Ranking the Yakuza Series: ‘Yakuza 6: The Song of Life’

by Flora Merigold · Published April 30, 2021 · Updated April 30, 2021

When booting up The Song of Life, I felt some fatigue. I was finally at the end of the Yakuza series. And I can’t shake the impression that the developers felt this fatigue as well. Though the storyline of this finale feels heartfelt and involved, with no corners cut for the sake of the series’ characteristic drama, I found myself almost mindlessly moving through the game at times. I think one of the biggest offenses of Yakuza 6 is the number of characters it introduces and expects the player to care about. I don’t mind learning about new people or playing them, but Yakuza 6 risks alienation and disconnection due to the sheer amount of people that the story involves, especially when the series is otherwise trying to drive home emotional themes in a conclusion. While much of it is overwhelming in comparison to the remainder of the series, I ended up appreciating the doorstopping role that this game needed to play as the finale in such a long series.

When I finished this game, I cried. Four times. Which is to say that I wasn’t ready for this series to end — however exhausted, however many hundreds of hours I had spent with it. There are a number of ways that Yakuza 6 wants to trick you into believing that it is over. I won’t spoil these tactics here but suffice it to say that, after six other games in the series under my belt, I was emotionally ripe for these narrative tricks. I think the Yakuza series is something uniquely special and I want people to appreciate it, so when I started to realize that I had no more stories with Kiryu left to share, I was left with a feeling of loss. The Yakuza series has provided me with such comfort and mirth that I shudder to move on. That being said, I know that moving on is the natural way forward. (Albeit, I have completed Judgment and am on the finale chapter of Yakuza: Like a Dragon since writing this series of Yakuza reviews.)

As I conclude my thoughts about Kiryu’s saga of the Yakuza series, I want to suggest that this has been a video game series that has more or less changed my life. This change is ridiculous to even suggest given how recalcitrant I was towards the series when I began. But I cannot overstate how dear core characters like Kiryu, Majima, and Haruka, are to my heart. I care so deeply for these people and their living conditions, e.g. Kamurocho. I find the series’ trademark balance of whacky substories and melodramatic tension to somehow work every time. And I would play a thousand more games set in this universe; I love this setting and these characters that much.

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Fun

Is the Game Fun?

The Dragon Engine allows for some hilarious combat physics and some intensely fun and intuitive interactions throughout the game. There may not be “Baka Mitai” in the Karaoke queue but somehow the game makes up for that.

Performance

Does the Game Perform Well?

Though I have no serious complaints with the performance of Yakuza 6, there were a number of times where cutscenes lagged and, even worse, QTE moments were delayed via loading times on the Playstation 4. Yakuza 6 almost hits the full point here.

Art

Does the Game Have a Fitting Art Style?

As a return to form, Yakuza 6 recaptures much of what Kiwami and Kiwami 2 established as graphical benchmarks. I cannot overstate how much better 6 looks compared to its remastered peers.

Story

Does the Game Have a Unique Story or Premise?

Part of me considered docking this category by half a point, sheerly to catch up with the amount of characters this game chooses to introduce. Despite my reservations, however, I fell in love with the cast by the end. And I cried four times. Four. Times. At the ending. This story kicks ass.

Lasting Power

Does the Game Have Replayability or Lasting Power?

More than any recent game in the Kiryu saga, Yakuza 6 begs to be paid attention to. Whether through lasting power or replayability, there is so much here, all of which culminates in something deeply important.

Verdict

Yakuza 6 is perhaps the most profound entry of the series, risking not only its protagonist but its deuteragonists as well. I will miss spending time with Kiryu as I move on, but I’m glad they stuck the landing to such a worthwhile series.