Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
By David Chapman,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Tale of revenge, redemption ... if you get around to it.
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Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
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What’s It About?
YAKUZA 6: THE SONG OF LIFE picks up immediately after the events of Yakuza 5, with protagonist Kazuma Kiryu arrested for his past crimes and serving out a three-year prison sentence. After his release, Kiryu's road to redemption hits a tragic speed bump. Kiryu learns that Haruka, the young girl he's raised and the closest thing he has to family, was the victim of an apparent hit and run and now lies in a coma, leaving a newborn son behind. Taking his foster grandson with him, Kiryu sets out on a tale of revenge, redemption, and even day-to-day life, as he searches for those responsible and seeks to uncover the truth of what happened while he was in prison.
Is It Any Good?
This huge open-world adventure will take you on a tale of revenge and redemption, if you decide to play the main story instead of getting lost in Tokyo. Yakuza 6: The Song of Life brings the story of Kazuma Kiryu to a close with a new adventure built from the ground up for the PlayStation 4, returning players to the seedy underbelly of Japan's criminal underground while also showcasing the day-to-day life and culture in the Land of the Rising Sun. Since this is an original entry, as opposed to a remake or remaster, Yakuza 6 manages to take full advantage of the PS4, cramming in a ridiculous amount of content and some gorgeous visuals, making this the best Yakuza entry to date.
Yakuza 6 continues the series' tradition of giving players plenty to do outside of the main story. There are so many side jobs and mini-games, it's easy to forget that you're a man on a mission. In fact, one of the few faults in Yakuza 6 is that experiencing all the extras the game has to offer can sometimes be more entertaining than actually moving the plot forward. Sure, you could spend every waking moment seeking out revenge against those who've wronged you ... but why would you when you could spend that same time playing Virtua Fighter 5 and Outrun in the arcade or rustling up stray cats so you can open up your own kitten-themed café? It winds up making the main crux of the entire game feel almost secondary and optional. That's not to say that there isn't some depth to Kiryu's predicament, but sometimes the siren's call of a random karaoke moment just proves too tempting to ignore.
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Game Details
- Platform: PlayStation 4
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: Sega of America
- Release date: April 17, 2018
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Topics: Sports and Martial Arts , Adventures
- ESRB rating: M for Blood, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol
- Last updated: September 10, 2021
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