So you might be wondering to yourself by now, "Why does he do it? Just because a game is on the shelf doesn't mean you have to buy it." You are right, you don't have to, nobody has to buy anything. But when you dig deep enough, you might end up finding a game hidden under the rubble that has something great, something that you'd miss out on otherwise. Games like Beyond Good and Evil, Zack and Wiki, etc. might end up passing you buy because you weren't willing to subject yourself to chance. Finding gems makes all the hunt worth it, when you play a game you were sure was going to be meh and it ends up changing your world makes all of the mediocre and even awful attempts worth it.
Yakuza Dead Souls was definitely not that game for me. Even still, there is quite a playable experience under the cover art for this game. Not going to change your world, but if you felt that games like Dead Rising weren't enough, you might actually have fun with this game. Now keep in mind all of this is coming from someone that didn't even really know the Yakuza franchise existed, much less played any previous installments. I do know that all 4 playable characters in the game are from previous Yakuza titles ranging from the first through the fourth. Well, let's not squabble over the tiny details, suffice it to say, I accounted for the fact that I haven't played the previous titles.
Story:
All in all, I have to say the story was kinda quaint. I mean, it's pretty generic as far as zombie shit goes, and other than the development I assume went on in previous games, the characters are flat as fuck. But there's an alright tale that takes a light-hearted take on a zombie apocalypse. You start off in Kamurocho of Tokyo (known for its...carnal indulgences...) where the zombies have clearly taken over. You begin the game as Shun Akiyama from the 4th game in the franchise, but others become playable as you progress onward. Shun is a loan shark/club owner who in the midst of the zombie invasion is still on the hunt for those who owe him money. No stranger to the gun as you quickly go dual wielding Akimbo Mcgee on everything you see fit, it is up to you and likely nobody else to save your unattractive and inconveniently sick assistant who remained in zombie land from the terrors that lie in wait. Okay, so maybe the story isn't good, but I have played worse, and coming from the unbearable Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire, the story is top notch in comparison. Each character has a unique story and reasons for doing what they do and there is a very large number of side quests and distractions that can add hours of "entertaining" dialogue and ridiculous scenarios. The acting (and character models) are all direct from japanese culture and the story feels very "cheesy japanese movie", so there is definitely no surprise at what we end up with on this side of the story. Suffice it to say, you aren't going to remember it for a lifetime, but its quirky enough to hold your attention for a couple of hours (all it would take you to complete it if you ignore the optional content).
Gameplay:
Not that I have played any previous Yakuza game before, but from what I understand it basically plays like a gunless GTA in japan. This installment (if it can even be called as much) is a departure from the formula, not only can you use guns, but if you don't, you're likely to die within the first hour. Not to fret though, the pistols have unlimited ammo and are likely to be the only weapon you'll actually need (especially since weaponless combat cannot kill). The game has a pseudo RE4 style over the shoulder view with none of the aiming required. You are an unstoppable zombie massacring machine of untold proportions. Every additional weapon you get is simply an accent to your ridiculous overpowering prowess. Each character flawless executes every gunshot with barely any need for manual aiming and you would have to be basically autistic to fail any mission given to you. This is by far one of the easiest games I have ever played. You can pick up couches, motorcycles, and whatever else you want to smash you foes, but none of it is required. It's a good thing you are as capable as you are though, because the military in the game is pathetic. Their ranks are equivalent to your 3rd grade red rover line when it comes to protecting the citizens of Japan from the oncoming zombie hoards, your characters on the other hands lay waste to thousands as if it were hitting a repeating coin box in Mario. It has an arcade like charm in it's level of outlandish ease. Basically, think Dead Rising as far as how easy it is to kill enemies, but of course, all you really have are guns...and the over-whelming power of "Heat Snipe". This mechanic allows you to target vital explosives, hydrants, gas tanks, cars, and certain enemy vitals in a moment of adrenaline so that you can execute a small quick time event and blast those bitches to high heaven. Of course, this is only after you power it up with the experience based skill purchasing system. The skills range from item inventory space to the ability to lift up small cars, so go to town on your style of play. This game is uniquely interesting for about a few hours, after that the act of killing zombies becomes a chore and you find yourself bored shitless laying down the undead for deadierness. Luckily, there are plenty of distractions that await you in the unzombied safe zones. You have mini games like pachinko, gambling, pool, and dating sims with various hostess clubs, as well as plenty of side quests and objectives that require all sorts of variety in completing. You can also earn partners that can join you in combat and level up individually. You can unlock skills for them to help customize your experience and get affinities to unlock useful combo attacks. Surprising to say, but there is frankly a lot of content for the budget price tag the game is offering. Now whether or not any of that content is good or not, that is up to you...and me.
Presentation:
From the look of things, no Yakuza game really shines in the presentation department. The citizens repeat with color changes and the character models aren't too pretty to look at either. Environments are vast, and probably a fairly convincing recreation of parts of Tokyo, but the textures aren't anything special. Also, the in environments are almost entirely uninteractable aside from a few cars that can explode. Its basically all polish and no bite, and the polish doesn't look that good. The main characters have well done faces that likely look quite like their actor counterparts (not like I would no, silly Japanese). However their animations are stiff as shit, and their facial expressions aren't very...expressful. It's a budget title, and frankly, it looks it. Unfortuantely, this is probably how the other Yakuza games look as well, so I have to hold that into account. They technically didn't make it look worse, but after however many installments, you'd think they'd have upped the anti by now. The music is definitely nothing to write home about, and the voice work...is...well...japanese. I can never tell if Japanese voice work is done well because I don't speak it (except for Star Ocean 4, I knew that was shit immediately).
Result:
There isn't too much else to say about this one. It wasn't anything special, but it was fun enough to keep me interested for a small amount of time. Its arcade-like in it's nature, like if Sega created Dead Rising but decided to make it shitty. It's no real surprise that the zombie spin-off game of a game that recieved ravingly mediocre reviews in the first place wasn't stellar, but I was surprised it wasn't shit. I was expecting the worst. Considering I came from one of the worst experiences in gaming I have ever had the pleasure of subjecting myself to, I think that isn't saying much. But for what it's worth, you may have some fun.
63%
+ Fun for a few hours
+ Faithful to the franchise, i think?
+ Zombies :)
- Only fun for a few hours
- Boring visuals
- Easiest zombie game I've played
- No co-op multiplayer despite clearly having an ingame partner system.
+ Faithful to the franchise, i think?
+ Zombies :)
- Only fun for a few hours
- Boring visuals
- Easiest zombie game I've played
- No co-op multiplayer despite clearly having an ingame partner system.
No comments:
Post a Comment