Yakuza Kiwami

Last updated

Yakuza Kiwami
Yakuza Kiwami cover.jpg
Developer(s) Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio [lower-alpha 1]
Publisher(s)
Director(s) Koji Yoshida
Producer(s) Mitsuhiro Shimano
Designer(s) Kazuki Hosokawa
Programmer(s)
  • Koji Tokieda
  • Yutaka Ito
Artist(s) Nobuaki Mitake
Writer(s) Masayoshi Yokoyama
Composer(s) Hidenori Shoji
Series Yakuza
Platform(s)
Release
January 21, 2016
  • PlayStation 3
    • JP: January 21, 2016
    PlayStation 4
    • JP: January 21, 2016
    • WW: August 29, 2017
    Windows
    • WW: February 19, 2019
    Xbox One
    • WW: April 21, 2020
    Amazon Luna
    • US: December 22, 2022
Genre(s) Action-adventure
Mode(s) Single-player

Yakuza Kiwami [lower-alpha 2] is an action-adventure video game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega. It is a remake of Yakuza , the first game in the Yakuza series , originally released on Sony's PlayStation 2. Yakuza Kiwami was released on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 in Japan on January 21, 2016, and on PlayStation 4 in Europe and North America on August 29, 2017. [2] [3] It was also ported to Windows via Steam worldwide on February 19, 2019, [4] to Xbox One on April 21, 2020, [5] and to Amazon Luna on December 22, 2022. [6]

Contents

Like the original PlayStation 2 game, Yakuza Kiwami explores the life of a man named Kazuma Kiryu who is demoted from his clan after taking the blame for his boss's murder. After a decade in prison, Kiryu searches for his old friends who have gone missing. The remake adds extra elements to the story, including Akira Nishikiyama's corruption during Kiryu's imprisonment and constant struggles between Kiryu and his rival Goro Majima. The gameplay was improved to resemble the prequel Yakuza 0 , adding more depth to the fighting system.

Sega had ideas to remake the first Yakuza game in 2015 as part of the series' 10th anniversary but were unsure about developing due to their team focused on making Yakuza 0. Following the success of Yakuza 0, Sega started working on the remake of the first game and aimed to add new elements to the story while trying to make it more enjoyable than the original game. The game was well received, earning positive sales. Critics praised the simplicity of the combat but were divided by the handling of the storyline and side missions. Nonetheless, the Majima Everywhere system was praised for its comedic value. Yakuza Kiwami was followed up by Yakuza 6: The Song of Life later in 2016, and another remake based on the second game titled Yakuza Kiwami 2 was also released in 2018.

Gameplay

Like the original game, Yakuza Kiwami is an action-adventure game with role-playing elements set in an open world environment and played from a third-person perspective. [7] The player controls protagonist Kazuma Kiryu as he explores the streets of Kamurocho, a fictional district of Tokyo based on the real-life Kabukichō district. [2] In addition to the main story, players will randomly encounter enemies on the street to battle, as well as meet people that will offer Kiryu side quests which can be completed for rewards. [8]

Yakuza Kiwami entirely forgoes the combat system of the original game; its combat is largely similar to the prequel Yakuza 0 . [9] Just like 0, Kiwami features four fighting styles that the player can switch between in combat: the balanced Brawler style, the slow and heavy Beast style, the weak but quick Rush style, and Kiryu's traditional Dragon style. [10] Players will earn both money and experience points by defeating enemies or completing side quests. Experience points can be used to acquire upgrades for Kiryu such as new techniques or an extension to his health bar. [11] [12] Money can be spent to purchase equipment or healing items, or to play various minigames and side-activities such as gambling, karaoke, and the card battle game Mesuking. [2] Completing certain objectives will also grant the player special Completion Point currency; this CP can be spent to receive additional bonuses, such as special items or character upgrades. [13]

Kiwami introduces a new gameplay system called "Majima Everywhere", which replaces the Mr. Shakedown system previously present in Yakuza 0, [14] in which rival character Goro Majima will appear frequently to challenge Kiryu to a fight. Majima will appear randomly during exploration, as well as in predetermined challenges based on the player's progress in Majima Everywhere. Majima will also sometimes appear when playing a minigame (like darts or bowling) and will challenge Kiryu. Defeating Majima in different scenarios will increase the player's Majima Everywhere rank and unlock new abilities in Kiryu's Dragon style. [15] [2]

Plot

Similar to the plot of the original Yakuza, the game centers around yakuza lieutenant Kazuma Kiryu (Takaya Kuroda), who takes the blame for the murder of his patriarch Sohei Dojima, committed by his sworn brother and best friend Akira Nishikiyama (Kazuhiro Nakaya), spending ten years in prison before being granted parole. A free man, Kiryu discovers that Nishikiyama is now a powerful but cold-hearted yakuza boss, his childhood friend and girlfriend Yumi Sawamura (Maaya Sakamoto) has gone missing, and everyone is searching for ten billion yen that was stolen from his former organization, the Tojo Clan. As war erupts throughout the streets of Kamurocho between many different factions (including government agents and the Triad), Kiryu decides to find Yumi and the missing money, and protect Haruka (Rie Kugimiya), a mysterious young girl whom everyone seems to be after. Eventually, a remorseful Nishikiyama sacrifices himself to kill Haruka's father, Kyohei Jingu (Hiroaki Yoshida), who was a corrupt politician bent on destroying the Tojo and his loved ones, while Yumi dies in Kiryu's arms from a gunshot wound. Rather than give into despair and allow himself to be arrested, Kiryu leaves the Tojo and becomes Haruka's adoptive father.

Kiwami's story also introduces two new plot lines focused on Nishikiyama and Goro Majima (Hidenari Ugaki), a ruthless Tojo captain and Kiryu's rival. Nishikiyama's story is told in flashbacks, and focuses on his descent into madness. The day after Nishikiyama shot Dojima and Kiryu went to prison, the Dojima Family ponders about the culprit, whilst they mock Nishikiyama for his ineptitude. In 1996, the Kazama Family decides to give Nishikiyama his own "family" to control, with the expectation that he would look out for Kiryu now that he had been expelled from the Tojo Clan. However, he proves to be an incompetent leader, with his family captain Matsushige (Hitoshi Ikeda), who was hired because he was the top-earner in the Kazama Family, disrespecting him and commanding more respect among his men. As Yuko, his terminally ill sister, requires a heart transplant, Nishikiyama visits a doctor, who tells him that he needs 30 million yen to pay for it. Nishikiyama tells Matsushige to get the money for him by any means, prompting him to shake down stores in the Kazama family territory. Osamu Kashiwagi (Shunsuke Sakuya), the Kazama Family captain, violently disciplines Nishikiyama, then forgives him but tells him that Kiryu would be morally better as a leader. Nishikiyama is then fully convinced that the entire Kazama Family hates him after Futoshi Shimano (Naomi Kusumi) accuses Kazama of deliberately giving Nishikiyama men he cannot control and that Nishikiyama should learn to care for himself instead of Kiryu. Eventually, Nishikiyama learns from Matsushige that the doctor was a fraud who already had the 30 million yen from the beginning. Nishikiyama rushes to confront him, but discovers that he has run away. Yuko dies and Nishikiyama prepares to commit seppuku, but is interrupted by Matsushige. Finally fed up with the disrespect and harassment, Nishikiyama stabs him, and confesses to Dojima's murder, before using the blood to slick back his hair, becoming the changed man Kiryu would encounter during the main story.

Majima is reintroduced as a sadomasochistic yakuza who is at odds with Kiryu for not wanting to fight him. Despite this, Majima is fascinated by Kiryu's stoic strength and considers him to be the perfect opponent. When Kiryu is released from prison, Majima is disappointed by his combat skills going rusty and arranges a series of elaborate and bizarre scenarios to manipulate him into fighting and thus, make him stronger. Despite the fights, Majima collaborates with Kiryu to defeat Dojima Family loyalists and even confesses to him that he does not care about avenging Shimano's death. Once Kiryu regains his combat abilities, Majima challenges him to one final fight, which he ultimately loses. However, Majima finds joy in fighting Kiryu, and promises to keep challenging him for fun.

Development

A comparison between the graphics of the original Yakuza (left) and Kiwami Yakuzakiwamicomparison.png
A comparison between the graphics of the original Yakuza (left) and Kiwami

Series writer Masayoshi Yokoyama stated that Sega had plans to develop Kiwami in 2015 with the company wishing gamers enjoy the first Yakuza game on more modern quality. However, they were busy during that time making the game Yakuza 0. Positive feedback to the prequel led to the making of Kiwami. The franchise's 10th anniversary and the engine used for Yakuza 0 also provided help according to Yokoyama. The gameplay was made to be as friendly as possible to newcomers with them being options to save the game's progress whenever they wanted. There were ideas in regards to changing the cast and recordings of the original games, but the staff felt it would not be an appealing remake if there were so many changes. [16]

Rather than make it look like a retro game retaining the elements from the original PlayStation 2 games, the gameplay was made similar to eighth generation titles, most notably Yakuza 0. Therefore, the team had to face the challenge of understanding the quality of the graphics and audio they could produce with a next generation console in contrast to the original console, which left the team wondering if there were issues with different parts of the game like the way the original Yakuza camera worked. The new voice actors include Tomokazu Sugita (who plays Shinji), however, his characterization was left to keep faithful to his bond with Kiryu despite their different ranks. The story was further expanded to increase the length while adding new minigames. The fighting system was borrowed from Yakuza 0 with a focus on grinding. Similar to that game, Yakuza Kiwami has strong depictions of violence, most notably in the Heat Action sequences the player can perform. Yokoyama stated they wanted to make them as intense as possible. [17]

The plot was further explored to focus on the depths of characters who did not have too many appearances in the original game. Due to Goro Majima's popularity, he was made to clash with Kiryu often during sidequests. [16] Majima's characterization was influenced by previous games to keep him motivated with the idea of strength following the events of Yakuza 0 which further focused on him. [17] Kiwami improves the resolution, framerate, textures and loading times compared to the original game, and additional content was added to resolve some of the more confusing plot points, as well as tie the story more closely to the events of the prequel title Yakuza 0. [18]

A steelbook edition of the game was released as part of the Western launch. [19] A version for Windows was released on February 19, 2019. [4] The game was released for Xbox One on April 21, 2020, [20] and for Amazon Luna on December 22, 2022. [6]

Reception

The game holds an average of 80 out of 100 in Metacritic indicating "generally favorable reviews". [21] Critics praised the improvements in regards to the fighting system due to the moves Kiryu can perform, with IGN and GameSpot comparing them positively to the previous Yakuza title, Yakuza 0. [9] [26] Game Informer referred to it as "simple and satisfying", commenting positively on the way Kiryu can easily perform intense fighting techniques. [25] Polygon criticized how Dragon style has to be grinded as the multiple fights against Majima might make the player lose most of their health points. [27] On the other hand, Eurogamer praised the interactions with Majima not only for the grinding but also because of the comic appeal the character brings. [28] While not finding the remake as appealing as other titles, Destructoid found the game overall enjoyable, however, they criticized the boss fights because of their health regenerating during combat as well their style recycled from the fighting system of Yakuza 0. [2] While overall praising the game, Game Informer criticized the side missions because of their repetitive formula. Nevertheless, the encounters with Majima were praised. [25] GameSpot criticised how going around Kamurocho might feel underwhelming to the players comparing it to other open worlds found in gaming. [26]

In regards to the presentation, the critical response has been mixed. The story was noted by Polygon as being more mature and brutal than in the prequel. [27] Eurogamer praised the additions of the cutscenes involving Nishikiyama due to the new depths Sega brought in the way Kiryu is seen becoming his nemesis. [28] GameSpot also praised the story, calling it "captivating" as generating a contrast between the dark aspects of the main story and the comical aspects of the side missions. [26] Game Informer had mixed thoughts about the way the story was handled because of the "melodramatic" tone and the length of the cutscenes. [25] Destructoid reported that the cutscenes were shorter and more entertaining than the ones from Yakuza 4 , most notably whenever Kiryu interacts with Haruka. Another area praised by Destructoid was the comical spin given to the encounters of Majima. [2] IGN was harsher, believing the game's pacing, storytelling, and length were its weakest points. [9]

For the PC port of the game, Yakuza Kiwami retained the same Metacritic score. [22] RPGFan praised the game storyline though it felt somewhat simple and linear. [29] Both RPGFan and PCInvasion described Kiwami as an enjoyable starting point for newcomers to the series despite its issues. [29] [30] Vandal felt that the port was well executed and faithful to the original PlayStation 4 game, but lamented that its text was only in English. [31]

The game was nominated for Game, Classic Revival at the National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers Awards. [32] [33]

Sales

The PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 versions were the top two best-selling games in Japan during their release week, selling 103,256 copies for PlayStation 4 and 60,427 for PlayStation 3. [34] Sega's Chief creative officer Toshihiro Nagoshi stated that the western preorders for Yakuza Kiwami were generally good for the series. [35] As of June 28, 2018, Yakuza 0 and Yakuza Kiwami were relaunched as PlayStation Hits. [36] The Windows version of Kiwami was among the best-selling new releases of the month on Steam. [37] [lower-alpha 3]

Sequel

Yakuza Kiwami 2 , a remake of Yakuza 2 in the same style as Yakuza Kiwami, was originally released for PlayStation 4 on December 7, 2017, in Japan, and worldwide on August 28, 2018. [39] The Windows version was released on May 9, 2019, and the Xbox One version was released on July 30, 2020. [40] [41]

Notes

  1. ↑ Ported to Windows by Lab42. [1]
  2. ↑ Known in Japan as Ryū ga Gotoku Kiwami (Japanese: 龍が如く 極, lit. "Like a Dragon Extreme")
  3. ↑ Based on total revenue for the first two weeks on sale. [38]

Related Research Articles

<i>Yakuza</i> (video game) 2005 video game

Yakuza is an action-adventure video game developed and published by Sega for the PlayStation 2. It was released in 2005 in Japan and in September 2006 internationally. The story follows Kazuma Kiryu, a yakuza who spent ten years in prison for a crime he did not commit. After being released, he learns that the criminal underworld is searching for 10 billion yen that has been stolen from the Tojo clan. He comes across an orphan named Haruka who is being targeted by the clan. She is believed to have the key to their lost money and Kiryu resolves to protect her. The game takes place in Kamurocho, a realistic recreation of Tokyo's Kabukicho district.

<i>Yakuza 2</i> 2006 video game

Yakuza 2 is an action-adventure video game developed and published by Sega for the PlayStation 2. The second installment of the Like a Dragon series and the sequel to Yakuza, it was released on December 7, 2006, in Japan and in September 2008 in North America and Europe. The game focuses on the former yakuza Kazuma Kiryu who receives a request for help from his former group, the Tojo Clan yakuza of eastern Japan, to stabilize relationships with the Omi Alliance group of western Japan. Across Kiryu's journey, he learns of a Korean mafia group linked with both the Omi and his own past, and becomes the rival of the Omi's "Dragon of Kansai", Ryuji Goda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kazuma Kiryu</span> Fictional character in the Yakuza video game series

Kazuma Kiryu is a fictional character and the protagonist of Sega's action-adventure beat 'em up Japanese role-playing game series Yakuza / Like a Dragon. He is popularly known as "the Dragon of Dojima" due to the tattoo of a dragon on his back and him originally being a fearsome member of the yakuza group known as the Dojima Family, a subsidiary of the Tojo Clan. He was introduced in the series' 2005 debut game, where he took the blame for his boss's death to protect his best friend Akira Nishikiyama, resulting in his expulsion from the clan and a ten-year stay in prison. After leaving prison, he fights against the new threats in his life, during which he meets Haruka Sawamura, to whom he eventually becomes an adoptive father. He is voiced by Takaya Kuroda in Japanese, by Darryl Kurylo in the English versions of the first game and Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and by Yong Yea in the English releases beginning with Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. Besides the two Like a Dragon live-action films, the character has also appeared in other video games including Project X Zone 2 and as downloadable content in the spin-off game, Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise.

<i>Yakuza 3</i> 2009 video game by Sega

Yakuza 3 is the third main entry in the Like a Dragon series, released for the PlayStation 3 in 2009. It was developed by Sega's CS1 Team and published by Sega. It was released in Japan and South East Asia on February 26, 2009, and in North America and Europe on March 9, 2010, and March 12, 2010. A remaster containing all cut content was released in Japan on August 9, 2018, and worldwide on August 20, 2019, for the PlayStation 4, and on January 28, 2021, for Windows and Xbox One. A sequel, Yakuza 4, was released on March 18, 2010, in Japan.

<i>Like a Dragon</i> (film) 2007 film by Takashi Miike

Yakuza: Like a Dragon, is a 2007 Japanese crime film directed by Takashi Miike, based on the 2005 PlayStation 2 video game Yakuza. The film stars Kazuki Kitamura, Goro Kishitani, Show Aikawa, Yoshiyoshi Arakawa, Kenichi Endō and Tomorowo Taguchi.

<i>Yakuza 4</i> 2010 video game

Yakuza 4 is an action-adventure game developed and released by Sega for the PlayStation 3. The game is the fourth main entry in the Like a Dragon series. It was introduced on July 24, 2009. A promotional video was presented at the 2009 Tokyo Game Show, 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. Yakuza 4 was released in Europe and North America in March 2011. A sequel, Yakuza 5 was released in 2012.

<i>Like a Dragon: Prologue</i> 2006 film

Like a Dragon ~ Prologue ~, also known as Like a Dragon: Prologue, is a 2006 Japanese crime drama original video film directed by Takeshi Miyasaka with Takashi Miike as executive director. It is based upon Toshihiro Nagoshi's 2005 video game Ryū ga Gotoku, known in the West as Yakuza, released on PlayStation 2.

Haruka Sawamura is a fictional character in Sega's action-adventure game series Like a Dragon. She is introduced in the first Yakuza game as a young child searching for her missing mother, while being mysteriously pursued by multiple yakuza clans, including the Tojo Clan. Kazuma Kiryu, the main playable character throughout most of the series, protects and assists her during her search for her mother and Haruka is later adopted by him at the end of the first game. Over the course of the series, Haruka grows up alongside her adoptive father, debuting as a playable character in Yakuza 5 working as an idol and eventually starting a family of her own in Yakuza 6: The Song of Life. Haruka is voiced by Rie Kugimiya in Japanese, by Debi Derryberry in the English version of the first game, and by Xanthe Huynh in English releases from Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name onward.

Goro Majima is a major recurring character in Sega's Like a Dragon video game series, previously known as Yakuza outside of Japan. He is one of the main playable protagonists of Yakuza 0 and Yakuza: Dead Souls, as well as the Majima Saga of Yakuza Kiwami 2. Introduced as a member of the Tojo Clan and patriarch of its subsidiary group, the Majima Family as well as second-in-command of the Shimano Family, nicknamed "Mad Dog of Shimano", he develops a sadomasochistic obsession with the protagonist Kazuma Kiryu. He continually seeks to fight him, seeing him as the perfect rival, but eventually bonds with him across the franchise and becomes an important ally of his. He is also the sworn brother of Taiga Saejima who is one of the protagonists of Yakuza 4 and Yakuza 5. Majima's character is explored in more detail during the prequel Yakuza 0, in which he is a 24-year-old former Yakuza and a playable protagonist along with Kiryu. In this game, Majima has a much calmer and serious demeanor that develops into his standard sadomasochistic one during a war between a number of families in a fight for a patch of land known as the Empty Lot. Majima also appears in the spin-off Dead Souls as well as the crossover Project X Zone 2.

Akira Nishikiyama, , often shortened to Nishiki, is a fictional character from Sega's action-adventure game series Like a Dragon, previously titled Yakuza outside of Japan. He is the sworn brother and childhood best friend of series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu, who insists on taking the blame for Nishiki after he murdered their boss, which resulted in Kiryu's expulsion from the Tojo Clan, the dominant yakuza organization in Tokyo, and his imprisonment for ten years. Nishiki establishes the Nishikiyama Family as a "subsidiary" of the Tojo Clan, and later triggers an internal power struggle for the clan's leadership shortly after Kiryu's release, leading to the two men becoming mortal enemies. Nishiki also appears as a supporting character in the prequel installment, Yakuza 0, which follows Kiryu's early years as a low-ranking member of the Tojo Clan. For Yakuza Kiwami, the remake of the original Yakuza, Nishiki's role in the narrative is expanded, with his motivations being more clearly explained.

<i>Yakuza</i> (franchise) Video game series

Yakuza, known in Japan as Ryū ga Gotoku and renamed to Like a Dragon in recent series entries to align with its Japanese name, is a video game franchise created, owned and published by Sega. It incorporates elements of the action-adventure, beat 'em up, and role-playing genres.

<i>Yakuza: Dead Souls</i> 2011 video game by Sega

Yakuza: Dead Souls is an action-adventure survival horror video game developed and published by Sega for the PlayStation 3. The game is a spin-off of the Like a Dragon series. 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. The game was also released in North America and Europe by Sega in March 2012. The gameplay and themes is based on another Sega horror-themed rail gun called The House of the Dead series.

<i>Yakuza 5</i> 2012 video game

Yakuza 5 is an action-adventure video game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega for the PlayStation 3. The game is the fifth main entry in the Like a Dragon series. The game was released in December 2012 in Japan, and localized for North America, Europe and Australia as a PlayStation Network download in December 2015. A remaster with improved resolution and frame rate was released for the PlayStation 4 on June 20, 2019 in Japan, and worldwide on February 11, 2020 as part of The Yakuza Remastered Collection. Versions for Windows and Xbox One were released in January 2021.

<i>Yakuza: Like a Dragon</i> 2020 video game by Sega

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a role-playing video game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega. The first mainline title in the Yakuza franchise developed as a turn-based RPG, it was released in Japan and Asia for PlayStation 4 on January 16, 2020. The western release of the game for PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on November 10, 2020 included new costumes, the English audio track and some previously paid DLC. This version was then released in Asia under the subtitle International on February 25, 2021 for Windows and Xbox platforms. The game was released worldwide for PlayStation 5 on March 2, 2021, and a version for Amazon Luna launched on December 10, 2021.

<i>Yakuza 0</i> 2015 video game

Yakuza 0 is an action-adventure game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega. It is the sixth main entry in the Yakuza series and a prequel to the original game. It was released for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 in Japan in March 2015, and in North America and Europe for PlayStation 4 in January 2017. It was released on Windows on 1 August 2018 and on Xbox One on 26 February 2020. A free accompanying game application for PlayStation Vita, titled Yakuza 0: Free to Play Application for PlayStation Vita, was released in Japan in February 2015. Set in late 1988 during Japan's bubble era, and seventeen years before the events of the first game, the story follows Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima as they get embroiled in a conflict between various Yakuza factions for control of a patch of land known as the "Empty Lot".

<i>Yakuza 6: The Song of Life</i> 2016 video game

Yakuza 6: The Song of Life is an action-adventure video game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega for PlayStation 4. The game is the seventh main entry in the Like a Dragon series and the final main game to feature Kazuma Kiryu as the primary protagonist, and was released in Japan in December 2016. The English version was released in Southeast Asia in March 2018, and worldwide the following month. Versions for Windows and Xbox One were released in March 2021. 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.

<i>Yakuza Kiwami 2</i> 2017 video game

Yakuza Kiwami 2 is an action-adventure video game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega. It is a remake of the 2006 video game Yakuza 2 for the PlayStation 2, and is the Like a Dragon series' second remake title following 2016's Yakuza Kiwami. It was developed using the Dragon game engine from Yakuza 6. The game was released for PlayStation 4 on December 7, 2017 in Japan, and worldwide on August 28, 2018. It was released for Windows worldwide on Steam on May 9, 2019 and released for Xbox One on July 30, 2020. A version for cloud-based platform Amazon Luna was released on January 19, 2023.

Characters of the <i>Yakuza</i> series

Japanese video game developer Sega's Yakuza media franchise, known as Ryū ga Gotoku in its native Japan and other Asian territories, features an extensive cast of characters. This article describes notable characters who appear in the Yakuza main series video games and associated remasters or remakes, with characters sorted by organizations or groups according to the original works. The English-language adaptation equivalents are mentioned when available.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryuji Goda</span> Fictional character from the Yakuza series

Ryuji Goda is a fictional character from Sega's action-adventure game Like a Dragon series, previously known as Yakuza outside of Japan, first appearing in 2006's Yakuza 2. Goda also appears as one of the main characters in a spin-off title of the series, Yakuza: Dead Souls, which does not follow the series' canon and is set in an alternate timeline where Goda survives his wounds at the end of Yakuza 2. Goda is voiced by Masami Iwasaki in all media.

<i>Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name</i> 2023 video game by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a 2023 action-adventure video game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega. It is a spin-off of the Like a Dragon series. Taking place during the events of Yakuza: Like a Dragon (2020), Like a Dragon Gaiden focuses on the series' original protagonist, Kazuma Kiryu, as he embarks on a new adventure in Osaka under the guise of a secret agent.

References

  1. ↑ Lab42 Games [@Lab42Games] (January 22, 2019). "We're proud to announce we've been working with our friends @SEGA again, this time to bring Yakuza Kiwami to PC, out Feb 19th and available to pre-order now!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Glagowski, Peter (August 21, 2017). "Review: Yakuza Kiwami". Destructoid . Archived from the original on August 27, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  3. ↑ "SEGA and Deep Silver to Publish Yakuza Kiwami for PlayStation 4". Anime News Network. December 4, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  4. 1 2 Sarkar, Samit (January 21, 2019). "Yakuza Kiwami coming to Steam in mid-February". Polygon. Archived from the original on January 23, 2019. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
  5. ↑ Hernandez, Patricia (November 14, 2019). "Yakuza is coming to Xbox for the first time". Polygon. Archived from the original on November 14, 2019. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  6. 1 2 New on Luna+: Yakuza Kiwami , retrieved December 23, 2022
  7. ↑ "Yakuza Video Game Series". Gamepressure.com. Archived from the original on December 19, 2018. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  8. ↑ Clark, Justin (August 29, 2017). "Yakuza Kiwami - Game Review". Slant Magazine . Archived from the original on December 24, 2018. Retrieved December 23, 2018.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Kemps, Heidi (August 21, 2017). "Yakuza Kiwami Review". IGN . Archived from the original on October 8, 2017. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  10. ↑ Diver, Mike (July 20, 2017). "More of the Same Is Rarely So Fun Looking as 'Yakuza Kiwami'". Waypoint. Archived from the original on December 24, 2018. Retrieved December 23, 2018.
  11. ↑ Madsen, Hayes (August 29, 2017). "Yakuza Kiwami: How to Level Up Fast". Twinfinite. Archived from the original on December 23, 2018. Retrieved December 23, 2018.
  12. ↑ Williams, Mike (August 21, 2017). "Yakuza Kiwami Review: Old City, New Soul". USgamer. Archived from the original on February 9, 2019. Retrieved December 23, 2018.
  13. ↑ "[PS4] Yakuza Kiwami Review". PS4Blog.net. September 4, 2017. Archived from the original on February 10, 2018. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
  14. ↑ "A few things you need to know about Yakuza: Kiwami". Destructoid. August 21, 2017. Archived from the original on May 1, 2019. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  15. ↑ Limon, Nicholas (January 21, 2016). "What's New in Yakuza Kiwami?". Twinfinite. Archived from the original on May 7, 2017. Retrieved April 30, 2017.
  16. 1 2 "今だからこそ制作できた『龍が如く 極』の"旬の魅力"を2人の開発者に聞く【特集第4回】". PlayStation Blog. January 21, 2016. Archived from the original on June 17, 2019. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  17. 1 2 "【TGS2015】『龍が如く 極』横山Pインタビュー！リメイクではなくリボーン、ゲームは絶対にハードの壁を超えなくてはいけない". Inside Games. September 20, 2015. Archived from the original on June 17, 2019. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  18. ↑ Linneman, John (February 7, 2016). "Kiwami is the next best thing to a Shenmue". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on February 10, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  19. ↑ Strichart, Scott (April 12, 2017). "See How It All Began with Yakuza Kiwami, out August 29". Playstation.Blog. Sony. Archived from the original on April 29, 2017. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  20. ↑ "Yakuza: Kiwami now available for Xbox One, Windows 10". Gematsu. April 22, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  21. 1 2 "Yakuza Kiwami for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on December 15, 2018. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  22. 1 2 "Yakuza Kiwami for PC Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 11, 2019. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  23. ↑ "Yakuza Kiwami for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on July 25, 2020. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  24. ↑ Romano, Sal (January 12, 2016). "Famitsu Review Scores: Issue 1414". Gematsu. Archived from the original on March 2, 2018. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  25. 1 2 3 4 Cork, Jeff (August 21, 2017). "Yakuza Kiwami - A Blast From The Past". Game Informer . Archived from the original on December 19, 2018. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  26. 1 2 3 4 Brown, Peter (August 21, 2017). "Yakuza Kiwami Review". GameSpot . Archived from the original on March 19, 2018. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
  27. 1 2 3 Hawkins, Janine (August 21, 2017). "Yakuza Kiwami review". Polygon. Archived from the original on September 6, 2017. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
  28. 1 2 "Yakuza Kiwami review". Eurogamer. August 28, 2017. Archived from the original on June 17, 2019. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  29. 1 2 "Yakuza Kiwami". RPGFan. Archived from the original on June 17, 2019. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  30. ↑ "Yakuza Kiwami Review – The Mean Streets Of Kamurocho". PC Invasion. February 11, 2019. Archived from the original on June 17, 2019. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  31. ↑ "Yakuza Kiwami". Vandal. February 12, 2019. Archived from the original on June 17, 2019. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  32. ↑ "Nominee List for 2017". National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers. February 9, 2018. Archived from the original on February 15, 2018. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  33. ↑ "Horizon wins 7; Mario GOTY". National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers. March 13, 2018. Archived from the original on March 14, 2018. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  34. ↑ コンシューマソフト週間販売ランキングTop20 (集計期間：2016年1月18日～1月24日) [Consumer software weekly sales ranking Top20 (January 18 to January 24, 2016)]. 4Gamer (in Japanese). January 27, 2016. Archived from the original on February 10, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  35. ↑ "Yakuza Kiwami 2 happened due to how well Yakuza 0 and Yakuza Kiwami did outside Japan". SegaBits. August 31, 2017. Archived from the original on December 17, 2018. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  36. ↑ Yee, Mary (June 19, 2018). "Introducing PlayStation Hits: Great Games at a Great Price". PlayStation.Blog. Archived from the original on September 30, 2018. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
  37. ↑ "Best of 2019: New Releases". Steam . Valve. December 26, 2019. Archived from the original on December 28, 2019. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  38. ↑ "A Look Back - The Best of 2019". Steam . Valve. December 26, 2019. Archived from the original on December 28, 2019. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  39. ↑ Good, Owen S. (March 17, 2018). "Yakuza Kiwami 2 launches in the West this August". Polygon . Vox Media. Archived from the original on March 18, 2018. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  40. ↑ Wales, Matt (April 11, 2019). "Yakuza Kiwami 2 gets a May release date on PC". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on June 12, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  41. ↑ Devore, Jordan (July 13, 2020). "Yakuza Kiwami 2 launches July 30 for Xbox One and Game Pass". Destructoid. Archived from the original on November 14, 2020. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.