Yakuza 6: The Song of Life Review, A Story Worthy of Kazuma Kiryu?

As a long-time fan of the infamous Yakuza series, I couldn't wait to get my hand on the final chapter of Kazuma Kiryu's story within Yakuza 6: The Song of Life. Every preview seen before I got my hands on it seemed to do the iconic franchise justice and for those that are familiar with the general narrative, the latest installment did not disappoint.

The latest installment brings the crime saga to impressively realistic heights, making the already intriguing narrative, heartfelt characters, and the stunning environment that much more immersive. Yakuza 6 really took the "tourist-y" functionality of this franchise and just completely elevated it to a level that both veterans of the series and newcomers will appreciate. Though some felt that the additional gameplay additions outside of the main storyline were less than impressive, I myself found myself still enjoying everything it had to offer - including those mini-games that are a hilarious staple to Yakuza.

The overall storyline regarding this final chapter did a fantastic job of tying together many loose ends and brought the devouring essence of the underground crime scene to an incredible head. Though we do see many familiar faces from games' past, the latest installment had plenty of new friends, enemies, and frenemies to bring to the table as well. Sometimes when intricate stories try to throw in a bunch of random faces, it can make the overall flow chaotic. I was pleasantly surprised in how Altus handled this and the interwoven nature of new and old came together in a progressive way that didn't feel forced.

As the main protagonist, Kazuma Kiryu, scours the streets for the one responsible for a life changing incident with his stepdaughter Haruka, the story was laid out in a way that not only captured my interest, but had my heart bleeding for characters that don't really exist. The constant hunt to protect what he feared to hold dear is a common theme when dealing with how the Yakuza narratives go in any media, and Sega captured Kiryu's internal turmoil and drive to protect effortlessly. His wasn't the only story that was faced with some changes. Fans got to see Haruka become an incredibly strong woman all her own, as well.

The progression of the storyline, though new in its details, was perfectly familiar. Not done in a way that is "been there done that," nor did it stray too far from what fans loved about Yakuza 6's predecessors. Crude, violent, fearsome - The cutscenes on how the battles were handled far outweighed the simplistic combat.

I've heard from fellow players that they felt that the "fisticuffs" were too predictable and lacked depth but for me, that depth came from the associating scenes. As with previous installments, the cutscene/action sequence is incredibly tied in and so I never actually found myself bored with the simplistic combat. Instead, I saw traditional combo styles that were there to get me to the next story point. Besides that, the environment for every fight scene was incredible dynamic. You see that chair? You throw that chair - and for me, that was enough to shake things up.

The one mention I will warn fans about is that the transition between one place and another is very straight forward. There aren't really a lot of means for distraction. There were so many points during my playthrough where I would see a vibrantly lit arcade and wish that it was as accessible as it looked, only to find that it was off limits. That being said, the game definitely wasn't lacking the traditional mini-games ... the ones that are just too hilarious to pass up. Pet-able kittens, random babies (the baby, of course, being Haruto), those sick, sick dad bods ... and we can't forget about the traditional karaoke!

Luckily, once the player is transported back to Kamarucho from Onomichi Jingaicho, there's is more to do. You can actually go into that shiny bar, or that aforementioned arcade. Probably my favourite minigame was the Clan Creator, which basically just makes you god. You can completely control your gangely crew of gang members and just battle it out. It didn't necessarily fit into the overall grand scheme of things but who cares? It's a mini-game, it's not obligated to.

There was still noticeably less to do than previous installments but where Sega took away some aspects, they more than made up with others. The characters, the storyline, the progression ... the ending. It was all incredibly fulfilling and paired perfectly with fan expectations while still offering up a new experience.

Yakuza 6: The Song of Life was a journey that took gamers of all types into the heart of Japan and into a dynamic story that was more than just a cheap thrill. Though incredibly narrative heavy, and the first portion of the game was essentially a mini-movie, for those looking for a new story to fully dive into, this is a great one to do just that. It's also very accessible to those looking to get into the series for the very first time.

WWG Verdict: 4/5