Ryu Ga Gotoku (Like A Dragon)/Yakuza Series

Let's face it, many fans of the series are disappointed fans of the Shenmue series, not because Shenmue wasn't a great game [it's quite the awesome series!] rather, that they never gave the fans what they wanted - a 3rd installment! For those of us who are fans of both Shenmue and Yakuza (who many claim to be the spiritual successor to Shenmue) we want to send Sega a clear message this time around: "Please don't disappoint us again. We love your games! Send them here too, we promise to support them!!!" "Here" of course, meaning the U.S, Europe, and Canada and "support" means buying the damn things. Now that's not to say that we only care about Yakuza because of Shenmue, not at all. In fact, they are as different as night and day, both excellent games and storytelling in their own right. But the style, the drama, the story-telling, the action; although totally different, one can clearly see they are blood-related.

That said, Yakuza 4 (Ryu Ga Gotoku 4) looks amazing! It's scheduled for release in Japan around mid-March while the week prior the U.S will finally see the release of Yakuza 3. I request all those in the video game community and fans of the series to please support the release of Yakuza 3 on March 9th so that Sega will release the 4th ed. here too!! Incase you're new to the series, its basically the Japanese counterpart to GTA but with a very different flair to it. It's an action-adventure crime story and drama revolving around Japan's underground mafia or "yakuza." The story's protagonist Kazuma Kiryu, feared and respected as "The Dragon of the Dojima Clan," is an ex-Yakuza who seeks to rid himself of his past criminal life and start anew. However, his former allies and enemies somehow manage to drag him back into the underworld which he seeks to get away from. If you're a fan of anything remotely close to Grand Theft Auto, or crime stories, you will love this series! It's really awesome, trust me! Check out the trailers.



Kazuma kicking ass, as usual


Here's a snippet at Yakuza 4: