Game review: "Yakuza 5 Remastered" – Five stories, five cities, and narrative chaos in the remaster

 

Yakuza 5 Remastered is the fifth entry in the “Like a Dragon” series, refreshed for modern platforms as part of the Yakuza Remastered Collection. Originally released in 2012 on PlayStation 3, the remaster brings improved textures, smoother animations, higher framerate, and a re-translated English script. It is an ambitious game – enormous in terms of story, activities, and locations – yet from a series fan’s perspective, especially one who values character development and narrative, it leaves mixed feelings.

Five characters, five locations

Like in Yakuza 4, the game is divided into five separate stories, each led by a different character:

Kazuma Kiryu – the series’ classic protagonist, now working as a taxi driver in Fukuoka, reluctantly pulled back into the yakuza world.

Haruka – Kiryu’s adopted daughter, an idol in Sōtenbori, whose story focuses on dancing and public performances.

Taiga Saejima – a prisoner and former yakuza member, who contributes little to the plot beyond fights, including… a bear fight.

Shun Akiyama – a gold-hearted moneylender, underutilized in this entry.

Shinada – a former pro baseball player, a new character in the series with a unique fighting style, but his story is one-note and not engaging like Tanimura from Yakuza 4.

Each story has its own map, sometimes a full district or city: Fukuoka, Sōtenbori, Nagasugai, Onomichi, and Kamurocho. Mechanics and mini-games are unique to each character – from driving Kiryu’s taxi, to Haruka’s dance battles, Shinada’s baseball, or Akiyama’s hunting.

The idea of splitting the game into five locations and characters is ambitious, but it has consequences: many stories don’t really connect until the very end, and if you take breaks, it’s easy to forget what happened in previous acts. Instead of a cohesive multi-threaded narrative, the player gets five separate episodes connected only in the finale.

Story: bloated and inconsistent

Set in the winter of 2012, Tojo Clan is in crisis, with the Omi Alliance threatening its stability. Kiryu is reluctantly dragged back into conflict. Meanwhile, Haruka hides her identity in the entertainment world, Saejima deals with his personal issues, Akiyama helps people in his unique way, and Shinada faces his past.

The problem is that the story, despite its potential, often feels tedious and boring. Kiryu is reluctant, and his story mostly revolves around Haruka, whose character is bland and lacks charisma. Saejima provides fights but little narrative value. Shinada and Akiyama have limited impact on the main plot. The narrative is overblown, occasionally absurd, and agonizingly slow to develop, while comedic or ridiculous moments – like fighting a bear or Haruka’s dance sections – feel disconnected from the main story.

While Yakuza 0 or even Yakuza 4 offered engaging, character-driven stories, Yakuza 5 feels more like “filler” – a game for fans of exploration and mini-games rather than narrative depth.

Gameplay and combat

The combat system feels improved compared to previous entries: animations are smoother, NPCs look more realistic, and the fights are varied thanks to the five distinct styles:

Kiryu – Dragon Style with Tiger Drop, which eventually becomes “press triangle to win.”

Saejima – powerhouse, using increasingly larger objects as weapons.

Akiyama – lightning-fast, focuses on kicks.

Shinada – tackles and weapons, less fun to play.

Haruka – dance battles and Idol Battles, using the adapted Heat system, completely different from standard combat.

The lack of on-the-fly fighting style switching makes moving between characters in the finale a bit tricky.

Mini-games and side activities are abundant: karaoke, taxi driving, baseball, hunting, dancing, and performing. Mechanics are solid and fun, but the sheer volume of content can feel overwhelming – the game is enormous, and much of it gets lost in the background.

Graphics and sound

The remaster significantly improves visuals over the PS3 version. Textures are sharper, animations smoother, and both cities and characters look great. Unfortunately, there are still bugs: NPCs walk into walls, vanish, or freeze, and dialogue cameras can be awkward.

Voice acting and music remain strong points. Each area has its own soundtrack, and Haruka’s sections introduce dozens of original songs. Audio quality is impressive, and karaoke tracks remain memorable.

Final impressions

Yakuza 5 Remastered is massive, ambitious, and packed with activities. Unfortunately, for me, the story and characters are disappointing. Splitting the game into five separate narratives dilutes tension, and many storylines are underdeveloped or absurd. For fans of exploration, mini-games, and chaotic Yakuza gameplay, it’s a must-play. For those who value narrative and character development, it can feel tedious or even frustrating.

Score: 5/10

Pros:

+Huge amount of content – five cities, five stories

+Five distinct fighting styles and unique character mechanics

+Tons of mini-games and optional activities

+Improved graphics and smoother framerate in the remaster

+Excellent music, voice acting, and character designs

Cons:

-Bloated, often nonsensical story

-Some characters, especially Haruka and Shinada, are underdeveloped

-Cities visited only once, making the world feel fragmented

-Buggy NPCs and awkward dialogue camera

-No on-the-fly combat style switching

My gameplay: