Yakuza 4

Yakuza 4
Developer(s)	Sega CS1 R&D[a]
Publisher(s)	Sega
Director(s)	Jun Orihara
Producer(s)	Masayoshi Kikuchi
Programmer(s)	Koji Tokieda
Artist(s)	Kazuki Hosokawa
Writer(s)	Masayoshi Yokoyama
Composer(s)	Hidenori Shoji
Series	Yakuza
Platform(s)	PlayStation 3 PlayStation 4 Microsoft Windows Xbox One
Release	PlayStation 3 JP: March 18, 2010 NA: March 15, 2011 EU: March 18, 2011 PlayStation 4 JP: January 17, 2019 WW: October 29, 2019 Windows, Xbox One WW: January 28, 2021
Genre(s)	Action-adventure
Mode(s)	Single-player

Yakuza 4 (Japanese: 龍が如く4 伝説を継ぐもの, Hepburn: Ryū ga Gotoku 4: Densetsu wo Tsugumono, "Like A Dragon 4: The Successor to the Legend") is a video game developed and released by Sega for the PlayStation 3.^[1] The game was introduced on July 24, 2009.^[2] A promotional video was presented at the 2009 Tokyo Game Show,^[3] The sequel to Yakuza 3, it was released on March 18, 2010 in Japan after a playable demo was released on the Japanese PlayStation Store on March 5.^[4] Yakuza 4 was released in Europe and North America in March 2011.^[5][6] A sequel, Yakuza 5 was released in 2012.

A remaster was released on the PlayStation 4 on January 17, 2019 in Japan, and worldwide on October 29, 2019 as part of The Yakuza Remastered Collection.^[7] Versions for Microsoft Windows and Xbox One were released in January 2021.^[8][9] Because Hiroki Narimiya retired from acting due to allegations of drug use, the role of Tanimura was recast with Toshiki Masuda taking over.^[7]

Gameplay[]

The available mini-games are pachinko, fishing, onsen, massage, table tennis, hanafuda and karaoke, including duets with non-player characters (NPCs). In Haruka's Wish, the player must raise Haruka's trust level. Each main character has a side game or goal which must be completed, and many side games are related to trophies.

Akiyama may create friendship (馴染み, Najimi) with some NPCs by buying them items, or with some storekeepers by being a regular customer. His other mission, Create a #1 Hostess! (No.1キャバ嬢をつくろう！, No.1 Kyabajō o Tsukurō!), is to scout girls for the cabaret he owns. A girl is improved by dressing her up and training her. After she becomes number one, the player can choose a final outfit for her and she will appear at the cabaret. A similar challenge in the Japanese version of Yakuza 3 was cut from overseas versions and was reintroduced for its remastered edition.

Saejima's mission, Create a Fighter! (格闘家をつくろう！, Kakutōka o Tsukurō!) is to train fighters to win tournaments after 50 rounds or less of training (building up movesets). Different movesets allow different moves to be performed.

Tanimura's mission, Resolving Police-Radio Disputes (警察無線トラブル解決バトル, Keisatsu Musen Toraburu Kaiketsu Batoru), is to keep the peace on the streets of Kamurocho. Radio reports tell him where to find incidents, and the player must defeat the perpetrator. In Kiryu's mission, Team Encounter Battle (チームエンカウントバトル), seven gangs attack him and he must fight to reach each gang leader.

Each character has his own style of fighting and special moves as their body frames are different.^[10] Kiryu focuses on the powerful blows of Karate and Boxing, Akiyama prefers swift attacks using Taekwondo, Saejima favors powerful and slow brawling/grappling attacks using wrestling techniques, and Tanimura uses the defensive maneuvers of Aikido and Jiu Jitsu that he learned from his time at the police academy.

Story[]

Setting[]

Yakuza 4 takes place one year after the events of Yakuza 3. Like the original game, most of the action takes place in Kamurocho (resembling Shinjuku's red-light district, Kabukichō). Three locations have been added since Yakuza 3: a rooftop area stretching across a large portion of the town, the back streets of Kamurocho (known as Rojiura (路地裏)) and a third area known as the underground (or "chika" (地下), which includes the city's sewers, parking lot and shopping arcades). The underground area is also known as Kamuchika (カムチカ), short for Kamuro Chika (Kamuro underground).^[11]

Characters[]

Yakuza 4 has three new protagonists in addition to Kazuma Kiryu, the main character since the original Yakuza game: Masayoshi Tanimura (Hiroki Narimiya/Toshiki Masuda), Shun Akiyama (Kōichi Yamadera) and Taiga Saejima (Rikiya Koyama). Other new characters include Junji Sugiuchi (Kenichi Endō), a Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department detective; Hiroaki Arai (Ikki Sawamura), a Tojo Clan yakuza; Seishirō Munakata (Kinya Kitaoji), a high-ranking police officer and a woman, Lily (Maju Ozawa). Returning characters are Haruka Sawamura, Goro Majima, Makoto Date, Daigo Dojima and Goh Hamazaki.

Plot[]

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Loan shark Shun Akiyama learns that members of the Ueno Seiwa Clan, an organization involved in a power-struggle with the Tojo Clan in 1985, are causing a disturbance. Akiyama beats them up as Hiroaki Arai and his friend Takeshi Kido arrive. One of the men, Masaru Ihara, shoots Arai, misses, and flees. Arai pursues him. Akiyama returns to his office and finds Arai next to Ihara's body, having killed him. Arai flees, and Akiyama is arrested for the murder. His secretary gets him released, but the arresting officer, Junji Sugiuchi, warns Akiyama to avoid the yakuza. Akiyama reveals to Kido that he used money from the Millennium Tower explosion to start his firm. A woman named Lily requests a loan of ¥100 million. Akiyama learns that people involved with Lily are being murdered, and when he confronts her, she takes the loan and flees. Akiyama eventually meets Goro Majima, who reveals that he is looking for Lily to protect her.

In 1985, Majima and his blood brother, Taiga Saejima, prepare to assassinate the chairman of the Ueno Seiwa. Saejima is forced to perform the hit alone, killing eighteen men, though the chairman survives. Saejima is arrested and sentenced to death. In the present, with his execution approaching, Saejima is transferred to a prison off the coast. He meets former patriarch Goh Hamazaki, imprisoned for attempting to murder Kiryu, who reveals that Saejima was set up. They escape, and Hamazaki seemingly sacrifices himself to save Saejima from the prison's chief, Saito. Saejima washes up to shore and meets Kiryu and Haruka. Saejima tracks down and fights Majima, who reveals that he was intercepted on the day of the hit.

Detective Masayoshi Tanimura investigates Ihara's murder. He finds Lily, who is Saejima's sister Yasuko, and rescues her from the Shibata family. He learns that patriarch Kazuo Shibata is working with Arai and organized the 1985 hit with help from Isao Katsuragi. Arai shoots Shibata under Katsuragi's orders and flees. Yasuko reveals that Tanimura's father was investigating the hit, but disappeared. She was coerced into killing Shibata's men by Katsuragi, who promised to reexamine Saejima's case if she eliminated them or gave him ¥100 million. Tanimura meets Katsuragi to give him the money. Katsuragi reveals that he was responsible for the murders in 1985, and orders Tanimura killed. Sugiuchi saves him.

Tanimura's superior, Satoshi Hisai, reveals that Sugiuchi was his father's partner. Tanimura returns the money to Akiyama, and they conclude that Katsuragi is silencing anyone involved with the hit. Yutaka Mishima, Ihara's friend, contacts Tanimura, offering to inform on Katsuragi. Sugiuchi kills Mishima and reveals that he is Katsuragi's mole, and that he helped Katsuragi cover up the hit with Deputy Commissioner Seishiro Munakata. He also killed Tanimura's father. Hisai, who was Munakata's mole, kills Sugiuchi and commits suicide out of guilt.

Hamazaki, having survived, arrives at the Morning Glory Orphanage. He tells Kiryu he wants to reform and admits the theft of a ledger indicating that the police is using dirty money. He links the scheme to Munakata and Katsuragi, who plan to destroy the Tojo Clan and allow the Ueno Seiwa Clan to take over. When he goes to the police to surrender, they find Yasuko, and offer to help her. Saito arrives with orders to kill them. Kiryu beats him and goes to Kamurocho with Yasuko; Hamazaki is wounded and later dies.

The authorities raid Akiyama's office, so he and Tanimura agree to work together. Kiryu leaves Yasuko with Date, and goes to meet Majima, but sees him being arrested. Munakata meets Daigo Dojima, reveals his plan to give the police control of organized crime, and offers to eliminate the Ueno Seiwa if Daigo promotes Arai, who is an undercover police officer.

Kiryu finds Date drugged by Yasuko, who joins Akiyama and Tanimura and flees to the sewers. Kiryu beats them, but finds that Yasuko and Saejima have been captured by Katsuragi. Akiyama learns that Kido has stolen ¥100 billion yen from him, giving it to the Ueno Seiwa. Katsuragi offers to return the Saejimas and the money in return for the ledger, but Kido shoots him and gives the ledger to Arai, who shoots him and leaves. Katsuragi fatally wounds Yasuko, who kills him, and Arai shoots Munakata when he orders him to threaten Kiryu's orphans to recover the money.

Kiryu uses Hamazaki's death to motivate Saejima and Akiyama. They use Akiyama's money as a lure on the roof of the Millennium Tower. Daigo and Arai arrive to claim it, and Kido is revealed to be alive and working for Daigo. Munakata, having faked his death, brings officers to kill the others. Akiyama, Kiryu, Saejima and Tanimura defeat Arai, Daigo, Kido, and Munakata and his men. When Munakata declares that he is untouchable, Date scatters newspapers exposing his corruption. He shoots Akiyama, but a wad of money stops the bullet. Faced with prison, Munakata commits suicide. Arai surrenders to the authorities.

Months later, the group meets outside Akiyama's office, where he intends to restart his business. Date, who has rejoined the force, asks Kiryu what he intends to do; Kiryu, Daigo, and a newly-freed Majima appoint Saejima as patriarch of his own family.

Soundtrack[]

The theme song to the Japanese version, played during the introductory video when starting the game, is "Butterfly City" by Japanese hip-hop artist Zeebra featuring Ryo the Skywalker and Mummy D. (Rhymester) with music by DJ Hasebe (also known as Old Nick).^[12] The music video, posted on Ariola Japan's YouTube channel, disclosed that R&B singer Double contributed vocals to the song.^[13] The CD was released by Ariola Japan (SME) on March 17, 2010 in a regular edition (BVCL-89) and a first-press limited edition, including a bonus video DVD (BVCL-87) and an alternate cover with Kiryu. Zeebra first contributed to the series with Ryū ga Gotoku Kenzan!'s opening theme, "Bushido".^{[citation needed]}

Marketing[]

Limited edition apparel was released in Japan and the United States.^[14]

Three new tie-ins were made to shops: Watami's izakaya (和民) on Nakamichi Street, and Cuez Bar and Milestone in the underground. Advertisements for other companies (such as Nico Nico Douga) are in the game, especially on the walls in the underground. Promotional flyers can be found in the underground of the bowling alley, some of which offer discounts on in-game products, and there is advertising on both sets of coin lockers. A staff member at Volcano, the pachislot building, will ask for a password obtainable from the 777town website. Kamurocho residents' conversations refer to companies such as 777town.^{[citation needed]}

Reception[]

Yakuza 4 received mostly positive reviews from critics. The game received an Award for Excellence at the 2010 Japan Game Awards,^[19] and received a score of 38 out of 40 from Famitsu.^[17] GameSpot described it as 'positively bursting with other things to do', and found the story 'benefits a great deal from its focus on four distinct heroes', thought noted that it 'isn't always told in an engaging way'. It has a valuation of 78 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 59 reviews.^[15]

Sales[]

In the week of its debut, Yakuza 4 sold over 384,000 units.^[20]

Sequel[]

On August 31, 2011, two new Yakuza games were announced: Yakuza 5 and a sequel to the PSP game, Kurohyō 2.^[21] Yakuza 5 was released in Japan on December 6, 2012, and received a worldwide release on December 8, 2015, as a PlayStation Network download.

Notes[]

References[]

External links[]

• Official website