Yakuza: Dead Souls

Yakuza : Dead Souls Release Date: June 2011 (JP) March 2012 (NA/EU) Developer: Ryu ga Gotoku Studios Publisher: SEGA Series: Yakuza Platforms: PlayStation 3 Genre: Horror, action, Third-Person Shooter

Yakuza: Dead Souls (龍が如く OF THE END lit. "Like a Dragon of the End") is a non-canon Zombie-themed spinoff of the Yakuza Series of videogames, developed and published by SEGA and released exclusively for the Sony PlayStation 3. Firearms take a far more prominent role in this game compared to the main Yakuza series. In most Yakuza games, guns very much take a secondary role compared to the hand-to-hand brawling style of fighting that goes on in the game. If guns are available for purchase at all, they are generally extremely expensive for both the guns and ammunition, in line with the extremely strict gun laws in real-life Japan leading to very high black-market prices for illegal weapons. Since this is clearly not intended to be anywhere nearly as true-to-life as the main Yakuza games, the prices of firearms are far cheaper. Also, the mechanics have been altered, replacing virtually all the unarmed combat moves with firearm-based controls, including both automatic and manual targeting, compared to the extremely crude "point-and-shoot" system of other Yakuza games. The guns in this game are very intricately modelled, with details down to the ridge between the primer and shell casing being modelled in 3D.

The following weapons appear in the video game Yakuza: Dead Souls:

WARNING! THIS PAGE CONTAINS SPOILERS!

Overview

The game uses a 4-weapon inventory system, with each selectable using the D-pad. Weapons are classified into different ammo types: pistol (unlimited ammo), shotgun, rifle, anti-materiel, grenades, and Gatling gun. Each playable character has a unique main weapon and a sidearm, neither of which can be removed from his inventory. The exception to this is Akiyama, whose main weapons are a pair of pistols, so he does not have to worry about running out of ammo. In addition, there are also throwable weapons. The two (or three) free slots can be equipped with any other weapon the player wishes, and are not restricted by category. There are also environment melee weapons, which can be picked up and used to attack zombies, much like the fights in other Yakuza games.

There is a "heat sniping" system. This involves building up a "heat" bar to allow certain objects to be shot, creating effects such as explosions. This is activated by pressing triangle and selecting an object to shoot, which are highlighted by exclamation mark symbols, by pressing R1. At this point a QTE ensues as the bullet(s) fly towards the target where the player must press the shape button indicated in the allotted time. If the player fails, the bullet simply dings the object without any effect. The heat mode has three stages: the first is coloured green and allows for a certain number of different objects, which are highlighted in green, to be sniped, the second stage highlights additional objects in turquoise, and the third highlights even more objects in blue.

The game also features "partners," who will assist you in combat. They have health bars and if depleted, will not be able to fight until the player gives them a first aid kit. Like Binary Domain, there is also a loyalty system, with the partner more likely to obey your commands if they are loyal to you and in high health. Some partners are temporary and only appear in parts of the story, whilst others go to a "training camp," where the player can pick them up to use at any point.

Many of the weapons can be upgraded. This changes their appearance as well as their stats. The player can upgrade their own weapons as well as those of training camp partners. The player is also able to upgrade their abilities.

Handguns

Beretta 92FS

Known as the "Gangster's Pistol," a light-coloured Beretta 92FS is the first firearm used by Shun Akiyama, right at the beginning of the game. After the first part of the first chapter, Akiyama picks up a second one, creating a pair known as the "Macedonian Twins" in the menu, these being his signature weapons, appearing in his official artwork. These hold 13 rounds each, creating 26 shots in total. When shooting in auto-aiming mode, Akiyama may aim and fire at separate targets with each pistol; when manually aiming, he fires both pistols at a single target, and his firing rate increases considerably.
The "Macedonian Twins" can be upgraded to a slightly more powerful variant with a 15-round magazine capacity, known as "High & Low," so called because of the two-tone finish of chrome slide and black-coloured frame. Akiyama's ultimate pair of pistols are called the "Elise." A single Beretta 92 FS is used by all the partners during Gary's training. Partner Kazuto Arase also uses a pair of Berettas; his are known as the "ARASE SP-R2" in black with cream grips, and the "ARASE XR" in red.

Beretta 92FS - 9x19mm

official artwork of Akiyama with the dual pistols

Partner Marina practising a Field Combat course, with a Beretta 92FS in hand.

Akiyama with the Beretta pistol

Colt 1911 type pistol

Character Tomoaki Nagahama has this weapon. It most closely resembles a Para-Ordnance 7.45 with some differing features. A picture of this model is also used for the weapon skill upgrades.

Para Ordnance LDA 7.45 - .45 ACP

Nagahama with the pistol

Advanced Weapons Skill upgrade

Desert Eagle XIX

The Desert Eagle is initially known on the game as "Large Automatic Pistol," "Automatic" in this case referring to the fact that it is self-loading. It is much more powerful than the 9mm pistols, with one shot being enough to kill most zombies outright without the requirement for a headshot. The firing rate is slow however due to the high recoil, and unlike the other pistols does not increase when manually aiming by holding down L2. This pistol initially starts out with a 6-round magazine capacity. This pistol can be upgraded twice, the first variant "Wk CP-35 Tiger" having an 8-round capacity as well as wooden handgrips, and the final form, "Tiger Pistol," having 10-rounds, which would not be possible without extended magazines.
For some reason, Akiyama is sometimes depicted as dual-wielding a Desert Eagle and Beretta, although he does not use this configuration in-game.

Magnum Research Desert Eagle MKXIX - .50AE

Kiryu using the "Tiger Pistol" in an echoic sewer. Hopefully he is wearing earplugs.

Having activated cloak mode, Kiryu prepares to stealthily hunt down zombies with his not-so-stealthy gold-plated hand cannon.

A rack of Desert Eagles and Berettas in the DVD shop. Note the tall cocking serrations of the Desert Eagle model

Akiyama dual-wielding Beretta and Desert Eagle

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  Desert Eagle upgrade 1
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  Desert Eagle upgrade 2

Makarov PM

Stainless Makarov PM type pistols with extended barrels are used by Tojo Clan members.

Baikal-442 - 9x17mm Browning/9x18mm Makarov/9x19mm. It is a Canadian market import model of the Makarov. It features a long barrel, not seen on the military Makarov pistol.

Stainless Baikal IJ-70 - .380 ACP

Tojo Clan men with Makarov PMs

Minebea P9 (Airsoft)

In what can only be described as some kind of Easter egg, the Yakuza developers deliberately based one of the game's guns off an airsoft replica of the Minebea P9, a SIG-Sauer P220 clone, with the inner 6mm barrel removed. This is referenced by screenshots, model data, and the fact that the in-game models are labelled "sig_fake." In the game however, it is presented as a live firearm. It starts off as the "9mm Automatic" with a 13-round magazine capacity, in a black finish. It can be upgraded to the "Wk-CP11 Gang" in 2-tone finish with a chrome slide and black frame and an 18-round magazine, and finally the "Wk CP21 Yakuza" with a 25-round capacity and a camouflage finish.
It is used by the player characters during Gary's training. This is the default sidearm for all characters apart from Akiyama.Whilst not as powerful per shot as the Desert Eagle, they are more accurate, have a bigger magazine capacity, and a faster firing rate. Manually aiming also increases the firing rate of this pistol even further. A variation called the "Lightweight 9mm Automatic" is used by partner Marina. This is just the same model; the difference is purely so that each weapon has to be upgraded separately.

File:P220 Japanese-ver 9mm Pistol.jpg

Minebea P9, Japanese licensed copy of the P220 - 9x19mm

Akiyama with the 9mm automatic during training

Screen showing the upgrade from "9mm Automatic" to "Wk-CP11 Gang"

You thought that thing at the back of the barrel was a bullet? Nope. It's the air piston assembly for an airsoft gun.

Character Misuzu (Chiaki Kuriyama) with P9 and Type 89 rifle

Chamber and magazine rendering, showing the airsoft parts. The chamber has a part covering the magazine that resembles the top of a gas-blowback (GBB) airsoft magazine; the magazine itself on the other hand is the type found in cheap spring-powered airsoft guns. The slender shape of the magazine also demonstrates the single-stack magazine of the real P220.

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  P9 upgrade 1
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  P9 upgrade 2

SIG Pro

This weapon is seen in various cutscenes but is not used in the game itself. This is a customized version with wood grips and a vented barrel at the front. One appears to be Kamiyama's personal defence weapon, as there is one on the table next to him in his truck.

SIG Pro SP 2009 - 9x19 mm

SIG Pros on display at the DVD shop

Kamiyama works truck showing SIG Pro and SPAS Shotgun

SIG-Sauer P230

A SIG-Sauer P230 is used by Tetsuo Nikaido to shoot Hiroshi Hayashi and threaten Kiryu's adoptive daughter Haruka. The "P230" model used in this game is unique to the Yakuza series for actually looking like a SIG-Sauer P230.

SIG-Sauer P230 - Stainless Steel finish - .380 ACP (9mm kurz). Built between 1977-1996.

Nikaido having just shot Hayashi with the P230.

Nikaido using the SIG to threaten Haruka.

Revolvers

Colt Python

The Colt Python is seen very briefly when used by the mysterious nihilistic man known only as "DD" to kill Tetsuo Nikaido. There are a couple of differences between the Python, such as the number of holes in the barrel ribbing and the shape of the cylinder release lever.

Colt Python with 6" (15cm) barrel - .357 magnum

Rendering of the game model, including .357 Magnum round

DD showing he is almost as good a shot as he is at looking creepy

Nambu Model 60/Smith & Wesson Model 36

This hybrid based mostly on a Nambu Model 60 but with parts from a Smith & Wesson Model 36 once again makes a return for Dead Souls, being used by various NPCs in the game.

Nambu Model 60 - .38 Special

Early Smith & Wesson Model 36 - .38 Special.

A Street punk holds his revolver on Ryuji Goda.

Shotguns

Remington 870

An 18"-barrel Remington 870 with a black finish and wooden furniture is known as the "Hunting Shotgun" in game. It starts off with a rather unrealistic 12-round magazine capacity (the magazine tube would have to be nearly twice as long to hold 12 3" shells). It has a metal piece linking the barrel and magazine, like the Remington Model 31. It can be upgraded to the "Path Maker", the wooden furniture being replaced by camouflage, a chrome barrel, an increase in power, slightly less recoil and a 14-round magazine capacity. The ultimate version is called the "Flesh Shredder" in a chrome finish and an utterly incomprehensible 19-round magazine capacity. There are also two special versions known as the "Smoking Shotgun" and "Fireworks Gun" respectively. These are more joke weapons, the fireworks gun being used by AI partner and recurring clown character Bob Utsunomiya. The shotgun is also used by AI partners Guy Kendo and Tojo Clan sixth chairman Daigo Dojima.

Remington 870 Police Magnum Riot Shotgun - 12 gauge

Man with 870 shotgun, alongside others with M16 type rifles

Daigo Dojima with 870 shotgun. Let's hope his shooting skills have improved from last time

Shotgun upgrade options

Partner Guy Kendo posing with his Remington 870 "Hunting Shotgun". The "Custom Shotgun" currently equipped is identical in appearance to the "Path Maker;" again, this is just to force the player to upgrade his and Guy's shotguns separately.

Modified Franchi SPAS-12

An 18"-barrel SPAS 12 with the "hook-style" folding stock and modified to accept box magazines as well as a full-length tube magazine is Goro Majima's signature weapon. It may well be inspired by the SPAS-14 prototype, a box-magazine-fed version of the SPAS-12 that was once described in Jane's Infantry Weapons. The base model, called the "Mark IV EXP," has a 17-round magazine capacity which is just about conceivable for 2 3/4" shells if both the box and tube magazines were fully loaded. Unusually for a SPAS-12 shotgun in fictional media (not least one wielded by a man whose very existence revolves around theatrics), he uses it in semi-automatic mode during gameplay, although the firing rate is not much quicker than that of the pump-action Remington shotgun. This is partly because, incredibly, the developers have never created in-game animations for a pump-action shotgun with a pistol grip in any Yakuza game. Instead, they decided to apply the rifle animation to this gun, hence the use of a box magazine. Fortunately, Majima is able to rack the pump back during certain FMVs and cutscenes thanks to their bespoke animations.
It can be upgraded to the "Meat grinder," with wooden furniture and a 19-round magazine capacity, the "MJM56 Crazy Dog" with a 21-round capacity and 2-tone chrome and black metalwork with rubberized grips, "Crazy Dog" referring to Majima's Yakuza nickname of the "Mad Dog of the Shimano family". The final upgraded version is called the "MJM56-55 Exorcist," which features snakeskin grips. The name of the latter two models comes from Majima's name itself: "5-6" in Japanese is pronounced "Goro" (albeit without the geminated "o" at the end but this is IMFDB not a language class so let's not get into that...).

Franchi SPAS-12 with butt hook attached to stock - 12 gauge

rendering of the shotgun

Artwork of Majima with the shotgun

Majima about to blast a zombie's face off in a cutscene

Majima with the shotgun in game. Notice how the stock is now unfolded due to the rifle animation mechanics. This is very out of character with a madman like Majima, who you'd expect to fire from the hip, pump-action, with the stock folded, 'cause he's just that sort of guy...

Upgrade from "Mark IV EXP" to "Meat Grinder"

Submachine guns

Minebea M-9

The Minebea M-9 is a select-fire submachine gun based on the Mini-UZI design but with an added foregrip and manufactured under licence by Minebea for the Japan Self-Defence Force. One is given to Akiyama at the beginning of the game at the DVD shop, even though it is not on display. It can also be purchased from Kamiyama gun works as the "New Balalaika" with a 40-round magazine capacity and all-black hardware. The upgrade is called the "Self-Defence Submachine gun" and has a 60-round capacity as well as wooden grips, as were used on the original model. The final upgrade is called the "Hornet" and has a 90-round magazine, increased damage, and a 2-tone chrome and black finish. The version in the game is fitted with a silencer, although the sound from the gun is not actually suppressed. Also, the game files call this an "M9 and MP5," but it is unclear where the elements from the latter are. Partner Makoto Date uses one called the "Date Special."

Minebea M-9 (Current Model) - 9x19mm

Date with the SMG

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  SMG upgrade 1
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  SMG upgrade 2

Assault Rifles

Howa Type 89

The Howa Type 89 is the standard-issue assault rifle for soldiers of the Japan Self-Defence Force, and can be seen in use by several JSDF soldiers during the course of the game. The game model features a 20-round magazine, usually seen on the Type F model.

Howa Type 89 in 5.56x45mm with integral bipod. Currently in use by the Modern Japanese military.

SDF Soldiers with Howa Type-89 assault rifles.

Misuzu Asagi with Type 89 slung over her back.

Soldiers pointing their Type 89s at a "Zombie" who turns out to be Majima with hay fever.

M16-Type Assault Rifle

An M16 type rifle can be purchased as the "5.56mm Automatic Rifle" from Kamiyama's gunshop as well as being used by a number of Tojo Clan members. It appears to be some kind of M16 derivative, having an upper receiver with a rail mount like the M16A4 variant, but as usual for M16A2/A4 models in fictional media is capable of full-auto fire. Also, the carry handle/sight itself resembles a smaller version of that found on some models of Heckler & Koch G36. It also has a side-vented front grip as appears in certain variations of the Norinco Model 311. The game files call it an M4A1, even though this is clearly a full-length assault rifle.
It is upgraded to the "YAR-18 Tojo Model" in a 2-tone chrome and black finish and a 55-round magazine. Finally, the "Liberator" appears in a gold finish with a 65-round magazine.

Colt M16A4 Rifle - 5.56x45mm. Select Fire rifle (Safe/Semi/3 round Burst Only).

M16-type rifles on display at the DVD shop.

A man with M16 type rifle in front of another man with M870 shotgun.

Tojo Clan members with M16s shooting at zombies

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  M16 upgrade 1
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  M16 upgrade 2

Sniper Rifles

Accuracy International Arctic Warfare

The Accuracy International Arctic Warfare is initially known as the "SWS2 Sniper Rifle" and can be purchased from Kamiyama's shop. The "SWS2 Sniper Rifle" has a black polymer stock with a 6-round magazine. This is upgraded to the "Sharp Shooter," which has a 7-round magazine does and more damage, as well as having a wooden stock. The final upgrade is called the "HSG-GARO," upping the ammo capacity to 9 with a camouflage stock. A version of this rifle is partner Kurotaka's weapon, known as the "Black Hawk;" this is what the characters for Kurotaka's name translate to in English.

Accuracy International AW - 7.62x51mm NATO

Gunsmith with the AW rifle

upgrade from "Sharp Shooter" to "HSG-GARO"

Kurotaka with his eponymous rifle

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  Sniper upgrade 1
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  Sniper upgrade 2

Accuracy International AS50

A rifle based on the Accuracy International AS50 is Kazuma Kiryu's signature weapon. It is given to Kiryu by the same gunsmith who created Ryuji Goda's Gatling gun arm. It is classified as an "Anti-Materiel Rifle" in-game, and uniquely uses "Anti-Materiel Ammo". The rifle starts off as the "XK.50 Anti-Material Rifle" in black with black rubberised grips. The first upgraded version is called the "Zombie Masher" in a green meisai camouflage finish. This is upgraded to the "Tank Killer," in a bright silver finish, the final upgrade being the "Dragon Rifle," in a chrome finish with cream leather grips. Oddly, the XK.50 model without the sniper sight (or any sight for that matter) appears as the mounted machine gun on top of Komatsu Light Armoured Vehicles in the game. Kiryu uses one of these machine guns during a rail-shooter sequence.

Accuracy International AS50 (Current Model) - .50 BMG.

Kiryu with the anti-materiel rifle.

Kiryu holding the rifle over his shoulder in typical badass fashion.

Kiryu using the repurposed rifle as a machine gun on top of the Komatsu LAV.

Remington M24A2 SWS

The M24 Sniper Weapon System seen briefly in Yakuza 4 features again for a similarly short amount of time in Dead Souls, in a cutscene. Interestingly, the Model 700, upon which the M24 is based, makes a return in later Yakuza games in its standard wooden stocked form.

File:M24A2.jpg

M24A2 sniper rifle - .300 Winchester Magnum

M24A2 SWS models on display at the DVD store, showing the bundled matched scope that makes this a "Weapon System" rather than simply a rifle.

Other Man-Portable Weapons

Bionic Gatling Gun

Ryūji Goda has a Gatling gun that extends out of his right arm. Like the other Gatling guns on the game, it has a rather slow firing rate compared to an actual modern Gatling gun. The first version is called the "Kuroganemaru" (Japanese for "Black Iron Circle"), and is upgraded to the "Modified Kuroganemaru," "Demon Slayer," and finally the "Dragon Arm."

Artwork of Ryuji Goda with gun arm retracted and extended

Goda ready to use his gun-arm

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  Bionic Gatling Gun upgrade 1
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  Bionic Gatling Gun upgrade 2

FGM-148 Javelin

The FGM-148 Javelin missile launcher is used by Kiryu right at the end of the game to put an end to the final zombified version of Nikaido.

FGM-148 Javelin - 127mm

Kiryu with the Launcher

Flamethrower

This is a "heavy weapon" that can be picked up and carried by the player, but not put into his inventory. Selecting another weapon or running out of fuel will also cause it to be dropped. Three are found in the subway tunnel leading to Purgatory.

Majima with the flamethower

General Electric M134 Minigun

The GE M134 Minigun is purchasable, and referred to as the "Portable Gatling Gun Prototype". Compared to an actual minigun, the firing rate is extremely slow, starting out at a paltry 300 rounds per minute. This might be to account for the fact that an actual hand-held minigun would have uncontrollable recoil at its normal rate, but it does call into question why one would not simply use an automatic 7.62x51mm rifle instead, as this would offer the same firepower but be far lighter and less cumbersome. Despite the fact that this Gatling gun probably uses the same ammunition as the Arctic Warfare sniper rifle (7.62x51mm NATO), it uses its own special "Gatling gun ammunition", possibly to account for the need for belt links with the M134's ammunition, but likely simply for game balance.
The "Portable Gatling Gun Prototype" is upgraded to the "XMG Rimbo," apparently a reference to Rambo. This is upgraded to the "Kagutsuchi," named after the Japanese god of fire. There is also an alternative upgrade path for a more "female orientated model," starting off as the "Girly Gatling Gun," and then the "Love Shine Vulcan." This path apparently trades off shot power for a bigger magazine, a whopping 100 rounds. This makes it the only gun in the game that actually has a significantly smaller magazine than its real life counterpart.

Airsoft replica of a GE M134 Minigun, likely to be the closest humanity will ever come to a genuine hand-held minigun in real life - 6mm BBs

Akiyama with the Portable Gatling Gun Prototype in-game

Majima with the "XMG-Rimbo" minigun, alongside Kurotaka with his "Black Hawk" AW rifle

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  Minigun upgrade 1
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  Minigun upgrade 2
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  "Girly" Minigun upgrade 1
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  "Girly" Minigun upgrade 2

Grenades

The game features various handheld grenades. The standard grenades resemble the MK3 offensive hand grenade, the "Heavy Grenades" are like the M26 hand grenade, the "Incendiary Grenades" resemble the AN/M14 incendiary grenade, and the "Stun Grenades" look like the Model 7290 flashbang grenade.

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  MK3 Offensive Hand Grenade
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  M26 hand grenade
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  AN/M14 incendiary grenade in modern colour scheme
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  Model 7290 Flash Bang

all grenade types in the menu

Grenades in the game

Standalone RM Equipment M203PI Grenade Launcher

An RM Equipment M203PI attached to a stand-alone grip and stock can be purchased as the "Grenade Launcher" from Kamiyama's shop. The launcher can be modified to launch incendiary or stun grenades. All grenade types detonate on impact.

RM Equipment M203PI with standalone "Universal" stock in pistol configuration - 40x46mm. This is the current production model.

Kiryu holding the launcher.

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  Incendiary grenade mod
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  Stun grenade mod

Tranquillizer Gun

DD uses this gun to inject Hiroshi Hayashi and Nikaido with "Thanatos," the virus that turns people into zombies.

Tranquillizer gun in game.

DD using the tranquillizer gun to cut short Nikaido's famous last words. DD appears to be an ambidextrous shooter.

Mounted Weapons

Baseball Launcher

Near the Yoshida Batting centre, there is a baseball launcher. As well as being able to kill zombies using baseballs alone, it can also be loaded with grenades for even greater effect.

Ball Launcher in-game

First-person view. Note how it says STRIKE! in the top right-hand corner whenever a zombie is killed.

Browning M2HB

The game features tanks based on the Japanese Type 10 Main Battle Tank, whose secondary armament is a Browning M2 12.7mm machine gun. Given that this weapon system is also compatible with the Komatsu LAV mentioned above, it seems bizarre that the developers did not simply use this model instead of the mashed up AS50. It may be that time constraints did not allow for them to rig and animate the Browning model, so they left it as a static mesh.

Browning M2HB mounted on JSDF Type 10 Tank - .50 BMG

Browning M2 mounted on tank, which for some reason the SDF soldiers are not using. Again, this lends itself to the "static mesh" theory.

Another view of the M2HB

Japan Steel Works 120mm Smoothbore Cannon

The main armament of the Type 10 is a 120mm smoothbore auto-loading gun made by Japan Steel Works. In the game it inadvertently goes off, destroying the top of a building, as the tank is swarmed by zombies.

Type 10 Main Battle Tank

Tank in the game. Note that the in-game model does not appear to feature an aperture for the Sumitomo Type 74, likely because 7.62mm machine guns don't exist in this universe. After all, why else would people waste their time with a "portable" Minigun that weighs twice as much and has half the rate of fire and ammo capacity?

L16 Mortar

Near the Kamuro Theatre, there is an L16 Mortar the player can use to bomb zombies.

L16 Mortar - 81mm

Mortar in game

First-person view

Rail Gun

Akiyama stumbles across a rail gun in one dungeon, which is required to defeat a horde of zombies.

Rail gun render

Rail gun in the dungeon

First person view

Satellite Laser

After defeating Rasestu Amon, Kiryu is given a satellite laser to blast zombies from outer space. The controller somewhat resembles an iPhone.

Satellite Laser controller rendering

Kiryu making use of the Satellite Laser to cook a zombie nice and toasty