Really incredible end to the initial run of the Kiryu Kazama saga before the series transitioned into Like a Dragon, Yakuza 6: The Song of Life was almost everything I wanted after seven games with the Dragon of Dojima.
It's hard after so many of these reviews to really harp on my detractions with a Yakuza game or sing its praises because they tend to follow the same outcome. Story again was extremely well done, a pretty solid narrative that stretches Kiryu and company from his familiar Kamurocho to the new streets of Hiroshima. Where Song of Life departs from its predecessors is seeing Kiryu at his most emotionally unhinged, we see a man who truly loses all interest in his well being as long as he can save those he loves. I enjoyed seeing this side of him, not that I was bored with the impervious white knight who fought for the sake of good, but I did like seeing him depart from honor and ethics in the name of his daughter and friends.
Again the cast was great, as has been the case in quite literally every one of these titles. Familiar faces grace the game with their return (my favorite of which will always be Date... and Akiyama,) and new friends enter the mix (like Yuta and Nagumo.) Even though I really didn't like Hiroshima cast they, like in every Yakuza game, truly grew on me. RGG intentionally paints them as annoying and coniving run of the mill street gangsters but methodically opens them up to Kiryu as trusted friends and allies. A lot of this change relies on very important story spoilers so I will not divulge.
The voice acting/modelling had me in actual disbelief, firstly when I encountered the group JUSTIS which borrowed top talent from New Japan Pro Wrestling like Kazuchika okada, Tetsuya Naito, and Hiroshi Tanahashi. Now with how big of an IP like Yakuza has become, this shouldn't really be very surprising but I sat there with my mouth agape as Okada went through his motions as the "Rainmaker." Also starring in Yakuza 6 is legendary director/actor Beat Takeshi as well as actor Tetsuya Fujiwara (who is the main character in Battle Royale, one of my favorite films.) Fujiwara and Takeshi play characters quite integral to the plot, so it felt like a treat to see them perform so well.
Combat was again so/so, I honestly after seven of these games just resigned myself to playing on easy for the first time because I couldn't stomach any more annoying boss fights/encounters. In the end this was undoubtedly the correct decision as I felt like my time was much more respected than last titles... hah.
My points of detraction come from the initial slow crawl to a starting point this game had (in my opinion) which set up the story. I think other Yakuza games had been a little more effective in hooking me right away. I also wasn't a tremendous fan of the cast of antagonists. I love the reaction and conflict that Kiryu and his cohort embrace in combatting them, but I didn't care too much for their characters/motives. I also kinda thought the big twist in chapter twelve was a little... silly, which is a big part of it for me too.
Yakuza 6 has one of the series' best endings though, and for that I strongly recommend the reader to experience it for themself, as I am really glad I saw this initial series run through. I will be taking a break from RGG games until I play Judgment (playing some other titles in between,) and eventually Y7/Like a Dragon which I'm greatly looking forward to. I've been all aboard the Yakuza train and I dont' want to get off yet!
It's hard after so many of these reviews to really harp on my detractions with a Yakuza game or sing its praises because they tend to follow the same outcome. Story again was extremely well done, a pretty solid narrative that stretches Kiryu and company from his familiar Kamurocho to the new streets of Hiroshima. Where Song of Life departs from its predecessors is seeing Kiryu at his most emotionally unhinged, we see a man who truly loses all interest in his well being as long as he can save those he loves. I enjoyed seeing this side of him, not that I was bored with the impervious white knight who fought for the sake of good, but I did like seeing him depart from honor and ethics in the name of his daughter and friends.
Again the cast was great, as has been the case in quite literally every one of these titles. Familiar faces grace the game with their return (my favorite of which will always be Date... and Akiyama,) and new friends enter the mix (like Yuta and Nagumo.) Even though I really didn't like Hiroshima cast they, like in every Yakuza game, truly grew on me. RGG intentionally paints them as annoying and coniving run of the mill street gangsters but methodically opens them up to Kiryu as trusted friends and allies. A lot of this change relies on very important story spoilers so I will not divulge.
The voice acting/modelling had me in actual disbelief, firstly when I encountered the group JUSTIS which borrowed top talent from New Japan Pro Wrestling like Kazuchika okada, Tetsuya Naito, and Hiroshi Tanahashi. Now with how big of an IP like Yakuza has become, this shouldn't really be very surprising but I sat there with my mouth agape as Okada went through his motions as the "Rainmaker." Also starring in Yakuza 6 is legendary director/actor Beat Takeshi as well as actor Tetsuya Fujiwara (who is the main character in Battle Royale, one of my favorite films.) Fujiwara and Takeshi play characters quite integral to the plot, so it felt like a treat to see them perform so well.
Combat was again so/so, I honestly after seven of these games just resigned myself to playing on easy for the first time because I couldn't stomach any more annoying boss fights/encounters. In the end this was undoubtedly the correct decision as I felt like my time was much more respected than last titles... hah.
My points of detraction come from the initial slow crawl to a starting point this game had (in my opinion) which set up the story. I think other Yakuza games had been a little more effective in hooking me right away. I also wasn't a tremendous fan of the cast of antagonists. I love the reaction and conflict that Kiryu and his cohort embrace in combatting them, but I didn't care too much for their characters/motives. I also kinda thought the big twist in chapter twelve was a little... silly, which is a big part of it for me too.
Yakuza 6 has one of the series' best endings though, and for that I strongly recommend the reader to experience it for themself, as I am really glad I saw this initial series run through. I will be taking a break from RGG games until I play Judgment (playing some other titles in between,) and eventually Y7/Like a Dragon which I'm greatly looking forward to. I've been all aboard the Yakuza train and I dont' want to get off yet!
Nancyfly
1 year ago