Yakuza, known in Japan as RyÅ« ga Gotoku (é¾ãå¦ãLike a Dragon, Japanese: [ɾʲɨáµË É¡aÌ goÌtoÌkɯÌáµ]), is an action-adventurebeat 'em upvideo game franchise created, owned and published by Sega. The series originated from Toshihiro Nagoshi's desire to create a game that would tell the way of life of the yakuza. Racing game download for pc. Nagoshi initially struggled to find a platform for the project, until Sony showed interest in the prospect.[2]
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The series primarily focuses on the yakuza Kazuma Kiryu from the Tojo Clan. While Kiryu often assists the Tojo Clan, the series has also featured him searching for another way of life in the form of raising orphans. The gameplay of Yakuza has the player controlling Kiryu (or another character depending on the title) in an open world where he can encounter an enemy or perform an activity in the city to obtain experience.
The franchise has become a commercial and critical success, and as of 2017, Sega has reported that the Yakuza franchise has sold a combined total of 10.5 million units in physical and digital sales since its debut in 2005.[3] Strong sales of the games in its original Japanese market has led to the franchise's expansion to other media, including film adaptations.
Setting[edit]
The Yakuza games are primarily set in Kamurocho, a fictionalized version of the real life KabukichÅ district in Tokyo. Throughout the series, characters visit other areas of Japan, such as Osaka in Yakuza 2 and 0, Okinawa in Yakuza 3, Nagasugai, part of the fictional Fukuoka based on Nakasu, Tsukimino, part of the fictional Sapporo based on Susukino and Kin'eicho, part of the fictional Nagoya based on Sakae in Yakuza 5, and Hiroshima in Yakuza 6.
Gameplay[edit]
In all games the player controls Kazuma Kiryu, who is the sole playable character in the first three entries. The game is made of three distinct yet connected modes called Event, Adventure and Battle. The main character randomly encounters foes on his path. The ensuing fight is called Encounter Battle. In fights the player character uses hand-to-hand combat while weapons can also be wielded, though firearms are rare. Winning some of these battles can result in the player winning money which can be used to purchase equipment or healing items. Encounter Battles caused by the story can end quicker by finishing the leader of the enemies, as well as by using powerful moves called Heat Actions, which require the filling of the 'Heat Gauge' to become usable. Some of these tend to include quick time events. Across his fights, Kiryu gains experience. This can be used to expand his stats and become a stronger fighter.
The series is well known for its high number of entertaining sub-stories, which often complement the main game story.[4] These also give the player extra EXP. There are also many mini-games, which range from things like bowling, darts, and arcade games, to much more involved things like hostess club management which can take a number of hours over the course of several sessions in themselves to complete. This includes:
A recurring Superboss known as Amon appears in most of the games. Depending on the title, there may be more than one. For example, Yakuza 5 features an Amon for each playable character, including an idol version for Haruka to face off against.
Characters[edit]
In the first three installments, the playable protagonist is Kazuma Kiryu. Yakuza 4 introduces multiple playable protagonists, which include Kazuma Kiryu, Masayoshi Tanimura, Shun Akiyama, and Taiga Saejima.[7]
Yakuza 5 continued this trend and featured five playable protagonists; Kazuma Kiryu, Shun Akiyama, Taiga Saejima, Tatsuo Shinada, as well as the long running supporting character, Haruka Sawamura.[8] The prequel installment featured two protagonists, including another long running supporting character Goro Majima, alongside Kazuma Kiryu.[9] Kiryu is once again the only playable character in Yakuza 6, while an additional story featuring a playable Majima was added to the remake of Yakuza 2, Yakuza Kiwami 2.[10]
The latest mainline installment, Yakuza: Like A Dragon (previously named as Shin Ryu Ga Gotoku) will feature a new main character, Ichiban Kasuga.[11]
Games[edit]
The original Japanese logo, RyÅ« ga Gotoku (é¾ãå¦ã, Like a Dragon)
As of 2017, the Yakuza series includes seven main games, released in chronological order (with the exception of one prequel), with each new installment following the events of the previous title; the series is largely exclusive to the PlayStation series of consoles, starting with PlayStation 2.
There are also several spin-off titles. One relates Kazuma Kiryu's supposed ancestor, historic figure Miyamoto Musashi from the 16th and 17th centuries; another follows a zombie invasion of Kamurocho, the primary setting for the series; on the PlayStation Portable, another series is about a teenage street fighter from Kamurocho that ends up in a fight where he kills a Tojo clan yakuza.
On August 31, 2011, two new Yakuza games were announced: Yakuza 5, and a sequel to KurohyÅ, KurohyÅ 2.[12]
Ryū ga Gotoku 0: Chikai no Basho, a prequel to the original game, was announced August 24, 2014. It was released on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 in March 2015 in Japan.[13]
On December 6, 2014 at PlayStation Experience, Sega announced that because they received so many requests from fans, Yakuza 5 would get a worldwide release in the third quarter of 2015 via the PlayStation Network.
On December 5, 2015 at PlayStation Experience, Sega announced that Yakuza 0 would be localized for Western audiences.
On December 3, 2016 at PlayStation Experience 2016, Gio Corsi announced that both Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza 6 would be localized for Europe and the Americas in 2017 and 2018 respectively. Yakuza 6 was initially set to release in March before being delayed to April.
In August 2017, Sega announced the releases of two new installments, Yakuza Kiwami 2 and Shin Ryu Ga Gotoku (the latter officially known as Yakuza: Like A Dragon starting from August 2019), as well as two additional spinoffs, Ryu ga Gotoku Online and Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise. A listing for Yakuza Kiwami 2 was leaked onto the Taiwanese PlayStation Store, but was originally intended to be announced on August 26, 2017.[14]
In May 2018, Sega announced plans to release remastered versions of Yakuza 3, 4 and 5 for PlayStation 4 over the course of the following year, making the entire mainline series playable on the console. One month later, on June 11, 2018, Sega announced that Yakuza 0 and Yakuza Kiwami would release on Microsoft Windows, marking the first time that Yakuza games would be available on that platform and the second time for the series would appear outside a Sony console since the remasters of Yakuza and Yakuza 2 on Nintendo's Wii U.[15]
Main series[edit]
The storytelling of the series is inspired by yakuza films, one of the most popular cinematic genres in Japan. The stories of the first two games in the series were supervised by novelist Hase Seishu, a writer of crime fiction. It was brought to the screen by director Takashi Miike. The main story is presented in chapters, much like Kinji Fukasaku's classic yakuza movie Sympathy for the Underdog and is expanded upon with around a hundred subplots per game. The depth this provides leads to the series having a large cast of characters, including many which recur in minor roles.
During the 1970s, three children, Kazuma Kiryu, Akira Nishikiyama, also known as Nishiki, and the latter's younger sister, Yuko Nishikiyama, are raised in the Sunflower Orphanage of Shintaro Kazama. In the summer of 1980, they are joined by Yumi Sawamura, a young girl whose parents were inadvertently killed during a gang shootout. Following a yakuza tradition, the honourable Kazama secretly raises orphans whose parents he has directly or indirectly killed. In return, these children look to him as a father and he eventually introduces the teenagers to the Dojima Family, a Tojo Clan affiliate.
Years later, the promising Kiryu quickly rises in the yakuza hierarchy and earns the nickname 'The Dragon of Dojima' for the dragon irezumi tattoo on his back, which is the origin of the original title ryu ga gotoku, which means 'like a dragon'. His childhood friend Nishikiyama is torn between loyalty for his kyodai, or yakuza 'brother', and jealousy against the one who has always been Kazama's protege. Another subject of rivalry between the two friends is their secret love for Yumi, who looks at them as her older brothers. In 1990, in order to remain close to both of them, she left the orphanage and moved to Tokyo's red-light districtKamurocho, where they found her a job as a hostess at Reina's Serena bar. On October 1, 1995, Kiryu told his friends he was ready to create his own yakuza family, only lacking the approval of Sohei Dojima, Chairman of the Dojima Family. Later that night, the latter kidnaps Yumi from Serena. Nishikiyama tries to interfere, but Dojima's men hold him. When Nishikiyama eventually reaches Dojima's office, he finds his boss attempting to rape Yumi and shoots him dead. Kiryu, at a meeting with Kazama, was called by Reina and comes shortly after to find Dojima on the ground and Nishikiyama and Yumi in shock. Kiryu takes responsibility for the death in order to protect Yuko, who needs her brother Nishikiyama as she is about to undergo a critical operation. Kiryu orders Nishikiyama and Yumi to leave before the police arrive.
Yakuza[edit]
The first game follows the story of Kazuma Kiryu (æ¡ç ä¸é¦¬ KiryÅ« Kazuma), a formerly promising yakuza who is released from prison in December 2005 after a ten-year sentence for the murder of Dojima. The Tojo Clan he was once a member of has had ten billion yen, or approximately 100 million U.S. dollars, stolen from their vault. The search for the money, undertaken by the entire Japanese underworld, results in Kiryu being forced back into the brutal, lawless world of the yakuza. A mysterious young girl would lead Kiryu to the answers, if he can keep her alive.
Yakuza 2[edit]
In 2006, Kazuma Kiryu has left his post as the Chairman of the Tojo Clan, Japan's most violent crime syndicate. When an all-out war erupts, Kiryu must return and uphold the honor of his former clan, with brutal clashes with rival gangs, the police, and the Korean mafia through the back alleys and neon-lit nightclubs of Tokyo and Osaka.
Yakuza 3[edit]
In March 2009, Kazuma Kiryu now runs the Morning Glory Orphanage in Okinawa where he raises nine children, including his surrogate daughter Haruka Sawamura. When an impending business deal threatens to tear down the orphanage, Kiryu travels from the beaches of Okinawa to the darkest side of Tokyo as he is pulled back to a life he thought he had left behind.
Yakuza 4[edit]
In March 2010, Kazuma Kiryu is again involved in an incident in Kamurocho. First, a man is fatally shot on the turf of the powerful Tojo Clan. Then, a man investigating the murder is stabbed to death. These events spark a full-blown struggle for money, power, and above all, honor, in a story experienced through the eyes of four characters.
Yakuza 5[edit]
In December 2012, the seventh chairman of the Omi Alliance is on his deathbed. His death would end the truce between the Tojo Clan and the Omi Alliance, leading to a war between the clans. To prepare, the Tojo Clan is forced to strengthen their organization by aligning themselves with older clans based in other major cities across Japan to create a new organization, rivaling that of the Omi Alliance. This new alliance would breach the old traditional barriers of clan territories, leading Daigo Dojima to head for Fukuoka.
Yakuza 0[edit]
In December 1988, many years before the original Yakuza, a young Kazuma Kiryu is framed for the murder of a civilian, leading him to be hunted by members of the Tojo clan. At the same time, Goro Majima finds himself protecting a helpless blind girl whom he was ordered to assassinate, making him a target himself. The two must each attempt to protect themselves and uncover the truth, including how both incidents are tied to the mysterious 'Empty Lot'.
Yakuza 6[edit]
In 2016, after willingly spending three years in prison for his past crimes, Kazuma Kiryu is released only to discover that his adoptive daughter Haruka has disappeared, later found comatose and critically injured after a hit-and-run incident. A devastated Kiryu decides to travel to Onomichi Jingaicho in Hiroshima, hoping to find the truth behind what happened to Haruka.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon[edit]
In 2019, Ichiban Kasuga, a former member of the Tojo Clan's Arakawa Family who is released after 18 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, ends up in Yokohama after the police and the Omi Alliance join forces.
Spin-offs[edit]Ryū ga Gotoku Kenzan![edit]
The success of the main Yakuza series has spurred the creation of a spin-off, Ryū ga Gotoku Kenzan!, which was released in Japan and Asia on March 6, 2008.[16]
KurohyÅ: RyÅ« ga Gotoku ShinshÅ[edit]
Formerly known under the working title 'Project K', ShinshÅ (also known as Yakuza: Black Panther) is a spin-off on PlayStation Portable that was released in Japan on September 22, 2010.[17]
Yakuza: Dead Souls[edit]
Yakuza: Dead Souls, known as Ryū ga Gotoku Of The End in Japan, involves a zombie outbreak in Kamurocho, and was initially scheduled for Japanese release on March 17, 2011,[18] but the release was delayed to June 9, 2011 following the Tohoku earthquake on March 11, 2011.[19] This spin-off entry was released in the west in March 2012 (in North America, on March 13, 2012; in Australia, on March 15, 2012; in Europe, March 16, 2012).[20]
KurohyÅ: RyÅ« ga Gotoku Ashura Hen[edit]
KurohyÅ 2: RyÅ« ga Gotoku Asyura hen is a sequel to KurohyÅ: RyÅ« ga Gotoku ShinshÅ. It was released in Japan on March 22, 2012.
Ryū ga Gotoku Ishin![edit]
Ryū ga Gotoku Ishin! is a spin-off on both PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 released in Japan on February 22, 2014, the launch date for the PlayStation 4 in Japan.[21]
Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise[edit]
Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise, known in Japan as Hokuto ga Gotoku, is a spin-off for the PlayStation 4, based on the series Fist of the North Star. The game was released in Japan on February 22, 2018,[22], and worldwide on October 2, 2018.[23] This is the first Ryu ga Gotoku title since Yakuza to release with an English dub, and the first overall with dual audio options. Kazuma Kiryu appears as an equippable DLC skin, while other Yakuza characters make minor cameo appearances.
Ryu ga Gotoku Online[edit]
Acpi driver for windows 10 pro. Ryu ga Gotoku Online is a free-to-play spin-off released on Android, iOS, and PC on November 21, 2018.[24] The game features both Kazuma Kiryu and new protagonist Ichiban Kasuga.
Judgment[edit]
Judgment, known in Japan as Judge Eyes: Shinigami no Yuigon, is a legal thriller set in the Yakuza world, in Kamurocho, and follows private detective Takayuki Yagami, who investigates a serial murder case.[25] It stars Japanese actor Takuya Kimura. Sega released a demo of Judgment on the Japanese PlayStation Network. The game employs a fighting system similar to the one from Yakuza 0 where players can change into different styles. Additionally, it features an investigation mode where the player has to find traces of the criminal. It was released for PlayStation 4 on December 13, 2018, with a Western release following in June 2019.[26]
Rereleases and Remakes[edit]Ryū ga Gotoku 1&2 HD Edition[edit]
A high-definition remaster of the first two games in the series was released in Japan on November 1, 2012 for PlayStation 3.[27] The high-definition remaster was ported to Wii U and released in Japan on August 8, 2013 under the title Ryū ga Gotoku 1&2 HD for Wii U.[28][29] Both versions of the compilation were only released in Japan.
Yakuza Kiwami[edit]
A remake of the first Yakuza game was announced for a January 21, 2016 Japanese release on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4.[30]Kiwami for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 were the top two best-selling games in Japan during release week, selling 103,256 copies for PlayStation 4 and 60,427 for PlayStation 3.[31] The PS4 version received a western release in August 2017. The game was made available on Microsoft Windows via Steam on Feb 19, 2019.[32]
Yakuza Kiwami 2[edit]
A remake of Yakuza 2 was released in Japan on December 7, 2017 for the PlayStation 4. It was released in the United States on August 28, 2018. The game runs on the Dragon Engine, which was previously used in Yakuza 6: The Song of Life. The remake also adds Goro Majima as a playable character, continuing stories of his that were previously established in Yakuza 0. The game received a western release in August 2018.
Yakuza Remastered Collection[edit]
A compilation rerelease, titled The Yakuza Remastered Collection, was announced and released digitally in English-speaking territories on August 20, 2019 for the PlayStation 4. The collection contains the remastered versions of Yakuza 3, Yakuza 4, and Yakuza 5, which were released in Japan between 2018 and 2019, with re-translated game scripts and content removed from the original English releases restored. At the time of the collection's launch, only Yakuza 3 was available, with Yakuza 4 scheduled for release in October 29, 2019 and Yakuza 5 on February 11, 2020. A physical release containing all three games will be released alongside Yakuza 5 with a collectible PlayStation 3 styled case for Yakuza 5, which came out digitally in the west.[33]
Production[edit]
Toshihiro Nagoshi first brought his story for the scenario to Seishu[who?] two years before Yakuza started development.[when?] Seishu had been a gamer since the days of Space Invaders, but over the past four or five years he had lost interest, as he was less concerned with 3D visuals and gameplay than he was with story. Yakuza caught his attention though, and he decided to accept the project even though it came at the busiest point of his professional writing career. Nagoshi wanted players to get enjoyment from merely walking through Kamurocho. Touching upon the game's name, Nagoshi revealed that it was his concoction. The name translates to 'Like a Dragon', as Nagoshi felt that dragons have a strong image about them, and that when players sample it, they would, as the title suggests, get a feel for the strength and manliness of the main character.[34]
Marketing[edit]
The Don Quijote store in Kamurocho (left), and its real-life equivalent in KabukichÅ. Note how the real store was advertising the Yakuza-series spin-off game KurohyÅ 2: RyÅ« ga Gotoku Ashura hen, as well as the Ryu ga Gotoku Studio-developed Binary Domain at the time this picture was taken.
The series is known for its expanding video game tie-in and product placement. An example of this is the Don Quijote discount store, whose in-game stores are based on the stores in the equivalent real-life districts. This strategy allows to support the game's costly production and at the same time gives a realistic aspect to the environments which are based on real locations in Tokyo, Osaka and Naha. In promoting the game, Sega hired Takashi Miike, who directed the live-action Like a Dragon film. There were no problems in doing this due to a member from the team who was originally from the film industry who worked with Toei Company on V-cinema.[citation needed] Sega went to a lot of companies to try to get brands into the game, like car companies and fashion companies, but because of the nature of the Yakuza game, they were turned down by most of them.[citation needed] However, the company Suntory accepted them. Suntory wanted to sell whiskey, and they felt the game's demographic and the whiskey-drinking demographic would mesh nicely.[35]
Voice cast[edit]
A Yakuza 3 Event Mode minor character's face is being modeled in 3D through Softimage XSI 6.5 and during 3D scan the actor wore a swim cap because his character wears a police peaked cap[36]
The game's original voice actors are Japanese celebrities which can be voice actors, singers, tarento, film or TV series actors, radio or television celebrities. Cabaret girls and alike characters have featured models, gravure idols and adult actresses as voice actresses and likenesses. Since the 2008 spin-off, the game series' main characters have their face modeled in 3D after their voice actors. As in the Virtua Fighter series, Western main and minor characters do not speak in Japanese, but rather in English.
The first game in the series to be released to the United States and PAL regions was dubbed in English. However, due to criticism of the English voice acting, each subsequent Western release has retained the original Japanese voice acting.
The PlayStation 3 installments' realistic character design is based on Cyberware3D scanner, Softimage XSI 6.5 3D models[36] and Sega's Magical V-Engine.
Localization changes[edit]
When the series was internationalized and localized to fit the Western market several changes occurred. These include changing the title of the game (Like a Dragon é¾ãå¦ã, ryÅ« ga gotoku became Yakuza) and the names of several characters (Shintaro Kazama is Shintaro Fuma, Akira Nishikiyama is Akira Nishiki, Futoshi Shimano is Futo Shimano, Sai no Hanaya is Kage).
Yakuza 4 adjusted several of these localisation changes, following criticism of the previous games, and in particular the content excised from the Western release of Yakuza 3. Producer Noguchi noted that there was an attempt to 'bring a more complete localization that was more faithful to the source material'. This included reversing several name changes. In addition, some conventions were changed; in previous Western localisations, protagonist Kazuma Kiryu had been referred to primarily by his first name. In Yakuza 4, he is referred to primarily by his family name, Kiryu, which more closely reflects the original dialogue.[37]
Music[edit]
The three Yakuza original soundtrack albums are composed by Hidenori Shoji, Hideki Sakamotoet alii and are published by Wave Master. Additional soundtrack features songs from Japanese artists Crazy Ken Band, Zeebra, Ketsumeishi and Eikichi Yazawa.
Adaptations[edit]
The Yakuza franchise includes various types of merchandise and adaptations outside of the video games. Currently, this includes a direct-to-video movie, a feature film, original soundtracks, official guides, Kamutai Magazines (pre-order campaign limited book) and other licensed products such as Cropped Heads long tee shirts and parkas based on main characters tattoos,[38] limited edition PlayStation 3 console packs,[39][40]Kubrick toys[41] and action figures manufactured by Maitan.[42]
Books[edit]
With the original game in 2005, Sega created a pre-order campaign limited item called Kamutai Magazine (ã«ã ã¿ã¤ãã¬ã¸ã³). This color book was a monography dedicated to the game with Mai, a sub-scenario female character, as the cover girl. This character's physical aspect was inspired by its voice actor, Mihiro, a Japanese adult video idol acting in porno films. Since then, each new game release coincides with a new Kamutai Magazine issue featuring a voice actress as cover girl. Hence this December 2005 issue was followed by a December 2006 issue (cover girl is Japanese porn star Nana Natsume), a March 2008 issue (cover girl is Taiwanese porn star Yinling of Joytoy) and a February 2009 issue (cover girls are Shizuka Mutou, Sayaka Araki and Rina Sakurai). The fifth issue was bundled with Ryu Ga Gotoku 4 and released in March 2010.
Original video[edit]
Takeshi Miyasaka directed an original video during the promotion period for the western release of the game which depicted Kazuma, Nishiki and Yumi growing up at the Sunflower Orphanage and then leaving for Tokyo. This short film called Like a Dragon: Prologue (é¾ãå¦ã ãåºç« ã, ryu ga gotoku -joshou-) serve as a prequel and set up the events which take place in the game.
Feature film[edit]
A film adaptation was released in Japanese theaters on March 2, 2007, called Like a Dragon: movie version (é¾ãå¦ã åå ´ç, ryu ga gotoku: gekijoban). It was based on the first installment of the game and is directed by Takashi Miike. The movie was premiered in the United States on June 23 at IFC theater.[43]
American distributor Tokyo Shock, a Media Blasters affiliate, has released a licensed DVD on February 23, 2010.[44] The original release date was actually March 2010 in order to coincide with the North American localization of Yakuza 3.
Radio dramas[edit]
Since September 2008, Japanese voice actors from the Yakuza series, including Takaya Kuroda (Kazuma Kiryu) and Hidenari Ugaki (Goro Majima), are running a radio drama which is known as Ryu Ga Gotoku Presents Kamuro-cho Radio Station (é¾ãå¦ãPresentsç¥å®¤çºRADIOSTATION). The second season Shin Kamuro-cho Radio Station (æ°ã»ç¥å®¤çºRADIOSTATION), which covers 2009~2010, is currently ongoing with back number episodes available for download as podcasts.[45] Past episodes from the 2008~2009 season, Kamuro-cho Radio Station (ç¥å®¤çºRADIOSTATION), are also available as archived podcasts.[46]
Web TV[edit]
The Kamurocho Caba Jou TV (ç¥å®¤çºãã£ã嬢 T V) is a Japanese web television dedicated to the series's cabaret girls. Main contents are audition and girls profile, but it can also be related to other aspect of the game series; for example volume 15 focuses on its soundtrack artists. All shows, called 'volumes', are archived within the web TV's official website.[47]
Reception & Legacy[edit]
Promotion at TGS 2010
The original game was heavily acclaimed in Japan for combining innovative game play with cinema like story telling and character development on the back of Japan's criminal underground.[71]Weekly Famitsu gave high scores to the series, Yakuza scored 37/40 (92.5/100),[72]Yakuza 2 scored 38/40 (95/100),[73]Yakuza Kenzan! scored 37/40 (92,5/100),[73]Yakuza 3 scored 38/40 (95/100)[73] and Yakuza 4 scored 38/40 (95/100).[74]Yakuza 5 scored (40/40) which has the highest score out of all of the Yakuza installments. Yakuza 6: The Song of Life scored (39/40).
Each installment earned an excellence award at the Japan Game Awards and had a PlayStation the Best re-release in both Japanese, Asian and Korean markets.[75] The Japanese entertainment industry gave Yakuza 3 the 'Award for Excellence' in the 2009 Japan Game Awards 'Games of the Year Division' for its 'dramatic story development, freedom of the story and the graphics elaborated up to the details of the work. In addition, amusement found in every portion of the game including the vast number of sub-stories and mini games. This work was awarded the prize for the high quality of entertainment'.[76] In 2010, the Japan Game Awards once again gave a Yakuza series game the 'Award for Excellence'. Yakuza 4 won due to 'a rich story with a high degree of freedom that is developed from the different perspectives of the 4 characters. There are also many play spots that boast several sub-stories and mini games. The astounding quality and volume provide a high level of entertainment and was the reason for granting this award'.[77] As the protagonist of the series, Kazuma Kiryu is often recognized as a PlayStation mascot.[78][79]
The western localized versions were released between one and three years after the originals and received generally favorable reviews.[80]
Sales[edit]
The series sold 3.2 million games worldwide as of 2009[81] and 4 million copies as of September 2010;[82] the best sellers being the first two games which sold between 500,000 â 1 million worldwide, each winning the PlayStation Gold Award.[83]Yakuza 3 sold 500,000 copies in the Asian markets as of 2010, also winning SCEJ's PlayStation Gold Award.[81] However, after Yakuza 4, Sega said that sales were slow in North America and Europe due to 'the adverse market condition', noting 'sluggish personal consumption' in those regions.[84]
By June 2015, the Yakuza series sold over 7 million units worldwide.[85] As of 2017, the series has sold over 10.5 million copies.[3]
References[edit]
External links[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yakuza_(series)&oldid=919755092'
Yakuza: Dead Souls (Japanese: é¾ãå¦ã
Plot[edit]
Dead Souls is a non-canonical side story set during April 2011, one year after the events of Yakuza 4.[5] A sudden outbreak causes the residents of Kamurocho to become zombies, biting victims to continue spreading the plague. Kamurocho is slowly quarantined as the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force is called in to contain the infection. In the wake of the outbreak, four men take charge to help the people of Kamurocho and find the source of the disease: Shun Akiyama, a local loan shark attempting to rescue his sick receptionist; Goro Majima, a feared yakuza and construction company owner trying to stave off his own infection; Ryuji Goda, a disgraced former yakuza and takoyaki chef whose clan has ties to the outbreak's origins; and Kazuma Kiryu, an orphanage caretaker and legendary former yakuza forced to return when his adopted daughter Haruka is kidnapped.[6]
Characters[edit]
The game features four playable main characters. Series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu returns, as well as Goro Majima, a recurring character since the first installment. Ryuji Goda of Yakuza 2 and Shun Akiyama, one of the four main characters in Yakuza 4, are also playable characters.[3] The story is divided into four parts with four chapters each, with players controlling a different character during each part, along with a final seventeenth chapter focusing on Kiryu.
Development[edit]
Promotional image of the game, showing Kamurocho in ruins
The game was first announced in June 2010, during an interview with series producer Toshihiro Nagoshi in Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu, during which he mentioned that a new Ryū ga Gotoku game was in development and that it would star Goro Majima.[7] Majima, as well as the new project, was officially confirmed on July 1, on the official website.[8] A series of announcements were then made on the main site, beginning in late July and continuing throughout August, with all four main characters being revealed one by one. Kazuma Kiryu was the first to be confirmed after Majima, on July 21.[9] Shun Akiyama was then announced on August 4,[10] and Ryuji Goda was then revealed in the final announcement on August 18.[11] Following each character's confirmation, a large poster of him was erected across the east exist of the Shinjuku branch of Don Quijote, a shop that features in the game itself as a tie-in, and was replaced by the next character when he was announced.
In August 2010, a two-page advertisement appeared in Famitsu, showing Kamurocho in ruins, with the words 'The End' over the image.[3] The name of the game was officially announced in a September issue of Famitsu[2] and confirmed on the game's official site on September 9.[12]
Video footage of the game was shown for the first time at the Tokyo Game Show 2010, showing footage of minigames such as darts, fishing, batting and karaoke. It also showed scenes of the town being overrun by zombies and destroyed by a large, black monster and many small creatures. Footage afterwards on the Ryu-Stream channel showed the cabaret girls' actors 'shooting' a zombie actor with guns.
Marketing and release[edit]Tie-ins[edit]
A recurring theme in the series is tie-ins, in which real-life businesses, restaurant chains or products are promoted prior to the game's release and within the game itself. A range of awamori drinks by Okinawa's Seifuku Distillery were licensed.[13] A range of goods, including bracelets and T-shirts, was sold at Don Quijote, a store chain which has been featured in every game except Kenzan! so far.[14] Also sold at Don Quijote was a themed energy drink called 'Energy Dragon'.[15]
Another returning tie-in was a promotion with 777town, in which a Kazuma Kiryu avatar was available for use with the 777town website, and Volcano, a pachinko centre sponsored by the website, was included within the game.[16] A collaboration with a hat brand, Override, was shown in-game; the hat was also available for purchase from Override's website.[17] A men's fragrance, 'Black Dragon', was designed by producer Toshihiro Nagoshi, and appears both in-game and at retailers such as Don Quijote.[18]
Another promotion with Kai Razor included a Ryū ga Gotoku strap and razor case, and protagonist Kazuma Kiryu is shown shaving with one of their razors in an in-game cutscene.[19] Another Kai Razor campaign featured bracelets designed by Nagoshi, Takaya Kuroda, Hidenari Ugaki, and the hostess' performers, as well as a nail clipper.[20]
Karaoke Kan, a karaoke venue featured in the game since Yakuza 3, was included in another promotion. The first 200 customers to visit the special series rooms were awarded one of the three tie-in prizes (80 of each of the T-shirt and Kai Razor prizes were available, while 40 bottles of Black Dragon were given away), and an alternative 'Karaoke Kan Version' of the game's commercial was played there, featuring Jun Komori, a model who appears as a masseuse in the game.[21]
The game's characters, and a Kamuro-cho gate outfit, are available in the PSP game Taiko no Tatsujin Portable DX, which features 'Machinegun Kiss', a karaoke song from the Ryū ga Gotoku series.
Limited edition[edit]
In the aftermath of the 2011 TÅhoku earthquake and tsunami, the game's packaging was changed to a 'GanbarÅ, Nippon!' version with Kiryu and Haruka on the cover; the first pressing included a set of stickers featuring the two. Also included with early preorders was a soundtrack CD, part of the series' recurring Kamutai preorder bonus series.
Special items[edit]
Like its PS3 predecessors, some special items are available in the game if a save file from another game in the series is detected. If Yakuza 3 save data is present, players receive the Sunshine Belly Warmer, while RyÅ« ga Gotoku Kenzan! save data grants the Gion Bell (ç¥åã®é´ (Gion no Suzu)) and Yakuza 4 data awards the Sugar Daddy Amulet (ææã®ãå®). In the western release, players with a Yakuza 3 save receive both the Sunshine Belly Warmer and the Gion Bell, due to Kenzan! not receiving an English-language release.
Sales[edit]
The game sold 309,058 copies in its first week of release in Japan. And as of May 1, 2012, the game has sold just under 500,000 units worldwide.[22][23]
Reception[edit]
The game received overall average reviews, with most criticism focused on its combat system, and praise focused on the story. The game is assigned a 64/100 on Metacritic, classified as mixed or average reviews as the most common reviews of the game.[24]
PlayStation LifeStyle's Heath Hindman called the game 'OK for what it is' in his review, praising the story and boss fights, but didn't like the dwarfed exploration and how dull the combat became as the game went on, saying, 'Yakuza: Dead Souls isnât going to bring in any new blood to the Yakuza series, but for its existing fans, it provides an interesting story and gameplay elements that havenât been explored previously. Combat against the common zombies gets old fast, but there are some great boss battles to balance it out. As a huge Yakuza fan myself, I somewhat enjoyed the game, but wish there would have been a little better pacing and more chances to explore.'[25]
See also[edit]References[edit]Yakuza 1 Iso File
Yakuza SeriesYakuza 1 Undub IsoExternal links[edit]Yakuza 1 Iso Codes
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