Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise Reviews
Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise will undoubtedly appeal to fans of the series. For others, the wacky combat is the main draw, which should be enough to offset some pacing and story issues.
In the end, players will get a pretty fun beat 'em up that is both serious and zany at the same time.
If you ever wondered what it would be like if Kazuma Kiryu gained like 200 lbs and fell into the Mad Max universe, well that's Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise summed up pretty neatly. On the other side of the coin, Fist of the North Star fans will have a blast tearing it up as Kenshiro, but those still hoping for a great video game adaptation of the classic manga may come away disappointed in that respect. Rather than adapting the story, Ryu ga Gotoku Studio puts its own spin on the IP, with an attempt to fit themes and characters into the irreverent Yakuza mold. It's somewhat awkward at first, as it struggles to introduce the characters and world in a compelling way, but once it leans on its strengths, it's easy to lose plenty of time with the various side activities and snappy combat. It's not quite Hokuto no Ken, but it's definitely Hokuto ga Gotoku.
Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise sounds like a great concept on paper, but it has a clumsy execution. The slow pace in the start is a major hurdle but the game vastly improves in every aspect afterward. The combat is exciting with brutal finishers, and the side content is fun, even if most of it suffers from repetition. It is a solid game to recommend to Yakuza fans although it is best to play it with low expectations.
Fans of original manga and newcomers to this series both will enjoy Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise. The very first hours can be really frustrating, but you'll be offered some rather enjoyable fighting gameplay afterwards. However, the much more popular Yakuza is still better and wasn't dethroned yet.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise recreates the feeling of fighting and the charisma of the characters of Hokuto no Ken quite faithfully. The authors have conceded some creative freedom compared to the original material and this could annoy the fans, but the game developed by the authors of Yakuza manages to entertain the players despite the many flaws.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Even without knowledge of the source material, Lost Paradise showcases an interesting world and story full of twists and turns, but it's held back by a lethargic pace and repetitious combat
Sure to appeal to Yakuza fans as much as Fist of the North Star aficionados, Lost Paradise provides an absorbing trek around a captivating post-apocalyptic universe. Appropriately enough, Sega doesn't pull any punches in adapting Buronson and Hara's gratuitous and violent world – definitely don't play this around kids, though.
A Mix of the proven Yakuza gameplay and familiar anime license that suffers from a modest combat system and poor graphics.
Review in German | Read full review
Hokuto Ga Gotoku is clearly one of the best, if not the best, Fist of the North Star video games. Using the Yakuza system was a good idea as it fits with the FOTNS like a glove. It's just too bad that the game runs on Yakuza 0's and not Yakuza 6's engine.
Review in French | Read full review
If you're looking for a solid brawler with a dramatic story that samples from perhaps one of the most iconic shounen manga you should definitely consider giving Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise a shot.
Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise may not reach the highs of the Yakuza series that it is so clearly based on, but it's got more than enough spark to make the journey worthwhile for fans craving something new.
Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise is a good game but not a great one. It's the best Fist of the North Star game yet, but when all the others have been average at best, it's not that much of an achievement.
Probably the best FotNS adaptation and one of the best anime adaptations, but a low budget and slow, meandering plot makes for an uneven experience, one that is capable of exciting you as well as bore you.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
All in all, if you are a fan of gratuitous anime violence coupled with some heartwarming moments that alleviate some of the guilt, Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise is the right game for you.
It isn’t quite as top-notch as one of the recent Yakuza titles, but Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise is still an overall enjoyable brawler.
Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise can be appreciated for taking the base combat system and changing up the attack styles and enemy variety to more effectively reflect the established lore of the FotNS franchise. The weak story and somewhat ineffective use of the game world leaves a lot to be desired and may make it difficult for those looking for an in-depth story with a more incorporated game-world. Despite that, it creates a spectacle that fans will likely enjoy seeing as well as attract anime junkies to a more "extreme" Yakuza brawler.
Lost Paradise has something to offer for fans of Yakuza and Fist of the North Star, but it never reaches the full potential of its source material. With some more time in the oven, this could have been a game for the ages.
A bizarre mix of Yakuza and hyper violent 80s anime that never really makes much sense but still offers some enjoyable surprises.
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 the old ultra-violence, Lost Paradise is a fine weekend-filler, and a proud reflection of its legendary source material.