When people talk about the Sega series that eventually became Like a Dragon, they usually point to Yakuza 0 as the gold standard. Or maybe they argue about the turn-based shift in Yakuza 7. But if you go back to 2010—or 2011 for those of us in the West—Yakuza 4 PlayStation 3 was the moment the franchise actually grew up. It was a massive gamble. For years, players had only known Kazuma Kiryu. He was the guy. Then, suddenly, Sega told everyone they had to play as three other dudes before they could even touch the Dragon of Dojima.
It felt like a betrayal at first.
Honestly, though? It’s arguably the most important game in the entire lineage. It broke the "one-man army" mold and introduced the multi-protagonist system that defined the series for the next decade. It’s messy, the plot is legendary for its "rubber bullets" twist—which we absolutely have to talk about—and it pushed the aging PS3 hardware to its absolute limit with a version of Kamurocho that felt vertical for the first time.
Breaking the Kiryu Monopoly
Before Yakuza 4 PlayStation 3, the formula was predictable. You play as Kiryu, you get framed for something, you punch a thousand guys in suits, and you take off your shirt on a roof. Yakuza 4 changed the energy. It introduced Shun Akiyama, a homeless-man-turned-loan-shark who fights like he’s in a Tae Kwon Do exhibition. He’s effortlessly cool. He breathes life into the opening chapters in a way Kiryu’s stoic grunting just couldn't.
Then you get Taiga Saejima. He’s the opposite. He’s a mountain of a man who can literally pull manhole covers out of the street to bash heads. His segment is heavy. It’s about a man who lost 25 years of his life in prison for a crime that wasn't what it seemed.
The game shifts gears constantly. You go from Akiyama’s snappy, jazz-fueled exploration of the rooftops and underground sewers to Saejima’s desperate, claustrophobic escape from prison. Then comes Masayoshi Tanimura, the "Parasite of Kamurocho." He’s a dirty cop who speaks five languages and spends his time playing Mahjong. His combat is all about parries and handcuffs. By the time you actually get to play as Kiryu in the final act, you’ve seen the city through three different lenses. You realize Kamurocho isn't just Kiryu's backyard; it's a living, breathing ecosystem of crime and desperate people.
That Infamous Rubber Bullet Twist
We can't discuss Yakuza 4 PlayStation 3 without acknowledging the elephant in the room. The plot.
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The "Rubber Bullets" incident.
In the story, Saejima is famous for a 1985 hit where he supposedly gunned down 18 men in a ramen shop. It’s a brutal, foundational piece of lore. But the game eventually reveals that the bullets were non-lethal rubber, and someone else finished the job with real guns. Fans have clowned on this for over a decade. It feels like a "get out of jail free" card to keep the protagonist’s hands clean.
But look at it from a developer's perspective in 2010. Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio wanted heroes you could root for. They weren't ready to let a playable character be a cold-blooded mass murderer. While the logic is shaky, it adds this bizarre, soap-opera layer to the game that makes it uniquely "Yakuza." It’s camp. It’s dramatic. It’s kind of ridiculous, and that’s why it works.
Technical Limits and PS3 Charm
Running Yakuza 4 PlayStation 3 today is a trip. If you play the original disc on hardware, you notice the struggle. The frame rate dips. The loading screens into the shops take a beat too long. But there’s a grit there that the modern Dragon Engine remakes sometimes lose.
The PS3 era was when the team figured out how to make the city feel dense. They added the rooftops and the "Underground" (the mall and the sewers). It wasn't just a flat map anymore. You could actually get lost.
- The Rooftops: Akiyama’s territory. You’re jumping between buildings, finding secret caches, and seeing the neon signs from a new angle.
- The Underground: Tanimura and Saejima spend a lot of time here. It’s grimy. It feels like the parts of Tokyo tourists never see.
- The Little Asia District: This area was vital for Tanimura’s story. It showed the immigrant side of the city, adding a layer of social commentary that was pretty bold for a mainstream brawler.
The game also featured some of the best side content of the era. This was the peak of the "Hostess Maker" minigame, which, honestly, was a bit of a slog, but it showed how much Sega wanted to cram into a single Blu-ray disc. You weren't just fighting; you were managing a business, training fighters in the dojo, and even going fishing in the middle of a massive criminal conspiracy.
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A Soundtrack That Slaps
Let’s be real: "For Faith" is a top-tier series anthem. The way the music shifts during the final boss rush—where each protagonist gets their own version of the theme—is peak game design. It builds this incredible sense of momentum. Each character's fighting style is reflected in their theme. Akiyama’s is light and funky. Saejima’s is heavy and oppressive. Tanimura’s is techy and urgent. It’s a cohesive audio experience that modern games often overlook.
The Tanimura Controversy
If you play the remastered version on PS4 or PC today, you’ll notice Masayoshi Tanimura looks and sounds completely different. In the original Yakuza 4 PlayStation 3 release, he was modeled after and voiced by actor Hiroki Narimiya.
Following some personal life controversies and his subsequent retirement from acting, Sega decided to completely replace him for the 2019 remaster. They brought in Toshiki Masuda to re-record the lines and changed the character model's face entirely. For purists, the original PS3 version is the only place to see the character as he was originally intended. Narimiya’s performance had a certain "tired" energy that fit the character perfectly—a cop who had seen too much but still cared about his community.
Why You Should Care in 2026
You might think, "Why go back to an old PS3 game when I have the remakes?"
Because Yakuza 4 hasn't been "Kiwami-fied." Unlike the first two games, which were rebuilt from the ground up, Yakuza 4 only exists as the original or a basic upscaled remaster. The PS3 version represents a specific moment in time for Sega. It was the moment they realized they could tell a story that wasn't just about one man. Without the success of the multi-protagonist system here, we never would have gotten the masterpiece that is Yakuza 5, or the ensemble cast of the modern Like a Dragon games.
It’s also surprisingly short if you stick to the main story. You can blast through it in about 20-25 hours, which is a breath of fresh air compared to the 80-hour behemoths the series produces now. It’s tight. It’s focused. Well, as focused as a game with rubber bullets and secret government bases under the Millennium Tower can be.
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How to Play It Best Today
If you still have your console, getting a physical copy of Yakuza 4 PlayStation 3 is a great way to experience the original vision, including the original Tanimura.
- Check the disc condition: PS3 Blu-rays are tough, but the late-gen games pushed the lasers hard.
- Install the data: The game requires a hefty mandatory install. Make sure you have about 5GB of free space on that old HDD.
- Appreciate the manual: Those old Sega manuals were actually pretty cool.
If you don't have a PS3, the Remastered Collection on modern consoles is the way to go. You get 1080p and 60fps, which makes Akiyama’s kicks look buttery smooth. Just know that you're seeing a slightly "sanitized" version of the original 2010 experience.
Moving Forward with the Series
If you've just finished the Kiryu saga or you're coming off the newer games, Yakuza 4 is the perfect bridge. It explains why the Tojo Clan is always in shambles and introduces characters who remain relevant for the next four games.
Next Steps for Players:
- Focus on Akiyama first: Don't rush through his chapters. Max out his "Launch Strike" ability as early as possible. It makes combat hilarious and effective.
- Don't skip the Saejima training: It’s a bit of a grind, but building up your student at the dojo gives you some of the best upgrades in the game.
- Watch the rooftops: There are hidden locker keys everywhere up there. Use the "First Person" view (click the R3 stick) to find them gleaming in the distance.
- Engage with the "Substories": Some of the best writing in the game is tucked away in the 63 side quests. They range from heartbreaking to "did that actually just happen?" levels of weird.
Yakuza 4 is the soul of the franchise. It’s ambitious, slightly broken, and incredibly heartfelt. Whether you’re playing on the original hardware or the remaster, it’s a journey through Kamurocho that you won’t forget.