InYakuza 4, the streets of Kamurocho are not just a battleground for fists and fury but also a playground for weapon enthusiasts. While hand-to-hand combat is the heart of the game, weapon modding adds an extra layer of depth and strategy that many players overlook. The game allows you to craft, enhance, and modify weapons to suit your preferred fighting style, offering new ways to approach battles. Weapon modding in Yakuza 4 isn’t just about making your tools stronger it’s about creating something unique, effective, and personal to each character’s playstyle. Whether you’re playing as Kiryu, Akiyama, Tanimura, or Saejima, understanding how to modify weapons can give you the edge you need in tough encounters.
Introduction to Weapon Modding
Weapon modding in Yakuza 4 is done through a specific system that involves collecting materials, gathering money, and finding the right NPC. It is not available from the very start of the game, but once unlocked, it becomes a powerful feature. You’ll need to visit a character named Kamiyama, a returning weapon dealer who runs a hidden weapons shop. His facility allows players to create new weapons, upgrade existing ones, and even craft special gear if you meet the requirements.
Unlocking Kamiyama’s Workshop
To begin modifying weapons, you first need access to Kamiyama’s van or his underground shop, depending on which chapter or character you are playing. Usually, Kamiyama appears after progressing a certain distance in the main story. After the shop is unlocked, it can be visited to purchase weapons, sell items, or initiate custom weapon crafting.
Basics of Weapon Customization
The weapon modding system in Yakuza 4 revolves around three core components:
- Base Weapon: The item you want to upgrade or transform.
- Materials: Special components required to complete a mod. These include metals, gears, screws, motors, and rare drops.
- Money: Every modification costs yen, so ensure you have enough cash before visiting Kamiyama.
Each weapon upgrade path typically leads to a more powerful version of the base item, often adding new abilities such as fire damage, stun effects, or elemental enhancements. Some weapons even have unique animations or visual effects once upgraded.
Modding Menu Overview
When you talk to Kamiyama and access the modding menu, you will be shown a list of all available weapons and items. You can:
- Upgrade existing weapons
- Create new weapons from scratch using blueprints
- View the material and cash requirements for each modification
This menu becomes your primary hub for customizing your arsenal. As you gather more materials and money throughout the game, additional options will become available.
Finding Materials for Weapon Modding
One of the biggest challenges in weapon customization is gathering the required materials. These can be found through various methods:
- Enemy Drops: Some enemies will drop crafting items when defeated.
- Substories and Side Quests: Many side activities reward rare components.
- Item Shops: Stores around Kamurocho sell basic materials like bolts, gears, and oils.
- Locker Keys: Locker contents can contain rare items needed for high-level mods.
It’s important to be thorough while exploring the city. Picking up trash, opening lockers, and completing small quests often yield materials needed for advanced weapons. If you’re aiming to create the strongest gear in Yakuza 4, material farming is essential.
Unique Weapons and Modded Variants
Some weapons in the game have special modded versions that cannot be found in stores. These include:
- Dragon Knuckles: An upgraded fist weapon for Kiryu that boosts attack power significantly.
- Lightning Katana: A sword with electric properties that stuns enemies on hit.
- Flame Dagger: Inflicts fire damage and causes enemies to panic.
- Stun Baton: Ideal for crowd control, especially effective in narrow alleys.
These weapons are typically built by combining a regular weapon with rare materials and modding it at Kamiyama’s shop. They are not only powerful but often have flashy finishing moves that enhance combat variety.
Blueprints and Special Mods
Certain high-level weapons require blueprints, which can be acquired through:
- Completing specific substories
- Purchasing from Kamiyama after certain milestones
- Finding them as loot in hidden areas
Blueprints expand the possibilities of what you can craft. Once a blueprint is added to your collection, it permanently unlocks that item in Kamiyama’s crafting menu.
Best Practices for Weapon Modding
Focus on Your Main Character
Since Yakuza 4 lets you play as multiple protagonists, you should consider focusing your resources on the character you use the most. For example, Kiryu and Saejima benefit from brawler-type weapons, while Tanimura might make better use of stun-based tools. Modding every character’s gear is possible, but expensive so start with one and expand gradually.
Save Rare Materials
Don’t rush to use rare crafting items on early upgrades. Some of the best weapons require rare parts like Platinum Gears, Dragon Fangs, or Meteor Fragments. These are often limited in number during a single playthrough, so use them wisely.
Upgrade Strategically
Rather than upgrading every weapon you find, choose a few that fit your combat style and focus on those. For instance:
- If you enjoy aggressive, close combat, upgrade your knuckles or batons.
- If you prefer crowd control, invest in modded weapons that stun or set enemies on fire.
Building a balanced set of weapons across multiple damage types helps when facing varied enemy groups and bosses.
Advanced Tips for Weapon Modding in Yakuza 4
Substory Benefits
Some side quests reward you with modding-related perks or rare components. Completing these early can give you a head start in building powerful gear. Always keep an eye out for new icons on the map or NPCs requesting help you never know which one might lead to a unique crafting reward.
Heat Actions and Modded Weapons
Modded weapons often have custom Heat Actions. These cinematic finishers do massive damage and look fantastic. For players who love flashy combat, modding a weapon just to unlock its Heat Action can be worth the time and money.
Use Battle Rewards
Enemies defeated during street fights sometimes drop components. Keep fighting random thugs and enemies instead of running past them it adds up. Also, don’t forget to break open crates and search alleys for hidden items.
Weapon modding in Yakuza 4is more than just a mechanic it’s a rewarding system that adds depth to the combat experience. With the help of Kamiyama, players can turn ordinary weapons into deadly masterpieces, customized to their specific playstyle. From crafting electrified swords to enhancing brass knuckles, the modding system gives players creative control over how they approach battles in Kamurocho. By investing time in collecting materials, managing money, and understanding upgrade paths, players can unlock some of the most powerful and visually stunning weapons in the game. Whether you’re a first-time player or revisiting the series, diving into the world of weapon crafting is a satisfying and strategic part of the Yakuza 4 experience.