During the Lonely Hana story
Several “substories” (aka side missions) litter the Yakuza 4 experience. Completing them earns bonus experience and gear.
During the Lonely Hana story, expert advisor Akiyama will hear about counterfeit money making the rounds in Pink Street. Go to the Sky Finance office on south Theater Square, and take out the yakuza swindlers inside to clear this substory.
Strategy
Kiryu is a pretty good fighter in Yakuza 4. He has a wide range of moves at his disposal, including the ability to charge up his HEAT action for devasting attacks. Aside from that, he can punch, kick, throw objects at enemies, and sway around with the left analog stick to dodge. He can also taunt, which increases his heat gauge.
Kiryu can even use a construction pipe to attack enemies on scaffolding. Keep filling up that blue bar to perform devastating attacks. Eventually, the enemy’s health will run out and they’ll be defeated. But it’s important to reload between each attack.
Gameplay
Yakuza 4 Remastered continues the story of series regular Kiryu Kazuma while introducing three new protagonists embroiled in Tokyo’s seedy underworld. Players will switch between these heroes as they follow clues into the murder mystery that entangles them. Each character has a unique fighting style to use against their criminal foes and their own plot thread that can be explored through substories.
The game’s graphics are stunning, displaying beautifully rendered environments and characters. Whether you’re walking around the streets of Mamurocho or visiting the many clubs and restaurants, the game looks fantastic. There’s also a great soundtrack, with songs that capture the feeling of each setting.
In combat, the game’s controls are easy to learn but require some practice to master. The X button dodges backwards while the left analog can be used to sway. The R1 button locks on the nearest enemy and the R2 button taunts. Filling up your Heat gauge allows you to perform devastating attacks.
The only downside to the gameplay is that it can be pretty repetitive after a while. Thankfully, you can take a break and play one of the game’s many minigames to recharge. The Reminisce option on the main menu also helps to alleviate this by letting you watch movies that recap events from the first three games in the franchise.
Characters
Kazuma Kiryu is joined by 4 other protagonists in Yakuza 5 who each have their own substories that take place across 5 cities of Japan. The game includes a huge world to explore with lots of mini-games like poker, sea fishing, bowling and much more.
After completing “Lonely Hana,” Hayashida will call you and tell you to investigate counterfeit money circulating in town. Go to Sushi Ginza, Poppo Nakamichi Street, Volcano, and the homeless village near West Park to find out more. Trade the fake bills to the Celeb Guy on southern Tenkaichi Street for Concert Tickets. Then give them to the Regretful Man in Theater Square for a Watch.
Substories
A major strength of the Yakuza series is that the game has tons of cool things to do besides the story. There are dozens of minigames, activities, masters, and other side quests that can keep you busy for hours. However, despite these amazing extras, Yakuza 5 suffers from some serious narrative bloat that kills any sense of pacing or momentum. The main story of the game tries to force every single character into a linked villainous plot and ends up creating an anticlimatic end that was definitely not worth all the buildup.
The main story starts with Kiryu and Daigo Dojima raiding the Millennium Tower together. After that, they will go on a spree of attacking foreign businesses in Tokyo. They will also be involved in a war with the Black Monday clan. They are enlisted to destroy their rivals, but it seems they may be in for a surprise when they realize they are not alone.
As always, the story in Yakuza games is a lot of drama, brawls, and some nonsense. But this time, the premise is much more melodramatic than previous entries. The plot is well written, but it doesn’t seem as deep as the previous Yakuza games.
There are some great substories, and the gameplay is just as good as usual. Unlike most RPGs, the Yakuza games are not afraid to go over the top with the violence and sex. This is one of the best Yakuza games in terms of storytelling, but it still lacks some of the depth of the older titles.
There are a few other interesting substories in the game, including dating simulators and massage parlors. These can be accessed by visiting the various locations in the city, such as the Kyushu No. 1 Star restaurant and the southern Nakamichi Street. The first two have their own substories that are triggered when you visit them. The third, on the other hand, requires you to enter a massage parlor and talk to the hostess. In addition, you can also complete the Lonely Hana and Tanimura’s dealings with their respective agencies.
