Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise

May it be the likes of Shadow of the Colossus or Metal Gear Solid, if it’s quite there but not enough to push the boundaries, it’s still an awesome game.

Instantly recognizable as the 90’s anime that sucked all of the testosterone out of Japan’s animation scene for nearly a decade, Fist of the North Star is an anime that’s withstood the test of time as one of Japan’s most influential works. Kenshiro, the master of the Hokuto Shinken arts, wields hands that can both protect a life and end it just the same, just by striking a few vital pressure point...

Welcome to this crazy time.

Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise is Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s latest title. For those unfamiliar with the studio, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is Sega’s Yakuza developer. As a fan of the Yakuza franchise, Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise immediately piqued my interest, and I was eager to see the studio tackle a different intellectual property. With the Yakuza series following a similar formula thro...

Fist of the North Star is such a ubiquitous presence in manga and anime history you’re probably heard of it even if you haven’t read or watched it. It’s a little on the obscure side in the west, despite being one of the top-selling Shonen Jump properties of all time. So it makes sense that, despite the huge list of games dating back to the Famicom, only a select handful have made it to the English...

Ultimately, Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise feels like a more ridiculous entry into the Yakuza series, but with less content and a smaller budget. As a result, it’s a fun excursion, especially for fans of the Fist of the North Star franchise, but it never truly impresses. After its shaky start, you’ll happily plough through it with a smile on your face, but your journey won’t really be that ...

Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise attempts to fill the void and offer a truly great RPG experience set in this iconic universe, but does it hold up?

Originally published in the mid-‘80s, Fist of the North Star is a successful, post-apocalyptic manga that follows a martial artist named Kenshiro who has the power to make heads explode with a single punch. Lost Paradise tells a new story in the Fist of the North Star mythos but borrows known characters and story elements from the source material and structures the experience to play like the deve...

Tetsuo Hara’s artstyle really shines in Lost Paradise. It looks so incredibly accurate to its source material that I would go so far as to say that this is the absolute best that Fist of the North Star could look in 3D. Character models look perfect, fighting is visually pleasing, and the explosions of carnage are nothing short of legendary.

While Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise does have a number of glaring issues, the variety and quality of side content, thrilling combat, and protagonist with an attitude that can rival Kiryu's make it a worthwhile experience.

Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise can be fun for someone invested in the series, but has too many hurdles that can prevent a new player from enjoying it.

Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise is a passionate retelling of one of history’s most violent, bare-bones, and overwhelmingly macho tales. In that capacity, it does a great job. But it’s not quite the masterpiece it could have been, let down by repetition, unlock grinds, and a lack of polish in narrative and mechanics. Regardless, with bucket-loads of adventure on offer, and a cathartic dose of...