[ThePsychoGamer]

Yakuza 4 is set to come out next week and set to be awesome featuring 64 side missions, a better paced story, 3 new playable characters each with there distinctive fighting style, a more polished combat system, the return of gamings biggest badass Kiryu Kazuma, better graphics, and less cuts then Yakuza 3.

In fact recently Sega released a complete list of cuts, here's the full list

- Answer X Answer
- Butterfly City (To be replaced with a remix of For Faith)

So who's getting this heavy contender for GOTY.

[mattroks101]

I didn't know there was a 4th one. I'll have to check it out.

[ThePsychoGamer]

I didn't know there was a 4th one. I'll have to check it out.

The series is very popular in japan, im fact this year they plan to release two spin off games in Japan

The PSP game Black Panther

and the offbeat PS3 title Of the End... A Yakuza game, about... well just watch th trailer

TGS reveal trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHWgB-VJ2k4

Gameplay trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MewAJegsPOE

[Zuiichi]

When given to real Yakuza
Q: "so is the game life-like to real yakuza?"
A: "yeah the side missions are, most of the time we sit around doing nothing"
:P

[tanis_lionheart]

I hope it's not a crap...Sega doesn't have a good track record with me.

[jinzo64]

i havn't tried any off the other ones
maybe i'll rent it first.

[ThePsychoGamer]

I hope it's not a crap...Sega doesn't have a good track record with me.

The series has had a bit of a strange run, but only 1 Yakuza game's been crap

Y1 was pretty bad, hit detection was wanky, and a lot of the mini games barely worked, The only redeamble part of this game was the great story. It also got a ton of backlash for removeing the Japanese VA, and adding a terrible dub. (Glad I didn't start with this one.)

Y2 improved every thing a lot, mini games where easily playable, the story was a lot better, the combat was a bit stiff but it was still enjoyable, and there was no dub to be found. The biggest issue with this game was the lack of advertising from Sega, almost killing the franchise in the west

Y3 again improved the combat and mini games, but it's story wasn't as good as 2 and had some pacing issues. The bigest issue was a sizable chuck of the game was cut from the weastern version, again Sega faced heavy backlash for this. It still was a great game though.

Y4 Many people who imported it say that it is the biggest improvments inbetween games of the franchise (that's saying a lot with how much better 2 was over 1 ). And that it has the best story of the franchise

[thedarkmessenger]

I may get it. although gangsta' games generally don't appeal to me :\

[tanis_lionheart]

Doesn't Y4 have zombies?

[thedarkmessenger]

Doesn't Y4 have zombies?

It better not. If it has zombie, I won't get it. I freakin' hate zombies >_>

[tanis_lionheart]

Never mind, it's Y7.

[ThePsychoGamer]

I may get it. although gangsta' games generally don't appeal to me :\

While concepts may be similar, This series is nothing like the GTA.


Doesn't Y4 have zombies?

The seventh game in the franchise, and third spin off , Of the End is in fact about zombies, in fact I put links to the trailers fo Yakuza of the end in the third post (If your wondering why I have added links to Of the End videos in this thread and not Yakuza 4... Shut up.)


and on that note, here's the US trailer for Yakuza 4..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqmHxp3pst8

Sega has also said despite the trailer, Yakuza4 will not have an english dub

[tanis_lionheart]

It should have a dub...with the Outlaw Star and/or Cowboy Bebop VA.

[thedarkmessenger]

While concepts may be similar, This series is nothing like the GTA.

even so, it's still about criminals. Criminal games don't appeal to me, but I may give Y4 a try anyway.

[ThePsychoGamer]

Well some reviews are starting to come in

Nowgamer gave it a 7.9
PSM3 gave it a 9
EDGE gave it a 7
Eurogamer gave it an 8
ComputerandVideoGames.com gave their import copy a 9 last year
GAMEStm gave it an 8.
Meristation gave it a 8
Famitsu gave it a 38/40
GameOver gave it a 6
and IGN gave it a 6.5

So mostly positive..

I haven't read the GameOver review, but the IGN review was pretty bad, there wasn't a lot of details, and even took points away from replayabilty because he personaly didn't want to do them. But I haven't read GameOver review, in fact I can't, it's in german (Screw Google tranlate, I have money.)

[ThePsychoGamer]

Well, a bit of sad news, another tempery cut has been found having to do with Yakuza 4, Those who buy the game from Best Buy will have to deal with paying 39.99 intead of the regular 59.99 price. I don't know how long it will last, but hope others can enjoy this cut.

[thedarkmessenger]

^um....how is that sad? O_o

[ThePsychoGamer]

sarcasm.

[thedarkmessenger]

ah :P

[scarmullet]

In all fairness, Yakuza is a spiritual sequel to a game on the Dreamcast called Shenmue. They pretty much have the same engine (The Yakuza 1 one is more refined, but a bit more buggy, especially the fighting engine), and the same story progression. Yakuza 4 is more like Shenmue than the rest of the Yakuza series due to Yu Suzuki on the project.

[ThePsychoGamer]

Just platnumed Yakuza 4, And I loved it it, Though the three new characters really needed a lot more abilities, and Kiryu really felt conpletely over powered, (The story was good, but not nearly as good as Yakuza 2.I know he's gaming's biggest badass, but still) also I didn't like how they didn't add in a second town to explore. But the new leveling system was a great improvement over the old system, And adding a guy who will tell you where to find sub stories also really improved the Yakuza experience for me.