The WhatsNext verdict
Yakuza 4 Remastered is a character-driven crime saga whose unforgettable ensemble and strange tonal mix outweigh its tangled plotting. Play it if you enjoy dramatic Japanese crime stories, expressive brawling, and side content that can turn gloriously ridiculous.
What it does best
A cast worth following across four distinct journeys
Crime melodrama, absurd comedy, and street brawling in one package
Four fighting styles make every protagonist feel meaningfully different
What might put you off
The conspiracy plot becomes increasingly convoluted
The four-part structure creates uneven pacing
The setup
What you are walking into
The game from 2010 has been remastered for the PS4 with one of Yakuza 4's main protagonists, Masayoshi Tanimura, being recast and getting a visual makeover. Kamurocho, the entertainment district, is about to be bloodbath again. This time, we have four rising dragons. Each of the protagonists has a different fighting style and each of them has to go through sets of impossible trials to find their destiny. The line between game and reality is further blurred, earlier, in 2009, Sega hosts a beauty pageant, and the seven winners became models of their game avatars. Some of them are bar girls, some are hostesses, visit the "play spots" with them, ask them to date in the spas and sing karaoke with them. The Rising Dragon is looking for a successor, will you be it?
Where it lives
Genre
Vibe
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