Hokuto ga Gotoku (Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise) (北斗が如く)

Gameplay

The game transposes the Yakuza series formula into the end-of-century world, with a third-person adventure blending city exploration, street brawling, and a profusion of side activities. In the heart of Eden, the player fights swarms of enemies in combat where Hokuto Shinken techniques make bodies explode, punctuated by QTEs. But it is above all its tone that surprises: between two bloody fights, Kenshiro finds himself working as a bartender, a doctor in a white coat, a hostess bar manager, or a buggy driver, in offbeat mini-games far removed from the character’s image. The game’s tagline summed up the intent: “break the established codes of Hokuto.”

Of note

Developed by the Ryū ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega, the game was born during the production of Yakuza 6. Since the Dragon Engine was not ready, it relies on an adjusted version of the engine from Yakuza 0 and Yakuza Kiwami. The Japanese version has the characters voiced by the voice actors from the Yakuza series, and the worldwide release in October 2018 came with a brand-new English dub, the first produced by the studio since the very first Yakuza on PlayStation 2. The original 1986 version on Mark III is also included as a playable retro game in Kenshiro’s hideout. It was sold at 8,390 yen before tax.