Yakuza Restoration Heats Up With Special Moves

Last we looked, Yakuza Restoration was showing off just how the different fight styles work in a run down commentary between producer Masayoshi Yokoyama and designer Shinnosuke Hirasawa. This time around, they look at what they call Heat Action—where players can charge their attacks.

What this does is different depending on which style of fighting you’re in. The video demonstration carries on for a bit, though, so if you just want the low-down on what to expect, read on.

Single-handed katana users, for instance, will sheath their swords for a iaido strike. Once unleashed, players—Ryoma Sakamoto—dash forward to the nearest targeted foe and do a quick slice that’s instant death for lower-level thugs and enemies. It’s then possible to dash into another foe if the gauge is still going, getting another quick strike in. Mastering the combo system on this is key to both advancing long distances and clearing the screen of foes.

Those who choose to eschew the sword for pistol action, however, will have the game slow down during their heat charge actions. Here, you’re given a few seconds to quickly pan the camera and target as many foes as possible. Once you release the trigger, they’ll all take hits from your gun commiserate with the number of targets players have painted on them for a stylish I-just-shot-everyone look. Of course, you might be thinking this means the heat gauge is only useful for taking out multiple nearby foes at once if you choose to go down the gunslinger route. Rest easy, my fellow gunmen—Shinnosuke shows off that you can target a single enemy multiple times for a multi-hit, multi-damage blow that will take down tough opponents as well.

Dual-wielders of both katana and pistol  who use the heat gauge will get a spinning attack which slashes foes in a whirlwind around Ryoma while also firing his pistol wildly. This lets you hit those outside your range of slashes while also making sure whoever’s inside your range dies painfully.

Finally, those who eschew the blade and bow gun and rely only on their MANLY FISTS (There’s nothing wrong with that says Baron Dino!) will be able to give the beatdown of a lifetime on a foe when their heat attack is unleashed. It’s so powerful, and so fast, that any other foes who try to attack you during this period simply have their attacks bounce off your Manliness. It’s also possible to switch foes getting repeatedly punched in the face, or end the maneuver with a spinning throw that knocks anyone who’s still near you back.

That would’ve been enough for most people, but the developers keep going! They also show off how you’ll be able to pull off special moves against foes—some of which are conditional to where you are. In one shot, they have Ryoma throwing a poor schlob off the pier into the waters, while in another, Ryoma stylishly does a full moon circle spinning leap worthy of the Olympics that cuts a man practically in half. Ouch.

These do have a little bit of quick-time actions involved however in order to better pull off the move, and don’t always have to result in an insta-kill. Sometimes, for instance, you’ll just grasp the guy’s weapon in a counter hit and smash the poor dude in the face. While he rolls around on the ground writhing in pain, you can move in for the coup de grace. Yeah, Yakuza Restoration will have coup de graces.

Yakuza Restoration will be available on February 22, 2014, for PlayStation 3 and 4.