Yakuza: Dead Souls

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Yakuza: Dead Souls
Yakuza-dead-souls-ps3-cover-1.jpg
Developer(s)Sega CS1 R&D
Publisher(s)Sega
Director(s)Kazuki Hosokawa
Producer(s)Yasuhito Baba
Designer(s)Riichirō Yamada
Artist(s)Saizo Nagai
Writer(s)Tsuyoshi Furuta
Composer(s)Mitsuharu Fukuyama
SeriesYakuza
Platform(s)PlayStation 3
Release
  • JP: June 9, 2011[1]
  • NA: March 13, 2012
  • EU: March 16, 2012
Genre(s)Action-adventure, survival horror
Mode(s)Single-player

Yakuza: Dead Souls (Japanese: 龍が如く OF THE END (オブ ジ エンド), Hepburn: Ryū ga Gotoku OF THE END, "Like a Dragon of the End")[2] is an action-adventure survival horror video game, developed and published by Sega for the PlayStation 3. The game is the sixth installment in the Yakuza series.[3] The game was originally scheduled for release in Japan on March 17, 2011 two days after the release of Yakuza 4 in North America; however, after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, the release was indefinitely delayed. A new release date, setting the game's release for June 9, was announced on April 7.[1] The game was also released in North America and Europe by Sega in March 2012.[4]

Plot[]

Synopsis and Characters[]

Dead Souls is a non-canonical side story set during April 2011, one year after the events of Yakuza 4.[5] A sudden outbreak causes the residents of Kamurocho to become zombies, who can bite victims to continue spreading the plague. Kamurocho is slowly quarantined as the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force is called in to contain the infection. In the wake of the outbreak, four men take charge to help the people of Kamurocho and find the source of the disease: Shun Akiyama, a local loan shark attempting to rescue his sick receptionist Hana; Goro Majima, a feared yakuza and construction company owner trying to stave off his own infection; Ryuji Goda, a takoyaki chef and disgraced former yakuza whose clan has ties to the outbreak's origins (and who in this game, unlike the main series, has survived his wounds at the end of Yakuza 2); and Kazuma Kiryu, an orphanage caretaker and legendary former yakuza forced to return when his adopted daughter Haruka is kidnapped.[6] These are the four playable characters of the game; the game is played in four parts, each with a certain character to play as and four chapters, in addition to a seventeenth chapter played with Kiryu.

Summary[]

The story begins in Okinawa when Kazuma Kiryu receive a phone call from a mysterious caller who claimed has kidnapped Haruka. The caller demands Kiryu come to Kamurocho if he wants to meet Haruka again. Days earlier in Kamurocho, Shun Akiyama and his assistant Hana stumble upon a zombified figure attacking the yakuza of the Tojo Clan. With the assistance of Tojo Clan yakuza Tomoaki Nagahama, Akiyama is able to keep him and Hana safe. Later, Hana falls ill while Sky Finance (their office) is overrun, so Akiyama moves her to the New Serena bar. While looking for medicine for Hana, Akiyama witness numerous massive barricades planted all over Kamurocho by the Japanese Self-Defense Force (SDF) in order to contain the outbreak. After getting the medicine for Hana and going his separate ways from Nagahama, Akiyama returns to find Hana gone from the now-overrun New Serena. He gets a message from her that she moved to an abandoned hotel; Akiyama rushes there, and saves her from the highly powerful super mutant known as "Prototype". Akiyama manages to kill it, and discovers that the prototype was manufactured by someone and it may be related to the zombie's outbreak in Kamurocho.

Meanwhile, Goro Majima's headquarters are attacked by the zombies, but a combat-enthusiastic Majima easily dispatches them. Majima heads to Kamurocho Hills to help protect surviving citizens and the remaining Tojo Clan officers. With the help from Tojo Clan chairman Daigo Dojima, Majima is able to help relocate the survivors, but is bitten by a zombie in the process. At Purgatory, legendary information dealer the Florist informs Daigo and Majima that the Omi Alliance might be responsible for Kamurocho's outbreak, as the initial attack was against the Tojo Clan, and expelled member Ryuji Goda and his former top officer Tetsuo Nikaido were in Kamurocho before the outbreak started. Akiyama and Majima go to the batting centre where they meet Nikaido and an unknown accomplice of his, who admit to being behind the outbreak; Nikaido declares that he wants to avenge Ryuji's defeat at the hands of Kiryu and the Tojo Clan, despite Ryuji's disapproval. Nikaido then summons another prototype mutant, but thanks to the help of the suddenly arriving Ryuji, they are saved.

Flashback reveals that after Ryuji's expulsion from Omi Alliance, he started a new life working at a takoyaki stand, under the mentorship of a veteran takoyaki chef whom Ryuji calls "Pops". Nikaido urged him to return to the alliance, but Ryuji refused and insisted that he didn't seek revenge as it was his own fault he lost to Kiryu. In the present, Ryuji goes to a night club to confront Nikaido; when Ryuji refuses to take part in his vendetta against Kiryu, Nikaido releases another prototype which is the zombified form of Pops. To Ryuji's sadness, he is forced to kill Pops out of mercy and swears revenge on Nikaido.

Kiryu arrives in Kamurocho and meets an SDF operative, Misuzu Asagi. Kiryu attempts to defeat the now-zombified Nagahama non-lethally, but fails and is forced to put him to rest with a gunshot, causing him to accept using lethal force (something he otherwise detests using) against the zombies here on in. Asagi and Kiryu head to Kamurocho Hills to save the former's comrades, but they've already been zombified by the mutant which attacked the yakuza at the beginning of the game: Hiroshi Hayashi, former rival to Kiryu and ex-Omi Alliance officer. After killing the zombified soldiers, Kiryu and Asagi meet with Majima, who told them that all of survivors are taking refuge in Purgatory. Majima then leaves them both, not wanting to risk attacking them if he turns, and seeks a way to cure his infection.

The Florist and Akiyama inform Kiryu that Nikaido's accomplice is an arms dealer named "DD", who started the outbreak with "Thanatos", a bioweapon DD created that turns its host into a zombie. Kiryu and Ryuji storm the Millennium Tower in a bid to save Haruka and defeat Nikaido. Along the way, they defeat Hayashi, who dies revealing that he was the first zombie - he was made into a mutant after refusing Nikaido and DD's plan to destroy the Tojo Clan behind the Omi Alliance's back. They fight through Nikaido and DD's remaining prototypes and witness DD betray Nikaido by turning him into a mutant with Thanatos. Kiryu and Ryuji defeat a mutated Nikaido, but he mutates again into a towering beast; after Kiryu defeats him a final time with the help of Asagi, DD tries to escape in a helicopter, but it turns out to be piloted by Akiyama. DD's escape foiled, he is attacked and kill by the zombies on the ground that he created.

By the next morning, the SDF has eliminated the remaining zombies and ended the outbreak. Majima is revealed to have survived, as the zombie that bit him had dentures and was actually toothless, and the fever he got was actually from pollen allergy. During the credits, the main characters are shown to have returned to their lives; Akiyama and Hana return to collecting debts, Majima continues to supervise and lead the renovation of Kamurocho Hills, Ryuji now runs the takoyaki stand on his own in Pops' place, and Kiryu and Haruka return to Okinawa after Asagi and the SDF salute them for saving Kamurocho. In the post-credit scene, the police and SDF hold a seeming zombie at gunpoint for a tense moment, before he is revealed to simply be a drunken man.

Development and release[]

Promotional image of the game, showing Kamurocho in ruins

The game was first announced in June 2010, during an interview with series producer Toshihiro Nagoshi in Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu, during which he mentioned that a new Ryū ga Gotoku game was in development and that it would star Goro Majima.[7] Majima, as well as the new project, was officially confirmed on July 1, on the official website.[8]

In August 2010, a two-page advertisement appeared in Famitsu, showing Kamurocho in ruins, with the words "The End" over the image.[3] The name of the game was officially announced in a September issue of Famitsu[2] and confirmed on the game's official site on September 9.[9] Video footage of the game was shown for the first time at the Tokyo Game Show 2010, showing footage of minigames such as darts, fishing, batting and karaoke. It also showed scenes of the town being overrun by zombies and destroyed by a large, black monster and many small creatures. Footage afterwards on the Ryu-Stream channel showed the cabaret girls' actors "shooting" a zombie actor with guns.

Promotional advertisement of Dead Souls, styled with its original Japanese title, at a Don Quixote outlet in Kabukichō.

A series of announcements were then made on the main site, beginning in late July and continuing throughout August, with all four main characters being revealed one by one. Kazuma Kiryu was the first to be confirmed after Majima, on July 21.[10] Shun Akiyama was then announced on August 4,[11] and Ryuji Goda was then revealed in the final announcement on August 18.[12] Following each character's confirmation, a large poster of him was erected across the east exits of the Shinjuku branch of Don Quijote, a shop that features in the game itself as a tie-in, and was replaced by the next character when he was announced.

Tie-ins[]

A recurring theme in the series is tie-ins, in which real-life businesses, restaurant chains or products are promoted prior to the game's release and within the game itself. A range of awamori drinks by Okinawa's Seifuku Distillery were licensed.[13] A range of goods, including bracelets and T-shirts, was sold at Don Quijote, a store chain which has been featured in every game except Kenzan! so far.[14] Also sold at Don Quijote was a themed energy drink called "Energy Dragon".[15]

Another returning tie-in was a promotion with 777town, in which a Kazuma Kiryu avatar was available for use with the 777town website, and Volcano, a pachinko centre sponsored by the website, was included within the game.[16] A collaboration with a hat brand, Override, was shown in-game; the hat was also available for purchase from Override's website.[17] A men's fragrance, "Black Dragon", was designed by producer Toshihiro Nagoshi, and appears both in-game and at retailers such as Don Quijote.[18]

Another promotion with Kai Razor included a Ryū ga Gotoku strap and razor case, and protagonist Kazuma Kiryu is shown shaving with one of their razors in an in-game cutscene.[19] Another Kai Razor campaign featured bracelets designed by Nagoshi, Takaya Kuroda, Hidenari Ugaki, and the hostess' performers, as well as a nail clipper.[20]

Karaoke Kan, a karaoke venue featured in the game since Yakuza 3, was included in another promotion. The first 200 customers to visit the special series rooms were awarded one of the three tie-in prizes (80 of each of the T-shirt and Kai Razor prizes were available, while 40 bottles of Black Dragon were given away), and an alternative "Karaoke Kan Version" of the game's commercial was played there, featuring Jun Komori, a model who appears as a masseuse in the game.[21]

The game's characters, and a Kamuro-cho gate outfit, are available in the PSP game Taiko no Tatsujin Portable DX, which features "Machinegun Kiss", a karaoke song from the Yakuza series.

Limited edition[]

In the aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, the game's packaging was changed to a "Ganbarō, Nippon!" version with Kiryu and Haruka on the cover; the first pressing included a set of stickers featuring the two. Also included with early preorders was a soundtrack CD, part of the series' recurring Kamutai preorder bonus series.

Special items[]

Like its PS3 predecessors, some special items are available in the game if a save file from another game in the series is detected. If Yakuza 3 save data is present, players receive the Sunshine Belly Warmer, while Ryū ga Gotoku Kenzan! save data grants the Gion Bell (祇園の鈴 (Gion no Suzu)) and Yakuza 4 data awards the Sugar Daddy Amulet (札束のお守). In the western release, players with a Yakuza 3 save receive both the Sunshine Belly Warmer and the Gion Bell, due to Kenzan! not receiving an English-language release.

Reception[]

The game received overall average reviews, with most criticism focused on its combat system, and praise focused on the story. The game is assigned a 64/100 on Metacritic, classified as mixed or average reviews as the most common reviews of the game.[22]

PlayStation LifeStyle's Heath Hindman called the game "OK for what it is" in his review, praising the story and boss fights, but didn't like the dwarfed exploration and how dull the combat became as the game went on, saying, "Yakuza: Dead Souls isn’t going to bring in any new blood to the Yakuza series, but for its existing fans, it provides an interesting story and gameplay elements that haven’t been explored previously. Combat against the common zombies gets old fast, but there are some great boss battles to balance it out. As a huge Yakuza fan myself, I somewhat enjoyed the game, but wish there would have been a little better pacing and more chances to explore."[23]

Sales[]

The game sold 309,058 copies in its first week of release in Japan.[24][25]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "『龍が如く OF THE END』 発売日2011年6月9日に決定！" (in Japanese). Retrieved April 7, 2011.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Anoop Gantayat (September 9, 2010). "New Yakuza Game Gets a Name". Andriasang. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Anoop Gantayat (August 25, 2010). "Is this the end of Yakuza?". Andriasang. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
  4. ^ "The Cross and The Controller". Retrieved October 5, 2011.
  5. ^ http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2010/09/15/flying_get/
  6. ^ "Official site" (in Japanese). Retrieved September 16, 2010.
  7. ^ Anoop Gantayat (June 30, 2010). "New Yakuza Game in Development for PS3". Andriasang. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
  8. ^ "龍が如く 新プロジェクト始動！ (Ryū ga Gotoku New Project begins!)" (in Japanese). Ryū ga Gotoku team. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
  9. ^ "『龍が如く』最新作 正式タイトル決定！ ("Ryū ga Gotoku" New Work's final title confirmed!)" (in Japanese). Sega. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
  10. ^ "龍が如く次回作 新たな主人公公開！！！ (Ryū ga Gotoku Next Work - new protagonist announced!)" (in Japanese). Ryū ga Gotoku team. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
  11. ^ "龍が如く次回作 3人目の主人公を発表！！ (Ryū ga Gotoku Next Project's 3rd protagonist is announced!!)" (in Japanese). Ryū ga Gotoku team. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
  12. ^ "4人目の主人公 「郷田龍司」 発表！ (4th protagonist Ryuji Goda announced!)" (in Japanese). Ryū ga Gotoku team. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
  13. ^ "Get Shitfaced with This Game Schwag". Kotaku. 2011-05-31.
  14. ^ ドン・キホーテにて「龍が如く関連グッズ」販売開始！ (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2011-06-09. Retrieved 2011-06-09.
  15. ^ "すべての男達に贈る『龍が如く』オリジナルドリンク「龍が如く エナジードラゴン」発売決定！" (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2011-06-09. Retrieved 2011-06-09.
  16. ^ "『龍が如く OF THE END』ｘ「７７７タウン・ｎｅｔ」桐生一馬アバターが登場！" (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2011-06-09. Retrieved 2011-06-09.
  17. ^ "ゲーム内のゾンビも被る「ORｘMT Cap」が発売決定！" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2011-06-09.
  18. ^ "男性用香水「ブラックドラゴン」３月１９日発売決定！" (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2011-06-09. Retrieved 2011-06-09.
  19. ^ "『龍が如く OF THE END』発売記念「KAI５ホルダー龍が如くセット」発売！" (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2011-06-09. Retrieved 2011-06-09.
  20. ^ 「男を磨くプレゼントキャンペーン」第４弾！ (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2011-06-09. Retrieved 2011-06-09.
  21. ^ "「２大プレゼントキャンペーン」開催決定！" (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2011-06-09. Retrieved 2011-06-09.
  22. ^ Jump up to: a b "Yakuza: Dead Souls for PlayStation 3 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2019-07-04.
  23. ^ "PS3 Review - Yakuza Dead Souls". 2011-10-31. Retrieved 2011-11-01.
  24. ^ "Zombie Yakuza Tops the Charts". 2011-06-16. Retrieved 2011-06-15.
  25. ^ "コンシューマソフト週間販売ランキングTop20" (in Japanese). 2011-06-15.

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