History VideoGame / Yakuza4

''Yakuza 4'', released in Japan as 龍が如く4 伝説を継ぐもの (''Ryū ga Gotoku 4: Densetsu wo Tsugumono'', lit. ''Like a Dragon 4: Heir to the Legend'') is the fourth main entry in Sega's ''VideoGame/LikeADragon'' series, which was released in March 18, 2010 in Japan and March 15/18, 2011 for NA/Europe for the Platform/PlayStation3. A remastered port for the Platform/Playstation4 was released on January 17, 2019 in Japan, and in the rest of the world on October 29 that same year, with PC (via Platform/{{Steam}}) and Xbox One ports releasing on January 28, 2021.

* ChainOfDeals: One of Akiyama's stories has him and one of his clients do one of these, starting with a single cigarette. Akiyama trades the cigarette for stomach medicine, then the stomach medicine for tickets to the opera, then the tickets for a business card, and finally the business card for a watch.

''Yakuza 4'', released in Japan as 龍が如く4 伝説を継ぐもの (''Ryū ga Gotoku 4: Densetsu wo Tsugumono'', lit. ''Like a Dragon 4: Heir to the Legend'') is the fourth main entry in Sega's ''VideoGame/LikeADragon'' series, which was released in March 18, 2010 in Japan and March 15/18, 2011 for NA/Europe for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3. A remastered port for the UsefulNotes/Playstation4 was released on January 17, 2019 in Japan, and in the rest of the world on October 29 that same year, with PC (via UsefulNotes/{{Steam}}) and Xbox One ports releasing on January 28, 2021.

* TheCameo: Many characters from previous games appear in Kiryu's substories.
** Kiryu bumps into Gary Buster Holmes, who has turned a new leaf and joined Majima's family to help with the construction of Kamurocho Hills. Although his days fighting in Purgatory's Underground Coliseum are behind him, he [[MyGreatestFailure regrets]] not being able to beat Kiryu then and the two duke it out in a friendly bout.
** Keisuke Baba, better known as the (former) [[VideoGame/Yakuza1 leader of the B-Kings]], challenges Kiryu but has reformed himself into a major league baseball player. Instead of fighting him, he wants Kiryu to hit one of his famed "Twisted Curves". Although he insists [[NeverMyFault he was never wrong in the past]], and believes turning himself into a living success will prove he made all the right choices all along.
---> '''Kiryu''': Figures. You're just as twisted as ever.
** Date's daughter Saya also appears, who wants to introduce her dad to her boyfriend Minoru, another hairstylist she also plans to move in with. Minoru gets tied up with [[ChronicHeroSyndrome people who need his help]], and has a hard time winning over [[PapaWolf the former detective]].
** The Florist of Sai's son Takashi also appears, who's now working a stable job, but is looking for his DisappearedDad now that Kyoka is pregnant and has no one on his side of the family to invite to their wedding. The Florist tasks him with stopping three troublemakers in the city [[spoiler:who happen to be Tanimura, Akiyama and Saejima]], before giving him the information he wants in a rather unusual way. [[spoiler:The whole thing was set up by the Florist as a SecretTestOfCharacter, which the other protagonists were completely in on]].
** The [[VideoGame/Yakuza2 Fake Kiryu]] is up to his antics once again, bullying people using Kiryu's image and posting it on his blog for everyone to see.
** Kotaro and Ibuchi from the Honest Living Association in ''3'' reappear in a sidequest, with Kotaro still unable to land a stable job.
** Kiryu's substory "Color Gangs" has the leaders of the Color Gangs from the first Yakuza game reappear - the Akai Brothers of the Bloody Eye gang reveal that they disbanded shortly after their encounter with Kiryu and started a successful porn business. Shiraki of the White Edge reveals that his gang broke up and he became a semi-legit used car salesman and front for Yakuza business. Aota is still running with the Blue Z gang, and after getting beaten by Kiryu, the gang members show appreciation for Aota for sticking with him unlike the leaders of the other Color Gangs and decide to go legit with him.
* {{Callback}}:

* CelebrityCameo: Mari Yaguchi, formerly of the Japanese idol group Morning Musume appears in the game as a massage therapist.
* CentralTheme: How the past affects the present, a majority of the events that happened in Yakuza was due to actions done 25 years ago

** Late in Tanimura's chapter, he engages in a speedboat chase against Sugiuchi.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: A panty thief leaps from buildings to get away from his target and slips off the railing. Beginning to fall, he flings one of the bras he had stolen onto a nearby fire escape like a GrapplingHookPistol. It slides around it and stops his fall... for all of half a second since it had nothing to clip onto (and would have just ripped if it did), sending him crashing into the street below.

*** The first and biggest clue that something is up is Katsuragi being noticeably alive and without permanent injury in the present day despite seemingly being killed or rendered comatose by Saejima in the flashback.

! Spoilers for ''all'' preceding ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'' entries will be left unmarked. Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned!

*** Tanimura as the Black Tortoise of the North. This god is often associated with water and portrayed as a large tortoise or turtle with a long serpent wrapped around its shell or protruding as a tail, reflecting Taninura's slow and defensive but fluid, adaptive fighting style. Tanimura wears a thick blue jacket, almost resembling a shell.