Yakuza Studio Game Reviews
Review Yakuza: Kiwami 2 (PS4) - One of the Best Games in SEGA's Series
Goda tier
Republished on Wednesday, 10th August, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of August's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. Yakuza: Kiwami 2 is a full remake of Yakuza 2, which launched all the way back in 2006 for the PlayStation 2, and much like last year's Yakuza:...
Review Yakuza: Kiwami - The Successor to a Much Stronger Game
Not so extreme
Republished on Wednesday, 10th August, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of August's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. Coming off the back of the fantastic Yakuza 0 – which launched earlier in the year – Yakuza: Kiwami feels too much like a quick and dirty...
Review Yakuza 0 (PS4) - Hysterical Side Quests Complement a Gripping Story
Eurobeatdown
Republished on Wednesday, 10th August, 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of August's PS Plus Extra, Premium lineup. The original text follows. The Yakuza series is one of PlayStation's most overlooked gems, especially here in the West. Unashamedly Japanese in its tone, humour, and...
Review Yakuza: Like a Dragon (PS4) - A Downright Crazy But Captivating Take on a Beloved Franchise
Job's a good'un
Republished on Wednesday 27th July 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of August's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows. Where do we even start with Yakuza: Like a Dragon? SEGA's series has always been eccentric, but this latest instalment takes things to a whole new...
Rumble in the urban jungle
Look, we like Judgment protagonist Takayuki Yagami — even though he was a bit of a wet blanket in Lost Judgment — but he's been completely outdone by Masaharu Kaito, the man who usually plays second fiddle as Tak's roughhousing sidekick. The ex-yakuza is the star of the show in his very own expansion — appropriately...
Mini Review Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania (PS5) - Sony Potassium 5
Ooh, chimpanzee that, Monkey Reviews
These monkeys have a problem. Well, a succession of problems, really, but the main one is that they've been trapped inside giant spheres for no reason. And they're beloved, these monkeys: since the GameCube days, Super Monkey Ball has been (perhaps bafflingly) popular, with increasingly diminishing returns across...
Review Lost Judgment (PS5) - Immense Side Content Makes Up for Sequel's Surprisingly Sloppy Story
Too cool for school
We absolutely love Judgment — especially on PlayStation 5. Despite being the starting point of a spinoff franchise, we'd go as far to say that it's hands down one of the best Yakuza games — and so its sequel, Lost Judgment, comes saddled with high expectations. There's no doubt that this is a bigger, and arguably more...
Review Judgment (PS5) - A Truly Gripping Detective Thriller, and One of the Best Yakuza Games
Another day in Kamurocho
We loved Judgment on PlayStation 4, but over time, our appreciation of this Yakuza spinoff has only grown. Upon reflection, we actually think that our Judgment PS4 review was a bit off the mark, and having now played the game's remaster on PS5, we're fully convinced that this is, hands down, one of the best Yakuza-style...
Mini Review Yakuza: Like a Dragon (PS5) - Not a Huge Upgrade, But Still a Brilliant RPG
A hero's work is never done
The tale of incredibly endearing protagonist Ichiban Kasuga shines brighter than ever on PlayStation 5, where Yakuza: Like a Dragon offers enhanced visuals. This next-gen upgrade lets you choose between 60 frames-per-second at a slightly higher resolution, or 30 frames-per-second with 4K support. And, well... That's about...
Mini Review Yakuza 5 Remastered - Biggest Game in the Series Is Still Brilliant
Five stars
It took three whole years for the original Yakuza 5 to come West on PlayStation 3, and by that point in 2015, the PlayStation 4 was gaming's dominant console. As such, Yakuza 5 often gets forgotten -- but it shouldn't be. Yakuza 5 Remastered is a potent reminder that this gargantuan game deserved so much better. The story's split between...
Mini Review Yakuza 4 Remastered - Uneven Storytelling Holds Back Another Solid Yakuza Title
Four's a crowd
When it originally released back in 2010, Yakuza 4 was defined by its four playable characters -- a first for the series. Alongside mainstay protagonist Kazuma Kiryu, players got to experience the stories of charismatic loan shark Akiyama, escaped convict Saejima, and street-smart cop Tanimura. In Yakuza 4 Remastered, all four...
Review Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD - Monkey's Paw Paradox At Play in Port of Poor Game
Monkey balls
There’s a bit of a monkey’s paw paradox to Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD: SEGA’s vibrant Marble Madness-esque roll-‘em-up has finally made its long-awaited PlayStation 4 debut, but not even apes would have picked this wretched ex-Nintendo Wii exclusive as the version to port. Maligned at launch for its miserable motion...
Review Yakuza 3 Remastered - Rough Around the Edges, But Still a Great Yakuza Game
Return of the Dragon
Yakuza 3's infamously slow start sees series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu enjoying a relatively quiet life managing an orphanage on the sunny shoreline of Okinawa -- but it's not long before our hero is dragged into yet another dramatic feud between yakuza clans. Yakuza 3 was an ambitious jump forward for the franchise back in 2009,...
Review Judgment - Top Tier Yakuza Spin-Off Is a Superb Detective Thriller
The truth and nothing but the truth
SEGA's Yakuza Studio has done it again. The Japanese developer has been on a roll this generation, and it's apparently not stopping anytime soon. Judgment is an entirely standalone Yakuza spin-off that attempts to freshen up the formula by adding detective and courtroom elements to an already rich action...
Review Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise - Marvellous Manga from the Yakuza Team
Definitely not dead
Fist of the North Star is one of the most popular Japanese manga series in history, starting out all the way back in 1983. TV adaptations, novels, and live-action films capitalised on the original 27 volumes in order to continue and sustain the legacy of legendary martial artist Kenshiro, but when it comes to the latest entry in...
Review Yakuza 6: The Song of Life (PS4)
Way of the Dragon
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life looks and feels like the next-gen Yakuza that we've been waiting for. Taking the developer's Dragon Engine out for its first drive, this is the sixth (or seventh, if you count the fantastic Yakuza 0) mainline entry in SEGA's crime drama action role-playing game series, and it's bloody brilliant. The much...
Gangster's paradise
Should the long awaited Yakuza 5 prove to be the PlayStation 3's swan song, there couldn't be a more fitting release. Like the last-gen system itself, the latest instalment in SEGA's seedy soap opera is occasionally convoluted and slow to get started, but it's deeply entertaining all the same. It may have taken series protagonist...
