(played with the TeamK4L Translation patch)
"Kurohyō: Ryū ga Gotoku Shinshō" is a spin-off of the mainline Yakuza/Like a Dragon series for the PSP. It stars a new protagonist: Tatsuya Ukyo, a high school drop out who is eager just to pick fights. The story starts with him assaulting a Tojo Clan captain, but is framed by the Kuki Family, saying he killed him. To earn his freedom, he must fight in an underground tournament called Dragon Heat. He needs to win 10 consecutive battles to win his freedom. Along the way, he uncovers the plot of who framed him for the hit and uncovers more about himself.
Translating a Yakuza game onto a handheld doesn't seem like an easy task. Kamurocho is pre-rendered with fixed camera angles to give the illusion of a full Kamurocho. The cutscenes are now animated like a comic book. The art style gives me some Metal Gear Solid artwork vibes, and I like it. A good compromise for being on a less powerful system. The minigames aren't as plentiful as the mainline games, but there's enough to keep you busy. Batting cages, working part time jobs, visiting hostess, etc. There's also a few mainline characters that make small appearances in side activities. One downside to the overworld is the lack of taxi stands. I don't understand why there isn't any taxi stands in the game. It's a pain to run from one end of Kamurocho to the other between story beats. Another annoyance is when you run into a police officer, and Tatsuya just runs away to an alleyway. I hate that they're more an annoyance. They've helped me once or twice get to a story beat quicker, but that's it.
The combat system is pretty solid. It's more of a one-on-one style fighting game that can house a few enemies at a time versus the groups you fight on the street in the mainline games. You have access to a variety of styles in the game, which keeps the combat fresh and interesting. I believe there are about 20 or so, but I never unlocked all of them. I unlocked a decent chunk though. It also introduces target damage, so inflicting damage on certain areas of your body will affect your performance in battle. Your head, arms, body, and legs can be targeted, but this also applies to the enemies you face. There are also parries in the game, which are key to keeping yourself alive and warding off damage. However, I feel enemies spam these a lot, and makes fighting them annoying at times. As a whole, the combat system is pretty tame compared to mainline games. Heat Actions can only be performed when you grab someone. I also have a few criticisms about the battle system. Anything that involves mashing buttons, whether it be escaping a grab or engaging in a grapple battle, tend to favor the AI. Also, why can't the health bars display during a fight? I don't want to constantly pause a fight to check my health.
There are various ways to learn new styles. Level up existing ones, learn it from someone you've defeated in Dragon Heat, or learn new ones from various story beats. You level up these styles with experience you earn in battle, and you can also pay to learn new charged punch and kick attacks. The same person also helps you improve your punching power, kick power, grab attacks, stamina, and heat action strength. You pay a fee, and it levels up accordingly.
During Dragon Heat fights, you fight a variety of characters. All of them pose a decent challenge. I feel like some of them are tougher than others, whether it be to their moves or their fighting style, but as a whole, it provides some variety in the fights. Heck. I almost beat the final boss on my first try. Only took me two tries to defeat him, and that's with chugging health items throughout the fight.
Tatsuya, himself, has a fantastic character arc. He goes from some punk kid on the street to a refined man who learns to understand why he fights in the first place. He first only did it for violence, but now he fights with a purpose. He realizes that during his time in Dragon Heat and the characters that surround him.
In the end, this entry has a solid spot in the series' line of games. While not my favorite, I still had a lot of fun playing this. On my list of favorite games in the series, I list this game above 4, which has a messy plot, but below Kiwami 2, which has a more straightforward plot that's easier to understand.
"Kurohyō: Ryū ga Gotoku Shinshō" is a spin-off of the mainline Yakuza/Like a Dragon series for the PSP. It stars a new protagonist: Tatsuya Ukyo, a high school drop out who is eager just to pick fights. The story starts with him assaulting a Tojo Clan captain, but is framed by the Kuki Family, saying he killed him. To earn his freedom, he must fight in an underground tournament called Dragon Heat. He needs to win 10 consecutive battles to win his freedom. Along the way, he uncovers the plot of who framed him for the hit and uncovers more about himself.
Translating a Yakuza game onto a handheld doesn't seem like an easy task. Kamurocho is pre-rendered with fixed camera angles to give the illusion of a full Kamurocho. The cutscenes are now animated like a comic book. The art style gives me some Metal Gear Solid artwork vibes, and I like it. A good compromise for being on a less powerful system. The minigames aren't as plentiful as the mainline games, but there's enough to keep you busy. Batting cages, working part time jobs, visiting hostess, etc. There's also a few mainline characters that make small appearances in side activities. One downside to the overworld is the lack of taxi stands. I don't understand why there isn't any taxi stands in the game. It's a pain to run from one end of Kamurocho to the other between story beats. Another annoyance is when you run into a police officer, and Tatsuya just runs away to an alleyway. I hate that they're more an annoyance. They've helped me once or twice get to a story beat quicker, but that's it.
The combat system is pretty solid. It's more of a one-on-one style fighting game that can house a few enemies at a time versus the groups you fight on the street in the mainline games. You have access to a variety of styles in the game, which keeps the combat fresh and interesting. I believe there are about 20 or so, but I never unlocked all of them. I unlocked a decent chunk though. It also introduces target damage, so inflicting damage on certain areas of your body will affect your performance in battle. Your head, arms, body, and legs can be targeted, but this also applies to the enemies you face. There are also parries in the game, which are key to keeping yourself alive and warding off damage. However, I feel enemies spam these a lot, and makes fighting them annoying at times. As a whole, the combat system is pretty tame compared to mainline games. Heat Actions can only be performed when you grab someone. I also have a few criticisms about the battle system. Anything that involves mashing buttons, whether it be escaping a grab or engaging in a grapple battle, tend to favor the AI. Also, why can't the health bars display during a fight? I don't want to constantly pause a fight to check my health.
There are various ways to learn new styles. Level up existing ones, learn it from someone you've defeated in Dragon Heat, or learn new ones from various story beats. You level up these styles with experience you earn in battle, and you can also pay to learn new charged punch and kick attacks. The same person also helps you improve your punching power, kick power, grab attacks, stamina, and heat action strength. You pay a fee, and it levels up accordingly.
During Dragon Heat fights, you fight a variety of characters. All of them pose a decent challenge. I feel like some of them are tougher than others, whether it be to their moves or their fighting style, but as a whole, it provides some variety in the fights. Heck. I almost beat the final boss on my first try. Only took me two tries to defeat him, and that's with chugging health items throughout the fight.
Tatsuya, himself, has a fantastic character arc. He goes from some punk kid on the street to a refined man who learns to understand why he fights in the first place. He first only did it for violence, but now he fights with a purpose. He realizes that during his time in Dragon Heat and the characters that surround him.
In the end, this entry has a solid spot in the series' line of games. While not my favorite, I still had a lot of fun playing this. On my list of favorite games in the series, I list this game above 4, which has a messy plot, but below Kiwami 2, which has a more straightforward plot that's easier to understand.