The Yakuza series made its debut back in 2005 on the Playstation 2. Now, the neon-lit underworld of Japanese mafia, expensive suits and large back tattoos has made its way onto the PS3. Yakuza 3 has gathered enough momentum to finally make it across Japanese borders, but is this gang giant putting up a hefty fight, or should the feud be put to sleep?
In Yakuza 3, players fill the shoes of Kazuma Kiryu (the protagonist from the previous games), who has settled down from his previous head-bashing escapades and is running a orphanage in the seaside village of Okinawa. Kazuma is being threatened with eviction, as a Yakuza boss owns the land the orphanage is on. To make matters worse, Kazuma’s friend and another chairman of the Tojo clan is assassinated. Whether this is all linked, it is up to Kazuma to find out, and he’s ready to drop his newly acquired beachside manner, clench his fists and beat the hell out of everyone till he gets to the bottom of it. Besides all the usual clan warfare going on, Yakuza 3 houses a pretty emotional story of honor and family, and even the long cut scenes will keep players intrigued in the story.
Yakuza 3 plays out as its predecessors and acts as a third-person beat-em-up. There are elements of exploration and dialogue thrown into the mix, but on the whole, it’s all about smashing dudes faces into vending machines. The fighting itself is extremely fluid and there are a variety of grab moves available. There is a ‘heat’ mode which engages after a few hits, which allows players to execute finishing moves that involve the environment or objects in the fighting area.
Throughout the game, players will gain experience which gives the chance to upgrade certain abilities and moves. Players can gain new kicks, punches, grabs, special attacks, or just increase your health. This adds some depth to the fighting and gives that little reward for smacking around goons.
Besides letting the local gangs and street punks taste your shoe sole, there are an abundance of things to do, such as visiting the local ice-cream shop, or going gambling. The amount of detail and extras that feature in Yakuza 3 is extremely impressive and can even give Grand Theft Auto series a run for its money.
The Yakuza always look slick with their tailored suits and stylized hair, and Yakuza 3 is no different. The game looks very good, and although certain parts appear a little dated (the game did release in Japan last February), it still maintains that next-gen sparkle, with gorgeous CG cut scenes, stunning animations and colourful action.
Don’t be intimidated by Yakuza’s Japanese origins. You’ll easily jump into the story as the game features video recaps of the first two games. But more than a great story, Yakuza 3 holds an extremely rare feature. It’s reminiscent of the old side-scrolling beat-em-up’s of yesteryear, but also contains that next-gen appeal. If you don’t mind reading subtitles, listening to Japanese dialogue and absolutely love intense action, Yakuza 3 is just for you.
[starreviewmulti id=1 tpl=20]
