Yakuza 6: The Song of Life – PlayStation 4

Description

. In Yakuza 6, Kazuma Kiryu will find out exactly how much people are willing to sacrifice for family – be those ties through blood or bond – when he investigates a series of shadowy events that involve the ones he holds closest to his heart. Fresh out of a three-year prison sentence, an older and weathered Kiryu comes to find out that his surrogate daughter, Haruka, has gone missing from the orphanage he looks after. The trail leads him to his old stomping grounds in Kamurocho, where he discovers that she has been struck by a car and now lies in a coma. To make matters worse, Kiryu learns that Haruka now has a son that he must look after. With baby in hand, Kiryu journeys to the seaside town of Onomichi, Hiroshima to unravel the truth about Haruka, her son, and a sinister secret that the Hiroshima yakuza are harboring. – Yakuza 6: The Song of Life The Dragon’s Fiery Conclusion by Jeff Cork Concept: Wrap up Kazuma Kiryu’s story in an appropriately epic and occasionally wacky finale Graphics: Yakuza 6 is easily the best the series has ever looked, and exploring in the first-person view is the closest you can get to being in Japan without the jetlag Sound: The voice acting shines, and the ambient sounds of Hiroshima and Tokyo are perfectly captured Playability: Kiryu is ready for everything, whether it’s time to break bikes over backs, belt out a tune, or hit the arcades, thanks to intuitive and responsive controls Entertainment: Yakuza 6 delivers both quality and quantity, so saying goodbye to Kiryu doesn’t feel rushed Replay: Moderately high The Yakuza series is stronger than ever, with the recent wave of PlayStation 4 remasters and a new prequel game bringing Kazuma Kiryu to appreciative new audiences. Just as those fledgling fans are figuring out what loyal Yakuza players have known for more than a decade, Yakuza 6 comes along and upends it all. The latest entry in the series may mark the end of Kiryu’s tale, but don’t worry; Sega gives The Dragon of Dojima the sendoff he deserves. Without getting too deep in the weeds, Yakuza 6’s story centers on Kiryu’s adopted daughter Haruka Sawamura, who is struck by a hit-and-run driver early on. She was holding a child at the time of the event, and that child’s identity is paramount to the overall arc. The long story is told through an abundance of cutscenes, but I was engaged throughout. Players who are concerned about jumping into the finale without having played through all the other games shouldn’t worry, either. While the story is complicated, it’s largely self-contained. The game cleverly provides context for the important players in the world, and in rare instances when a cameo or reference didn’t click for me, I never felt lost. The story provides broad motivations, but much of the Yakuza 6 experience is about making your own way through the world. Between Kamurocho’s familiar neon playground and the comparatively calmer Onomichi in Hiroshima prefecture, Yakuza 6 gives you plenty to do. The two…