I just wish that Sega would evolve the game more, rather than drip feed new ideas.In 2005, a legend was born on the PlayStation 2 – the legend of Kazuma Kiryu, the Dragon of Dojima, in his video game debut with Yakuza. So, if you’ve played that, there’s little in the way of surprises here.įans of the series will, of course, love every moment of Yakuza 4, and with its multiple protagonists, great story and plethora of diversions, it’s no surprise.

Kamurocho is an interesting venue, but it remains almost identical to the last game. Maybe if the developers spent more time on the core game, with less time on frivolous diversions, things could change for the better, and more new locations would be welcome too. The series is becoming more than a little stale, and Sega really needs to think about opening it up a little, perhaps into a title much closer to GTA than the limited sandbox world it currently features. There’s very little here to separate the game from the third outing, and whilst the game’s story is engrossing and more enjoyable than its predecessor, and the visuals are far better, you can’t shake the sense of déjà vu. This is welcome, but sadly, is a little poorly implemented, with a terrible camera that often points you in the wrong direction, particularly after you escape from a captor, and a shonky control system that makes tight turns difficult. The chase scenes also remain much the same, with the addition of sequences where you’re the one being chased and have to get away from your pursuers. But at the same time, it’s an aging system that really needs an overhaul if its to stay entertaining. The core of it remains the same as the previous game, which is no bad thing, per se, as the combat is still fast and fluid, with some mean environmental takedowns. The combat engine has received little in the way of improvements this time, aside from a slightly adjusted character progression system and the additional moves and tactics that come from playing as four characters. Thanks to this hefty plot, the game is heavily story-focused, and you’ll be quickly moved from one plot point to the next, with the usual range of fights and chases breaking up the many cut scenes.

The cut scene direction is spot on and the improved visuals in this outing (which are far more impressive than Yakuza 3) really hit home.

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