Yakuza (video game)

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Yakuza
North American cover art
Developer(s)Sega Entertainment R&D #1
Publisher(s)Sega
Designer(s)Toshihiro Nagoshi (producer)
Hase Seishu (writer)
Platform(s)PlayStation 2
ReleaseJPN December 8, 2005
NA September 5, 2006
EU September 15, 2006
Genre(s)Action-adventure game
Mode(s)Single player

Yakuza, released in Japan as Ryū ga Gotoku (龍が如く, lit. "Like a Dragon") is an action/adventure video game developed and published by Sega in 2005 for the Sony PlayStation 2. Sega announced that the budget for the game and its sequel together was 2.4 billion yen (21 million US dollars), making it one of the more costly video games ever created [citation needed].

A sequel to the game, called Ryu ga Gotoku 2, was released in Japan on December 7, 2006.[1]

There is going to be a film adaption of the game, which will be directed by Takashi Miike.

Story

The game follows the story of Kazuma Kiryu (桐生 一馬 Kiryū Kazuma), a former Yakuza whose release from prison after a ten-year sentence sparks the setup of the game's plot. After his release, he returns to find his girlfriend is missing and the clan he was once a part of (the Tojo Clan) has had ten billion yen (aprox. 84,097,035 USD) stolen from them, which the entire Japanese underworld is now searching for. The game was heavily acclaimed in Japan for being the first game to explore Yakuza culture with such depth and —as it is claimed— authenticity to the nature of Japan's criminal underground.[2]

Characters

Kazuma Kiryu

Voiced by: Darryl Kurrylo

The protagonist of Yakuza, Kazuma was known as "the Dragon of the Dojima Family" because of the dragon tattoo on his back. He was planning on starting his own subsidiary group until he was imprisoned for ten years for the murder of Sohei Dojima. After his release, Kazuma returned to Kamurocho and quickly found himself pulled back into the Yakuza underworld.

Akira Nishiki

Voiced by: Michael Rosenbaum

Along with Yumi, Nishiki grew up in the Sunflower Orphanage with Kazuma. Nishiki was the one actually responsible for the death of Dojima, but reluctantly allowed Kazuma to take the fall for it so he could tend to his ill sister, who died shortly thereafter. When Kazuma returns to Kamurocho, he finds that Nishiki has not only started his own subsidiary group of the Dojima Family, but has changed into a cold, heartless man completely unlike his former self. He has a carp tattooed on his back, much like Kazuma's dragon.

Yumi Sawamura

Voiced by: Eliza Dushku

Yumi grew up with Kazuma and Nishiki, and worked as a hostess at Serena with Reina. She was abducted by Sohei Dojima, and the trauma of the event caused her to lose her memory; shortly after, she checked herself out of the hospital and disappeared.

Haruka

Voiced by: Debi Derryberry

Haruka is a young girl searching for her mother, Mizuki, whom evidence seems to indicate is Yumi's younger sister. Haruka is also somehow connected to the money that went missing before Kazuma's release. A combination of these reasons and pure chance leave Haruka in Kazuma's tentative custody. Before arriving in Kamurocho, she too lived at the Sunflower Orphanage.

Mako Date

Voiced by: Bill Farmer

After Dojima's murder, Detective Date was the only one not fully convinced of Kazuma's guilt. He continued to investigate the case even after Kazuma's incarceration, which earned him an unwanted transfer to the Organized Crime Unit.

Reina

Voiced by: Rachael Leigh Cook

A friend of Kazuma, Reina is the owner of Serena, the bar that acts as a safe house for Kazuma as he attempts to re-establish himself as a force in Kamurocho. She helps look after Haruka.

Sohei Dojima

The honorable but violent head of the of the Dojima Family and the top captain of the Tojo clan of which he is affiliated, Dojima was known for getting his way by any means necessary. His death sent ripples through the affiliate families.

Masa Sera

Voiced by: Alan Dale

Dojima's direct successor and third head of the Dojima Family, Sera was credited with rebuilding the nearly-shattered syndicate. Just before Kazuma's release from prison, Nishiki revealed before the leaders of a number of factions that Sera had been hiding the disappearance of a large amount of money, and Sera was killed as a result.

Shintaro Fuma

Voiced by: Roger L. Jackson

A kind and honourable man, Fuma is a lieutenant of the Dojima Family, captain of the Fuma Family, and a father-figure to Kazuma and Nishiki. He had provided funding for the Sunflower Orphanage Kazuma, Nishiki, and Yumi grew up in. An attempt was made on his life at Sera's funeral.

Futo Shimano

Voiced by: Michael Madsen

Shimano is the head of the Shimano Family, an affiliate of the Tojo Clan. Much like Dojima, he has a reputation for his ruthless, violent nature, and has a brutal grudge against Kazuma for Dojima's death.

Goro Majima

Voiced by: Mark Hamill

A lieutenant under Shimano and head of the Majima Family, Majima is an acquaintance of Kazuma with a twisted sense of loyalty. His temper and lack of mercy earned him the nickname "the Madman of the Shimano Family". Because of his friendship with Kazuma he believed himself to be the only one entitled to kill him, and nearly died attempting to protect that right.

Shinji Tanaka

Voiced by: Daniel Capellaro

Kazuma's "little brother", Shinji looks up to Kazuma and helps him out when he can. He is a high-ranking "soldier" under Nishiki, but his true loyalties lie with Kazuma and Fuma.

Kage

Voiced by: Dwight Schultz

The mastermind behind a self-sufficient underground world called Purgatory and a district-wide surveillance system, Kage is a notorious professional informant, and can provide any piece of information for a price. He abandoned his family when he went underground, but still watches over them. His son, Takashi, is involved with a girl called Kyoka, who happens to be the daughter of the head of the Atobe Family.

Kazuki

Kazuki is the young owner of Stardust, a popular host club located directly across from Serena. Kind and charismatic, he is indebted to Fuma and helps Kazuma at his request.

Yuya

Yuya is a host at Stardust and Kazuki's right-hand man. He is outspoken, proud, and more than willing to fight for both Kazuki and Stardust. His girlfriend, Miyu, is the main attraction at the Asia strip club.

Trivia

  • Although the game doesn't explicitly say it, much of the game takes place in Tokyo's Shinjuku ward, most noticeably a recreation of Shinjuku's red-light district Kabukicho, which is famous for its organized crime presence. Although the area was recreated as a fictionalized "Kamurocho district", much of Kabukicho's landmarks remain (such as Theater Square, Don Quixote, the red neon sign in the district's entrance, and Seibu Shinjuku Station).
  • Japanese coffee brand Boss Coffee is visible in many parts of the game. Boss Coffee has a reputation for having very aggressive marketing. [citation needed]
  • The arcade machines found in Club Sega feature screenshots of Sega's own popular fighting series, Virtua Fighter

Voice cast

English language version

Notes and references

  1. ^ "Ryuga Gotoku 2 [Yakuza 2]". Sega. Retrieved September 3. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ "GOfficial Yakuza website". Sega. Retrieved August 15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ SEGA Announces Hollywood Talent To Headline Cast Of Yakuza. URL retrieved June 19, 2006.

External links

Official websites
Media and interviews
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