Yakuza 3 Super Review

It's GTA Japan, with added golf, suplexes and kung-fu kicks

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Sadly, these scenes, which the PS3 renders in real-time, also bring into sharp focus just how dang fugly the rest of the game really is. Honestly, when you wander the streets and see nothing but ugly textures and crowds that pop in and out of sight, it’s hard to argue much of this couldn’t have been done on the PS2.

It’s not only the graphics that lets things down. The animation is also pretty archaic, with a run animation that makes Kiryu look like The Terminator… if he had a lump of coal shoved up his android ass.


Above: Why did Kaz have to take the Terminator's rubbish movement? The whole bullet-proof body thing would have been way more useful

Probably the biggest shame is the voice acting, or lack of it. With almost 300 minutes of quality dialogue recorded for cutscenes, it’s a pity most of the in-game conversations you have are text-based. This might have been OK in the PS2 days, but post Mass Effect, these shortcuts just don’t slice the sushi anymore.

More info

GenreAction
DescriptionSega's gangland scrapper returns in this PS3 exclusive. Many doubted that this very Japanese release would get a chance in the US, but thankfully they were wrong.
Franchise nameYakuza
UK franchise nameYakuza
Platform"PS3"
US censor rating"Mature"
UK censor rating"18+"
Release date1 January 1970 (US), 1 January 1970 (UK)
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David Meikleham
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David has worked for Future under many guises, including for GamesRadar+ and the Official Xbox Magazine. He is currently the Google Stories Editor for GamesRadar and PC Gamer, which sees him making daily video Stories content for both websites. David also regularly writes features, guides, and reviews for both brands too.