Yakuza 6: The Song of Life Reviews
Yakuza 6: Song of Life is the most heartfelt entry in franchise history, giving Kiryu his final goodbye for a future series without him in the lead.
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life closes Kazuma Kiryu's tale with a hopeful rebirth of the series.
If you can groove on a game that takes its time with cutscenes and characters, ignore some subpar visuals in some spots, and have a love for gangland crime thrillers mixed with high-octane martial arts madness, this is the game for you.
Yakuza 6 is a solid entry in the franchise. It's carried by a strong story and excellent visuals that make up for the fact that it's a fairly bare-bones Yakuza title that has less content than other titles in the series. Fans of the franchise should find a lot to like in Yakuza 6. It's not the best entry for a newcomer due to it being the end of Kiryu's story, but it's a solid and enjoyable game.
Seamless battles and exploration are welcome changes in the series.
Is the closing of Kiryu's chapter in Yakuza 6 fulfilling? Honestly I would say no. I expected a bit more from it going in, but does it make sense? Absolutely.
The story, contents and gameplay are unquestionably of a good standard, but it was not what we wanted from the final game of Kiryu Kazuma, who we were so fond of during these 12 years.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Yakuza 6 is not a game for everyone, but you can’t deny it a certain charm. I followed a very cool storyline for many hours and I have happily frittered some time away playing various mini-games. The combat becomes repetitive after a while, but, all in all, this is a really great game.
Review in Polish | Read full review
It focuses on the minutiae of the world, from the detailed shop interiors that serve no purpose other than to ground you in the setting, to the nearby citizens who go about their daily business as anarchy unfolds around them in your wake. But perhaps the greatest feat of all is that the game trusts you, the player, to find it all yourself. By refusing to hold your hand and lead you from A to B, it gives you room to explore, to procrastinate and breathe between story steps, and it's in those moments of respite that you'll find the best of what the Yakuza series has to offer.
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life isn’t perfect in the grand scheme, at least outside of the story, with most of the value coming from the small touches. Side stories offer a lot of insight into the world, culture and scale that they’re a blast to do. From there, I didn’t encounter a line of dialogue, no matter how small, where it wasn’t voiced. Where most games would limit voice recording to major scenes or the main story, Yakuza 6: The Song of Life is more than happy to help build the world. Give this to a story about Kiryu trying to find happiness, giving him a mission and another reason to look beyond his world and you have a fantastic experience. Maybe not a perfect one, as waypoints and combat still have some ways to go, but one where fans of stories or open world games will be, if nothing else, satisfied.
Yakuza 6 applies themes of fatherhood and masculinity as coping mechanisms for intense interpersonal drama. While it surrenders the sweeping ambition that defined Yakuza 0 and Yakuza 5, it feels sharper, more focused, and more honest about its intentions. At age 48, it's impolite to define Kazuma Kiryu as an old man, but it's clear that he—and Yakuza 6 as a whole—are devoted to passing their experience on to the next generation.
The story of Kazuma Kiryu comes to a dramatic and ultimately satisfying close.
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life is a game I keep going back to. Even after finishing the main quest I want to keep playing and exploring the world of Yakuza. It also inspired me to get into the larger series, and as a result I just installed Yakuza 0 to start playing.
Yakuza 6 delivers the series' signature poignant story, and is probably the best Yakuza has been narrative and production-wise. However, the game's trademark diversions have been trimmed back.
Yakuza 6 offers an truly open world to explore and intriguing story. It stands as one of the finest in the series too.
Review in Swedish | Read full review
Kazuma Kiryu's final outing is an emotionally charged tale of familial bonds and the violence that threatens to rip them asunder
Fighting and exploring is more free than ever, and the story, while wanting in certain areas, introduces a few great characters. Some activities and side missions lack a punch, but how many games do you get to wear a giant orange on your head?
Yakuza 6 is a beast of a game, and it sends Kiryu off in style.
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life might be the end of Kazuma Kiryu's story, but it represents a new step in the series.
Exciting changes to combat and an endearing narrative see the final chapter in Kazuma Kiryu's decade-long saga refine what has made the series great.