Buy Yakuza 3

You're being surrounded by a bunch of yakuza punks in a small children's park. They were hassling a woman, trying to take her
back to their boss, until you and your buddy stepped in. Soon, you're fending off these five or six thugs with kicks, uppercuts
and curb stomps. All of a sudden, when it just comes down to you and one other punk, you spy a pair of pliers lying on the
ground; you don't know why they're there, but you don't give it a second thought and quickly snag them. In a heartbeat, you've
taken the last punk in a headlock and messily ripped one of his teeth from his mouth, throwing him to ground and watching him
roll around in pain. This isn't the latest blockbuster action flick; it's just one of the many crazy moments from the superb world of "Yakuza 3."

Story: A-

An ex-yakuza chairman, Kazuma Kiryu left behind his path of violence and destruction in order to open up an orphanage on the
island of Okinawa. After a brief period of peace, he's soon sucked back into the world of violence when a developer threatens
to run him and the orphans he cares for out of their home, in order to build a resort and military base so as to stimulate
Okinawa's waning economy. This sets off a series of events both serious and lighthearted in nature. Moments of violence
and gritty crime drama are interspersed with missions which involve taking care of your kids and finding food for a stray dog.
Unlike the plot of "Grand Theft Auto IV", which was a more or less monotoned look at the criminal underworld, "Yakuza 3" crafts
a truly complex and intricate web of a plot, laced with heart-pounding action sequences and more conspiracies than you can
shake a stick at.

Gameplay: A+

To some, this may seem like a run-the-mill button-mashing affair; you've got your square button for light attacks, triangle for
heavy attacks, and circle for grab. However, this is prevented from getting stale by the colorful assortment of moves Kazuma
has at his disposal, as well as the fact that a great deal of objects can be picked up and wielded with deadly proficiency.
Hammer a street punk down to the ground with a nearby bicycle, or smash a boss stage in the face with a leather sofa. How
much enjoyment the combat provides is directly tied to just how much you like wreaking untold levels of unrealistic violence.
Very light RPG elements are also involved, as you gather experience from beating up gang members and helping out citizens, which
can be applied towards health expansions and new fight moves.

As far as exploration is concerned, you guide Kazuma through the streets of Okinawa and Tokyo, searching for side-missions while
at the same time following the main plot of the game. A few of the locations you can visit include weapons shops, crowded market-
places and seedy bars. Wandering the crowded streets never gets dull, because much like the random battles of a traditional RPG,
there is always a threat of some lone punk stepping out of the shadows and challenging you to a fight. There are no load screens
between the battles and the exploration, which makes it all the more enjoyable. "Yakuza 3" has the right balance of action and
exploration, striking the right chord with both seasoned gamers and newbies alike.

Sound: A-

The game includes superb voice acting, which is all in Japanese, and a varied soundtrack which jumps from J-Pop, to orchestral
pieces, then all the way to classic Japanese enka music. Sound always fits the mood perfectly in this game, and that is a big
feat in and of itself.

Graphics: A

It's rare to find such an accurate depiction of Japan in a video game ("Persona 4" did a pretty decent job; however, it was a little
fantastical because of the overall tone of the game itself), but "Yakuza 3" nails it spot-on. Streets are packed to the brim with
people, tiny alleyways are all over the place, and real-world locations are rendered with the utmost accuracy. Also noteworthy is
the use of real Japanese products (Boss canned coffee, C.C. Lemon, and Young Magazine, to name a few), which add to the overall
authenticity of the game.

Character models are very well constructed, facial movements are convincing and never feel strained, and the aforementioned
locations you visit are truly immersing. The only complaint I can warrant are the deceptive cutscenes, which are gorgeous, but
then set you up for thinking the in-game graphics look THAT good, which they definitely do not. Not that the in-game graphics
are BAD, but they definitely aren't as beautiful as the cutscenes would lead you to believe.

IN THE END:

"Yakuza 3" stands as one of the exclusive titles that PS3 owners can flaunt proudly. Japanophiles will love it for it's accurate
portrayal of the country they love so much, and action junkies will love the variety of ways they can defeat their enemies (Hint:
handheld flamethrower + random goon's face= good times!). If you have PS3, then there's really no reason you shouldn't be playing
this game.

OVERALL GRADE: A+

Note: For those (like me) who didn't play the first two entries in this series, and fear that they will be alienated by the plot, don't
worry: from the main menu, you can access two extended cutscenes which explain the events leading up to "Yakuza 3." Plus, the story is
really easy to jump into, and after about five to ten hours of play, you have a good idea of who's who in the plot.Get more detail about Yakuza 3.