Yakuza 4 Remastered: learning the four fighters properly

Yakuza 4 Remastered: learning the four fighters properly One of the easiest ways to make Yakuza 4 frustrating is to settle into Akiyama's combat and then expect the next three characters to behave the same way. They don't. Their strengths, upgrade priorities and trainers are different, and the game eventually asks all four of them to handle serious fights. The basic preparation is the same for everyone: buy healing before a long story section, spend your Soul Orbs instead of leaving them unused, and learn what your defensive option actually does. A full inventory on Kiryu won't help Tanimura if you forgot to equip Tanimura before the finale. Akiyama His kicks are fast and can keep ordinary enemies under pressure. Against bosses who keep blocking or dodging, don't begin every combination directly in front of their guard. Start at a little distance or move around the side, then bring the finishing kicks into range. Develop his combo and evasion options, then add the defensive counter tools rather than spending everything on flashy Heat Actions. Long Slash Kick strings are useful when a target is open, but they can leave you exposed if another enemy approaches from behind. Reposition before starting a long sequence. Saigo appears in Part 1 Chapter 3. His introduction gives Dash Kick, followed by six lessons: • Running develops Double Dash Kick. Use tight turns and thrown bottles during the chase rather than sprinting uselessly behind him. • Shooting gives Slash Kick α. You have unlimited ammunition for the exercise; use cover and interrupt enemies preparing to fire. • Combat is a fight against Saigo and his firearm. Take healing and useful protection. Close the distance rather than standing at the end of his firing lane. • Suicidal Running gives Triple Dash Kick. Roll to evade the bottles as he throws, use the recovery pickup and complete the laps. • Suicidal Shooting gives Slash Kick β. Survive the minute without attacking. Keep moving around the attackers and heal when needed; this isn't a damage-dealing challenge. • Suicidal Combat gives an unarmed attack-power boost. Remove the additional gunmen before concentrating on Saigo. Completing Saigo's training is also part of obtaining the Sacred Tree equipment set. Claim the completion reward afterward rather than assuming it has appeared directly in your inventory. Saejima His charging finishers and throws do the work. Hold the heavy-attack input during a finisher to charge it, and buy the follow-up options as they become available. Don't mistake his slower movement for a reason to mash the same short uncharged combination repeatedly. The early prison sequence is the roughest time to judge him. He has fewer abilities and less freedom to shop. Pick off isolated guards, use available objects and save healing for the tougher encounters. Later, his upgraded attacks let him break through crowds far more comfortably. Master's training starts in Part 2 Chapter 3, underground. There are five jobs: • Sewer Path: dig through the walls within the time limit. Charged pickaxe swings do most of the work, with quick hits finishing weakened walls. Reward: Wind-up Top. • Air Raid Shelter 1, West: protect Master from falling rocks. Break the rocks before they reach him and watch both health bars. Reward: stronger unarmed attacks. • Air Raid Shelter 1, South: keep the attackers off him while he digs. Interrupt enemies moving toward him instead of chasing one survivor across the room. Reward: Great Bomber. • Old Access Tunnel: take Master's Super Alloy and Chunk of Wood (Ash) to Kamiyama for the upgraded pickaxe. Ash comes from Taihei locker I1 or the appropriate Normal batting-center prize. Reward: stronger weapon attacks. • Air Raid Shelter 2: get the blasting powder from Ken-chan, buy a battery and have Kamiyama make the bomb. Survive three minutes of enemies and falling rocks while protecting Master. Reward: stronger Heat Actions and Sakura Storm. Keeping Taihei I1 for Saejima is convenient, but taking it earlier with Akiyama doesn't permanently block this training. Use the batting prize if necessary. Tanimura Parry is central to his style. Time the guard input against an incoming attack and redirect the enemy. Near a wall, the collision gives you a much better opening than trading punches in the middle of the room. Crowds can be controlled by redirecting one attacker into others. Buy the parry improvements and combo-to-Heat follow-ups. Be deliberate about when you spend Heat: a weak enemy can be finished normally while a dangerous target gets the interruption and damage from a Heat Action. Parries don't mean every weapon or every boss can be handled with the same timing, so watch what actually connected. Nair trains him in the upstairs room in central Little Asia from Part 3 Chapter 2. Sparring forbids items, weapons and Heat Actions. Heal before starting. She counters obvious finishing blows, so use wall-assisted parries and short rush strings rather than stubbornly ending every combination the same way. The training alternates sparring with her investigation. After the early bouts, respond to the police-scanner incident involving foreigners and report back. Later, follow the officer near Smile Burger for the next case lead. Keep returning to Nair after completing the specific incident; ordinary random scanner fights don't replace the required reports. The rewards include a longer parry window, Essence of Seizing, Essence of Arm Dragging, Release Throw and, after the final investigation, Komaki Firearm Flip. That final mission includes several groups and a shotgun user. Take supplies before agreeing to go. Kiryu Kiryu has the broadest familiar toolkit: rush combinations, throws, counters and strong Heat options. Tiger Drop is excellent when you can read the incoming strike, but it isn't a requirement to stand motionless gambling the whole health bar on a timing you haven't learned. Dodge behind a boss and use short controlled attacks while you're practicing. Komaki is in the Dragon Palace dojo. His three student trials award unarmed attack power, Heat Action power and weapon attack power. The later trials also provide the Black and White Journals. Visit him before searching for Kiryu's optional Revelation scenes; that visit is part of their setup. The Sacred Tree set Complete Saigo's training as Akiyama for Sacred Tree Armor, Master's training as Saejima for Sacred Tree Arm Guards, and Nair's investigation as Tanimura for Sacred Tree Shin Guards. Claim all three completion rewards from Bob at Naomi's Palace. Wearing all three together grants immunity to bullets. One piece by itself doesn't grant the full effect. Put the complete set on Tanimura before the final story fights and before Sango Amon. It makes those gun-heavy situations far more manageable. It does not mean he is immune to every attack, explosion, grab or melee hit, so keep playing defensively. IF7-R: the upgrade system worth returning to Minamida's machine is in Theater Underground B1. Visit with each protagonist and use Input Enemy Information to add the encounters he has learned. Later story progress unlocks more opponents, so check back during the finale if the list is incomplete. The investments are cumulative: • ¥50,000 repairs the machine so first victories can award permanent Heat upgrades. • Another ¥150,000 adds experience rewards. • Another ¥500,000, ¥700,000 total, lets you input the playable characters as opponents. Fights inside the machine have no usable Heat gauge. You need ordinary combat, counters and positioning rather than your usual Heat-action rescue button. Each character earns his own upgrades by beating different opponents. Wins one, five and nine improve Heat gain. Wins two, four, six, eight and ten extend the gauge. Wins three and seven reduce Heat loss. Repeating one easy opponent doesn't keep unlocking those first-win rewards. The ten opponents correspond to Ihara, Midorikawa, Saito, Minami, Sugiuchi, Majima and the four protagonists. Input all four characters after the full upgrade to make the last set available. For the completion-list entry, you need all ten opponents beaten; for everyone's full Heat development, you need those different victories with each man. The Kiryu simulation also teaches specific Heat Actions to the other three: Akiyama gets Pole Dancing and Jumping, Saejima gets Knock Down and Head Press, and Tanimura gets Hurling and Reversing. This is why simply reaching level 20 doesn't mean you have finished every source of character development. Do the trainers, collect the Revelations, check IF7-R and then equip everyone before the final departure. The difference between an underdeveloped Tanimura and a prepared one is much bigger than a few extra healing bottles.