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Games : Highly Recommended
Ranking:
Release Date: December 8th, 2015 Movie Release Year: 2015

Yakuza 5

Overview -

Sega's storied 'Yakuza' franchise has had quite a time getting into the hands of Western fans going all the way back to the later PS2 era, yet somehow, even if it sometimes takes years after the initial Japanese release, just about every mainline entry has eventually become playable in English. Now that 'Yakuza 0' has been announced for PS4, however, 'Yakuza 5's release on the PS3 brings with it even more excitement than usual.

OVERALL:
Highly Recommended
Rating Breakdown
VIDEO
AUDIO
Tech Specs & Release Details
Release Date:
December 8th, 2015

Video Review

Ranking:

On the now aging PS3, 'Yakuza 5' is quite the standout visually. The minor details might not look terribly great, and billboards and signs within the environments can sometimes look rather dated, but all five of the cities in the game are vibrant and filled with life. 'Yakuza' as a franchise captures an idea of Japan so perfectly, and the great visual design is a big part of why. Each city you'll explore is modeled after a real part of Japan, and the little touches in each environment helps make each area feel totally unique.

All five of the main characters looks surprisingly detailed, with remarkably expressive faces and animations, and if this serves as any indication of just how great the games will look as they move onto PS4, we're in for quite a treat.

Audio Review

Ranking:

Wonderful stuff. The soundtrack is great, though it can admittedly grow a tad repetitive in combat, but the sound design is fantastic. The audio here does a wonderful job of bringing Japan to life, and it's backed up with a ton of really great voice acting. There's no English dub to speak of, but given the tone of everything here, I can't imagine anything more fitting than the Japanese cast.

Final Thoughts

An amazing entry in an amazing series. 'Yakuza 5' is a fun, exciting, and totally engrossing experience that also works as a celebration of Sega's history. Anyone who has never played a game in the series before, might want to at least check out 'Yakuza 4' first, as there's a lot of backstory that otherwise is missing. Even so, this is a superb game that I'd recommend to just about anyone in a heartbeat, and PS3 owners should make the necessary trip to experience 'Yakuza 5.'