Yakuza 6: The Song of Life

Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
North American cover art
Developer(s)	Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
Publisher(s)	Sega
Director(s)	Hiroyuki Sakamoto
Producer(s)	Masayoshi Yokoyama
Designer(s)	Ryosuke Horii
Programmer(s)	Koji Tokieda Yutaka Ito
Artist(s)	Nobuaki Mitake
Writer(s)	Tsuyoshi Furuta Masayoshi Yokoyama
Composer(s)	Hidenori Shoji
Series	Yakuza
Platform(s)	PlayStation 4 Microsoft Windows Xbox One
Release	PlayStation 4 JP: December 8, 2016 WW: April 17, 2018 Windows, Xbox One WW: March 25, 2021
Genre(s)	Action-adventure
Mode(s)	Single-player

Yakuza 6: The Song of Life^[a][1] is an action-adventure video game developed and published by Sega for PlayStation 4. The game is the seventh main entry in the Yakuza series,^[2][3][4][5] and was released in Japan in December 2016. The English version was released in Southeast Asia in March 2018,^[6][7][8] and worldwide the following month^[9][10] since its release in Japan in December 2016.^[11] Versions for Microsoft Windows and Xbox One were released in March 2021.^[12] The game was followed up by Yakuza Kiwami 2, a remake of the second game, and by Yakuza: Like a Dragon, the next chronological installment, released in 2020.

Gameplay[]

Yakuza 6 is an action-adventure game set in an open world environment and played from a third-person perspective. It is similar to that of other Yakuza titles with exploration mixed with arcade style beat 'em up combat with ragdoll physics. Yakuza 6 was the first game in the series to use the new Dragon Engine game engine (later used in Yakuza Kiwami 2 and the spin-off Judgment), which overhauls the presentation and combat mechanics compared to past games. It also features an advanced variant of Yakuza 5's Dragon Spirit Mode, called Extreme Heat Mode, where Kiryu becomes resistant to knockback as long as his Heat remains, and his combo finishers can turn into Heat actions that take out immense amounts of health. Additionally, as is also later used in Yakuza Kiwami 2, the game categorizes experience into different types and the player can grant themselves various upgrades by using experience of the correct type; experience points can also be earned by eating at restaurants, though doing this raises the hunger gauge which limits how much food the player can eat and reduces itself with time.

Unlike Yakuza 4, Yakuza 5 and Yakuza 0, Yakuza 6 does not feature any playable characters besides Kiryu himself. Additionally, unlike 0 and Yakuza Kiwami, Kiryu only uses one fighting style. This game features the series staple location of Kamurocho, Tokyo, as well as a new city, Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture. Onomichi stands out from other cities in the series in that its name is the same as its real world counterpart, with the area featured in game being a recreation of the city's Shingai district.

Characters[]

Several renowned actors voice the characters in Yakuza 6. Among them: Takeshi Kitano as Toru Hirose, Shun Oguri as Takumi Someya, Hiroyuki Miyasako as Tsuyoshi Nagumo, Tatsuya Fujiwara as Yuta Usami (Miyasako and Fujiwara both being recurring actors from Yakuza 3), and Yoko Maki as Kiyomi Kasahara, as well as other artists that have participated in the Yakuza series.^[13][14][15]

Plot[]

Recovering from injuries sustained in the previous game, Kazuma Kiryu is arrested for past crimes, and willingly spends three years in prison, hoping for a peaceful life with his fostered children. In his absence, an arson in Kamurocho's Little Asia district skews the criminal underworld's power balance: Daigo Dojima, Taiga Saejima and Goro Majima are imprisoned; Katsumi Sugai and Takumi Someya take over most of the Tojo Clan; the Chinese Saio Triad, specializing in heihaizi human trafficking, rises to power in the area; and the Jingweon Mafia resurfaces, allying with the Saio.

Upon release in 2016, Kiryu discovers that Haruka has disappeared, and later finds her in a coma after a hit and run incident. Learning that she has an infant son, Haruto, Kiryu travels with the baby to Onomichi, Hiroshima, retracing Haruka's steps. Upon arrival, Kiryu befriends the local Hirose family, its patriarch Toru Hirose, and members Tsuyoshi Nagumo, Naoto Tagashira, Takaaki Matsunaga and Yuta Usami.

Searching for Haruto's father, he meets prominent figures of the Onomichi Yakuza world: Takeru Kurusu, real name Heizo Iwami, chairman of the powerful Yomei alliance, and his son Tsuneo Iwami, CEO of his front company, Iwami Shipbuilding. He learns that the new Tojo leaders are subservient to them, and discovers the existence of a "Secret of Onomichi" that connects and empowers the Yomei and Saio organizations. With Someya's help, Kiryu discovers that the Saio Triad's leader, Big Lo, has recently lost his son, who was assassinated on Tsuneo's orders, to conceal his involvement in the power grab on the Tojo clan.

Hirose eventually reveals that Yuta is Haruto's father, and a secret son of Big Lo, conceived as a back-up heir to bypass China's one-child policy. Yuta was monitored by the Triad, who, after learning of Haruto's birth, tried to eliminate him to preserve the bloodline, causing Haruka's accident.

After an attack by the Jingweon Mafia, in which its leader is sniped by an unseen assassin, a vengeful Yuta burns down Little Asia, nearly killing himself and his father. Kiryu saves them, and threatens Big Lo to call off the hit, who complies and reveals that Hirose had manipulated Yuta to attack him. Realizing that Hirose had been killing anyone connected to the "Secret", Kiryu returns to Onomichi to confront him; the secret is revealed to be a Yamato-class battleship intended for use in World War II, built illegally by Iwami Shipbuilding and funded by Minoru Daidoji, a corrupt naval officer and politician. Kurusu appears, revealing that the ship's existence was a blackmail asset against the government, and orders Hirose to murder Kiryu and his companions for exposing it. Hirose refuses, and Kurusu kills him, knowing that Daidoji will come after him next. Tsuneo kills Kurusu, taking control of the Yomei Alliance, and installing Sugai as a puppet Chairman of the Tojo Clan.

Kiryu invades the Millenium Tower to confront Iwami and Sugai, but is forced to fight Someya, whose ex-wife is being held hostage, forcing him to commit seppuku to save her. Mourning Someya, Kiryu and the Hirose Family mount a full-scale invasion on the Yomei Alliance. In anticipation, Iwami and Sugai kidnap the awoken Haruka and Haruto. The Hirose Family rescues the two, and a heavily wounded Kiryu defeats Iwami, but is shot by Sugai. Iwami is imprisoned, learning that Daidoji died in his sleep, and Sugai commits suicide, as Kiryu collapses in Haruka's arms.

By January 2017, a politician serving as the Yomei Alliance's fixer attempts to bribe a recovering Kiryu into silence regarding Daidoji's crimes, which would jeopardize several high-profile politicians. In exchange for his silence, Kiryu demands Daigo's release from imprisonment to prevent a war between the Tojo Clan and Yomei Alliance, and has the politician fake his death to ensure that Haruka and her family can live in peace. After their release from prison, Daigo, Saejima, and Majima create an alliance with the Yomei in honor of Kiryu's will.

In the final scene, Kiryu observes the Morning Glory orphanage from a distance, where Haruka, Yuta, Haruto, and his fostered children live peacefully. As Haruto take his first steps, he sees Kiryu, who disappears before anyone else can spot him.

Development[]

Yakuza 6 was announced on September 15, 2015 at the Tokyo Game Show during the Sony conference, exclusively for PlayStation 4 and with a release date of "Autumn 2016".^[5] Toshihiro Nagoshi of Sega confirmed that more details would be revealed during the rest of the event.^[5] A traditional Chinese localisation has been announced for the Asia region.^[16] Beat Takeshi was also announced to be playing a character within the game.^[17] The game also features New Japan Pro-Wrestling wrestlers Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Kazuchika Okada, Satoshi Kojima, Tetsuya Naito and Toru Yano, who play fictionalized versions of themselves in the game.^[18]

This is the first game to be developed exclusively for the PlayStation 4, featuring the all new "Dragon Engine".^[19]

Yakuza 6 also includes Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown, Puyo Puyo, Out Run, Super Hang-On, Space Harrier, and Fantasy Zone as playable games in the form of basic play spots. Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown and Puyo Puyo include two-player modes as well.^[20] Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown is based on Version B of the game and Yakuza 6 is the only official release of this version outside Japan.

For Yakuza 6, Kiryu's orphanage, named "Sunshine Orphanage" in previous western releases, was renamed to "Morning Glory" (the literal translation of its Japanese name Asagao (アサガオ)). Yakuza series localization director Scott Strichart explained that as Goro Majima had managed a cabaret club called Sunshine in Yakuza 0, it felt too much of a coincidence that both Majima and Kiryu would both come to have a place called "Sunshine" play a big part in their lives. He then said that as such, it would likely lead to the impression that Kiryu had decided to name his orphanage after the cabaret club, which seemed highly inappropriate for his character. This change was retained in later re-releases of prior games.^[21]

Demo[]

The demo for Yakuza 6 was released on February 27, 2018 for North America, Europe, and Australia. The US version was pulled from the PlayStation Store after Sega discovered that they accidentally released the full game in that region.^[22] The Australian and European demos were pulled from the PlayStation Store the next day, and all the free copies of the game in the US had their digital license revoked.^[23] On March 19, 2018, the demo was re-released on the PlayStation Store.^[24]

Reception[]

Critical response[]

Yakuza 6: The Song of Life received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic.^[25]

The game received a score of 39/40 from the video game magazine Famitsu.^[31] The German magazine 4Players gave it 85 out of 100 points.^[38]

Sales[]

In its first week of release in Japan, it sold 218,168 copies.^[39] As of December 23, it has sold 400,000 copies in the region.^[40][41] Combined with the rest of Asia, the game shipped over 500,000 units by December 2016.^[42] It was the third best selling video game in the United Kingdom during its European debut week,^[43][44] making it the biggest launch for the series in the UK.^[45] As of June 2018, the game has sold 800,000-900,000 units worldwide, with overseas markets accounting for approximately half of the game's sales.^[46]

Accolades[]

The game was nominated for "Best Storytelling" and "PlayStation Game of the Year" at the 2018 Golden Joystick Awards,^[47][48] and for the Tin Pan Alley Award for Best Music in a Game at the New York Game Awards.^[49]

Notes[]

References[]

External links[]

• Official website