Yakuza 6 is a game I have been looking forward to for a while now. The story of Kazuma Kiryu that we have followed over several years and games, has now reached its climax and fans should prepare for a real experience. The game picks up where Yakuza 5 left off, but players who are coming straight from 0 and Kiwami will be able to catch up via the cinematics that lead into the game. There are also text options to catch up on what has happened, but the story moves forward in a big way with new characters that become fully developed and fleshed out in a short time.
The Yakuza series has been known for its combat as a high point ,and it is still good here, but changed as well. The combat seems a bit stripped down than the previous entry, but it is also more refined at the same time and there is a new focus on technique to break enemy blocking. This often requires the use of weapons or other environmental interactions, but it comes across well and is a good change in my opinion. I really enjoyed the changes to the enemy behavior in this game, as it made each fight require more attention. This is the reason I feel that scaling back on the variety of moves is fine, as you will have to simply be more creative instead.
Visually, the game is stunning and the new engine does wonders to show off the game’s beauty. Unfortunately I was capped at 30 FPS due to playing on the base PS4, which is a letdown after the previous entries played at 60. It is manageable of course, but the difference is very notable. I also noticed that the world feels a bit smaller this time around, almost to the point that I wonder if more was intended and cut for time. It is very noticeable, but fortunately the changes and additions brought into the game help keep the amount of things to do at a high level.
Among these changes and additions is the alterations to the minigames such as Karaoke, which is a much nicer experience. In fact, most of the minigames have been reworked in excellent ways that make them much more enjoyable. Talking to the hostesses has also been altered to be a more involving exchange and that is a nice touch, The arcade is back in this game with some new additions, namely Virtua Fighter 5 (arcade mode) and Puyo Puyo to the delight of no doubt many. Of course there are also new minigames introduced here, such as spear fishing, baseball team management and chatting with cam girls. These may sound strange but they are some of the best ( and funniest) additions to the series yet. The spear fishing minigame for example, feels just like a classic Sega arcade light gun rail shooter game.
As well, a new inclusion is the crossover with New Japan Pro Wrestling. The series has always had celebrity appearances, and this one is perhaps the most satisfying. This part of the game is a nice side story with fun gameplay, and as a fan of NJPW myself, I couldn’t stop smiling. This mode plays very differently, but ended up eating much more of my time than I had anticipated. It seems the developers can take anything and make it even more epic in ways players had not anticipated.
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life is a worthy end to Kiryu’s story. The emotional payoff is great, and the journey there was fulfilling. As I said above, even new players will be able to jump on here even though they should play the older games to understand everything better. I daresay that this is a potential Game of The Year candidate for me and it is one that should not be passed up. I highly recommend this game for everyone to play!
Disclaimer: A review key was provided by Sega