YAKUZA 5

Sega continues to immerse ourselves in the heart of the fictional adventure of the Japanese mafia with this fifth installment of Yakuza, trying once more to ride the undeniable popularity of the series in Japan. If it starts to feel a little warmed up, the recipe still leaves taste like it should.

Few years have passed since Yakuza 4. The pretty young Haruka is now 16 years old and dreams of a career in music. And to fulfill his dream, she will have to cut its ties with our cynical heroes, Kiryu, the Dragon shallows. So he decides to disappear completely from the life of the young girl, paparazzade being so rapidly. Here he became a taxi driver under a false name, leading a quiet life, almost boring, dotted with a few slaps thugs corner. Everything changes, however, when a client turns out to be Daigo, the general sponsor of the largest clan in Tokyo. Problem, it disappears with all hands after getting off of that taxi, causing countless waves in the small world too tidy Japanese organized crime. Forced to leave his job and coverage, friend Kiryu therefore sees once again leave the path of violence, the only one garbage know the Japanese underworld.


TAKES ON THE "SAME" ... PROBLEM?

 After critical acclaim in the fourth episode, considered by many as the best in the series, Nagoshi and Ryu ga Gotoku studio decided to resume the same concept, namely a story told by several people that will gather the end to an explosive conclusion. And since they were four Yakuza 4 will be five in five, all to deliver the voice of Denis Brogniart. Here, we therefore take control Kiryu and Saejima, the convict already met in the 4th, before handing over to the small Haruka and the debonair Akiyama, also back the previous section. Finally, we conclude with the youngest who signs his first appearance Shinada Tatsuo. Former professional baseball player, this thirties who scrapes between two debts written articles for a magazine specializing in "soft" prostitution. To you the joys of the tester must go "try" different girls "soap land" of the city, before of course his past (and its debt) would catch up, thus plunging directly into the main plot .

We remain a little disappointed in the first minutes of the game long spoken intro, different scenes to install the script, we feel that the team has struggled to maximize dramatic plot elements. Beat'em all scripted, Yakuza 5 looks more and more like an interactive movie with fight scenes or action, sometimes at the edge of harshness. Hardly time to take ten steps and banging with two or three random savages, one is immediately cut by a cut scene painful. At the height of the story, it is even possible to have NPC queuing to come trigger scripts coming to talk to you, so strange situation that may provoke giggles from the player. Blame it on the damn Valley and the realistic while the behavior of the characters does not change graphics. And we must admit that the fifth installment of the saga of HD console, it starts to get a little tired of having to make an effort to follow a pattern of play a little outdated.

Difficult today given the competition, yet show compassion for a game with graphics and rhythm problems also obvious. Fortunately, for the rest, it's going pretty well, especially in terms of tourism because of tough negotiations about the next town which was to take place in this part, Nagoshi's finally all included! In addition to already visited Tokyo and Osaka, the player can now explore the harsh snowy climate with Saejima Sapporo, Japan stuck in the 70s in Fukuoka with Kiryu, or the meek and mischievous side of nights in the company of Nagoya Tester gogo dancers Shinada. While humans have the game more qu'étranges attitudes (see the valley from above), the cities are as always beautifully modeled. If you are lucky enough to have made several trips to Japan, just being able to walk in neighborhoods such loyalty you immediately fill a sweet nostalgia signs and jingles real stores included. I must say that in terms of partnerships with "real life", Yakuza is a series that has always been a step ahead of its competitors.


MOORING FOR ALL

Yakuza 5 can rely on its combat system always friendly, especially if you play in the mode of the highest difficulty. Indeed, next fight, we still face us heir to the Sega arcade with lil 'tips Spikeout, Last Bronx and other Shenmue gives us nervous and violent fighting it right. Again, it will be a max of avoiner scum and other urban garbage to make a little money or experience points, just buy new attacks or even bigger life bars or energy. It adds a great fury pledge of renewal, an opportunity for the more impressionable to flee the fighting enemies, and ultimately the player is happy to find an effective but ultimately not much change other components. It's better than ending up with a grandfather mechanics but recast even questioning perhaps would not hurt the series. We always carry around in effect from the same events, the same routines, the same enemies Spikeout learned behaviors themselves from Shenmue themselves sometimes from Virtua Fighter. So we would again have something a little new to put in the corner of the eye.

Among the two characters that is directed for the first time, only to Shinada pummeled. Former baseball player, his fighting style is a mix of mugs and unpublished sequences with weapons. Pretty straight forward at first, however his combos claim some synchronization, which will delight seasoned players in the saga. As for Haruka, it will of course be no question of the fight, his private part is completely random fights. We feel that developers RGG Studio never took the public transport network, naively believing that big guy in baggy military more easily attracts scum that girl boots. I must say that far from mastering the intricacies of combat, rather Haruka specializes in singing and dancing, which is why his party actually quite refreshing compared to other chapters, will prove the most original.

Between music games and mini tests, the chapter will summarize some that give a simplified Idolmaster. Then she wanders into town, Haruka will defy street dancers in fierce duels to earn experience points and learn dance techniques special to weaken his opponents. At mini-trials, Haruka will attend sessions of meetings with fans, who will require to show timing to meet their encouragement without harming them, while ensuring that security is not too violent the of them heavier. There will be televised quiz, political choices to do with the producers of variety shows, interviews not to screw up, in short, a whole chapter running mini-star, in which the player will win the Japanese equivalent of New Star while unraveling a dark case of suicide. Rather well thought out, admittedly.


LOST GIRLS, OILY HAIR

The old Yakuza 5 has reached the end of what he has to offer, and not bother most inept and sclerosing concepts as the credibility of his account at risk from the n 'anything and go for eccentric meet its western counterparts. Racing taxis with super powers, bear hunting in a forest of 5m, training baseball, but also countless classic mini-games like drag hostesses, sexy tennis or delivery noodles on slippery ground, Yakuza 5 proves once again a happy mess where quantity and good humor trying to hide a concept a little older. Even offering free game Virtua Fighter 2 (arcade version) played by two network after an update, the richness of this beat'em is unfortunately overshadowed by the main frame which is struggling to renew.

And importantly, all these fantasies are so ubiquitous that they end up drowning out the main plot, ending with a single bullet (or a single bucket) the logic of the narrative, and perhaps the reason to be this game a horrible crime has been committed, which does not prevent the local Cyril Lignac (partner of the promotion of the game) to materialize to ask you the best addresses in restaurant, Jean-Pierre Japanese coffe (also in promo) to invite you to his restaurant sushi, or a champion of octopus fritters ask you a hand to round up clients. A too much, we lose, and ultimately nothing of any importance. This is unfortunate, because we would have liked just go with the story one last time ... but all these sponsors to squeeze, these mini-games to present these tutorials give to insert a bit wobbly in what could be the jewel in the saga pace, but which is ultimately the funny cousin but low fat hunk that the girls have promised to introduce you to the next party.