Difficulty has been in all of the Yakuza series, consisting of Easy, for begging players, Normal for players with experience with action games, and Hard for players who want a good challange. Lastly Ex-Hard.
Difficulty List and changes
Easy
"Recommended for players new to the YAKUZA series"
Enemies will not attack as fast, health is very low, their attacks deal pints of damage from each hit, and bosses don't have much to their attacks. and they take a little longer to attack you while you are defeating others.
Normal
"Standard difficulty level"
This difficulty gives enemies an average boost to their attacks and attack speed, their reaction to sidestepping your attacks is slightly altered, enemies will still have the same health bars, enemies will now attack in groups rather than stand around you waiting to attack you, and lastly they learn Re-blocking.
Hard
"Recommended for confident action game players"
Hard difficulty will make enemies react much faster to your attack. They get a huge health boost, They are more aggressive in groups, they will also do more damage dealing pints to half a quarter of damage.
EX-Hard
"A punishing mode where you are unable to retry in this mode"
This mode can only be unlocked by beating Hard mode. This mode slightly boosts all the elements from hard mode, being both aggressive, and defensive. Also when your health depletes, you are unable to retry, forcing you to go back to the last checkpoint you save
Other Increases or Decreases of difficulty
You can use equipment that lower your defenses. These items as such will make you prone to more damage, that can further decrease your heat.
| Equipment | Description | DEF | Blades | Guns | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloody Binding | This Blood Binding gives off a perculiar air. Be extra cautious when using it. | -49 | -49 | -49 | |
| Payback Ring | This Unusual ring makes your attacks stronger as your health goes down. | -25 | -25 | -25 | Increases attack whenever your health is lowered |
Some Equipment can increase your chances of encounters from enemies. While other equipment can decrease your encounters
| Equipment | Description | DEF | Blades | Guns | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charismatic Photo | I guess this photo's supposed to attract people to the holder | 0 | 0 | 0 | More enemies appear around you |
| Champion Ring | The Champion's Ring is the ultimate symbol of Manhood. More enemies will come at you when worn | 0 | 0 | 0 | More enemies will approach you even at further distances |
| Beads of Good Fortune | You won't get caught up in as many fight when you've got these. | 1 | 0 | 0 | Enemies won't appear anywhere anymore (Except fights that happen through other matters) |
| Tattered Scarf | The awful smell of this thing should keep enemies away. Never take it to the club! | 1 | 0 | 0 | Enemies won't notice you as far. |
| Silent Shoes | These Silent Shoes suppress footsteps to help avoid unwanted confrontations | 1 | 0 | 0 | Enemies won't appear anywhere (same exception as Bead of Good Fortune) |