used in conjunction with circle and triangle can conjure up some heavy damage dealing combos. R1 is the shift/lock button, allowing you to stay facing the enemy. L1 provides the guard/block (not bullets though). L2 will move the camera behind Kazuma and R2 will taunt the enemy, enabling you to power up for a special attack.

So there you have it, the controls are simple and tutorials throughout the beginning of this game will give you a proper introduction on how and when to use them properly.

OTHER

There are a number of hidden keys laying on the floor or with people who you help, these open up a locker in theatre square where lots of goodies await you. Some even key items you need to complete sub quests. Also there is a range of casinos, with roulette, blackjack, baccarat and slots. Whilst in the arcade there is one of those annoying machines where you move the crane to pick up the prize. Also there is a batting cage where you can practise baseball and there is also an underground fight club where you can compete in a variety of tournaments for prizes experience and money.

OVERALL

OK, so I have pretty much said all the good stuff, now to let you in on the worst point in the game - Loading!!! Every 20 steps or so on the world map, the game needs to load to change camera angle which takes about 7 seconds. Then when there is a battle about to take place the loading time is increased to 20 seconds for both before and after the battle. This is the only flaw I could find in this game and because of the games overall experience, it was what made me patient enough to bear it. The game itself took me about 22 hours to complete, however I did spend a lot of time levelling up, doing side quests and fighting in the arena. So for the story you could probably do it in 7-10 hours. It does have a replay element where you can go and finish all the side quests or just explore, but once you have completed them all, the games loading asks you why you are bothering. Would I recommend this game - yes but only to those who feel they have the patience to be able to handle the loading times and that are fans of rpg/beatem ups.

My experience with this game was fun and I really enjoyed the story and all the twists in it, it won’t be going on my favourite list but I certainly will be trying the sequel.

I hope this is enough to help you make up your mind.

Thanks for reading

Ash:-)