No se si lo amo o lo odio. Ha arreglado muchas cosas que venian flojas de 7 como el combate y alguna cosilla mas pero se ha perdido un poco de esa magia de cosas random que habia en la saga. La historia es una mierda pero desarrolla los personajes de una manera increible y el final es una putisima pasada.

Asi que no tengo ni idea de que me ha parecido ahora mismo.

Perdon, si la tengo. Es la putisima hostia.

Kill the past. Secure the future.


This review contains minor spoilers for Yakuza 5, 6, 7 and Gaiden.


Kiryu has to move on from his past mistakes. Put his trust in others for the first time.

Ichiban has to secure the future for all the ex-Yakuza he helped tear down. They are human too.

Ichiban has to use the past as a stepping stone to reach for even greater highs. If he got up from rock bottom, he is capable of dreaming of greater heights. His father’s footsteps. His failed confession. A brother he didn’t have the chance to change.

Kiryu has to see a brighter tomorrow, secure what little future he has left. Even if he himself tries to deny this fact. Still too afraid to let others into his life.

Wandering around the city with Kiryu, reminiscing on all the past events you and him have been through together. The hardships you have faced against the insurmountable foes behind the many multi-layered conspiracies. The laughs you had with the side characters. The infuriation you felt whilst fighting the near-immortal Amon, or the fun you had batting your stress away at the cages. Finally being able to see some of the long lost characters. This is the life Kiryu has lived. You have seen it all through. Reminisce on it one last time.

But he can't wallow in despair. He has new friends to keep his chin up. You have been an empty, depressed shell of your former self since 2011. It’s time to gain back some of that old spark. Enjoy life whilst it lasts Kiryu. Gather some positivity, if anyone could tell you how to do that, it’d be Ichi and his gang.

This is partially Ichiban’s story after all, and what is Ichiban’s story if not a spontaneous bundle of misfits reaching for the sky?

Ichiban’s tale is always penned in the love he has for his friends. The pals he can always confide in, Adachi and Nanba. The person most unapproachable to him, Saeko. The unpredictable ex-mafia who can whip up a mean dim sum, Zhao. The initially cold, but ultimately human members of the Geomijul, Joongi and Seonhee.
Joining Ichiban’s group of middle aged do-gooders are the helpful wheelchair-bound Eiji. The cabbie who tried to rob him at gunpoint, Tomizawa. The girl who knows more than she lets on, Chitose. Lastly, the brick-faced Yakuza legend, Kiryu Kazuma himself.

Putting Kiryu in Ichibans crew was an interesting decision. These are people he has never had a heart to heart with before. Complete strangers as far as he is concerned. But it worked. The relationship between Kiryu and these people clicked. Ichiban’s cheerfulness can even tear down the greatest of walls. Kiryu quickly found that he had a lot more in common with this pick ‘n’ mix of Japan's (and Hawaii’s) most bold.

What really, really helps the bonds you forge with the party is all of the gameplay additions surrounding it. Wandering around the map could trigger a conversation where Seonhee mentions Joongi watching videos of rubber bands blowing up watermelons. Or a discussion between Ichiban and Tomizawa about hermit-crab real estate. Every one of these conversations is as enamoring as the last.

But it's not limited to just this, eat at restaurants and the crew might burn their tongues on sesame balls or talk about how their sensitive molars make the party weak to ice magic. Levelling up your bonds allows you to do tag team attacks, combo enemies with your allies, and unlock new skills and jobs to experiment with.

Everything you do with your party increases their bond level, as you increase their bond you can go out and grab drinks, usually resulting in a small character arc for that party member. Unlike 7, the characters have plenty of good moments and screen time. So it's not like Zhao or Joongi get a particularly short end of the stick like they did previously. Most of these drink links have nice conclusions, or add particularly entertaining bits of depth to the characters.

So all of this makes the party fantastic. But what's a good band of heroes without some ruthless masterminds?

The majority of the villains are quite good. Together they form a super solid antagonistic cast, though individually they are a bit hit or miss.

Yamai is the standout here. Solid design, fantastic arc, great boss fights and extremely memorable voicework to boot. You’ll be hard pressed to find someone among the fanbase who didn’t end up a fan.

Ichiban’s final boss is not bad, but it definitely will not make it to the hall of fame of RGG’s greats like Aoki, Shishido or Mine. However, Ichiban’s story does not end there. His big moment comes afterwards. His final scene, helping up someone from rock bottom through a naive, one-sided love is just so… Ichiban. The dream present in this scene never came to fruition before. But he made it possible now.

Kiryu’s final boss has a few minor issues. I really don't know why they felt the need to include a “we are not so different, he and I” moment, when I think that much was made clear. But at the same time,

I…

I APOLOGISE.



This game is nothing short of fantastic, following up on every idea, every core concept in this 9-game series is nothing short of monumental work. To be able to do it in this fashion, and deliver it with this much purpose is stunning.

Something as special as this does not come around often.