- Publisher: Sega
- Release Date: Sep 5, 2006
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Yakuza vividly portrays modern Japan and its organized crime families, but it pulls its punches before delivering a truly great action game or a completely satisfying story.
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It's just a case of proportions - too much storyline and too much random battling - and if we're going down the route of size comparison, hands and shoulders need attention too.
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Official Playstation 2 Magazine UKNo threat to "GTA," but it's not meant to be. Instead it's an absorbing role-playing adventure with plenty to keep you busy. [Sept 2006, p.74]
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The game has its weak points, and there's nothing strikingly original about the gameplay, but it's definitely an interesting experience for action gamers looking for a unique atmosphere and story.
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The story can weigh things down, but generally it drives the game along well enough. It's just a shame there isn't more to do in Tokyo itself.
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This game is what the phrase "close, but no cigar" was made for.
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A good game that never seems in danger of being great. It’s like exploring a slice of life in another culture; you’re not quite sure what you’re going to get but you keep trying to get something.
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The battle system had some potential, but is hampered by technical issues.
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But the core mechanics of Yakuza – fighting and futzing around in this collection of city bits – are simply too disjointed to bear up under the fifteen or so hours it takes to reach the payoff.
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Game InformerPlease, someone put a hit out on this one before it commits more crimes against gaming. [Sept. 2006, p.93]
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Killing bad guys is very boring thanks to the lackluster mechanics, which never evolve past mindless button mashing, and the cheap AI doesn't help matters. I still appreciate Yakuza for what it is, but I can't justify spending $50 for it.
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Yakuza also features one of the worst stealth-based sequences in all of video game history.
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If you're a sucker for Japanese gangster cinema, you'll likely be able to forgive Yakuza's many flaws long enough to get caught up in the riveting story line and cast of complex characters. But long before the end, you'll be sick of the repetitive combat that takes up far too much of Yakuza's gameplay time.
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It's just that while being a competent and perfectly enjoyable pick'n'mix of some of the best games of the last 10 years, Yakuza doesn't excel at any aspect it borrows. It isn't greater than the sum of its parts.
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AceGamezI'm just supremely disappointed that it failed to capitalize on its intriguing premise.
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The attention to detail in Yakuza is extraordinary but the overall effect is like getting everything you wanted for Christmas and not being allowed to play with it.
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The only things that are shamelessly exposed are the game's feckless fisticuffs.
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Yakuza’s intricately plotted yarn is so lovingly rendered that sloppy action and shoddy localization only bring moderate dishonor.
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With Yakuza, Sega has once again shown the gaming world that, when it comes to establishing new concepts, they aren’t totally out of their element.
Awards & Rankings
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43
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22
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#22 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2006
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17
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#17 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2006
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User score distribution:
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Positive: 116 out of 142
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Mixed: 17 out of 142
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Negative: 9 out of 142
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May 26, 2011
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Jun 29, 2022
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Apr 2, 2022