Hokuto Ga Gotoku is a video game by Sega scheduled to be released for the PlayStation 4 in 2018. It is a 3D action-adventure game by the developers of Sega’s Yakuza series (known as Ryū Ga Gotoku in Japan) and features the voice cast of the Yakuza series portraying established Hokuto no Ken characters. The story takes place in an alternate universe, as Kenshiro wanders into the post-apocalyptic haven of Eden in search of his lost love Yuria.
Nuclear war almost annihilated every living being, but humanity has survived. In an era in which civilization has been destroyed and nothing is created anymore, strong men struggle to conquer what little food and resources are left. It was a world dominated by violence. Yet, in a corner of that world, there was a place called “the city of miracles,” a city named “Eden.”
Eden receives energy and water from a giant dome-shaped relic of the old world named “Sphere City,” and there is even an entertainment district. Citizen lived a comfortable life that others in this era can’t even imagine.
One day a man named Kenshiro reaches Eden at the end of his wanderings. He was the successor of Hokuto Shinken, an ancient assassination art passed down from a single line of successors. The heart of this man, thought invincible, was instead filled with despair. His only hope was a rumor indicating that his long lost fiancee Yuria that he thought dead, was instead alive and in Eden.
However, Eden is closed to outsider, and the gates block Kenshiro’s way. What will he have to do to enter Eden? And what destiny awaits in his pursuit of Yuria?
Kenshiro is a man who follows his love in a mysterious city, caught in the river of fate. A new legend of the savior begins.
- Pretty good alternate storyline, although the main antagonist was not very impressive.
- Side activities are fun, and their little stories are quite interesting.
- The fighting is orgasmic. Unleashing Hokuto Shinken upon the various thugs and enemies has never been so satisfying. Combat can be a bit rough at first but hang on, once upgrades have been unlocked you will soon feel like an unstoppable god of death.
- Torrents of blood and gore for everyone !
- Reproduces really well the ambience of the manga and anime.
- Driving the buggy in the dunes of rocks and sands is more fun than people make it out to be, especially once it's upgraded.
- The epic remake of "Receive You".
- Stay until the credits have ended for a surprise :)
- My only complaint about the game is that there should have been more settlements and stories outside of the main city hub. I know it's a desert but it's just... too deserted. There are lots of places and corners that are just devoid of anything.
- Lots of back and forth in the desert, even with the use of fast travel points.
A fan of Hokuto no Ken since 1988, I am pleased to report that this is indeed the best Hokuto no Ken game ever made. I imported it from Japan earlier this year, played it through and even completed the 60+ side stories. Think of it as some kind of Grand Theft Auto in a post-apocalyptic wasteland where you play as Kenshiro and decimate legions of punks. Sure it doesn’t have the budget or the polish of Grand Theft Auto, but this is as close as we’re going to get for such a niche franchise. The visuals are really nice inside the city, the side stories are interesting and fun, the fighting is incredible, even the music rocks – especially the remix of “Receive You” which had me headbanging every time. If you’re a fan of Hokuto no Ken or any violent, over-the-top martial art anime, you owe it to yourself to pick this up. Expect awesome bloody fights, appreciate the distractions, but do not expect amazing story-telling. The format is from Yakuza, but story is not the focus here.