Yakuza - Street Brawling and Cussin', Clan style

Mike Bantick
Thursday, 12 October 2006 05:02

Your IT - Entertainment

Almost politely it seems, the Japanese city slickers have left a bevy of blunt fighting implements lying around their side-walks.  These are essential elements to be employed in dispatching foes. Once you get a few slow-mo knock-out cinematics under your belt, this core game mechanic becomes satisfying indeed.

Leveling up Kazuma is a straightforward process that can slightly unbalance the game.  Once I had gained a couple of combo moves, I did find the random fights a little easy, bogging down the pace of the game somewhat.  This is tempered by the need to make sure you target combo’s correctly. Whilst the story driven fights can still prove challenging no matter how much experience building fodder you had trounced earlier.

A smattering of mini-games provide much needed divergence from the fighting sequences.  Chatting up Hostesses, gambling or simply chowing down on a hapless ‘Smile Burger’ provide the landscape with a sense of authenticity.

English voice acting is provided by Michael Madsen (Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill) along with video game stalwarts Michael Rosenbaum and Mark Hamil – Ahhhh Luke, how lucky were you when Wing commander III came your way ? 

The quality of the presentation gives Yakuza a level of polish, allowing it to rise from the gutter of mediocrity

A free floating camera - rather than the disorientating, perspective shifting shambles we are left with during the street traversing sections would have been an improvement. Overall however, Yakuza is an compelling title to add to any budding crime overlords collection.