Yakuza

 PlayStation 2
  • Publisher: Sega
  • Release Date: Sep 5, 2006
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 142 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 116 out of 142
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 142
  3. Negative: 9 out of 142
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Mithyus
    Apr 1, 2007
    10
    Kazuma and his story are entangling and amazing from start to end, and while the gameplay plays as a lesser element, it still does a pretty decent job.
  2. Phantasemo
    Apr 22, 2018
    5
    I've made it just past the halfway point (Chapter 7: Dragon and Koi) and color me unimpressed. I've played the remake of this game with Kiwami and would honestly recommend sticking to that superior version rather than slogging through the antiquated original release that Yakuza purists seem to hold in the most favorable of a light.

    The combat system is clunky and not up to par    I've made it just past the halfway point (Chapter 7: Dragon and Koi) and color me unimpressed. I've played the remake of this game with Kiwami and would honestly recommend sticking to that superior version rather than slogging through the antiquated original release that Yakuza purists seem to hold in the most favorable of a light.

    The combat system is clunky and not up to par considering how much the game relies on it as its primary form of gameplay. Doesn't feel too bad when you first boot up the game, but as time goes on you really start to feel where it's lacking. First, when fighting big, aggressive groups of enemies they can easily wear you like an oven mitt as you can get locked into a series of hits without much recourse other than getting knocked down with some distance between the two of you so that you can recover or for there to be a break in the barrage of fists for you to strike back. There is a “lock-on” functionality called “shifting” that is meant to hone in on an enemy and let you dodge, but it also isn’t up to snuff as Kazuma will lose it entirely at times and you’ll be left with a rousing round of shadow boxing with a ghost while the enemy combatants queue up to bugger you. Also, the camera just can’t seem to be able to keep up with the action as you dodge around and whatnot, but the camera thinks the wall to your back is particularly interesting rather than the three thugs in front of you with knives brandished. This becomes especially annoying when you go up against Majima at the batting cages and thanks to how much he dodges around good luck keeping him in the frame for more than a split second or the GB Holmes fight where you’re in an octagon with no one other than Holmes present and he doesn’t move fast and the camera still can’t manage to keep the guy in view. Hope you enjoy getting sucker punched by a freight train because I lost this fight so much the game actually offered to drop to “EASY Difficulty” I bested him without needing to, but I wasn’t losing because I hadn’t grasped the mechanics of the game and, therefore, wasn’t utilizing them properly, but because the mechanics haven’t been refined enough. I also hope you are an individual who pines for commitment because when it comes to dishing out a combo and you miss the guy your swinging at you can’t adjust midstream to the direction he currently is in; however, you do get a move that’s meant to compensate for this by allowing you to swing in the opposite direction with your final hit, but it doesn’t make too much a difference on top of the previously mentioned shortcomings of the combat system which in time does get to be pretty samey. Oh, if you're expecting some of those glorious HEAT actions that the series is known for I’d go ahead curb your expectations right now as they’re pretty limited and unexceptional to the current repute of the series.

    Now let’s toss some shade at the localization and how lacking it is. You won’t have a choice between an English or Japanese dub so you’ll be stuck listening to the mediocre English actor's drone their way through the script, but hey, at least, you get Mark Hamill doing a withheld Joker impersonation with Majima so there is that. In all seriousness, no one brings their A-game to this project with Haruka’s voice actress phoning it in hard as can be. Also, Kazuma’s voice actor seems to be no prize himself as he repeated just one tone throughout only slightly raising it if Kazuma becomes uncertain. At the best of times it gets the job done, no more no less, other times you’ll think “I’m not a voice actor, but I could give a more enthusiastic performance than these twits!” Oh, and the script holy jumping **** Jesus this script. I’ve played other Yakuza titles so I have a definitive feeling towards how the scripts are structured with the odd expletive here and there for some added emphasis, but this script feels as though they handed it a thirteen-year-old and really emphasized the aspect that it pertains to criminals as it is especially “try-hard”. Multiple instances of the word **** are liberally peppered throughout the script with retard thrown in for good measure. If you’ve any familiarity with these characters or world then you know how off-model this is for them. I got nothing against profanity, but it needs to be used properly and with some care or otherwise, it starts to sound less like believable, engaging dialogue and more akin to Timmy just learned about swearing and he thinks it’s just ****

    Pro-tip: Stick with Yakuza Kiwami for experiencing the first game of the series as this one doesn’t hold up much at all. Kiwami not only being superior in the gameplay department, but it added an additional story beats like the fall/rise of Nishikiyama which really gives much more depth to his character rather than coming off as more of a rival to Kazuma.    … Expand
  3. The_D4RknesS
    Jun 29, 2022
    2
    **** game and i still give it a 4 because the fights were fun but that's all because the rest of the game is just walking around the small map chat and watch cutscene, when I bought it in 2010 I thought this crap would be a beat em up. the graphics and map interaction was great
  4. hugoboy
    May 26, 2011
    10
    this game does not have a name or the packaging like god of war or devil may cry that easily acttracts gamers and so it's often overlooked. And who can blame us,i mean who really cares about yakuzas (i know i don't) but after a friend recommended it to me i finally got the game and i was so glad i did. The story in this game can only be found in a great movie or a best seller novel forthis game does not have a name or the packaging like god of war or devil may cry that easily acttracts gamers and so it's often overlooked. And who can blame us,i mean who really cares about yakuzas (i know i don't) but after a friend recommended it to me i finally got the game and i was so glad i did. The story in this game can only be found in a great movie or a best seller novel for it's that damn good.it involves love,betrayer,honour and even tragedy.after taking the fall for his best friend,our hero gets out of prison only to find out his girlfriend is missing,betaryed by bestfriend and yakuza world in chaos.he must protect a mysterious little who would lead him to the truth. With awesome characters,great combat system,free roaming gameplay and great looking cut scenes i must say yakuza is a master piece. A game for only hardcore gamers,casual gamers be warned… Expand
  5. SalarymanDaishi
    Dec 21, 2010
    7
    The camera is a bit wonky and the dub coupled with a westernized script is so full of F-bombs that the cool and collected yakuza sound more like foulmouthed, drunken suburban teens. Other than that, though, the game delivers an excellent story, memorable characters, and plenty of optional stuff to discover in a sandbox of Tokyo's seedier district.
  6. LegendaryBurger
    Apr 11, 2013
    10
    this game is freaking awesome its a spiritual successor to Shenmue and man did it surpass shenmue already amazing story and a unique gameplay for an open world game like this was just genius if sega ever plans to make Shenmue 3 then they should leave it in the hands of the people who made Yakuza 1-5
  7. DarkwingSchmuck
    Apr 2, 2022
    8
    Yakuza is a mix of Shenmue and Final Fight with a terrific narrative and a ton of fun side activities. While the game's battle system would be refined in sequels, it's a bit imbalanced in this game while boss fights are more tanky endurance matches than a fun challenge. Despite its flaws, Yakuza is still a very enjoyable game and a solid start for what would become a fantastic franchise.
  8. wesker2012
    May 27, 2012
    6
    this game was okay, combat wasnt that great, and story was so melodramatic, really wanted to like this one too.
  9. efebuluc
    Sep 16, 2006
    6
    Too much talking and cinematics, makes you yawn and say...enough allready!, let me play. and when the game lets you have control, you realize that you dont have much control over things after all. 10 years ago this game could have been amazing, but how can somebody play this if they own a copy of hitman or splinter cell or something like that?...arent we past these kind of rigid, linear, Too much talking and cinematics, makes you yawn and say...enough allready!, let me play. and when the game lets you have control, you realize that you dont have much control over things after all. 10 years ago this game could have been amazing, but how can somebody play this if they own a copy of hitman or splinter cell or something like that?...arent we past these kind of rigid, linear, story heavy, you can throw a guy but cant throw him out the window kind of games??? im gona put my foot down and say, guess what sega...you dont have rag doll physics, you dont have havoc engine, dont have bullet holes and blood on walls...good bye and good luck!… Expand
  10. Istike55
    Dec 12, 2015
    10
    Incredible game with incredible story. Nowhere near to 10 point but because of the "professional review" I increase the overall. I looking forward to play the next installments.
  11. MixedKing
    Oct 6, 2015
    8
    The start of a good series, the cut scenes were good as were the characters. I think I had the most fun playing this in any of the other games in the series.
  12. frederik1478
    Sep 6, 2021
    8
    A good stepping stone to a fantastic game series but you can feel that it's the first one, it's still holds of even if the Combat is very stiff and you are gonna hit the air more times then you like, and the English dub is good and hilarious, I would recommend that you start with this game if you want to play the franchise
  13. Lilahkiz
    Oct 15, 2017
    9
    Impressive game with a good story my only gripe is the combat its stiff
    well what else can i say oh it has a good amount of content for a ps2 game so its worth a while
  14. jugadorhardcore
    Feb 5, 2018
    10
    A masterpiece. The beginning of a legendary saga. To bad that it is so underrated in the Western public...
  15. EnsarO
    Jun 28, 2022
    10
    Ten Years In The Joint Made You A F*cking P*ssy
    Ten Years In The Joint Made You A F*cking P*ssy
    Ten Years In The Joint Made You A F*cking P*ssy
    Ten Years In The Joint Made You A F*cking P*ssy
    Ten Years In The Joint Made You A F*cking P*ssy
    Ten Years In The Joint Made You A F*cking P*ssy

    Overrated game
  16. LironesAlviento
    Aug 20, 2020
    8
    Quizas uno de los juegos de PS2 que a día de hoy (2020) me pongo a jugar y me sigue pareciendo entretenido, no es un GTA5, pero es muy divertido.
  17. FawazB.
    Jan 10, 2007
    9
    One of the coolest bash em up games I've played...but they should have added some more features to make it more like a true crime kind of game play. Would have been better.
  18. GioD
    Apr 10, 2008
    9
    Damn...talk about a TRUE underrated gem. Yakuza,from top to bottom, is just a fantastic game. The story is (in my opinion) 1 of the best ever in the history of videogames. Its LIITTERALY a phenominal crime/mafia novel in videogame form and its 1 (of the many) strongest things about the game. Main character Kazuma is a true badass who has a huge amount of honor and is insanely likeableDamn...talk about a TRUE underrated gem. Yakuza,from top to bottom, is just a fantastic game. The story is (in my opinion) 1 of the best ever in the history of videogames. Its LIITTERALY a phenominal crime/mafia novel in videogame form and its 1 (of the many) strongest things about the game. Main character Kazuma is a true badass who has a huge amount of honor and is insanely likeable because of it. He's just a great character all around. The city that you explore is so alive that it just completely took me by surprise. It really feels like a living, breathing place that exists. And theres TONS to do in it. Bored? Go to a strip club. Feeling down? Go to bars and get drunk. Need some "action"? Meet up with escorts and have a good time. Feel like spending some dough? Go to the gambling casino's and let the good times roll. The variety in the game is delieverd in spades. Yakuza also has a very solid and easy to learn fighting system. Every punch, kick, throw, etc is meet with satisfying bone crushing impact. The more you fight, the more expirence you gain, the more moves you learn. Voice acting is great all around, controls are very simple to learn, and the graphics are some of the very best on the PS2. The ONLY negative a can come up with is that it does have alot of loading. It just sucks that part 3 just got released in japan and we have yet to get part 2. Here's to hoping it may come state side. One of the very best games on PS2.… Expand
  19. Devin
    Oct 9, 2006
    10
    One of the best games I've played this year. If you like story driven games akin to RPG's but without all the micromanegment and the visceral fighting in action games Yakuza certainly delivers. Notwithstanding, the fighting gameplay and envirtonment are pretty basic, but their good enough to drive the game. The story is what really shines. It one of the few games that you One of the best games I've played this year. If you like story driven games akin to RPG's but without all the micromanegment and the visceral fighting in action games Yakuza certainly delivers. Notwithstanding, the fighting gameplay and envirtonment are pretty basic, but their good enough to drive the game. The story is what really shines. It one of the few games that you actually build an emotional attachment to the characters.… Expand
  20. SL
    Sep 13, 2006
    6
    Story is fine, although it feels a bit like Gungrave, but not as good. Sound is fine as well, except for the annoying looping town talk which loops every 5 seconds. The voice acting is poor as always when it comes to american voice actors. I do like Michael Madsen's voice though. They should properly educate their people how to prounounce Japanese names right, especially when a game Story is fine, although it feels a bit like Gungrave, but not as good. Sound is fine as well, except for the annoying looping town talk which loops every 5 seconds. The voice acting is poor as always when it comes to american voice actors. I do like Michael Madsen's voice though. They should properly educate their people how to prounounce Japanese names right, especially when a game like this is supposed to be Japan. Gameplay is horrible. I hate the camera switching and the way you manage to run with your character in the direct opposite direction of where you want to go, as soon as the camera switches. Fighting system is worthless as well. You have a 'On Target' kind of thing when you press R1, but it all comes down to: as soon as your opponent dodge your attacks, your character will be targeting nothing but air and have your back turned to your enemy. Camera angles during fights can be messy as well as you can't really control it, except to turn it "straight forward" of where your character are looking. But as soon as you walk forward a bit and come close to a wall, it will automatically go little by little to a side view and voila, there's no chance to see what's coming. You get to fight several mobs at a time too and it's when these sequences kick in that you'll notice how horrible it can be with the targeting system. You get ganged up and can't do jack about it except for taking a beat, back out and try again. The 'exp system' is fairly ok and they made the streets of Japan look really nice with all neon signs and people walking around. Unfortunately, people may pop up in one section but dissappear right when you enter the next. Loading times can be annoying during the switch between walking around in town and getting yourself into a fight. Overall, it is an OK game. Nothing out of the extraordinary but it has it's charm with a few nice characters and story.… Expand
  21. MaxT.
    Sep 29, 2006
    9
    Best game I've played in along time, fraction to easy.
  22. MachinelliO.
    Sep 7, 2006
    10
    I love this game! Good.
  23. GemmaB.
    Sep 8, 2006
    10
    An excellent game all around. good story cool guy and a cute little girl to pull on your heart strings but enough butt kicking action to keep you on your toes. Very enjoyable.
  24. AndrewL.
    Sep 14, 2007
    8
    This game has so much potential that was not utilized. The story and characters are great. There is entirely too much cursing and the beat downs you administer to others quickly get old. I like how when you get approched by a thug he says a curse word that can only be described as sounding like a chicken cluck. The game is plagued with bad camera angles that do not make the game This game has so much potential that was not utilized. The story and characters are great. There is entirely too much cursing and the beat downs you administer to others quickly get old. I like how when you get approched by a thug he says a curse word that can only be described as sounding like a chicken cluck. The game is plagued with bad camera angles that do not make the game unmanageble but do make it annoying. The weapons system is not unlike streets of rage in that you use a weapon so many times than it is disgarded, but I think the game could benefit from permanent weapons. Despite all the things I have said it is still a good game and is very enjoyable. It however just lacks the refinement required to make it a great game.… Expand
  25. J*OMack
    Sep 16, 2006
    6
    This game is an overall good game other than the bad storyline and the horrible voice overs. The game also gets very repetitive over and over when your walking down the streets and the game pauses and loads while your waiting to move on to the next part of the city, which takes way longer to get to places that anyone might have expected. The fighting can be difficult and repetitive.
  26. TIMOFEIKA
    Feb 12, 2023
    10
    English dub. That's it English dub. English dub? English dub! Too bad they didn't have the English dub in yakuza 2.
  27. DanielGG91
    Nov 14, 2022
    8
    Juego que no conocía y me encantó en su momento. Una especie de GTA pero en Japón, con una ambientación e historia super interesantes. Muy recomendado.

Awards & Rankings

43
#43 Best PS2 Game of 2006
22
#22 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2006
17
#17 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2006

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 58 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 37 out of 58
  2. Mixed: 19 out of 58
  3. Negative: 2 out of 58
  1. Deeko
    85
    I still enjoyed this game, for the character development and good storyline kept things interesting. I enjoyed the battles too, though they could have used some variety. It's almost too linear in its presentation, which makes it feel like 95 percent of the game falls under the "beat the hell out of thugs and go from point A to point B" scenario. [JPN Import]
    Read full review
  2. GameBrink
    94
    Unlike 99% of games, in Ryu Ga Gotoku you play as a guy who is pretty much the coolest, most badass, most likeable character in the world. He's the ultra strong guy with a heart of gold; the suave guy whom everyone wants to be friends with. So following Kazuma through his adventure tends to be extremely satisfying since he's such a great character. [JPN Import]
    Read full review
  3. Official Playstation 2 Magazine UK
    70
    No 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]
See all critic reviews »