Part 1 - Shun Akiyama

Guide Shun Akiyama's first chapter in Yakuza 4 Remastered. Learn his moves, fight thugs, and unravel the initial plot threads in Kamurocho.

Alright, let's dive into Yakuza 4 with Shun Akiyama! First things first, you'll pick your difficulty – go with whatever feels right for you. If you've got a Yakuza 3 save file lying around, the game will hook you up with a Gion Bell and a Sunshine Belly Warmer accessory for some early protection. Pretty neat!

Chapter 1 - The Infamous Loan Shark

The game throws you right into the action as Shun Akiyama. That opening cutscene is a great intro to the guy. After a quick chat with his secretary, Hana, you'll hit the streets for his collection run. You're basically railroaded north, so just follow the path. You'll run into an old man who'll explain Memos – that's Komaki, the dojo master, but to Akiyama, he's just a quirky old dude.

Keep heading north towards Theater Square. As you pass it, a group of thugs will approach you for a fight. This is your chance to get a feel for Akiyama's fighting style. Just follow the on-screen prompts, and if you nail them all, you'll get enough experience for your first level-up! Once they're down, pop open your Pause Menu and use those Soul Orbs to unlock new Abilities.

Continuing north, you'll meet Kamiyama, a weapons enthusiast. He'll give you a catalog for his shop in Park Alley (northeast), but we'll save that for later. Keep going north and a guy in a red jacket, Kido, will approach you. He's part of Kanemura Enterprises, a low-level yakuza group. This scene sets up the story: some yakuza from the Ueno Seiwa Clan are hanging out at Club Elnard, which is run by Kanemura. Even though they're all technically under the Tojo Clan umbrella, there's still a lot of political maneuvering. Kido explains this to his buddies while Akiyama overhears. Akiyama suggests it'd be better for Kanemura Captain Arai to handle things. As Akiyama leaves, he spots Arai checking out Kamurocho Hills, a big Tojo construction project, along with Patriarch Shibata. Arai gets a call to head to Club Elnard, and Akiyama decides to tag along. It's already getting complicated, and it's only going to get more so!

Once you regain control, you'll be in the northeast part of the map. Head south towards the objective marker. You'll find the same punks from earlier, now with their boss. This is another chance to learn some new moves. Perform them for experience, then take them down.

Continue south to Club Elnard and head inside via the elevator. The bouncer might try to stop you, but Akiyama will push past him.

Inside, you'll find the Ueno guys causing trouble. Akiyama steps in to prevent any Kanemura members from getting directly involved, leading to your first boss fight against Ihara. He's not too tough. You can use environmental objects to your advantage, and there's a Staminan X in the corner if you need a health boost. After you beat him, you'll finish him off with the 'Essence of Counterattack'.

After the fight, Arai shows up, knowing exactly what Akiyama's up to. Akiyama reveals he had a plan for Arai to take over Kanemura, setting him up for bigger things. This is interrupted by Ihara, who pulls a gun. Arai tries to calm him down but gets grazed by a bullet. Ihara and his associate flee, and Kido chases after them.

Back on the street, Hana calls, upset about some shady guys outside the office. She mentions they said 'Ueno', so trouble's brewing. Head back across the map to Sky Finance in the southwest. You can check out the shops on the way, but save the real exploration for later.

When you get back to the office, Akiyama hears a gunshot. He rushes back to find Arai standing over Ihara's body with a smoking gun. Arai bolts, and Akiyama is left stunned. Suddenly, a guy in a blue jacket appears and questions why Akiyama isn't running. Too late – the cops arrive and arrest Akiyama, ending the chapter.

Chapter 2 - The One

We jump back to Akiyama's past, living on the streets. Suddenly, the top of Millennium Tower explodes! Then, money starts raining down. It's 2005, and Akira Nishikiyama has just died, scattering ten billion yen across the city. Akiyama, like everyone else, dives in.

Akiyama wakes up in a jail cell and is released. Detective Sugiuchi warns him to stop his loan-sharking activities, mentioning that Kanemura is also dead. Akiyama is released into the south side of Kamurocho, and Hana calls him back to the office.