Yakuza[b] is an action-adventure video game developed and published by Sega for the PlayStation 2. It was released in 2005 in Japan and in September 2006 internationally. The story follows Kazuma Kiryu, a yakuza member who spent ten years in prison for a crime he did not commit. After being released, he learns that the criminal underworld is searching for 10 billion yen that has been stolen from the Tojo clan. He comes across an orphan named Haruka who is being targeted by the clan. She is believed to have the key to their lost money and Kiryu resolves to protect her. The game takes place in Kamurocho, a realistic recreation of Tokyo's Kabukicho district.
Yakuza takes place in an open world and makes use of role-playing elements. The player gains experience from combat which is used to improve Kiryu's fighting capabilities. In order to finance the game's expensive production, Sega contracted a tie-in campaign with famous Japanese companies. A sequel, Yakuza 2 was released in Japan in 2006. The game, along with its sequel, received an HD remaster, released in Japan in 2012. A remake of the first game, Yakuza Kiwami, was released for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 in 2016, and later ported to Windows and Xbox One.
The critical reception was mostly positive. Although some criticized its clunky mechanics, the game was received well for its presentation and story. Yakuza was a commercial success, having sold over 1 million units on PS2. It went on to spawn an entire franchise of games.
0