The Yakuza 5 UI provides crucial information during both exploration and combat. In the top-left corner, you'll find your health bar (red) and Heat Gauge (blue). The Heat Gauge fills as you land attacks and can be used to unleash powerful Heat Actions. Below these, you'll see your current character's name and level. The mini-map in the top-right displays your location, objectives, and nearby points of interest, such as restaurants, stores, and substory markers. During combat, enemy health bars will appear above their heads, and prompts for Heat Actions will flash on screen.
When exploring, look for glowing objects or people with speech bubbles, indicating interactable elements or potential substory triggers. The bottom-right of the screen often displays contextual button prompts for actions like opening doors, talking to NPCs, or picking up items. Familiarize yourself with the main menu, accessed by pressing the Options/Menu button, which contains sections for inventory, equipment, skills, substories, and system settings. Regularly checking your inventory and skill tree is vital for character progression and managing your resources effectively.