History VideoGame / Yakuza6

''Yakuza 6: The Song of Life'', known in Japan as 龍が如く6 命の詩。(''Ryū ga Gotoku 6: Inochi no Uta.'', lit. ''Like a Dragon 6: Poem of Life.'') is the seventh main series entry in the ''VideoGame/LikeADragon'' series following the prequel ''VideoGame/Yakuza0'', and is the final installment to feature [[TheHero Kazuma Kiryu]] in the lead role. It was released in Japan as a Platform/PlayStation4 exclusive in December 2016, and released in the West in April 2018. PC (via Platform/{{Steam}} and Windows Store) and Xbox One ports were released on March 26, 2021.

** Inadvertently invoked by Kiryu during two of the Ono Michio substories. In both of them, Kiryu has to tear a bunch of punks some new ones as per usual. The catch is that he does so in a costume that looks like [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/yakuza/images/4/40/Ono_Michio_%28Yakuza_6%29.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20200125142033 this]]!

** A LoveTriangle involving a heroic character, a childhood sweetheart and a white-suited yakuza with slicked-back hair [[ spoiler:who ultimately sacrifices himself to make up for what he's done up to that point]]. Kiryu, Yumi and Nishiki in the first game, [[spoiler: Nagumo, Kiyomi and Someya here.]]

** A bar mama gets kidnapped [[spoiler:and killed]] by the yakuza as a means of driving the protagonist over the edge. [[spoiler:Subverted when it turns out Koshimizu's gun was loaded with blanks.]]

** A LoveTriangle involving a heroic character, a childhood sweetheart and a white-suited yakuza with slicked-back hair. Kiryu, Yumi and Nishiki in the first game, [[spoiler: Nagumo, Kiyomi and Someya here.]]

''Yakuza 6: The Song of Life'', known in Japan as 龍が如く6 命の詩。(''Ryū ga Gotoku 6: Inochi no Uta.'', lit. ''Like a Dragon 6: Poem of Life.'') is the seventh main series entry in the ''VideoGame/LikeADragon'' series following the prequel ''VideoGame/Yakuza0'', and is the final installment to feature [[TheHero Kazuma Kiryu]] in the lead role. It was released in Japan as a UsefulNotes/{{Playstation 4}} exclusive in December 2016, and released in the West in April 2018. PC (via UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} and Windows Store) and Xbox One ports were released on March 26, 2021.

! Spoilers for ''all'' preceding ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'' entries will be left unmarked. Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned!

Sony's partnership with Sega in publishing the series overseas starting with ''Yakuza 5'', as well as the massive hype surrounding the American and European release of ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza 0}}'', lead to the simultaneous announcement of ''Yakuza Kiwami'', the [[VideoGameRemake enhanced remake]] of the original ''[[VideoGame/Yakuza1 Yakuza]]'', and ''Yakuza 6'' coming to the west.

Although series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi has stated that this was the end of Kiryu's story, the series would continue on. Following the game's release, numerous games were announced: ''Shin Ryu Ga Gotoku'', a mobile spinoff, introduced the series's new protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga, who would also serve as the leading man for the seventh main series entry, ''VideoGame/YakuzaLikeADragon''. A spin-off, ''VideoGame/FistOfTheNorthStarLostParadise'', based on the popular [[Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar manga]], combines the characters and settings of that series with the gameplay and humor found in the ''Yakuza'' series, and features many of the same voice actors such as Creator/TakayaKuroda as the voice of Kenshiro. ''Yakuza Kiwami 2'', a remake of ''VideoGame/Yakuza2'' utilizing an improved Dragon Engine, which also introduces a mini-campaign that has Goro Majima playable once more, which explores his departure from the Tojo Clan. Re-releases of ''VideoGame/Yakuza3'', ''VideoGame/Yakuza4'', and ''VideoGame/Yakuza5'' bring the entire saga of the Dragon of Dojima to the Playstation 4. Finally, ''VideoGame/{{Judgment}}'' begins a new story in Kamurocho focusing on PrivateDetective Takayuki Yagami in a spin-off title that takes place in a post-Kiryu world. Kiryu would [[TenMinuteRetirement later take the reins of primary protagonist once again]] in ''Videogame/LikeADragonGaidenTheManWhoErasedHisName'' while serving as the Deuteragonist of ''Videogame/LikeADragonInfiniteWealth''.

Although series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi has stated that this was the end of Kiryu's story, the series would continue on. Following the game's release, numerous games were announced: ''Shin Ryu Ga Gotoku'', a mobile spinoff, introduced the series's new protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga, who would also serve as the leading man for the seventh main series entry, ''VideoGame/YakuzaLikeADragon''. A spin-off, ''VideoGame/FistOfTheNorthStarLostParadise'', based on the popular [[Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar manga]], combines the characters and settings of that series with the gameplay and humor found in the ''Yakuza'' series, and features many of the same voice actors such as Creator/TakayaKuroda as the voice of Kenshiro. ''Yakuza Kiwami 2'', a remake of ''VideoGame/Yakuza2'' utilizing an improved Dragon Engine, which also introduces a mini-campaign that has Goro Majima playable once more, which explores his departure from the Tojo Clan. Re-releases of ''VideoGame/Yakuza3'', ''VideoGame/Yakuza4'', and ''VideoGame/Yakuza5'' bring the entire saga of the Dragon of Dojima to the Playstation 4. Finally, ''VideoGame/{{Judgment}}'' begins a new story in Kamurocho focusing on PrivateDetective Takayuki Yagami in a spin-off title that takes place in a post-Kiryu world.

** In the early game, it's "Who is Haruka's father?" [[spoiler: It's Yuta, and ''his'' father is also very important.]]

* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: After Sodachi is defeated at his full strength, he notices a figure in black behind Kiryu: "some guy who looked like a [[BonusBoss hidden video game boss]]!" [[spoiler:It's Jo Amon, who reappears to challenge Kiryu after Sodachi and Saigo have been bested.]]

** Two substories feature real-world darts legend Paul Lim, who voices himself in English. [[SugarWiki/SurprisinglyGoodEnglish He's actually completely fluent since he's Singaporean-American]] though Kiryu of course can't understand him at all. Luckily, a local fan offers to translate.

** Two substories feature real-world darts legend Paul Lim, who voices himself in English. [[SurprisinglyGoodForeignLanguage He's actually completely fluent since he's Singaporean-American]] though Kiryu of course can't understand him at all. Luckily, a local fan offers to translate.

** Two substories feature real-world darts legend Paul Lim, who voices himself in English. Luckily for Kiryu, a local fan offers to translate.

* PowerWalk: Kiryu, Akiyama and Hirose's family does one all in black suits as they enter the Millennium Tower.

* CurbStompBattle: Kiryu vs anyone he faces in this game. As this is the final chapter of his saga, it serves to show him as being unstoppable once last time before he finally retires from active participation in the Yakuza conflicts. With anyone he faces here getting this, even bosses, the sixth game can be considered a class of its own when it comes to Kiryu beating the shit out of his enemies.
** CurbStompCushion: Only one enemy in the game manages to even draw a sweat from Kiryu, that person being [[spoiler:Toru Hirose]], the strongest man in Hiroshima, and even he is unable to injure Kiryu at all. Subverted to hell with [[spoiler:Tsuneo Iwami, who does manage to deliver a blow strong enough to make him bleed but only because he is leveraging Haruka and Haruto. Once they are safe, he completely wipes the floor with Tsuneo, not taking even a single more injury or any more damage at all]].

''Yakuza 6: The Song of Life'', known in Japan as 龍が如く6 命の詩。(''Ryū ga Gotoku 6: Inochi no Uta.'', lit. ''Like a Dragon 6: Poem of Life.'') is the seventh main series entry in the ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'' series following the prequel ''VideoGame/Yakuza0'', and is the final installment to feature [[TheHero Kazuma Kiryu]] in the lead role. It was released in Japan as a UsefulNotes/{{Playstation 4}} exclusive in December 2016, and released in the West in April 2018. PC (via UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} and Windows Store) and Xbox One ports were released on March 26, 2021.

[[caption-width-right:350:The legend of the Dragon of Dojima ends.[[note]] [[SeriesFauxnale Maybe not yet...]]]]

[[caption-width-right:350:The legend of the Dragon of Dojima ends.]]

* AntiFrustrationFeatures: One of the common complaints western players had for ''Yakuza 5'' was a [[BokeAndTsukkomiRoutine Manzai]] mini-game that required strict timing relative to when the Japanese spoken dialogue ends. The subtitles and the audio sometimes vary significantly in length, leading to confusion and worse scores than a native speaker might get. A similar sort of mini-game exists in this title that uses a sliding transparent bar timed to the audio to indicate when the speaker will finish talking superimposed over the subtitles, avoiding the issue.

** A sadistic yakuza captain with a flashy dress sense who is both [[GeniusBruiser lethal in a fight]] and [[ObfuscatingStupidity far smarter than he lets on]], [[KnifeNut uses a tanto]] as his WeaponOfChoice, has a bee in his bonnet about fighting Kiryu, chafes under his boss' thumb to the point where he will work against him on the sly, and turns out to be both more [[PetTheDog soft-hearted]] and [[NobleDemon honorable]] than anyone would have guessed. Koshimizu or Majima?

* CoolShip: The true identity of the [[spoiler:Secret of Onomichi]] is none other than the [[spoiler:''Yamato'' Mark II, a super-battleship ''even larger'' than the original, which given that the ''Yamato'' was already the largest battleship ever built is really saying a lot.]]