Yakuza 6: The Song of Life is finally here. The seventh main entry in the Yakuza series, Yakuza 6 continues the franchise’s tradition of throwing the player into a massive open world that is absolutely chalk-full of entertaining distractions and engaging gameplay. This time around, Yakuza 6 returns to the series’ original style of having only one playable character. Kazuma Kiryu will not be the only familiar face that gamers see, but he will be the only one they play as this time around.
Gamers do not have to play any of the previous Yakuza titles to fully appreciate Yakuza 6’s engaging gameplay. However, to get the most out of Yakuza 6’s story, they will need a decent understanding of Kiryu’s previous adventures. Most of the plot plays off of previously established character relationships and narrative beats. The story literally begins right after the events of Yakuza 5. The police approach Kiryu in the hospital while he is still recovering from his injuries from the previous game.
Kiryu willingly goes to jail to serve time for his past crimes so he can get a clean slate. The game fast-forwards three years to Kiryu’s release and he learns someone important to him has seemingly gone missing. It’s up to Kiryu to discover what happened to her.
Of course, no one will fault you if you want to take a little detour while exploring Kamurocho and Hiroshima. Yakuza 6: The Song of Life continues the franchise’s habit of jamming a staggering amount of content into one game for players to engage with. From mini golf to karaoke, beat-downs to baby sitting, there are hundreds of side activities to try. Though more than a few might seem out of place for an open world action adventure, each and every mini-game promises to continue the franchise’s combination of absurd humor and playful variety.
Check out this small hint of all the mini-games Yakuza 6: The Song of Life has to offer:
You can play Yakuza 6: The Song of Life right now on PlayStation 4. If you need help finding your way through Tokyo’s red-light district, check out our Yakuza Wiki.