Yakuza 4 Review [Some Spoilers]
Yakuza 4 Review [Some Spoilers]
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January 22, 2025
Platform: PC
Total gameplay time: 18 hours
Review Score: 9/10
After every Yakuza game so far in the series, I’ve asked myself what could possibly happen next. After all, each game mostly ties up its story by the end, usually not teasing anything that would be in play in the next game. I went into Yakuza 4 with a similar mindset, and it absolutely delivered with its story and characters. This review contains some plot spoilers.
The main innovation with this entry is that there are not one but four playable characters. Kazuma Kiryu returns, and there are three new characters, all with their own stories to tell. In fact, Kiryu is the last character you play as out of the four. The game is divided into four parts that focus on each character, plus the ending chapter. The story starts with Shun Akiyama, a laid-back businessman who runs Sky Finance, an unconventional loan business in Kamurocho. He learns that the Ueno Seiwa Clan, a yakuza group that rivals the Tojo Clan, are causing a disturbance at a club he owns, and goes to investigate for himself. This kicks off the story as Hiroaki Arai, a Tojo Clan member that Akiyama knows, shoots and kills one of the Ueno Seiwa members. After that, you play as Taiga Saejima, the sworn brother of Goro Majima who spent 25 years in prison for killing 18 members of the Ueno Seiwa Clan before escaping. His goal is to find Majima and learn the truth as to why he didn’t accompany him on the mission back in ‘85.The third and final new character is Masayoshi Tanimura, a police officer who is searching for the truth behind his father’s death. The great thing about Yakuza 4 is that you spend a lot of time with each character, so you really get to know them. By the end of the game, I felt just as familiar with Akiyama, Saejima, and Tanimura as I was with Kiryu, Majima, and the rest of the cast. This leads to the great moment before the final chapter where all four characters meet and join forces.
The first of the four playable characters, Shun Akiyama.
Gameplay-wise, Yakuza 4 is pretty much the same as the previous entries. The main gameplay involves exploring the world and fighting enemies. Unlike the previous games, which all had secondary locations such as Sotenbori and Okinawa, Yakuza 4 takes place almost entirely in Kamurocho. However, there are new areas of Kamurocho to explore, such as the rooftops, underground mall, and underground parking garage. These new areas add a lot of extra content and exploration to Kamurocho, and make up for the lack of a secondary city. The combat is also expanded upon, with each character having their own distinct fighting style. Akiyama’s main attacks are kicks, Saejima is slow but very powerful, and Tanimura utilizes parrying and different holds such as armbars. Kiryu’s combat mechanics are pretty much exactly the same as they are in Yakuza 3. There are also substories, like in previous entries, and each character has their own to complete.
Taiga Saejima at an ice cream shop during normal gameplay.
I think the soundtrack to Yakuza 4 is the best the series has had up to this point. Some of my favorite tracks are Whiskey and Rhapsody, Receive and Bite You, Solitude, Infinite Handcuff, New Serena (it’s technically also in Yakuza 3 but I’m counting it), and the title track, For Faith.
Masayoshi Tanimura, who really grew on me as I played through his storyline.
The story of Yakuza 4 is very long and complex, so I’ll keep it brief. Yakuza 4’s story involves a grand conspiracy involving the Ueno Seiwa Clan and the Tojo Clan, ultimately leading to the discovery of corruption within the Tokyo Police Department. The whole conspiracy is tied to the Ueno Seiwa hit carried out by Saejima in 1985, which connects him, Tanimura, and Akiyama to the plot. In addition, the events of Yakuza 1, specifically the 10 billion yen that was laundered through the Tojo Clan by Kyohei Jingu, are tied to corrupt police commissioner Seishiro Munakata’s plan to destroy the Tojo Clan and allow the Ueno Seiwa to take over Kamurocho. This naturally leads to Kazuma Kiryu getting involved. All four men are connected through their individual meeting of a mysterious woman named Lily, who is later revealed to be Yasuko Saejima, Taiga’s sister, whose goal is to see her brother in prison. In the end, all four characters join forces to stop Munakata, remove his corruption from the police department, and save the Tojo Clan. The story does a great job of introducing and expanding upon new characters and concepts, while also tying everything back to previously established lore and events from the past Yakuza games.
Akiyama, Saejima, Kiryu, and Tanimura on their way to Millennium Tower for the finale.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed Yakuza 4 and consider it to be one of the strongest entries in the series so far. It has a compelling story, great new characters, solid gameplay, and a very strong soundtrack.
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