Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise is SEGA's latest entry in the Yakuza series. Yes, you read that sentence right: Lost Paradise is developed by Ryu ga Gotoku Studio, the team behind the Yakuza games. Although it has the Fist of the North Star license, Lost Paradise plays just like a Yakuza game, which is cool but can also feel samey if you've played one of those games, or two, or three...

In the near future, our world will be decimated by nuclear war. Buildings have collapsed, forests have burned away, waters have dried up and the soil is cracked and infertile. Many animals have perished and yet, humanity manages to survive. Anarchy is prevalent in the wastelands and terror is an everyday reality for most people. It's basically The Road Warrior. As humanity struggles to survive this new era, one man wanders seeking his one true love. That man is Kenshiro, the sole successor to the ultimate assassination martial art, Hokuto Shinken (Divine Fist of the North Star).

After defeating the man who took his fiancée Yuria away from him, Kenshiro learns that Yuria may still be alive in a city called Eden. After a long journey, Kenshiro discovers Eden, a large settlement surrounded by large walls and armed guards but is considered “Paradise” by post-apocalyptic standards due to its ample supply of water and electricity. As Kenshiro attempts to find a way inside, the Army of Ruin has been raising hell for the citizens of Eden, led by the fearsome but mysterious Kyo-Oh. Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise is an original story using characters and concepts from Fist of the North Star but the story contains new characters as well.

Like I mentioned earlier, Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise plays like a Yakuza game, specifically using the Yakuza 0 engine. Most of the action takes place is a large hub city called Eden, where there are shops, bars, a coliseum, a nightclub and a casino. Once you have access to a buggy, you can leave Eden and explore the wasteland, either to gather materials, drive to specific destinations, or beat up raving marauders. 

Much of the game is filled with violence, as you beat up and maim villains that try to disturb the peace with your fists. And if you're familiar with Fist of the North Star, you'll notice that defeated villains explode into bloody gobs and die. You can use Hokuto Shinken techniques to destroy your foes in lots of creatively gruesome ways and the more you use these techniques, the more experience you receive and your seven stars meter rises. When the meter is full, you enter Burst Mode and your jacket explodes, leaving you shirtless and filled with raw power, allowing you to bring on even more pain to those who have crossed Kenshiro. It's not a game for the faint of heart, as you will find lots of graphic violence and strong language. Speaking of strong language, you can literally weaponize an enemy's death cry and smack some fools in the face with a big ol' “HIDEBU!” Whoever said that words have power may be on to something.

Boss battles are interesting. Like in Yakuza, you normally fight the boss using melee attacks and your special techniques, but there are times where you'll have to look out for a quick time event. When you see a button prompt on screen, you'll have to press the correct button on time to deal massive damage. Failing to capitalize on this may set you back, depending on the battle. Most of the bosses are villains from the original series, including Shin, Jagi, Thouzer (I prefer the “Souther” romanization) and the king of fists himself, Raoh. There are original villains too, including Kyo-Oh and his lackeys. If you're a fan of the series, you'll know what to expect when fighting most of these guys.

Building up experience can be done by earning orbs. Orbs are used to unlock new moves, gain more power, etc. Orbs can be earned by leveling up by defeating enemies and taking part in substories. Substories are side quests that can be undertaken and you can earn some cool loot and learn new techniques if you spend your time completing them. They're not necessary to finish the game, but the main campaign is quite short. One cool addition to this game is the talisman system, where you form bonds with characters in the story and can create a talisman based on their likeness once you have enough materials to create one. When you equip a talisman, an effect can be triggered when the appropriate button is pressed. Talismans can be equipped and up to four can be equipped at a time (they're tied to the D-pad on the Dual Shock 4). Various augmentations can affect your strength, your offense or defense, or have passive effects like bringing you back to life if you happen to lose all your strength in a fight. After a talisman is used, there's a cooldown period until you're allowed to use it again, but there are ways to upgrade them to make them stronger and to reduce cooldowns.

Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise is a bloody fun ride. It may be a short ride, but you can take the occasional detour from the main road with the side content. If you like the Yakuza games, then you'll like this one too. And as I've said before, this game is definitely not for kids or anyone with an aversion to ultra-violence.

If you're interested in this game, you might like this manga: Toriko , Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.

by Ray n.