First things first. If you haven't played this game yet you need to go in with a clean slate. What I have noticed prior to playing the game was that many gamers have many different ways of describing this gameplay experience to you. For example when I fired up the game I expected GTA: Tokyo. It is not.
The best way to put it is that Yakuza 3 is it's own game. This isn't an open world experience where you can start random fights, jack cars and mow down innocent onlookers. Not that this is a bad thing, but the world doesn't truly seem open to explore.
Invisible walls exist to prevent you from leaving parts of the city. In a sense this truly feels restricting. When games create boundaries I prefer they do so with some sort of sense. For example when GTA wants to prevent you from going into another area there are roadblocks. In other games there is water that the main character cannot swim through. In others there are cliffs that send you to your demise. In this day and age invisible walls don't cut it.
When we are walking through the city NPC's appear out of thin air and populate the area around you. There is a plus and minus to this. Obviously people spontaneously appearing is distracting and takes away from being truly immersed in the city. To me the plus side is the NPC's that do appear do tend to make certain areas crowded which gives the feeling of a populated city. As they walk around or loiter, dialogue boxes populate the screen showing a couple of words related to that NPC. If someone is bored or having trouble cooking in the kitchen you will know it.
Characters you can interact with are designated with a green arrow above their head. Sometimes this is just listening in to a conversation and other times you directly interact with them usually resulting in a side quest. To Yakuza's credit there are plenty of side quests you can partake in.
In games like GTA side quests are typically completely optional and for the most part don't feel distracting. In Yakuza 3 there is a feeling of distraction. I like that the main character (Kiryu Kazuma) is tied to an orphanage. It gives him a human side that gangster style games tend to lack. Some of the missions pertaining to the orphanage are quite touching as you deal with issues like bullying and how He deals with a child's missing money.
Unfortunately these missions lend an awkward break and slow the pacing of the story in a confusing manner. I understand that you have kids to deal with here and that you need to spend time with them but often times it feels that Kiryu could be spending his time better. Something that he himself comments on. Considering the gravity of the circumstances that are unfolding around him, it seems an odd choice to play ball on the beach, play hide and seek or chase a puppy through the streets.
In games you need to find a balance. A balance that Yakuza 3 doesn't achieve. As the fourth chairman should I really be buying a new t-shirt and sunglasses for a child at the orphanage so he can get a date? To me it just seems odd.
The fighting sequences are great but are somewhat limited. In one scenario I found myself putting a thug through a window which i thought put him out of commission. I was on to battling his friends. Evading attacks and landing a timely uppercut putting a lesser thug into lala land. Just then i see the first thug coming out of the shop I put him though with a bench.
I quick glanced at my health and new I had to act fast or lose this battle. On impulse I dashed into his direction applying a missile dropkick which pinned his head to the door frame which finished him off. "Truly this battle was brutal" I thought as the thug laid bloody on the ground.
When not playing the main story and wandering the streets the fights are random. You will get an eye for one of the standard character models standing on a corner waiting to approach you for a handful of reasons. One that appeared a lot was that He claims I bumped him damaging his cellphone. Other NPC's are just having a bad day and need to let off steam. A lot of these fights can be extremely short lived. I've destroyed thugs around the 30 second mark and then waited quite a while to engage in the next battle.
I struggle with this. I am the type of gamer that wants to break from the story and level up my character before proceeding so that I have an edge. This is possible but sometimes I wish it was I that engaged the battles so that they would occur more frequently. I've engaged in hundreds of battles and they never bore me. Something new always seems to happen. Perhaps I am picking up a bicycle to use as a weapon or curb stomping a thug into the ground. The split second decisions I make really add variety. I feel that the fighting section is awesome. Some of the special attacks seem especially brutal and there seems to be a good balance of variety in the way things play out.
One small complaint is that I wish Okinawa and Tokyo were linked together seamlessly and that I could utilize different modes of transportation to travel between the two. Walking to a set of stairs and triggering a loading screen doesn't do it for me. This might not seem like a negative to you. Just my opinion.
The graphics hold up well. The facial animations in cut scenes are great. From the gleam in a child's eye to anger and rage that Kanda displays is well done. The characters themselves are wonderfully diverse and Yakuza 3 succeeded at making villains that have a negative impact on me. When it was time to meet Kanda (I won't spoil) I was ready to beat the pulp out of him.
There are minigames. Pool, darts, golf, fishing and even karaoke. All well done and each feel like a truly unique experience and not an afterthought that was tacked on. Want to compare? Look at the pool aspects of GTA IV vs Yakuza 3.
In Yakuza 3 playing billiards seems like a separate game altogether. One that i feel is well done.
In summary this is a great game. Not exceptional but great. As a new PS3 owner I was looking for a console exclusive. I got it and overall I am not disappointed. I'll be honest, the first couple of hours were tough for me as the dialogue can slow down the pace and that fights weren't all that frequent. I need to remember this game is an Action-RPG. It is story heavy and dialogue driven.
For what it provides, it does an exceptional job of. At first i was skeptical. After playing for quite some time I was already wondering what improvements Yakuza 4 made. Though I may come across a bit critical I want first time players to know what they are getting into. I want them to be prepared once they get behind the wheel. Then after that it's all about enjoying the ride that this game provides.
Between the side missions, mini games and story expect to amass plenty of hours playing this game. It's not absolutely perfect but it doesn't need to be. The issues I take with the game are subjective and none of them are game breaking. From leveling up through fights & side quests to just taking in the experience of exploring the Japanese culture provided this truly will be a great experience for gamers. A must play for any PS3 owner. At the reduced price there is no reason not to acquire it.
GF365: "For a story to be compelling and engaging, a great villain is mandatory in most cases – be it a novel, movie, or video game. Of course, there’s a multitude of wonderful, brilliantly written villains in video games. Do keep in mind that this is our opinion. So, here’s our list of the best villains in video games, ranked in no particular order. We’re limiting our list to games since 2005."
Handsome Jack Borderlands 2
Andrew Ryan Bioshock
Vaas Montenegro far cry 3
Glados portal 2
My internet connection
No List of good Villains in Video Games is complete without Handsome Jack and Geese Howard. In other words..this list is bs.
When Yakuza 3 was brought West for the PlayStation 3 back in 2010, SEGA infamously cut a sizeable amount of side content from the game. This content, which was available in the Japanese version of the release, was removed because SEGA basically didn't think it would gel with Western audiences -- or at least, that was the publisher's explanation. The cut content included over 20 side quests, several minigames, and a whole hostess club management system.
Fortunately, that cut content is now restored in the Western release of Yakuza 3 Remastered, which just hit PlayStation 4 digitally.
There are certain recurring themes people can expect from video games intended to build ambiance, especially in RPGs. No sooner do you enter a new area or attend a new academy, then someone lets slip there are seven unsolved mysteries to discover. Inevitably, the main story or an extended series of sidequests sends you looking after each one. However, people may not realize exactly how extensive this story element is and why it is such a valuable inclusion in games.
As a Yakuza fan, I thought the orphanage sections were pretty great in making Kazzy a much more likeable character than before. Plus they were pretty entertaining and hilarious on some parts.
By the way, you won't be disappointed in Y4. It improves on the series in every way possible.
Great review, you explained the game very well. I think you did a better explaination of the pacing and environments than me.
Once you learn the counter moves, you become unstoppable once you know how to time and execute them.
I dont think anyone who played the previous 3 yakuza were expecting GTA tokyo :/
its nothing at all like GTA so i dont understand why you keep comparing the 2