Yakuza
	Developer:	Amuesement Vision
	Publisher:	Sega
	Rating:	MA 15+
	RRP:	$89.99 AUD
Playstation 2

At its bloodthirsty heart, Yakuza is a fighting game, driven by an intriguing tale.  Set in a fictional inner Tokyo, the game assaults us with the crowded, neon lit grime of a modern city, ravaged by the not so petty differences between Yakuza clans.

As Kiryu Kazuma your Respect is on the rise, being on the verge of starting your own clan.  This all ends with the death of a Clan Boss, for which Kazuma takes the blame, along with a ten-year stint in the Slammer – thankfully consisting of one training mission in game time.

Once released, the city is laid at your feet to be explored, yet unlike a lot of “sandbox” style games, the story remains focused, driving you along its path effectively, through a combination of intrigue and simply by not offering much else to explore.  Random encounters are spiced up by the variety of opponent models to take on, everything from street punks to rival “salary man” Yakuza Suits. The fights are further coloured by the broad use of profanity – I learnt a bunch of terms that will come in handy during my next street brawl – Turn the sound down kids.

Mechanics of the fight sequences are done quite well – not the worst I have seen, by a long shot (Urban Reign anybody?)  There are times when a well-intentioned combo goes astray, with Kazuma San spending a few precious seconds swishing at nothing but dank, polluted air.