From its debut to 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Like A Dragon, the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Yakuza series has melded influences and locations from the real world into the raucous, wild world of the games. The series' developer, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio (RGG), takes the details of Yakuza very seriously, making the games prime real estate to spot fun Easter Eggs and nods to the outside world.
Despite their unusual lifestyles, series regulars Kiryu Kazama and Goro Majima live in a world that isn't as distant from real life as it may seem. These Yakuza legends eat, play, and live in a setting many Japanese locals would recognize as if it were just outside their doors. Playing through Yakuza is as unexpected as it is satisfying, as the series keeps players on the lookout for clever moments that blur fantasy and reality.
10 Kamuorocho And Sotenbori &md🅰ash; Art Imitates Life
As natives of Osaka and Tokyo know, Yakuza's two main settings -- Kamurocho and Sotenbori -- are directly modeled after two real cities: Kabukicho and Dotonbori respectively. Fans of the series know that the cities draw upon their real-life counterparts for a great deal of i🐓nspiration, but the level of detail and care given to every street cannot be overstated.
Yakuza recreates locations like the iconic Club Sega, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:where you can enjo💜y some classic arcade games, to the legendary Golden Gai Alleys that house staples like Shellac and Komaki's training area. Named "The Champion District" for the games, these famous alleys play a pivotal role in some of the most shocking, series-defining moments. If you find yourself roaming the Champion District, take in the sights and be ready for the unexpected.
9 Undergr𒆙ound Gambling — Hidden In Plain Sight 🔯
What is city life without backroom or underground gambling rings to keep the locals busy? Japan is no exception to the near ubiquity of illegal gambling, and RGG leans into this reality throughout each game in the series. Kiryu must 1𒉰68澳洲幸⛄运5开奖网:even learn to play popular games like poker, m🅺ahjong, and🧔 shogi as parts of various substories throughout his appearances.
Poke around enough back alleys and chat up a few unscrupulous street urchins lurking by suspicious-looking doors, and you're bound to stumble on some action. Gambling is a huge source of revenue for shady Yakuza, so don't be surprised if you get a little more than you bargained for.
8 ꧅ A Sega Genesis Cameo — Enter The Meta-References
Sega has a habit of referencing their own games and consoles across various titles, and Yakuza just might be their favorite spot to hide fun secrets. In Yakuza 0 you come across several coin-operated machines called 'Dream Machines.' Essentially, these machines are RGG's nod to the popular gachapon capsule machines you can find across Japan.
If you're lucky, one of these Dream Machines will pop out a Mega Drive Stuffed Toy, which bears an eerie similarity to the Sega Genesis. In addition to this, in Yakuza 6,🌸 you share a conversation with a hostess during which Kiryu mentions the Sega Dreamcast. Watch out for these cute moments on your next playthrough, and see if you spot any of the other references to Sega console𝓀s.
7 Real 🍷Restaurants — Gyu Kaku And More ও
If you're feeling a bit peckish on your forays across Kamurocho and Sotenbori, you're in luck because there are plenty of delicious-looking options to whet your appetite. Keep an eye out for actual restaurants, like Gyu Kaku and Kani Duraku Seafood, which can each be found at several locations across Japan.
The Ryu Ga Gotoku team took special care to visit and inspect the fine details of these incredible restaurants, modeling them on an almost one-to-one level. If you've been to any of the Gyu Kaku locations across the globe, then you'll appreciate the attention given to the interiors and even the employees' clothing, as RGG pulled no punches in recreating these iconic restaurants.
6 Local Legends — Popular Stores And Cafes 🍒
If you've played Yakuza, then you've gotten familiar with Don Quijote — the store, not the popular literary character. The legendary duty-free shop is just one of the many spots locals will recognize as they explore Yakuza. The series also features appearances from Dartslive dart machines; Seicomart, a popular Japanese convenience store; and Maharaja, a recently re-launched disco that gained popularity in the '80s.
In addition to using exact retail locations, many of the local stores, like Cafe Alps, are actually inspired by real locations in the area. 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Even if you can't visit Japan, take a look through some photos and see if you can uncover any of RGG's carefully placed homages to Kiryu and Majima's favorite locations.
5 Product Placement — Get The Axe ✨ ꧅
It's no surprise that even the smallest nuances — right down to the deodorant — have been thoughtfully chosen to make the world believable. Many of the world's items reference actual products in some way, or in some cases directly name them in the game.
Axe Body Spray was one of the purchasable ꧙items in Yakuza 3 chosen by the developers to be sold at one of the Don Quijote locations. However, due to licensing issues, the referenc🐭e was later removed entirely. In Yakuza 6, RGG also placed billboards advertising Sony products, which stands among the many promotions you can find across the series.
4 🎶 Technology Trends — How Do You Do, Fellow♛ Kids?
Yakuza's substories are frequently lauded as some of the best content, some even rivaling the main stories in pure entertainment value. Certain substories, like Yakuza 6's YouTube-themed "Like, Comment, Subscribe," offer insights and humorous comparisons between the absurdity of the game characters and their real-life peers.
In this substory, a YouTuber waltzes through the city with his camera on a selfie-stick, recording himself antagonizing local Yakuza. As you might imagine, this doesn't go very well for him. The parallel between YouTube pranks and the substory's ridiculous YouTuber caricature is both hysterical and thought-provoking, as one of RGG's many revealing portraits of real life.
3 🌟 Datinဣg Apps — Talking Swipe Culture
If you've dated in the modern age then you've probably used — or thought about using — a dating app. Direct references to hookup culture and popular apps like Tinder have made their way into games with increasing regularity, as in Yakuza 6's substory, "Swipe Right."
During this substory, Kiryu receives a flirty message from a random number and decides to meet up with the sender. Red flags aside, Kiryu's date isn't a catfish. Instead the story shifts to a more mature tone, as RGG offers their take on hookup culture and how quickly things progress in modern dating.
2 Movie Plots &mdas🐈h; Recreating The Classics🎃
Yakuza characters will often vaguely allude to or directly mention popular movies like RoboCop and Freaky Friday throughout regular conversation. Some references, like the RoboCop one, come up during certain conversations with NPCs, so don't be too quick to skip through the dialogue or you may miss a great one-liner.
In the case of Freaky Friday, the substory, "A Freaky Situation" will task Kiryu with helping a boy and a girl who have mysteriously switched bodies with each other. While in this case the body switching happens between two kids, the substory's title is clearly making a reference to the plot of Freaky Friday, where a mother and daughter switch bodies instead.
1 Paul Lim — A Lꩲiving Darts Legend
As you may remember, Dartslive has a product partnership with Yakuza. Perhaps their biggest collaboration came with the inclusion of a substory where Kiryu challenges Paul Lim, a real darts champion. Paul Lim completed a nine-dart finish in the 1990 World Dart Championship, to achieve a perfect 501 scℱore in the fewest possible attempts.
Paul Lim was brought in to voice himself for the Yakuza appearance, and is also the only character to speak English in the entire entry. During the substory Paul teaches Kiryu how to play, as one of the game's legends shares his knowledge with the legendary Dragon of Dojima. Once you have what it takes to succeed your master, you'll receive the best darts in the game as compensation — a fitting reward from one of darts' most famous players.
