Developer(s): Sega
Publisher(s): Sega
Genre: Action, Adventure, RPG
Wikipedia: Link
Game review links: Metacritic75/100
Game description: Just as Kazuma, a former rising star in the Yakuza, emerges from prison after a murder cover-up, 10 billion yen vanishes from the Yakuza vault, forcing him once again into their brutal, lawless world. A mysterious young girl will lead Kazuma to the answers if he can keep her alive.
Although the game does not explicitly say it, much of the game takes place in Tokyo's Shinjuku ward, most noticeably a recreation of Shinjuku's red-light district Kabukichō, which is famous for its hostess bars (cabarets), host clubs, love hotels, shops, restaurants, nightclubs and its organized crime presence. Although the area was recreated as a fictionalized "Kamurocho district", much of Kabukichō's landmarks remain in an altered, renamed form.

Yakuza

Game general and emulation properties:
CERO rating: D
ESRB rating: M (Blood, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence)
PEGI rating: 18+
OFLC rating: MA
GRB rating: 18
Widescreen supported natively
Languages supported:
English: SLES-54171 & SLUS-21348 & SLUS-29195
Japanese: SLPM-66168 & SLPM-74234 & SLPM-74253 & SLPM-61140
German: SLES-54171
French: SLES-54171
Spanish: SLES-54171
Italian: SLES-54171
Region NTSC-U:
Serial numbers: SLUS-21348
SLUS-29195 (Demo)
Release date: September 5, 2006
CRCs: 388F687B
Windows Status: Playable
Linux Status: ?
Mac Status: ?
Region PAL:
Serial numbers: SLES-54171
Release date: September 14, 2006 (Australia)
September 15, 2006
CRCs: 6F9F99F8
Windows Status: Playable
Linux Status: ?
Mac Status: ?
Region NTSC-J/C/K:
Serial numbers: SLPM-66168
SLKA-25342
SLPM-74234 (PlayStation 2 the Best)
SLPM-74253 (PlayStation 2 the Best Reprint)
SLPM-74269 (PlayStation 2 the Best Reprint)
SLPM-61140 (Trial)
Release date: December 8, 2005
January 27, 2006 (Korea)
October 26, 2006 (PlayStation 2 the Best)
December 6, 2007 (PlayStation 2 the Best Reprint)
Windows Status: Playable
Linux Status: ?
Mac Status: ?

Yakuza is the prequel to Yakuza 2


Test configurations on Windows:


Environment Configurations Comments Tester
Region OS CPU/GPU Revision Graphics Sound/Pad
NTSC-U ?
  • Intel Core i5-750 @ 2.67 GHz
  • ATI Radeon HD 5770
0.9.7 (r3876m) GSdx SSE41 (r3693)
  • SPU2-X 1.4.0 (r3702m)
  • SSSPSX PAD Pressure Mod 1.7.1
BIOS: USA v02.30, Speedhacks: Using VU Cycle stealing causes slowdown. Has an overbloom/ghosting effect when playing at non-native resolutions. Runs smoothly with hardware mode, and mostly software mode too. No serious or game-breaking issues. 98.254.75.187
NTSC-U Windows
  • Intel Core i7 @ 3.40 GHz
  • NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285 @ 768 MB
1.1.0 (r5517) GSdx SSE41 (r5464)
  • SPU2-X 2.0.0
  • LilyPad 0.11.0
Runs at 200% speed.
NTSC-U Windows 7
  • Intel Core i3-550 @ 3.20 GHz
  • ATI Radeon HD 5670 @ 512 MB
1.2.1 (r5875)

<spoiler show="Settings" hide="Hide">

  • Speedhacks:
    • INTC Spin: ✓
    • Wait Loop: ✓
    • mVU Flag: ✓
    • MTVU: ✓
    • EE Cyclerate: 3

</spoiler>

GSdx
  • SPU2-X 2.0.0 (r5875)
  • LilyPad 0.11.0 (r5875)
GSdx Renderer: Direct3D9 (Hardware). Performance: Runs smooth as butter 50-60 FPS only on huge zones with a very high level of population 60 FPS everywhere else occasionaly some stuttering here and there but this is probably my pc fault. Light game overall. Razor96
NTSC-U Windows 7 Ultimate x64
  • Intel Core i7-2600K @ 3.40 GHz
  • NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 @ 2 GB
1.3.0 (2014-12-14) GSdx 0.1.16 AVX (2014-12-14)

<spoiler show="Settings" hide="Hide">

  • Interlacing: None
  • Renderer: Direct3D9 (Hardware)
  • Custom Resolution: 1920x1080
  • Texture Filtering: Bilinear (PS2)
  • Anisotropic Filtering: 16x
  • Hacks:
    • Half-Pixel Offset: ✓

</spoiler>

  • SPU2-X 2.0.0 (2014-12-14)
  • LilyPad 0.11.0 (2014-12-14)
BIOS: USA v2.00, Additional Speedhacks: MTVU. Runs at constant 60 FPS. There isn't any ghosting, but there are black lines on some pictures of the inventory. ManaYagami
PAL Windows 10
  • AMD Ryzen 7 1800X OC'd to 3.9 GHz
  • AMD Radeon HD 570X
1.50-dev-2863 GSDX 2019010231147 (MSVC 19.00 AVX2/AVX2) 1.1.0 [GSdx32-AVX2]

<spoiler show="Settings" hide="Hide">

  • Interlacing: None
  • Renderer: Direct3D11 (Hardware)
  • Resolution=4X Native
  • Anisotropic Filtering: 16x
  • Hacks:
    • Alpha
    • Alpha Stencil
    • Merge Sprites
    • Skipdraw 1

</spoiler>

  • SPU2-X 20160405000143 2.0.0 [SPU2-X]
  • LilyPad svn (r5875) 0.11.0
Game works great. Really good performance and everything. EddieHimself


Trivia

  • Original names: 龍が如く (SLPM-66168) & (SLPM-74234) & (SLPM-74253), 용과 같이 (SLKA-25342)
  • Also known as Ryuu ga Gotoku (JP), Ryu ga Gotoku (KO)
  • The PAL version can be played in both PAL and NTSC mode, selectable upon booting up the game


Known Issues

Glitched effect at the corner of the screen

  • Status: Active
  • Type: Minor
  • Description: On resolutions higher than native the right and bottom corners of the screen will become distorted
  • Workaround: Set the rendering resolution to native. Half Pixel offset can be used to mitigate the effect but it causes black lines in the middle of the screen.

Ghosting

  • Status: Active
  • Type: Minor
  • Description: In some areas of the game the character models, neon signs, etc. will have a ghosting like effect.
  • Workaround: Go to Config -> Video (GS) -> Plugin Settings, enable HW hacks, go to Advanced Settings and Hacks, enable Alpha, Alpha Stencil, and Merge Sprites. Then set skipdraw to 1. This gets rid of the ghosting but unfortunately disables some lighting effects as well.

Semi transparent line in the middle of the screen

  • Type: Note (not an issue)
  • Description: A semi transparent whitish line appears in the middle of the screen.
  • Workaround: Set Texture Filtering to any setting other than "Bilinear (Forced)".

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