Released on the Japanese PS4 on December 8, 2016, Yakuza 6 did not land on European Sony consoles until April 17, 2018. PlayStation players who would have found the time long still have nothing to complain about, because of the PC and Xbox One side, it is only this month that we can finally enjoy the conclusion of the Kazuma Kiryu arc (Yakuza 7 having already presented us with a new hero and a new combat system there is a few months). The wait will have been long but, fortunately, the disappointment is not at the end of the road!
While Yakuza 7 was released on all platforms a few months ago, Yakuza 6 was still expected on PC and Xbox One. This affront, which still dates from 2016 or 2018 depending on whether we are referring to the Japanese or European PS4 release, is now fixed! We will not go into the details of the gameplay and the scenario here because, in substance, the game is strictly identical to the PlayStation version. If needed, our test from the time is still available! Today, we will content ourselves with recalling that this sixth episode marks the end of the adventures of Kazuma Kiryu and that it is as good, if not better, than the previous parts. For example, the beat’em up 3D combat system is easier to understand than that of the first episodes. We still prefer the turn-based approach that appeared with Yakuza 7, but that remains a matter of taste. The most action-oriented players will be delighted to rediscover the dynamism of the Dojima Dragon, the combo recipe and QTE not lacking in efficiency. With over fifteen years of licensing experience, Ryū Ga Gotoku Studio has mastered its subject matter like the back of their hands. The storyline skillfully mixes humor, action, and emotion, while plenty of mini-games and other sub-quests are available to distract the player between two main missions. The semi-open world of Yakuza 6 is all the more pleasant to navigate as it offers us a plural vision of Japan. As usual, our hero has the opportunity to walk the urban streets, modern and lit with multiple neon lights of the fictitious but nevertheless Tokyo district of Kamurocho. But several chapters also take place in the provinces, notably in the prefecture of Hiroshima. The atmosphere is more peaceful (even if the street fights are still part of the game), and the player can thus discover another facet of Japan.
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
Surprisingly, more than four years after its initial release, the game still manages to seduce us graphically. The character faces are extremely expressive and detailed, while the sets are modeled with enough care to be believable. Only certain animations may seem a little too rigid, but this is not really shocking, even in 2021. If the Xbox One version is naturally very close to the PS4 version, the PC version allows for greater graphic finesse. . You can push the resolution and refresh rate as high as your screen allows, while unlocking the framerate in order to benefit from the maximum frames per second achievable by your configuration. In addition, the many options allow, among other things, to adjust the field of vision, to customize the controller for each phase of the game (exploration, combat and each type of mini-game) or to deactivate the Windows key. The only downside to this port comes from the impossibility of reading certain lore elements displayed during the loading screens, because they disappear in a few moments thanks to the speed of modern SSD disks. Yes, in reality it is almost more of a quality than a defect. Especially since the game in any case multiplies the opportunities to take possession of his world. For example, a menu allows you to replay each of the (many) cutscenes that weave the storyline of the scenario.
At the start of the game, a dreamlike sequence gives us a presentation of the different main characters. And a summary (in text and images) of the first five episodes is also available, which gives fans of the saga the opportunity to refresh their memories, while allowing novices to take the adventure on the road. Quite honestly, new players would still do better to start with Yakuza Kiwami 1 and 2, the remakes of the first two parts, and then continue with episodes 3, 4, 5 and 6. The lucky owners of the Game Pass can moreover, achieve all this very easily, since the entire saga is now present. Finally, the only real flaw of this Yakuza 6 comes from a gap that was already tarnishing the table in 2018: the total absence of French subtitles. Listening to Japanese voices while reading English text has its charm, even its usefulness, but Sega could still have made an effort, especially after several years of waiting!
