Kiryu Kazuma spent his childhood in the Sunflower Orphanage and has been under the protection of a lieutenant of the Dojima Family ever since he was a child. The Dojima Family is a member of the Tojo Clan, which is part of the Japanese organized crime syndicate known as the yakuza and is based in Tokyo. Kazuma quickly becomes a prominent member of the Dojima Family, and he covers his entire back with a tattoo of a dragon. However, in order to protect his best buddy, he decides to take the responsibility for the murder of the Dojima Family's leader and is consequently sentenced to prison.
After ten years have passed, Kazuma eventually makes his way back to his hometown of Kamurocho. He learns that Yumi Sawamura, a young woman he had spent his childhood with in the orphanage, had vanished without a trace. The Tojo Clan has had ten billion yen taken from them, and numerous yakuza organizations are searching high and low for the money. In spite of his best efforts to stay out of it, Kazuma finds himself drawn back into the drama and intrigue of the yakuza world.
Yakuza is a hybrid video game that combines free-roaming adventure, hand-to-hand combat, and role-playing components into a single package. During the exploration mode, Kazuma travels on foot throughout the neighborhood of Kamurocho. The structure of the game is centered on missions; the player has the option to, for the most part, tour the town, entering some of the buildings, going shopping, or playing in numerous minigames such as UFO catcher, batting cage, slot machines, blackjack, and others. In addition to objectives that advance the main storyline, the game also includes optional quests known as side quests. These quests are started by engaging with certain residents of the town.
On the streets of the city or while he is on a mission, Kazuma will frequently be confronted by adversarial yakuza, which may trigger fight sequences. The confrontations take place on different screens, and in order for Kazuma to win, he must vanquish all of his opponents. Even though Kazuma and his foes each have access to firearms, the majority of the fights involve hand-to-hand combat instead of gunfights. Kazuma is capable of fighting with bare hands and is able to execute a number of attacks, including punches, kicks, grabbing, and tossing, as well as combinations of these moves. In addition, the player has the ability to employ many of the things that are shown on the fight screen as weapons by interacting with them. These include not just common weapons like baseball bats, but also more unusual things like chairs, umbrellas, neon signs (which electrify opponents), and even larger objects like bicycles. In most cases, weapons become useless after only a few uses, but Kazuma has the ability to disarm opponents and steal the weapons they are currently utilizing.
A role-playing element is featured in the game's character progression system as well as the game's economy (money is gained after battles and may be spent on things like food, drinks, healing supplies, weapons, and presents, among other things). After each fight, Kazuma earns experience points and advances in level. When Kazuma levels up, the player has the option of allocating ability points however they see fit, which might result in more health, a higher heat gauge (a meter that measures special power), and the unlocking of new moves.
After ten years have passed, Kazuma eventually makes his way back to his hometown of Kamurocho. He learns that Yumi Sawamura, a young woman he had spent his childhood with in the orphanage, had vanished without a trace. The Tojo Clan has had ten billion yen taken from them, and numerous yakuza organizations are searching high and low for the money. In spite of his best efforts to stay out of it, Kazuma finds himself drawn back into the drama and intrigue of the yakuza world.
Yakuza is a hybrid video game that combines free-roaming adventure, hand-to-hand combat, and role-playing components into a single package. During the exploration mode, Kazuma travels on foot throughout the neighborhood of Kamurocho. The structure of the game is centered on missions; the player has the option to, for the most part, tour the town, entering some of the buildings, going shopping, or playing in numerous minigames such as UFO catcher, batting cage, slot machines, blackjack, and others. In addition to objectives that advance the main storyline, the game also includes optional quests known as side quests. These quests are started by engaging with certain residents of the town.
On the streets of the city or while he is on a mission, Kazuma will frequently be confronted by adversarial yakuza, which may trigger fight sequences. The confrontations take place on different screens, and in order for Kazuma to win, he must vanquish all of his opponents. Even though Kazuma and his foes each have access to firearms, the majority of the fights involve hand-to-hand combat instead of gunfights. Kazuma is capable of fighting with bare hands and is able to execute a number of attacks, including punches, kicks, grabbing, and tossing, as well as combinations of these moves. In addition, the player has the ability to employ many of the things that are shown on the fight screen as weapons by interacting with them. These include not just common weapons like baseball bats, but also more unusual things like chairs, umbrellas, neon signs (which electrify opponents), and even larger objects like bicycles. In most cases, weapons become useless after only a few uses, but Kazuma has the ability to disarm opponents and steal the weapons they are currently utilizing.
A role-playing element is featured in the game's character progression system as well as the game's economy (money is gained after battles and may be spent on things like food, drinks, healing supplies, weapons, and presents, among other things). After each fight, Kazuma earns experience points and advances in level. When Kazuma levels up, the player has the option of allocating ability points however they see fit, which might result in more health, a higher heat gauge (a meter that measures special power), and the unlocking of new moves.
