Yakuza 6 interview with writer/producer Masayoshi Yokoyama, from Dengeki Online

This long (really long!) interview was first published in Japanese way back in January 2017, right after Ryu ga Gotoku 6 was released in Japan. With the English release imminent, this felt like a good time to post a translation. Yokoyama answers several questions I’ve seen being asked a lot recently, like where did the minigames go, why was Kamurocho reduced in size, why is the Rizap food challenge so … well, challenging? And lots, lots more. And he doesn’t shy away from addressing the controversy over the story either. Enjoy.

Yakuza Kiwami karaoke – TONIGHT – restart from this night – with video

To celebrate the release of Yakuza Kiwami in the west, here’s the English lyrics for Kiryu’s new song Tonight. This is something of a departure for Yakuza karaoke, being the first song that focuses on the game story, and so the video portion doesn’t feature the singer as usual, showing a montage of past events instead. I’m not sure how I feel about that, actually. I think I’d rather see Kiryu singing, but for better or worse it seems to be a trend that they’re continuing with.

UPDATE: I came across the full-spec version, which is even more heartbreaking! Listen here. So I’ve translated that too below.

This song also features in the new karaoke style in Yakuza 6. I might upload that too later, but since the video portion is no different, there’s not really much need for it. Oh, except that the button input sounds are much quieter in 6 (as they come out of the controller speaker) so you can hear the song better.

Aaaaaand … it’s gone

I just took down the Yakuza 6 story summary. It was oddly emotional. (I’ve just finished a week of night shifts and I’m a little bit drunk, so please forgive me for talking shit for a bit.)

I LITERALLY learned Japanese to play these games. I only started playing the Japanese ones because I’d run out of English Yakuza to play. I started with Ishin!, using KHHSubs’ guide, and then I went on to Kiwami with no guide, after watching Salty Yen’s playthrough. I translated the menus and stuff, but I was mostly just winging it, really. The thing that really made me buckle down and start properly translating stuff myself was Rina, the hostess at Shine. When she said “I like girls”, I was like HANG ON A MINUTE! I had to know what was going on.

Rina … it’s all her fault

No spoilers …

UPDATE: Last call. The story summary will be coming down tomorrow, June 26.

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I’m thinking I should take the Yakuza 6 story summary down for now. Honestly, I never expected it to get as much attention as it has. I didn’t realise so many people would import the game without knowing Japanese. Even then, I thought interest would die out pretty quickly after the first couple of months, but it only got busier! It’s been pretty awesome to see.

But now, well, the game’s coming out in six months or so. They’ve started to market it, and every time Sega posts something 6-related, I get a spike in hits. And too many of them go straight to the Epilogue or the Final Chapter. That’s not what I want. My summary isn’t for spoiler hunters, it’s for people playing the game.

So I’m thinking I’ll leave it up for another week, so anyone who’s playing right now can finish (or save a copy). And then I’ll take it down until the game is out in English.

 

Yakuza 6 substory translation – “The Fan”

I just felt like translating this … It was pretty easy, since most of it is talking with a child, so the language is pretty simple (though one of her lines near the end did stump me for a bit – I understood it, I just couldn’t figure out how to put it in good English!). And I’ve gotta keep up my Japanese practice for when Yakuza 7 arrives 😉

It’s a nice little substory, with some insight into the relationship between Kiryu and Haruka, and also gives you an idea of the repercussions from Haruka’s big revelation at the end of Yakuza 5. It’s available right at the start of the game, so there’s not really any spoilers either.

Yakuza 6 new game/new game+ instructions

I find these options confusing enough in English! And it doesn’t help that they seem to change them every game too … Anyway, here’s the translation of the options.

Yakuza 6 Clan Creator instructions

I’ve been playing Clan Creator today, and enjoying it more than I thought I would. So here’s a translation of all the instructions in the help menu for Clan Creator. The Clan Creator backstory is in an earlier post here.

This is the main Clan Creator screen you get when you talk to Jo. Click on Help, and you get two options:

• Menu explanation
• Battle explanation

Yakuza 6 karaoke translation – BRAN-NEW STAGE

This is the last of the RGG6 karaoke songs (except for TONIGHT, which someone already did, as it was in Kiwami). Enjoy.

Yakuza 6 karaoke translation – Y-ji road (Y-shaped road) with two videos!

UPDATE: Seems the official English title is “Fork in the Road” (sigh …) And I’ve also translated the full-spec version now, because I just love this song so much.