We are absolutely spoiled by Yakuza games lately, especially if you’re a newcomer to the series who was able to get out effortlessly 0 to Kiwamis for Like a dragon. But now that some of the older games have been released for PC, those interested in going back to the series’ history need to keep a few things in mind.
After a PlayStation launch last year, Yakuzas 3, 4 AND 5 are on sale today for PC and Xbox, in the form of “remastered” editions. And although they have been improved slightly to update them, with improvements in resolution and frame rate, these are still games with 11, 10 and 8 years old, and different Kiwami, they are definitely not complete remakes.
What that means is that, graphic adjustments aside, you’ll be playing with some old Yakuza games, to a degree that I hadn’t realized before trying them out this week. As the series tends to improve at a glacial pace between releases, a fit here and a fit there is not always apparent when you play a new one Yakuza the game is much smoother and more contemporary than the previous one. You’re just thinking, hey, this is a new one Yakuza game, dear!
So, going back to Yakuza 5, now one of only two games in the main series that will not be analyzed here (I was having technical problems with the PS3 at the time, and that’s why I never finished), no quite it was the joy I hoped it would be. The game still dominates, don’t get me wrong, but I was a little shocked by the rigidity of the game’s controls,ff Kiryu’s animations were, how many of the series’ annoying little idiosyncrasies (such as fixed save points and a lack of first-person mode) I had covered up or simply forgotten in my pink memories.
And still! Of course what things would happen, these are old video games, and otherwise it would be given and expected. It is only due to the wild and strange growth of this series in the West, which has reached very strange points (first in 3, then 0 and lately in Like a dragon) that I wanted to bring you here, since so many people on PC and Xbox may be approaching these games for the first time, instead of revisiting an old favorite.
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If so, of course you will love them, as long as you are prepared for that kind of thing. Yakuza 4 AND 5 especially it has a kind of bombastic generosity that later games have moved away from, with an insanely exaggerated cast of playable characters and interconnected stories that are an absolute blast for you to work on.
Meanwhile I really admired the effort put into Like a dragon Combat RPG, it was also good to return to the series’ bone-breaking action combat, something that looks and sounds intimidating, but it really isn’t. A combination of upgrade paths and difficulty settings means that basically anyone can make their way through these games, including some of the best and most memorable boss fights you’ve ever seen.
I am the worse in this type of combat, so if I can finish these games without breaking a sweat, anyone can.
Yakuzas 3, 4 AND 5 Remastered is available today for PC (Windows Store and Steam), Xbox One and Xbox Game Pass (for Xbox One and PC). And if you want to check out my full reviews on 3 AND 4, written around the time of its release, you can find them below!