Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
- March 25, 2021
- Ryu ga Gotoku Studios
- 28h median play time
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Get on PS StoreIn Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, Kazuma Kiryu seeks a quiet life but finds himself protecting Haruka's son, Haruto, after an accident puts Haruka in a coma. Kiryu uncovers a ruthless world of Yakuza in Onomichi, Hiroshima, as he fights for Haruto's safety and the truth about Haruto's father. This emotional narrative highlights the importance of family and showcases an enhanced combat system with seamless transitions between battles and exploration.
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Reviews
- story3,129 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story of "Yakuza 6: The Song of Life" is a poignant and emotional conclusion to Kazuma Kiryu's saga, focusing on themes of family and sacrifice. While many players appreciate the character development and engaging plot twists, some criticize the absence of beloved characters from previous entries and find certain plot points convoluted or unsatisfactory. Overall, the narrative is seen as a strong, albeit imperfect, send-off for Kiryu, with a mix of heartfelt moments and typical Yakuza absurdity.
“The storytelling and execution is very well made.”
“It's a great emotional story.”
“Absolutely fantastic story and has the best ending in the series, transitioning from Yakuza to Like a Dragon.”
“The story was full of nonsense.”
“The author also left out one of the main supporting characters that appeared in almost all Yakuza games prior to this one just for the stupid story to work.”
“I feel like most of the story is pretty weak and at points I feel Kiryu makes really out of character decisions.”
- gameplay606 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay in Yakuza 6 has received mixed reviews, with many players noting that while the new Dragon Engine enhances graphics and introduces some interesting mechanics like the Extreme Heat mode, the overall combat feels clunky and less refined compared to previous entries. Critics point out issues such as imprecise controls, a lack of depth in combat mechanics, and a reliance on cutscenes that detracts from the gameplay experience. Despite these drawbacks, the engaging story and character development often compensate for the gameplay's shortcomings, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of the series.
“The gameplay and graphics are a massive step-up from the remastered games thanks to the new engine, the music is as amazing as ever, and the story is one of the best in the franchise.”
“With a new engine, new combat system, reworked mechanics, and a more integrated and seamless world, Yakuza 6 is the most impressive Yakuza game yet.”
“The gameplay is fun and the story is intriguing, even though I hated some of the character development, and epic moments like always.”
“Lock-on mechanic behaves weirdly and you'll find yourself punching the air quite a lot, whereas enemy attacks work like magnets and they will literally spin 180 degrees during the punch animation just for it to connect.”
“The actual gameplay itself is pretty bad.”
“It's the first game on the dragon engine (by far the worst thing to happen to the series gameplay-wise), and where 3 had a sort of experimental game (Kenzan) beforehand to ease the transition and fix any major flaws with the gameplay, 6 is the experimental game and the combat is just atrocious.”
- music467 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in "Yakuza 6: The Song of Life" has received mixed reviews, with many praising its emotional depth and thematic appropriateness, particularly in key scenes and boss battles. While some players consider it one of the best soundtracks in the series, others feel it lacks the memorability of previous entries, suggesting that the original licensed music, especially by Tatsuro Yamashita, significantly enhances the experience. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a strong complement to the game's narrative, though opinions vary on its standout quality compared to earlier titles.
“The gameplay and graphics are a massive step-up from the remastered games thanks to the new engine, the music is as amazing as ever, and the story is one of the best in the franchise.”
“The voice acting and soundtrack further elevate the experience, enhancing every emotional beat and epic showdown.”
“The soundtrack is absolutely excellent and you can tell so much heart and soul was put into the songs.”
“Weak story, awful floaty combat, worst final boss in the series and a soundtrack that was really forgettable outside of a few gems.”
“Music is pretty lackluster, unfortunately.”
“The soundtrack is rather mediocre, which is disappointing since the game came out after 0.”
- graphics384 mentions
- 51 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics in Yakuza 6 have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals and significant improvements over previous entries, thanks to the new Dragon Engine. Players have noted the game's ability to create immersive environments, particularly in cutscenes, with detailed character models and vibrant scenery that enhance the storytelling experience. While some minor technical issues, such as anti-aliasing problems and occasional frame rate drops, were mentioned, the overall graphical presentation is considered one of the best in the series.
“The gameplay and graphics are a massive step-up from the remastered games thanks to the new engine, the music is as amazing as ever, and the story is one of the best in the franchise.”
“The graphics due to the switch to the dragon engine are amazing.”
“The graphics are incredible in this game and the gameplay I really enjoyed.”
“The graphics are not good.”
“The graphic is not clear.”
“This game has little, if any redeeming qualities to it other than 'pretty graphics'.”
- emotional374 mentions
- 99 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of "Yakuza 6: The Song of Life" is widely praised, with many players describing it as the most emotionally impactful entry in the series. Reviewers frequently mention crying during key moments, particularly the touching conclusion of Kiryu's story, which is filled with heartfelt interactions and significant character development. The game effectively balances humor and drama, creating a rich narrative experience that resonates deeply with players, making it a memorable and emotional journey.
“Never has a game made me so emotional; the best possible ending to Kiryu's story had me crying. Just a 10/10 ending, having a finale for a series this good was always going to be difficult, and this game did it perfectly. Truly an amazing game.”
“I have never experienced anything that has made me feel the way this game has made me feel. I am both better off for playing this game and empty now that I have finished it.”
“The story is intriguing, emotional, and entertaining from start to finish.”
“If the characters weren't good, it would be a boring story.”
“Bricked my computer any time I closed it; boring story, just move on.”
- humor181 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in Yakuza 6 is a standout feature, blending absurdity with heartfelt moments, often through hilarious side quests and ragdoll physics that lead to comically exaggerated enemy reactions. Players appreciate the mix of laugh-out-loud scenarios and emotional depth, with many noting the game's ability to evoke both laughter and tears. While some side stories may not resonate as strongly, the overall comedic tone remains a defining aspect of the series, ensuring a memorable experience filled with quirky antics and unexpected twists.
“The game is full of many hilarious and tragic moments, the substories are fully voiced and creative, the new combat system is much more cinematic with brutal heat moves and the minigames are fun and engaging as always.”
“Kiryu's still the stone-faced badass, but the humor and heart are on point.”
“Every line uttered by the characters is meant to be serious, but the sheer insanity of the characters and idiocy of the plot makes it so hilarious, I had to stop numerous times to catch my breath from laughing so much.”
- grinding78 mentions
- 1 % positive mentions
- 9 % neutral mentions
- 90 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with some players finding certain minigames and side activities excessively tedious, particularly in fishing and clan battles. However, many also noted that the grinding can be enjoyable and rewarding, especially when it contributes to character progression and story engagement. Overall, while some elements require significant time investment, players generally felt that the experience was worthwhile, especially for fans of the Yakuza series.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“It felt pretty grindy, though, and with no real indication of when you unlock the new fishing areas, it was hard to feel motivated to keep playing it.”
“The only main hassle really felt was the grinding on the spearfishing and Puyo Puyo games - this could have been better.”
“While both mini-games are fun, they are extremely grindy which I guess is the appeal to hardcore fans in the first place.”
- optimization70 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The optimization of Yakuza 6 has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues such as frame drops, long loading times, and stuttering, particularly on PC. While some users experienced smooth gameplay at high settings, others noted that the game is poorly optimized for older hardware and recommended limiting frame rates to avoid overheating. Overall, the game's graphical enhancements are praised, but the optimization challenges detract from the experience for many players.
“Yakuza 6’s iteration of the Dragon Engine is perhaps the best, because the Dragon Engine is the first version with maximal graphical enhancements before it was optimized in later entries.”
“It looks glorious—astounding even, and it is well optimized in the graphics department.”
“Performance on my Ryzen 5 3600 and RTX 3060 Ti is great; I played the whole game at 1080p native, all settings set to ultra and super sampling anti-aliasing set to 1.5x, so a pretty decent effective resolution overall, and stable capped 60 fps at all times, not a single drop ever.”
“Very poorly optimized and my PC fans are screaming for most of the gameplay.”
“The game also suffers from poor optimization, with long loading times, frame drops, and glitches.”
“I guess the porting company only optimized the game for 2021 PCs, but still, they really dropped the ball with this port.”
- atmosphere30 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its vibrant and immersive depiction of modern Japan, enhanced by a top-notch soundtrack and detailed environments filled with lively NPCs and engaging mini-games. While some areas, like Kamurocho, feel unfinished, Onomichi offers a beautiful and fitting setting that complements the narrative and character arcs. Overall, the atmosphere is considered one of the standout features of the series, making it enjoyable to explore and experience.
“From bustling streets filled with lively NPCs to immersive mini-games and authentic shops, every corner of the city exudes a sense of realism that pulls you into its vibrant atmosphere.”
“They did a really great job of nailing the modern Japan aesthetic in terms of atmosphere, including sound design and music choice.”
“The atmosphere is great and the locations are detailed enough to make it enjoyable just to wander between mini-games, arcades, pubs, cabaret clubs, etc. Onomichi is also a welcome change in setting for a large part of the game.”
“Even though it does have some technical issues, the story, gameplay, and atmosphere make up for it.”
“Haven't done all of the side content but of the side content I've done; it really seems like a very fitting atmosphere for Kiryu's ending.”
“Those were the most outstanding points, there are some more like the well-written story, the great minigames (spear fishing, baseball), the atmosphere, especially Onomichi just looks beautiful, all story cutscenes are voiced and (in-game) rendered (wasn't the case in the older titles) and the substories themselves are really well written and interesting.”
- replayability14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the shorter completion time of around 20 hours and the engaging minigames and fully voiced substories that enhance replay value, others find it less replayable due to limited character interactions and a lack of substantial content beyond the main story. Overall, it offers a balance of replayable elements, particularly for those who enjoy character leveling and side activities.
“I really like that this game only takes about 20 hours to beat compared to the 40+ hours of Yakuza 4 and 5, making it one of the most replayable entries in the series.”
“There's actually a lot of replayability outside of the story.”
“Returning complex minigames with improved mechanics add more replay value in the long run, and the substories have a massive upgrade with being fully voice acted and animated with cutscenes.”
“Probably one of the less replayable games in the series.”
“It's easy to max it out, but there are only 2 models to chat with, and while the movies you unlock may satisfy our cultured men, there isn't much for replayability.”
“Returning complex minigames with improved mechanics add more replay value in the long run, and the substories have a massive upgrade of being fully voice acted and animated with cutscenes.”
- stability14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- -7 % neutral mentions
- 86 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern, with users reporting numerous bugs, poor optimization, long loading times, and frame drops. While the graphics are generally praised, the presence of glitches and janky controls detracts from the overall experience.
“The game really looks and runs great.”
“The game really looks and runs great.”
“The game really looks and runs great.”
“The game also suffers from poor optimization, with long loading times, frame drops, and glitches.”
“The ragdolls in this game are buggy and lead to some silly occurrences, such as them spinning in the air.”
“It's a very good game; however, the PC port is very buggy.”
- character development14 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
Character development in the Yakuza series shows a mixed reception; while some characters like Majima experience significant growth and a compelling narrative arc, others, such as Haruka and Kiryu, receive minimal development, leaving their potential largely untapped. Despite the depth and personality reflected in character designs, many characters, including Saejima and Akiyama, lack personal involvement in the story, resulting in limited character progression. Overall, while there are standout moments, the consistency of character development varies across the series.
“The character designs exude personality and depth, reflecting the complexities and internal conflicts of the human condition.”
“And Majima's half was just fantastic; there was romance, real character development, loss, redemption, tragedy, a true hero's journey.”
“Character development is great, as well as the story, and the Dragon Engine combat is satisfying in its own way.”
“It's not helped either by Kiryu not really having much more character development.”
“It still had very likable characters, like Saejima and especially Akiyama, but the things they do in the story don't actually involve them on a personal level, and there's not much character development for them.”
“Combat system is a bit of a mixed bag, so is the character development (much like Kiwami 2), but it's overall better and more responsive than it initially seems after you get used to it.”
