Yakuza: Dead Souls is a non-canonical entry to the Yakuza series that takes place one year after Yakuza 4 and presents the following scenario: what if Kamurocho was hit by a zombie infestation? It's a pretty fun and absurd twist on the crime-drama franchise. It's also famous for having very nearly killed the series's popularity in the West.
I didn't know much about the game going into it, only that it was legendary for its badness and sort of a meme within the small part of the fanbase that did play it. I had bought it years before, for less than $5, in some Black Friday sale, before I even got into the Yakuza franchise. Before people could ever warn me about it.
And I'm actually kinda glad that happened, because I might not have played it otherwise. Is it that good, you might ask? Absolutely not!
Dead Souls plays like someone saw Resident Evil 4 and Dead Rising, decided that they wanted to make one of those, but then released the beta version by accident. Although, I'm not even sure what the finished product would look like, as the game is amazingly janky, and feels dated next to games released five years before it. It's no wonder gamers in the West received it so poorly.
Yet somewhere in this jank, I found something captivating. Maybe it's because of how stale the industry, and especially shooters, have gotten nowadays, but there's an arcade-y quality to Dead Souls that entranced me from the start. It is unapologetically a game about pressing R1 and seeing zombie heads pop, without much regard for precision, weight, or insights on human nature, and I love it.
The guns in the game also reflect this philosophy. Many of them are really silly, and most don't feel or behave realistically at all, having ridiculous stopping power and capacity, among other features. There's a ridiculously powerful sniper rifle, a satellite laser... and a fan-favorite character now walks around with a gatling gun for an arm.
Speaking of which, the plot is equally goofy, marrying the absurdity of zombie B-movies with the high-stakes drama of the Yakuza series. I mean, Kiryu enters the story and decides he's going to punch the zombies down, an incredibly bold move that's still in-character. The game won't overstay its welcome, either: a full casual playthrough of the game is just over ten hours, fast enough to finish in a single day.
And I really recommend you do that if you're a fan of the series who played at least up to Yakuza 4. The story fits just in with the rest of the series, and if anything, the janky mechanics help break the sameyness of the gameplay that builds up to that point. Just have low expectations, and play on Normal.
I didn't know much about the game going into it, only that it was legendary for its badness and sort of a meme within the small part of the fanbase that did play it. I had bought it years before, for less than $5, in some Black Friday sale, before I even got into the Yakuza franchise. Before people could ever warn me about it.
And I'm actually kinda glad that happened, because I might not have played it otherwise. Is it that good, you might ask? Absolutely not!
Dead Souls plays like someone saw Resident Evil 4 and Dead Rising, decided that they wanted to make one of those, but then released the beta version by accident. Although, I'm not even sure what the finished product would look like, as the game is amazingly janky, and feels dated next to games released five years before it. It's no wonder gamers in the West received it so poorly.
Yet somewhere in this jank, I found something captivating. Maybe it's because of how stale the industry, and especially shooters, have gotten nowadays, but there's an arcade-y quality to Dead Souls that entranced me from the start. It is unapologetically a game about pressing R1 and seeing zombie heads pop, without much regard for precision, weight, or insights on human nature, and I love it.
The guns in the game also reflect this philosophy. Many of them are really silly, and most don't feel or behave realistically at all, having ridiculous stopping power and capacity, among other features. There's a ridiculously powerful sniper rifle, a satellite laser... and a fan-favorite character now walks around with a gatling gun for an arm.
Speaking of which, the plot is equally goofy, marrying the absurdity of zombie B-movies with the high-stakes drama of the Yakuza series. I mean, Kiryu enters the story and decides he's going to punch the zombies down, an incredibly bold move that's still in-character. The game won't overstay its welcome, either: a full casual playthrough of the game is just over ten hours, fast enough to finish in a single day.
And I really recommend you do that if you're a fan of the series who played at least up to Yakuza 4. The story fits just in with the rest of the series, and if anything, the janky mechanics help break the sameyness of the gameplay that builds up to that point. Just have low expectations, and play on Normal.