The English demo for Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise, an adaptation of the famous manga by the team behind Yakuza, arrived on the Playstation Store yesterday. As a shameless Jump fanboy, I couldn’t turn down the chance to take Lost Paradise for a spin. I’m certainly glad I did, because the demo got me more than ready to Hokuto Shinken the hell out of some post-apocalyptic goons.
It is in no way shocking, but playing the demo showed me that Lost Paradise is certainly emulating a lot of the best aspects of the Yakuza franchise. Since they’re by the same dev team, I can understand why they’re so similar, and I honestly don’t mind one bit. Fist of the North Star is hyperviolent, gory, and kind of goofy in retrospect, which isn’t too far off from the spirit of the Yakuza franchise.
Combat seems to be a lot of fun, though I’m worried that secret techniques may get a bit repetitive. They take longer to perform than Yakuza’s Heat Actions, and while I love watching Ken blow people up with his trademark moves, I can see it getting old midway through the game. Even without techniques, Lost Paradise’s combat feels faster and a bit more loose, which fits Fist of the North Star perfectly. Mowing through mobs seems to be quite satisfying, especially because of the wonderfully pulpy gore.
The demo promises quite a lot of side-content, which is standard for the Yakuza series. Casino games, arcades, coliseum battles, buggy races, and bounty hunts are all present, along with what appears to be a hostess club-esque bartending minigame. I never expected to see that in a Fist of the North Star game, but damn, am I glad it’s in there. The only side activity available in the demo was racing, which I was admittedly terrible at, but I still had fun with it.
Tetsuo Hara’s visual style also seems to work perfectly in a Yakuza game, as Ken and Shin look pretty spot-on when compared to their manga/anime counterparts. The ridiculous bloodshed, and warped bodies of dying enemies feel perfectly in-line with the source material as well, which is essential in an adaptation of a franchise as iconic as Fist of the North Star.
I’m stoked for Lost Paradise, and the demo has only heightened my expectations for the game. I think Yakuza fans should definitely try the demo to see if it’s to their liking, especially if it leads to more people checking out the fantastic source material.
