Yakuza 4

The fourth entry expanded the series' narrative ambitions by offering, for the first time, four playable characters with interconnected but distinct perspectives on a tangled criminal plot once again set in the streets of the stylized Kamurocho, ranging from the return of the iconic Kazuma Kiryu through the loan shark Shun Akiyama to a former police officer and a convict. Sega and its internal studio Ryu Ga Gotoku preserved the series' characteristic mix of brutal street brawling, serious crime drama inspired by yakuza subculture, and richly detailed side activities, this time expanded with new minigames and guest characters from the world of Japanese entertainment.

Each of the four characters fights differently, forcing the player to repeatedly relearn the rhythm of combat: one protagonist relies on heavy blows and grabbing objects from the environment, another on quick kicks and dodges. The city itself grew both taller and deeper, with new rooftops and underground passages allowing players to traverse Kamurocho along entirely new routes. Alongside the main storyline, dozens of side stories, hostess clubs, casinos, arcade machines, and other diversions await, whose lighthearted and often absurd humor forms a deliberate counterpoint to the grim main plot. Switching perspectives allowed for a more complex picture of a conspiracy reaching into the very foundations of the underworld, giving the story greater depth than in previous entries.

Critics in Japan traditionally rated the series highly, and a gradually growing international fanbase began to appreciate its unique atmosphere and the dark humor of its side content. The character of a young police officer fighting corruption within his own ranks brought a fresh outside perspective on the Kamurocho underworld to the series, enriching what was usually a one-sided viewpoint with a morally more complex angle. Yakuza 4 helped cement the series' position as one of the most distinctive Japanese franchises of the PS3 generation and paved the way for its later breakthrough to a wider Western audience.