Review: Yakuza 4

Playing as the legendary Kazuma Kiryu, the loan shark Akiyama, escaped convict Saejima or detective Tanimura, players will need to survive the dangers and temptations of the Japanese underworld.

Release Date: March 15, 2011
Exclusively on: PS3
M for Mature: Blood, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence
Genre: Action 
Publisher: SEGA
Developer: SEGA

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Gameplay:
The available mini-games are pachinko, fishing, onsen bath, table tennis, hanafuda and karaoke (now including duets with certain NPCs). "Haruka's Wish" also appears in the game, in which the player must perform actions to raise Haruka's trust level.
Each main character also has his own "side-game" or goal that must be completed to earn 100% completion, most of which are related to a trophy.

Akiyama may create a "Friendship" (Najimi?) with certain NPC characters by buying them items, or certain shop owners by being a regular customer. These characters will then help out at the start of battles that start nearby, by throwing an item to use as a weapon. Befriending the man at Asia enables the player to pick the kind of girl they want to see dance.

Akiyama's other mission, "Create a No. 1 Hostess!" (No.1 Kyabajō o Tsukurō!?), is to scout girls for the cabaret club he owns - Elise, opposite the Millennium Tower - and, through dressing them up and training them, turn them into the No. 1 girl at the club. There are three girls to train, and after they become number one the player can choose a final outfit before them, after which they appear as a regular cabaret girl at Elise. A similar challenge was in the Japanese version of Yakuza 3, but was cut from the subsequent overseas releases.

Saejima's mission, "Create a Fighter!" (Kakutōka o Tsukurō!?) is to train fighters to compete in, and win, tournaments, within 50 rounds of training. Training involves building up training move-sets, with different actions having different effects. This game can be found at the dojo next to the Children's Park.

Tanimura's mission, "Resolving Police Radio Disputes" (Keisatsu Musen Toraburu Kaiketsu Batoru?), is to keep the peace on the streets of Kamurocho; occasionally a report will come through on his radio telling him where to find the incident. The player must then defeat the perpetrator. Each unique case must be completed to "clear" the task.

In Kiryu's mission, "Team Encounter Battle", various gangs from around town will attack Kiryu, who will have to fight members of the team in order to get to their leader. There are seven teams to defeat.

Each new character has his own style of fighting and special moves. The game engine features an enhanced Chase Battle and it is now possible to use items as weapons during the chase sequence. The player no longer needs to hold down the R2 button to sprint as the character will now automatically run at full speed.

Final Thoughts:
Yakuza 4 has some fun gameplay, cool moments and tons to do. However, it also has a really dated vibe and a cumbersome story. For me, the weak tale and repetition in actions and leveling drag.

Rating: 3.0 = Fair
Recommendation: Least Buy