• Publisher: Sega
  • Release Date: Mar 13, 2012
Metascore

Mixed or average reviews - based on 55 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 32 Ratings

  • Summary: As the story begins, it's business is as usual in Kamurocho. Soon, however, all hell breaks loose as a zombie outbreak turns the area into a quarantine zone, walled off by the Japanese Self Defense Force. This quarantine zone gradually expands as the story progresses. Real-life shops and signs from the quarantine zone add a sense of realism to the scene. Added to the sub stories is a new "Buddy" system, where players can recruit and fight alongside local residents, further enhances gameplay. And as for corporate tie-in products and stores - a hallmark of the RYU-GA-GOTOKU series - OF THE END features
    more of them than ever before. Two Kamurochos for you to explore to your heart's content: the blazing neon streets of the red-light district, and the desperate squalor of the quarantine zone.
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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 55
  2. Negative: 1 out of 55
  1. Apr 9, 2012
    80
    It's the equivalent of a shrapnel grenade rather than single, well-placed sniper bullets. Some bits will miss, others will lodge deep enough to leave a lasting impression. [May 2012, p.106]
  2. Unlike its predecessor, which could be described as a brawler that focuses on brutal melee attacks, Dead Souls is a true third person shooter. Pistols, shotguns, machine guns: anything that smells like lead and gunpowder is used to blow those brain munchers back to Yomi. (You'll have to look that one up). [April 2012, p.86]
  3. Ultimately, the zombie sections are to be stomached while we wait for beter bits to load. [June 2012, p.80]
  4. Mar 19, 2012
    42
    I don't feel like Yakuza: Dead Souls is a game that anyone really needs to play, even if you're a pretty hardcore fan of the series. The action is such a departure from the series, and handled so poorly, that it literally turns you off of wanting to do anything but the non-combat side stuff found throughout.

See all 55 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 11
  3. Negative: 2 out of 11
  1. I have been playing this game since the Japanese release, and I recently picked up a copy of the English version. Since then, I have beaten this game 4 times. Although the gameâ Expand
  2. A standalone split-off story for the main protagonists of the yakuza series most of youre favorite characters appear in this over the top zombie story. dead souls weighs in with a lot of content and extras like mini games. The main story will keep you busy for over 40 hours if you do all the sub missions for each playable character. the graphics of the game look the best yet in terms of the city itself. You do get a little framerate drop when there are massive hordes of zombies on-screen but this is rare. Another review said the camera and shooting mechanics were dodgy. but this isnt correct as you need too upgrade youre shooting ability by gaining xp levels. and the camera is player positioned so after a few hours its fine. with the fun mini games. slot machines, pachinko machines,roulette, poker, baccarat, blackjack, and a range of Japanese betting games that are fully explained plus leaderboards for an endless zombie mode. This game is just full of content. My only downpoint for this game is a point in the final boss battle were you have to throw grenades in the creatures mouth. but you cannot do this unless in exactly the correct spot. after 30 mins of trying i finally did it but it took two or three goes to find the correct spot as you cannot throw from were you would expect.Sorry if slightly vague but i didnt want to put a spoiler in. Overall great if you know and love the series and ok as a zombie shooter for people who have not played a yakuza game before. Expand
  3. 7
    Had the good fortune of finding a cheap import retailer and I've been waiting to share my opinion. Dead souls does nothing in spectacular fashion, it belittles the series I have come to know and love, it makes no sense, the concept is basic and bare boned and the design is hardly inspired. That said, there is something about Dead Souls that makes it one of the most enjoyable entries in the series. Should you buy it at full price? Hell no! Trust me when I say this will be in all good bargain bins by the time Winter rolls in, and at a discount or rental price Dead Souls can turn out to be money well invested. Expand
  4. Tokyo is under zombie attack and only the Japanese mafia can save it!!
    Good plot, but the game poorly executed.
    When it works, it works well a
    nd gunning down hordes of the hapless undead is chaotic fun like Dead Rising. But sadly this ddoesnt last, the clunky camera controls and extremely poor aiming system will leave you as easy meat. I'm really not enjoying this game at all, and just want to get to the end and file this away.
    As a zombie slaying game, Dead Rising 2 Off The Record is a much better game, and will probably cost you less money.
    As a Yakuza game, Yakuza 3 and 4 are a million times better than this.
    I love Yakuza, but this is a poor entry into the franchise.
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See all 11 User Reviews