yakuza
Yakuza’s Majima is a perfect complement to Kiryu
When it comes to the Yakuza series, Kazuma Kiryu isn’t the only beloved and iconic character. Equally notable is Goro Majima, a man who is as often Kiryu’s ally as he is an enemy. A rival who happens to be a member of a different family in the same clan, the two men aren’t all that dissimilar. Each one is a renowned member of the underworld, so respected, revered and feared that they have their own nickname. But profession and reputation aside, the two men couldn’t be more different. It is because of this that the Yakuza series becomes more interesting; the two men’s interactions make things more compelling.
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What should people know about Yakuza?
2017 is a big year for the Yakuza series! Yakuza 0 was released back on January 24, and now Yakuza Kiwami is coming to the PlayStation 4 on August 29. Now is the perfect time to get into the series. But before people do, they may be wondering what they should know about these games. Cue an extensive explanation!
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Review: Yakuza Kiwami is a Majima-mad mashup
Yakuza Kiwami is an amalgamation of disparate pieces for disparate audiences. It’s a project of convenience as much as it is one of veneration, of recycling as much as innovation. It tries to be a lot of things to a lot of people in ways that pull it in different directions, but ultimately, none of those motivations pull it away from being a solid Yakuza game.
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Review: Yakuza 0 will fight for your free time
Yakuza 0 serves as a fitting reintroduction of the series to the West, an origin story for a new generation that may not have checked out the earlier releases. It refines and focuses on what Yakuza is all about, taking this opportunity to make a statement about what’s important: the combat and the storytelling.
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Yakuza 0 video preview: A day in the life of Goro Majima
Let’s head back to 1988! In this video preview, we show you a slice of life in Yakuza 0, following Goro Majima as he heads to the arcade, swings a bat around really hard and tries desperately to get back into the family.
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Video: Having a fun day in the city in Yakuza 5
Yakuza 5 does have some fun underworld intrigue and fighting action, but there’s so much enjoyment to the game that’s just about having a good time! Andrew Passafiume joins us to check out the arcade, play some riverside Shogi and practice our safe driving around the city.
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Embracing Yakuza 5’s unreal reality
The Yakuza series often draws comparisons to Grand Theft Auto, and there’s certainly reason there: it’s about toeing the line between respect and crime in a violent world of thugs and schemers. But it never really feels like GTA, and that’s because while GTA strives toward building a living, cohesive world in which you can get lost for hours, Yakuza pulls the other direction, not just creating unreasonable environments and situations but also reveling in them to great effect.
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Welcome back, Taiko Drum Master!
Yakuza 5 has reached the West today. It’s the end of a long wait for Yakuza fans, and an encouraging sign that the roughest days for American fans of Japanese games are behind us. Secretly, though, it’s the return for a franchise that is just as beloved and missing outside Japan for even longer: Taiko Drum Master, or Taiko no Tatsujin.
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