If you redeemed it before it went live you should be able to go to your purchase history in the PS store and download it… hopefully.
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ILOL, I should have been clearer but I did use a Japanese account. Now it seems like my code is gone/used and I have nothing to show for it :^(.
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Wonder Fest 2016 just started so we get our first shot of the...
Wonder Fest 2016 just started so we get our first shot of the Figma Majima sculpt alongside a fully painted Figma Kiryu.
Can’t wait to take these babies home. They look awesome!
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highdio: Majima Goro Figma. There he is.
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Dunkey plays Yakuza 3. Don’t ask, just watch.
Dunkey plays Yakuza 3. Don’t ask, just watch.
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Photo
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plastichusbando: Good Smile is doing a survey for the next...
Good Smile is doing a survey for the next nendoroid character/person! This is your chance to vote in your favorite characters and hope they’ll be made into nendoroids. The survey will be open until 15th February.
Simply fill the form in and spread the word around!
Vote for Nendoroid Kiryu and Majima!
Go go go!
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We asked over on our Facebook page “What was your first...
We asked over on our Facebook page
“What was your first experience with the Yakuza series? Were you instantly hooked or did you need some warm up time? Answers may be featured in future posts.”
We had quite a few responses, but here are some of the ones that stuck out to us. Like you, the Yakuza series holds as very special, emotional place in our lives. Thanks to everyone who shared their responses and be sure to “like us on Facebook” so you can participate in some of our discussions over there.
Karl F
I remember seeing it in an old PlayStation magazine when it was only in Japan! Jumped on the chance to buy Yakuza 1 the first day it was released and since then I’ve been hooked
Walthari H
Found Y1 lonely on a shelf. Fell in love with the intricacy of the story and vividness of the characters. Living in Japan now, having seen some of the spots and influences, has made me enjoy the series all the more.
John P T
I did not know the series existed until a friend referred it to me. At first, I thought the story was cheesy with Kiryu taking the fall for his best friend and having a time leap at the very start. Then Haruka was introduced and her relationship with Kiryu just connected with me. The rest as they say is history.
Julio G
A magazine ad previewed Yakuza 1 as Shenmue-like, always wanted to play it since but life problems caused me to lose everything and start over from the bottom. Finally played Yakuza 3 as my first title after about 6 years of traumatic loss (mother passed away, sold all previous possessions, wound up homeless for a while with with my father, struggled to achieve the current house I have now), it was SO satisfying and the series practically stuck to my gaming blood ever since.
David M
I never got to play Shenmue on the DC, played a lot of CVS and Jet Set Radio, so didn’t feel like I missed out too much, but wanted to explore environments like that with martial arts (Virtua Fighter RPG and all that) so when I saw Yakuza I just knew I had to play it, and was not disappointed. In fact it ruined Shenmue for me by the time I had got round to playing it ‘cause it was so slow paced, especially after having swum in the sea of neon that is Kamurocho. Now every new game is like returning home, I can almost taste the air when I see the Kamurocho arch, and run straight to the Club Sega to play some games before everything. It’s enough so I find it weird seeing Haruka as an idol, it feels like watching my own daughter dancing on stage. I’m actually pretty thankful I missed Shenmue, because as a result the Yakuza games were everything I’d hoped for and more right off the bat.
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Now it’s your turn Tumblr - Same question!
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Happy Valentine’s Day from Yakuza Fan!Who are you...
Happy Valentine’s Day from Yakuza Fan!
Who are you celebrating with?
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"Big Bo is the hero of Binary Domain."
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Yakuza Fan’s New LookFor the first time in 4 years I’ve updated...
Yakuza Fan’s New Look
For the first time in 4 years I’ve updated Yakuza Fan to something more modern. It was sad to see the old look go but that template was outdated and it was time for an upgrade. I hope you’ll find the new site more user friendly and functional.
What is Patreon?
You may have noticed the new Yakuza Fan look has a few advertisements on it now (just like the games am I right?). I’m going to be honest with you, for the past 4 years I haven’t made a cent off this website and have been updating it in my spare time whenever something major happens.
Recently I’ve found myself laid off from my day job and would like to take running Yakuza Fan on full time. Watch the video above to see what that means for you.
Head over to Patreon to help support the site and the content you want to see.
How often will you be updating?
If there’s new Yakuza news I’ll be there. From the east to the west I’ll be updating as soon as it happens. No more half assing it posting whenever I get the chance. (That doesn’t mean I won’t sleep but you won’t go days without an update!)
Youtube?
That’s right I’ve just launched the official Yakuza Fan Youtube Channel! Subscribe today and don’t miss a thing. My aim is to update at least once a week with quality video content.
Let’s get social.
You may have noticed we’ve been active on our social media (Twitter & Facebook) more than ever. The goal is to make this site something the entire community can not only look forward to updates from but also be proud of.
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Taking on updating full time is something I’ve been wanting to do for a while now. I’m still just as passionate about this series as I was when I first started this site 4 years ago. Together we can keep Yakuza Fan going strong.
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Sony Playstation Japan’s Valentine’s Day Kiwami Commercial...
Sony Playstation Japan’s Valentine’s Day Kiwami Commercial makes random strangers on the streets of Shinjuku the boss.
I’ve gotta say 2 big Yakuza looking guys running at you and yelling is the scariest and most perfect way to spend valentine’s day.
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Ryu Ga Gotoku Kiwami Scary Valentine’s event.
Ryu Ga Gotoku Kiwami Scary Valentine’s event.
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Yakuza Fan’s Yakuza 5 ReviewDecember 2015 My Dreams Came...
Yakuza Fan’s Yakuza 5 Review
December 2015 My Dreams Came True
When Yakuza 5 was announced during Sony’s Playstation Experience in December 2014 I, like most of the fan community, couldn’t believe it. It was finally happening.
Did it Sega America do it justice? Find out after the jump.
Yakuza 5 was like a fresh start for the Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio team. Giving them 2+ years to create the game instead of the usual annualized content they put the extra time to use creating one of the most expansive, engaging, and dense games ever. There is so much content you can spend well over 100 hours and always have something new to see, do, level up, or explore.
Set during December of 2012 (the same date the game released in Japan) Yakuza 5 begins with the series’ main protagonist Kazuma Kiryu hiding out as a cabbie, trying to live the life of a regular joe. It’s not long before his past catches up to him and once again the Dragon of Dojima must step back into the world he’s trying so hard to leave behind. Kiryu’s not alone this time either as there are four others that have parts to play;
- Saejima Taiga– Disgraced Tojo lieutenant looking for redemption.
- Haruka Sawamura– Aspiring idol and singer.
- Shun Akiyama– Money lender with the power to make people’s dreams come true.
- Tatsuo Shinada– Down on his luck ex-baseball star trapped by his past.
With 5 meticulously detailed versions of real cities around Japan Yakuza 5 is not just a game but a traveler’s guide of cool places to visit if you can make the trip:
- Nagasugai (based off Nakasu, Fukuoka)
- Sōtenbori (based off Dōtonbori, Osaka)
- Kin'eicho (based off Sakae in Nagoya)
- Tsukimino (based off Susukino district in Sapporo)
- Kamurocho (based off Kabukicho, Tokyo)
The story of Yakuza 5 is a wild ride and how you play can end up affecting your enjoyment. Rush through and you’ll miss the elaborate world building. Go too slow by getting lost in every side attraction that pops up and the story can get kind of muddled. Cutscenes are longer and more melodramatic than ever which is not necessarily a bad thing but some seem to drag. At times you’ll get drawn in by the acting and emotion of the voice actors only to be left scratching your head with certain character or scene motivations. There’s a particular 4-person battle that had me screaming at my TV because of how pointless it felt.
New to Yakuza 5 is the Another Drama mode. These segments are huge, completely optional, features that allow each character to live their day-to-day lives completely unrelated to the main plot. It may sound like empty filler but it is one of the most engrossing aspects of the game. As you progress through each Another Drama you’ll unlock scenes that flesh out the supporting characters in ways unlike any other game. Each character’s Another Drama contains unique gameplay:
- Kiryu can race his cab on the highways or take passengers slowly through the city for fares, getting extra tips by obeying every traffic sign.
- Saejima can hunt and trap animals in the mountains with the goal of capturing the Legendary Bear.
- Haruka steps into the sordid world of an idol; trying everything to increase her popularity by performing demeaning jobs for her fans.
- Shinada is all about baseball, using completely retooled baseball mechanics; this is maybe the most surprisingly fun mode in the game.
Graphically, even when the game was released 3 years ago in Japan, it’s not the prettiest. The attention to detail in each city and care put into every other aspect has me forgiving the more than occasional frame dip or slow down. NPC’s seem to pop in out of nowhere and tend to bounce off one another but they don’t seem to repeat character models as much as in earlier titles in the series. The in-game music I found wanting even the basic battle theme seemed to lack the same oomph as earlier titles. The songs and gameplay used for Haruka’s Princess League dance offs, however, are amazing.
Battle mechanics are all in place and feel solid and tight. Every punch, kick, and heat action feels completely visceral. Some of the more violent heat actions will make you cringe as you see noses shatter or bones break. Everyone has their own fighting style making each character feel totally unique to use. However unless you let yourself be drawn into the weapon crafting system you’ll end up using the same tactics over and over which can get a bit repetitive.
Fights are now faster to get in and out of with no loading screens in between and enemy fleeing/panic states which allow you to one-shot kill anyone with a purple aura. Stat buffs have also been introduced; by completing Chef Tatsuya’s gourmet challenges, eating at restaurants can now effectively double your life bar while also buffing Strength (Stronger unarmed attacks), Focus (Heat gauge stays up), or Fighting Spirit (Increase heat attack damage). This gives you a reason to visit every restaurant to find the best buffs for the lowest price.
Haruka, on the other hand, has 1v1 dance battles instead of the usual brawling. While the street dance battles can get repetitive and the music is mediocre you do get to choose your battles instead of randomly being assaulted on the streets like the other characters. The controls work well but overall they’re just wholly uninteresting. If you really suck at music rhythm games, though, there’s an option to turn them down to easy while leaving the rest of the game on your desired setting.
The gameplay cohesion of Yakuza 5 is where it really shines. Taking a huge leap forward in streamlining each system while not compromising on any of it. Everything is designed for you to have fun while really pushing the end game and Premium Adventure (post game open exploration) mode. Hostesses, Master training, Restaurants, Coin Lockers, and Victory Road challengers (Yakuza 5’s prelude to the post game underground fighting tournament) have now all been peppered throughout the game world for you to come across naturally, eventually coming together in various, usually useful, ways in the post game. Even sub stories have been retooled, now showing up on your map so you don’t miss them, and continuing to be playable in Premium Adventure if you just want to rush through the story.
Weapon crafting makes a return but is now done by donating materials and money directly to the shop instead of bringing fresh materials every time you need to craft or repair a weapon. This raises the overall level of the shop and quality of available weapons for every character. While each character still needs to raise their level stat individually to wield the most powerful weapons, thanks to the introduction of repair kits and increased durability it’s no longer a waste to invest in an item that breaks after 3 swings.
Leveling up is less of a chore now and enabling auto distribution at the start allows the game to pick the stats for you. If you want to customize your character yourself that’s fine too but it can be annoying not knowing what’s coming up in the skill tree. Once you reach the end game obtaining skill points becomes even easier as investing in the virtual reality Inner Fighter 8 machine to the max level allows you to earn them without needing to grind for experience.
Making money is now also easier than ever. Along with things like the standard gambling halls, Rich Bastard enemy types appear all over the cities and usually drop very valuable materials you can pawn. It’s also possible to sell your spoils from Saejima’s Another Drama mode and is a great new way to earn large amounts of Yen very quickly.
There’s so much to do you’ll likely not even realize some elements even exist. I’ve put over 200 hours into Yakuza 5 and I only realized there was a golf driving range while looking up features for this review! There’s a crazy amount of distractions you can find around each city; Golf, Bowling, Baseball, Pool, Shogi, Fishing, Mahjong, Karaoke, and Pachinko are all back. There’s also new features such as first-person-shooter style snowball fights and chicken races. Arcade machines return with new additions like Taiko Drum Master, and a complete HD version of Virtua Fighter 2 with an online 2 player mode! There’s more I’m missing but the list is massive.
The sheer amount of content packed into this massive package is staggering and with a $40 price tag it’s a fantastic deal. Any long time series fan would be crazy to pass it up. Anyone new to the Yakuza world may have a hard time getting to know the characters but getting lost in the beautifully violent world of Yakuza will have anyone hooked within minutes and make them a lifelong fan.
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and Sega have crafted something special with Yakuza 5. I’ve never had a single player game of this scope mesh all of its systems so well with each other that it keeps giving me reasons to come back. The biggest shame is that most people won’t experience it being 3 years late for a last-gen system but for those that do Yakuza 5 is a rich, colorful, and deeply engrossing experience that’s in my opinion the best in the series.
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Binary Domain, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s 3rd person robot shooter,...
Binary Domain, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s 3rd person robot shooter, is free on Steam as part of Make War Not Love 3 campaign!
It also comes with Streets of Rage 2, and Condemned: Criminal Origins. All you need to do to get your code is head over here and click Redeem prize.
You’ll need to enter a valid email address and it could take 24 hours for the code to be sent to you; but hey free is free!
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Now that we’re back in to the swing of things let’s take a look...
Now that we’re back in to the swing of things let’s take a look at a couple of the new DLC costumes for Ryu Ga Gotoku Kiwami released last week and today!
Along with some random items we get a Kiryu’s prisoner outfit complete with hair cut and a nice suit. Perfect for a more modern Yakuza.
We should have a few more pieces of free DLC releasing in the coming weeks so stay tuned!
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umm, hello. i was wondering if you are interested in ryu ga gotoku ishin? and if you are interested in a localization of it?
Of course! Love all of the Ryu ga Gotoku games and Ishin is no exception!
Would love to see it localized but given the state Sega is in I’d rather see Zero, Kiwami and 6.
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Ok. I’ll admit we’ve dropped the ball over the last few...
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Mens entertainment service Naimaga and Ryu Ga Gotoku team up to...
Mens entertainment service Naimaga and Ryu Ga Gotoku team up to help promote Kiwami! Located in Osaka just around the corner from the Ebisubashi bridge (yes that one).
If you’re brave enough you can get your photo taken in the life size Kiryu cutout standee against a Kamurocho backdrop. Naimaga also added a cross dressing Majima to their hostess panels. They’ve really gone all out with the branding.
If you’re interested in visiting all the info you need can be found here. If you do go, send in your photos to us either via an ask or on twitter. We’d love to see them.
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Yakuza 1&2 HD Collection is only $20 USD on Play-Asia....
Yakuza 1&2 HD Collection is only $20 USD on Play-Asia.
Region free, Japanese only.
Plugging this because it’s a great deal.
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Ryu Ga Gotoku 10th Anniversary works book.For the super fan who...
Ryu Ga Gotoku 10th Anniversary works book.
For the super fan who needs to know everything about Yakuza this book is full of in depth interviews with the original and current team, photos, and art from the last 10 years of Yakuza’s history.
Very heavy in Japanese text but a very cool collectors item to have. You can order now from Amazon Japan
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