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Yakuza Community |OT| Complete Global Saturation
- Thread starter Son of Sparda
- Start date
The game is really easy. So maybe play it on hard mode? Otherwise no, same old Yakuza really just be aware that you get to play as three brand new characters, all awesome in their own ways. Its 5 you gotta watch out for, that one has so much content that you can spend 10s of hours doing everything but the story!
Well 6 is the end of the story, so do you want to ruin 5's ending and skip 3 games worth of content by doing 6 first, or play them through in order? If you have access to a PS3 (or can read Japanese and have the PS4 remasters of 3 and 4) then play them through in order would be my suggestion.
I loaded up Kiwami 2, which I haven't played since December 2017. Was shocked to see I only had 40 hours on the clock but then noticed I hadn't touched nearly enough of the side stuff. Just took out the Amon clan but still have loads of Yojimbo missions to do. Also Amon wasnt that difficult in Kiwami 2. I found him more annoying in 6, and Judge Eyes final boss is a tad tougher too. As you can't use any items at all.
In 0 is there anything of substance you can/should do as Kiryu in Sotenbori?
Will 4 be your first Yakuza game or have you played other games in the series before?
Will 4 be your first Yakuza game or have you played other games in the series before?
So now that I've beaten Judge Eyes, I'm thinking about finally tackling Kenzan. It's the only console Yakuza game I haven't played yet (actually I haven't done either Kiwami yet, but I've played the originals so they're further down the must-play list). Kenzan has always been intimidating for me because I still often have to pause cutscenes often to look up Japanese words I don't know, and you can't pause cutscenes in the earlier PS3 Yakuza games, but I think I just have to jump in and muddle through as best I can.
I'd give this playlist a watch whilst playing through Kenzan- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL76BD5F1774AD379E
I picked it up myself last summer but got sidetracked by other games. Will have to revist it in the next month or so.
Hmz, I have them on PS3, but I would rather play the PS4 remasters when they hit the west. I'm not planning to play them two-three times... Maybe I start Fist of the North Star after Kiwami 2 and see what happens after that.
Man, this Judge Eyes completion list really doesn't mess around... Fighting Vipers is a bastard to complete (though by the looks of it, you don't actually need to beat the final boss, I managed it eventually anyway though!). The Shogi stuff is bastard hard if you don't understand how to play (but there are ways round), and while awesome fun, the Drone Racing has some real nail biting moments in terms of the time trials until you learn them inside out. I'm getting near the end of it all now, I've basically managed all the hard stuff and with the free pass for the VR Parlor I can get tons of money essentially for free (well, you gotta play the VR challenge mode but its not that hard to rake in 1mil + on the harder courses).
I suppose I should get back to the main story as well, its certainly heating up with plot points beginning to tie together.
I suppose I should get back to the main story as well, its certainly heating up with plot points beginning to tie together.
Ok. Managed to finally focus on story for a whole day yesterday. I went through a period where I felt the game was leading me along a bit too much without answering the games mysteries, then once the end of chapter 9 hits it goes crazy with that stuff. Not to mention chapter 10 easily having one of the best set pieces in the Yakuza series history. If that's what to expect from the last couple of chapters, its going to be amazing. Cannot wait to see where they take the plot from here, another big bombshell has just been dropped so I can see end game approaching.
Not quite sure where I stand with the story just yet - but its up there with 0 for sure. Its got its plot twists sure, but they are believeable enough so far. I managed to guess a few of them and it seems like something that could happen, in a twisted world. Nothing on the level of 3-6's plot twists here. Its all so good. Made better by Kaito and co being awesome supporting characters. And
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Not quite sure where I stand with the story just yet - but its up there with 0 for sure. Its got its plot twists sure, but they are believeable enough so far. I managed to guess a few of them and it seems like something that could happen, in a twisted world. Nothing on the level of 3-6's plot twists here. Its all so good. Made better by Kaito and co being awesome supporting characters. And
Hamura has to be a shoe in for one of my favourite baddies in the series at this point. He's brutal and yet... kinda charasmatic. Not to Ryuji levels but I loved him from the first trailer and haven't been let down with his full use in the main game
Ok, don't mean to triple post, but as I've finished Judge Eyes just now, I thought I'd share my final feelings on the main game:
First off - its excellent. My rankings for the series always changing based on the day of the week so can't say where I'd rank it exactly, but its up there with the very best in the series no doubt about it.
So, what does it do right?
The city - Yeah, just gotta credit the use of Kamurocho as a plus. I know this place back to front pretty much, from New Serena, to the Millennium Tower, to the Champion District and impenetrable wall that is Kamurocho Hills (can't go in there still by the way, dammit!). So to do yet another story in the town was an interesting choice that pays off - you get to see it in a different light, no mention of Dragons or one eyed psycho's here at all (which was refreshing in its own way). What makes the choice even better is that the side cases and especially friend events breath more life into the place - getting to know the different people that live in the town who help you out as you go (either by giving you weapon EX moves, joining you in fights or just greeting you as you walk by them in the streets). Its familiar and yet new at the same time. Also helped by the way the investigation mechanics work is that there are even more places to explore in the city - so there are more open buildings than ever. To my knowledge really the only bits you lose are the hostess clubs (big woop, you still go into at least one) and Purgatory (because of the Hills). So this really does feel like the most "complete" the town has been yet.
The characters - No big surprise here, even if some of the game stories are a bit crazy the Yakuza games have the best set of characters in any game ever. And here they do a great job of introducing a whole load of new ones, and I ended up caring for pretty much every one of them. Yagami is a great protagonist that thinks rather than fights if he can, and is backed up by perhaps the best partner in the series yet - Kaito who is both freakin' strong (seriously, when he's backing you up in a random street fight he decimates the enemies) and oh so cool. The two work really well together, plenty of heartwarming or funny moments throughout the game. Then there's the extended supporting cast that get introduced the more you play, all of which get decent screen time (Saori-san is probably my favourite, she's just fantastic). Villain wise... not mentioning any spoilery ones but the Tojo Clan gangster Hamura is right up there with Ryuji, Nishiki and Kuze for me. He's brutal, evil and puts in a fantastic performance. His whole crew is ace really.
Story - The Gamerkult review mentions lots of cutscenes/dialogue as a negative point, and while I don't entirely agree or disagree with that point you do get tons of it. Sometime it feels like the plot progresses a bit too slow, then you get a chapter like chapter 10 and everything just explodes. It puts in a pretty grounded story for the most part, with some great characters and plot twists, and definitely feels like a TV show in format. The game gives you several cases to investigate so the beginning few chapters feel like a standard "monster of the week" style format, before things get more serious later on. It works really well in practice.
Combat - I love Yagami's fighting styles. Took me a little longer to feel this way though. Its very easy to begin with, even on hard. Bar bosses (who put up one heck of a fight throughout the entire game) the enemies are initially really easy - ko'ed in a couple of hits. However as you unlock more moves (especially the ones that let you leap off walls into all manor of moves) things get way more fun. And you can find other moves with your drone (such as the ever infamous Tiger Drop) - speaking of which - Tiger Drop is back to its former glory - its really powerful in this game and easier to pull off than in 6 and Kiwami 2. As mentioned though bosses can be tough in places, doing lots of damage and sometimes they feel a bit too spongy/hyper armor. Didn't bother me personally but I know some people don't like this aspect about Yakuza. Random encounters also have bigger "boss" characters that turn up sometimes. They do slightly more damage and have much larger health bars. So watch out! It was really fun fighting them though, a nice change to the normal enemies.
Investigation gameplay - So they added a few more mechanics to this and for the most part I liked them. Investigating scenes will let you find evidence and for the most part are ok. Until your looking for one bit of evidence and cannot find it because you didn't hover over the right thing (this only happened twice in my 90 hours play, but worth noting). Chases are easy, and would have been awesome if not for a slight lack of variety in chases - I was hoping for something more akin to Shenmue's awesome QTE chases which were visually awesome, but these are more uniform in approach - so you only really have a set number of different obstacles to evade. However the good news is, they are a billion times better (fact) than the awful chases that were introduced in Yakuza 3 (and quietly killed by Ishin).
Tailing... works. Not much more to say. Its so lenient that its very hard to fail unless you lose your target (happened a couple of times to me!). Thankfully these are over fairly quick and aren't harsh like other stealth sections that are one mistake and you fail (*cough* Sherry REmake 2 *cough*)
You also get to select certain dialogue trees but these bits can't be failed. Not really bothered about the linear nature here, you get to listen to some funny dialogue and then select the proper option. I always saw the story being linear so I never expected the game to give you different endings/paths. Some people may be disappointed at this though.
Side cases/friend events/girlfriends - So the main three types of side story are these. Side Cases are basically side stories, but handled in a case by case basis both so you can make some decent money, and because it just makes sense since Yagami is a PI after all. There's some amazing stuff here, from some of the weirder/funnier stories in the series such as
.
Friend events are shorter things that usually have you doing one specific thing for the friend to increase their friendship gauge - this is anything from simply talking to them, eating at certain places and helping the people with their problems to gambling or chases. These flesh out the crazy characters of Kamurocho who, as mentioned above remain visible in the town after completion so it feels like the place is more alive.
Now for the Girlfriend stuff. Hostess clubs are out (oh well) and Girlfriend events kinda take their place. However, unlike Hostess events these feel like they had more care put into them. The quests all start after you complete the girls side cases so you already get to know them over a quest or three which already is a big improvement. Then conversations are a mix of text messaging and face to face dates where they further flesh the characters out. I've completed three of the four so far and gotta say I much prefer everything about this new system. I'll be sad if Shin RGG goes back to the old way, its just much worse in my opinion.
Mini games and other stuff - so this bit is pretty much the same as previous Yakuza games. Do mini games, lots of them to check off stuff in your completion list and earn SP which can be used to level Yagami up. So several mini games feel more ingrained in the main experience since you get to play them as part of side cases, and (girl) friend events. There is a nice amount of mini games here, not the most in the series, but a nice variety and I never really felt bored with any of it (except Shogi of course).
Drone Racing is a big new addition and is really fun. You race through the streets/skies of Kamurocho and it starts of fairly easy until you upgrade your drone the last couple of times and things get faster. There are some great shortcuts and the overall challenge is just right if you spec your drone right. The VR boardgame is also great fun (and not PS VR compatible before anyone asks). Its basically the challenge mode of the game and just reuses assets from previous games (most notably Kiwami 2, you'll know why when you play it) to great effect. Its also an amazing source of money, I made 2.2 million in one run once!
Then you have the arcade which has you completing objectives in:
Virtua Fighter 5 FS, Fantasy Zone (now with much easier score to get), Space Harrier, Fighting Vipers, Puyo Puyo, Motor Raid, Kamuro of the Dead, UFO Catcher.
This might be one of the harder parts of the game for completionists - while some games are easy, FV can get pretty hard in later levels (mercifully you don't appear to need to beat the final boss who is SNK hard, wish I knew that earlier!), Puyo Puyo has you needing to basically win 25-30 matches in a row in order to beat all rivals and VF5 requires you to win the one shot Dural fight (cheese it with Brad is my advise!)
Negative points - probably should balance this out by mentioning a couple of bits I didn't like - as mentioned above the hyper armor on bosses could be a bit evil at times, plot did feel like it dragged in a couple of points, and performance wise I did notice a couple of minor issues in the game - performance isn't locked 30FPS all the time, rarely the frame rate drops though weirdly not in fights (bar in the batting center). Also, its got some (texture) pop in which seems mainly only in enterable shops, guess they reduce the detail until you get close enough to enter them, its only really noticeable for people really running into certain areas. Not like it happens everywhere, but something worth mentioning I think.
So yeah, I loved it, spoiler wise stuff I really loved in the plot
.
Oh, and before I get this game has some of the best set pieces in the entire Yakuza series. Chapter 1, 6 10, 12 and the finale especially have to get special mention. The final chapter especially is bloody long, up there with 0 and 6 in my opinion as it just doesn't stop with the good stuff. Oh, and the credits are fantastic. So yeah, fucking brilliant game. Will replay in English day 1.
Now, to take a break with Kingdom Hearts and get started on RGG4's remaster.
First off - its excellent. My rankings for the series always changing based on the day of the week so can't say where I'd rank it exactly, but its up there with the very best in the series no doubt about it.
So, what does it do right?
The city - Yeah, just gotta credit the use of Kamurocho as a plus. I know this place back to front pretty much, from New Serena, to the Millennium Tower, to the Champion District and impenetrable wall that is Kamurocho Hills (can't go in there still by the way, dammit!). So to do yet another story in the town was an interesting choice that pays off - you get to see it in a different light, no mention of Dragons or one eyed psycho's here at all (which was refreshing in its own way). What makes the choice even better is that the side cases and especially friend events breath more life into the place - getting to know the different people that live in the town who help you out as you go (either by giving you weapon EX moves, joining you in fights or just greeting you as you walk by them in the streets). Its familiar and yet new at the same time. Also helped by the way the investigation mechanics work is that there are even more places to explore in the city - so there are more open buildings than ever. To my knowledge really the only bits you lose are the hostess clubs (big woop, you still go into at least one) and Purgatory (because of the Hills). So this really does feel like the most "complete" the town has been yet.
The characters - No big surprise here, even if some of the game stories are a bit crazy the Yakuza games have the best set of characters in any game ever. And here they do a great job of introducing a whole load of new ones, and I ended up caring for pretty much every one of them. Yagami is a great protagonist that thinks rather than fights if he can, and is backed up by perhaps the best partner in the series yet - Kaito who is both freakin' strong (seriously, when he's backing you up in a random street fight he decimates the enemies) and oh so cool. The two work really well together, plenty of heartwarming or funny moments throughout the game. Then there's the extended supporting cast that get introduced the more you play, all of which get decent screen time (Saori-san is probably my favourite, she's just fantastic). Villain wise... not mentioning any spoilery ones but the Tojo Clan gangster Hamura is right up there with Ryuji, Nishiki and Kuze for me. He's brutal, evil and puts in a fantastic performance. His whole crew is ace really.
Story - The Gamerkult review mentions lots of cutscenes/dialogue as a negative point, and while I don't entirely agree or disagree with that point you do get tons of it. Sometime it feels like the plot progresses a bit too slow, then you get a chapter like chapter 10 and everything just explodes. It puts in a pretty grounded story for the most part, with some great characters and plot twists, and definitely feels like a TV show in format. The game gives you several cases to investigate so the beginning few chapters feel like a standard "monster of the week" style format, before things get more serious later on. It works really well in practice.
Combat - I love Yagami's fighting styles. Took me a little longer to feel this way though. Its very easy to begin with, even on hard. Bar bosses (who put up one heck of a fight throughout the entire game) the enemies are initially really easy - ko'ed in a couple of hits. However as you unlock more moves (especially the ones that let you leap off walls into all manor of moves) things get way more fun. And you can find other moves with your drone (such as the ever infamous Tiger Drop) - speaking of which - Tiger Drop is back to its former glory - its really powerful in this game and easier to pull off than in 6 and Kiwami 2. As mentioned though bosses can be tough in places, doing lots of damage and sometimes they feel a bit too spongy/hyper armor. Didn't bother me personally but I know some people don't like this aspect about Yakuza. Random encounters also have bigger "boss" characters that turn up sometimes. They do slightly more damage and have much larger health bars. So watch out! It was really fun fighting them though, a nice change to the normal enemies.
Investigation gameplay - So they added a few more mechanics to this and for the most part I liked them. Investigating scenes will let you find evidence and for the most part are ok. Until your looking for one bit of evidence and cannot find it because you didn't hover over the right thing (this only happened twice in my 90 hours play, but worth noting). Chases are easy, and would have been awesome if not for a slight lack of variety in chases - I was hoping for something more akin to Shenmue's awesome QTE chases which were visually awesome, but these are more uniform in approach - so you only really have a set number of different obstacles to evade. However the good news is, they are a billion times better (fact) than the awful chases that were introduced in Yakuza 3 (and quietly killed by Ishin).
Tailing... works. Not much more to say. Its so lenient that its very hard to fail unless you lose your target (happened a couple of times to me!). Thankfully these are over fairly quick and aren't harsh like other stealth sections that are one mistake and you fail (*cough* Sherry REmake 2 *cough*)
You also get to select certain dialogue trees but these bits can't be failed. Not really bothered about the linear nature here, you get to listen to some funny dialogue and then select the proper option. I always saw the story being linear so I never expected the game to give you different endings/paths. Some people may be disappointed at this though.
Side cases/friend events/girlfriends - So the main three types of side story are these. Side Cases are basically side stories, but handled in a case by case basis both so you can make some decent money, and because it just makes sense since Yagami is a PI after all. There's some amazing stuff here, from some of the weirder/funnier stories in the series such as
the perv missions, weird because you have some really odd individuals and boss fights that come from these stories, a story about a missing cat president that involves you fighting people both with your fists and with a drone, Ono Michio accused of theft!, and some great Kaito side stories are just a couple
Friend events are shorter things that usually have you doing one specific thing for the friend to increase their friendship gauge - this is anything from simply talking to them, eating at certain places and helping the people with their problems to gambling or chases. These flesh out the crazy characters of Kamurocho who, as mentioned above remain visible in the town after completion so it feels like the place is more alive.
Now for the Girlfriend stuff. Hostess clubs are out (oh well) and Girlfriend events kinda take their place. However, unlike Hostess events these feel like they had more care put into them. The quests all start after you complete the girls side cases so you already get to know them over a quest or three which already is a big improvement. Then conversations are a mix of text messaging and face to face dates where they further flesh the characters out. I've completed three of the four so far and gotta say I much prefer everything about this new system. I'll be sad if Shin RGG goes back to the old way, its just much worse in my opinion.
Mini games and other stuff - so this bit is pretty much the same as previous Yakuza games. Do mini games, lots of them to check off stuff in your completion list and earn SP which can be used to level Yagami up. So several mini games feel more ingrained in the main experience since you get to play them as part of side cases, and (girl) friend events. There is a nice amount of mini games here, not the most in the series, but a nice variety and I never really felt bored with any of it (except Shogi of course).
Drone Racing is a big new addition and is really fun. You race through the streets/skies of Kamurocho and it starts of fairly easy until you upgrade your drone the last couple of times and things get faster. There are some great shortcuts and the overall challenge is just right if you spec your drone right. The VR boardgame is also great fun (and not PS VR compatible before anyone asks). Its basically the challenge mode of the game and just reuses assets from previous games (most notably Kiwami 2, you'll know why when you play it) to great effect. Its also an amazing source of money, I made 2.2 million in one run once!
Then you have the arcade which has you completing objectives in:
Virtua Fighter 5 FS, Fantasy Zone (now with much easier score to get), Space Harrier, Fighting Vipers, Puyo Puyo, Motor Raid, Kamuro of the Dead, UFO Catcher.
This might be one of the harder parts of the game for completionists - while some games are easy, FV can get pretty hard in later levels (mercifully you don't appear to need to beat the final boss who is SNK hard, wish I knew that earlier!), Puyo Puyo has you needing to basically win 25-30 matches in a row in order to beat all rivals and VF5 requires you to win the one shot Dural fight (cheese it with Brad is my advise!)
Negative points - probably should balance this out by mentioning a couple of bits I didn't like - as mentioned above the hyper armor on bosses could be a bit evil at times, plot did feel like it dragged in a couple of points, and performance wise I did notice a couple of minor issues in the game - performance isn't locked 30FPS all the time, rarely the frame rate drops though weirdly not in fights (bar in the batting center). Also, its got some (texture) pop in which seems mainly only in enterable shops, guess they reduce the detail until you get close enough to enter them, its only really noticeable for people really running into certain areas. Not like it happens everywhere, but something worth mentioning I think.
So yeah, I loved it, spoiler wise stuff I really loved in the plot
Saori getting some very small playable sections. She's a great character so the more screentime she gets the happier I am. Her little sub plot as the story progresses is great as well.
Hamura is such a hateable guy in the beginning, you get him off a murder charge and you know the bastard is guilty of far worse, and you get to fight him twice and its so satisfying both times to defeat him. Yet in the end even he has a sense of honor, I loved the resolution to his plot. One of the best characters in the game easy for me.
The way the plots all converge is fantastic. Its handled pretty well, and that moment where you get to show that decisive bit of evidence would have only been better if you'd shouted "OBJECTION" and "Cornered" from the Phoenix Wright soundtrack started playing. Also, I really love the use of flashbacks in chapter 5 to further develop Okubo's story, and then that's revisited really awesomely in the final chapter when Yagami's suffering from his head injury.
Hamura is such a hateable guy in the beginning, you get him off a murder charge and you know the bastard is guilty of far worse, and you get to fight him twice and its so satisfying both times to defeat him. Yet in the end even he has a sense of honor, I loved the resolution to his plot. One of the best characters in the game easy for me.
The way the plots all converge is fantastic. Its handled pretty well, and that moment where you get to show that decisive bit of evidence would have only been better if you'd shouted "OBJECTION" and "Cornered" from the Phoenix Wright soundtrack started playing. Also, I really love the use of flashbacks in chapter 5 to further develop Okubo's story, and then that's revisited really awesomely in the final chapter when Yagami's suffering from his head injury.
Oh, and before I get this game has some of the best set pieces in the entire Yakuza series. Chapter 1, 6 10, 12 and the finale especially have to get special mention. The final chapter especially is bloody long, up there with 0 and 6 in my opinion as it just doesn't stop with the good stuff. Oh, and the credits are fantastic. So yeah, fucking brilliant game. Will replay in English day 1.
Now, to take a break with Kingdom Hearts and get started on RGG4's remaster.
Oh, and the soundtrack rocks. Felt bad that I missed out on mentioning that. Gonna have to track it down. The themes that play in the last third (or so) of the game are all excellent.
I'm now just mopping up side stories now. Some of these are just brilliant like
.
I'm now just mopping up side stories now. Some of these are just brilliant like
the guy who thought his place was haunted, which leads to a second side story where he mysteriously disappears but really was just getting that famous guy with the wig to surprise his girl - at which point of course you end up chasing the wig yet again. And I also started to investigate two separate side stories - one with carp killed and cut up in some sort of Sushi, and a robbery which have both converged on each other - and I gotta figure out why they are related. Loving this stuff.
Got detoured briefly for a few weeks in Racoon City, but now I'm back on my PS3 and starting Yakuza 4. Some good Yakuza melodrama and comedy is what the doctor ordered after a bunch of survival horror!
I would say so, yeah. Chronologically, it's the next game afterwards and fits the story perfectly
Do you love Kiryu? You won't mind playing as him all game. And you'll see Majima almost all game so you won't miss him.
That final battle was absolutely insane. I was so hyped lol.
Also this game has the best end credit roll of all the Yakuza games.
So I never played a Yakuza game before, and I just bought Yakuza 0 cause it was really cheap on sale.
My question is, can I play 0 before 1 (Kiwami)? I know it's a prequel, but prequels are usually better played in release order, was this game made as an entrance door to the series or will I enjoy it more if I play 1 first? Im kind of a continuity freak, and I like to understand all the references.
My question is, can I play 0 before 1 (Kiwami)? I know it's a prequel, but prequels are usually better played in release order, was this game made as an entrance door to the series or will I enjoy it more if I play 1 first? Im kind of a continuity freak, and I like to understand all the references.
Yakuza 0 is an exception. They did a great job with it and it feels good going from 0 to Kiwami. Go right ahead and play 0.
It would different if you were going to play the PS2 Yakuza 1. (not saying you should)
But if you're planning on playing Kiwami 1, then you want to play Yakuza 0 first. Kiwami has modified Y1 to feel like a direction progression to Yakuza 0.
Yakuza 0 also makes the far better first impression for the series.
Edit: I'm with you though. I almost always play stuff in release order normally.
Yeah, its really funny because
after the first fight against him at the gambling place I thought we'd get the courtroom bit and that'd be it. But then we get that super hype cutscene with everyone you met along the way right after, and a cliffhangar right after that so it felt like more was to come, then you get that amazing set piece and final boss. Definitely one of my favourite games in the series, just helped by the finale wrapping up so nicely and having such a great cast of characters.
And yeah, the credits were fantastic, absolutely worth watching no doubt about it. Great music and a nice humerous little scene.
I gotta be honest, I'm gonna end up rushing through Yakuza 4 like I did with 3 partially because it's just super hard for me to go back to the graphics/menu/leveling systems after playing Y0 through Kiwami 2. 3 had a great story, so far I'm not digging 4 much at all. The engine/graphics are much better in 5 on PS3, right?
Being new to the series and playing Yakuza 0 and Kiwami back-to-back, I'd say that Kiwami is definitely not as enjoyable as 0 but there are some major story elements in the opening and closing chapters that are crucial to the series going forward. Especially if you value the relationship between Kiryu and Nishkiyama. The fallout from the first Kiwami does have a big impact on the story of Kiwami 2, which I've just started playing.
Speaking of Kiwami 2, holy hell is this gooood. I took a break after my little 0/Kiwami double bill to play games like RDR2 and such, and I'm finally getting around to this even though I purchased it day one and let it sit on my shelf for a while.
The graphics are an insane step up, as is the overall feel of the gameplay. There are so many improvements, big and small, that make the game world feel even more vibrant and bustling. I remember someone here complained about the tweaks to things like how the darts mini game plays, but I absolutely LOVE that they gave it a bit more depth and it requires a bit more skill.
I think I'm still trying to figure out how to keep the battles fresh by varying the different moves Kiryu uses, but I do feel like I'm using the same combos, finishers, and heat moves over and over. I do miss the ability to change battle styles that was present in the previous two, but I can't complain too much since I still greatly enjoy the hard-hitting fights in Yakuza.
The story in Kiwami 2 isn't quite as compelling as the story in 0, but I'm only on chapter 5 (the chapters move a bit too quickly for me; I don't want this game to end!!) so maybe things will pick up. Goda is a god-tier villain, though, so when they introduced him that was an awesome "shit just got real" moment.
So here's my thing; I know we probably can't expect the western release of Yakuza 3-5 on PS4 anytime soon, right? The next Yakuza game I have in my collection is 6. I feel like skipping over 3-5 after finishing Kiwami 2 would shortchange whatever Kiryu's journey is building to in 6. Am I right or would going from Kiwami 2 to 6 be a perfectly fine jump?
Well if you want 5's ending spoiled jumping straight to 6 is a fine way of ruining it for you (the first cutscene of 6 is the last of 5).
4-5 are pretty much exactly the same imo. if you aren't happy with 4 graphically, you won't be with 5 either. i thought there was a big difference between 3 and 4 though.
i got burned out around 4 playing all the games in a row after 0 but kinda forced my way through. 5 i took multiple breaks in between chapters, luckily the way 4 and 5 are setup, its perfect for taking a break after you complete a chapter. i would definitely take a break man.
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Shadowman's glowing impressions have definitely affected my expectations of Judge's Eyes. I was kinda trying to ignore the game until it came out to avoid setting myself for disappointment but boy, can't say I'm not excited now.
That's subjective, but IMO... Kind of, yeah... Actually not really? It's hard to say because it's such a mixed bag lol. But either way, 6 a direct sequel to 5 (pretty much the only game in the series that is a direct continuation to another story, actually) so it kind of defeats the point of playing it if you skip 5 in the proccess.
Yeah, 5 is much closer to 0 and Kiwami in terms of graphics, combat and features... Except at a lower resolution and framerate, sadly.
No. Worst. By far. But I love the ending. 5 runs into the issue of having 5 playable characters and great individual plots but having to pull them together it falls apart. As said before, the ending though is great so going back to playing it after already watching it in 6 would probably affect the enjoyment you'd get from that part of 5.
For me though, 5 is still the king gameplay wise, especially with the remaster on the way to smooth out the performance bumps (hopefully the res boost gives some of the textures a kick up the ass as well, as some in Sotenbori were literally unreadable on the PS3)
5 also has Taiko no Tatsujin in the arcades as well as Virtua Fighter 2. And yes, the story is a bit of a mess but I really liked the ending cutscene a lot. It's the most content-packed Yakuza of them all and it's easy to burn out on it (I know I did for the very first time in the series, but that was because I wanted to finish every side quest and side story before the end of the main story). Yet, the side activities and stories are all worth it. Also I'm one of the people who actually enjoyed the Haruka chapter, as I thin it was a welcome change of pace.
Haruka's chapters are the best out of the 5 protags. One would say they are So Much More.
In isolation I loved all of 5's chapters. Hard for me to pick a favourite as I'm basically the only person here that likes Saejima (the part was badly paced true, but its got my favourite set pieces in it). But I've come to really love Shinada, and Kiryu's part was badass as expected. Just wish Akiyama especially got more screentime, feel he was short changed.
I'm playing Yakuza 0 and I've played so incredibly little that it's already ridiculous that I'm asking this. Does the gameplay get fun? So far I've only beat up a couple of guys which wasn't all that fun, walked around in a city which wasn't that fun, and watched some super long cut scenes that were pretty intriguing but not super engaging yet.
I honestly trust that I will enjoy the story because it started off pretty interesting. But if you're just going from cut scene to cut scene with some mediocre fighting in between I don't think I can muster the energy to go through with it. Will there be more interesting gameplay bits to do later on?
I honestly trust that I will enjoy the story because it started off pretty interesting. But if you're just going from cut scene to cut scene with some mediocre fighting in between I don't think I can muster the energy to go through with it. Will there be more interesting gameplay bits to do later on?
Sec0nd,
Yakuza games always start a bit slow. But if you're bored of fighting, have you tried any side mini games? Bowing, batting cages, pocket circuit ?
Also for me the fighting gets more interesting as you unlock more techniques.
Finally I would say the main draw in terms of entertainment for me is the ridiculously hilarious side quests. Yakuza 0 may have the best ones. You're also going to have the in depth cabaret club and real estate business management sims later on
Yakuza games always start a bit slow. But if you're bored of fighting, have you tried any side mini games? Bowing, batting cages, pocket circuit ?
Also for me the fighting gets more interesting as you unlock more techniques.
Finally I would say the main draw in terms of entertainment for me is the ridiculously hilarious side quests. Yakuza 0 may have the best ones. You're also going to have the in depth cabaret club and real estate business management sims later on
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I really like Y5 as well. The only real negatives it has are the story and the crazy high enemy encounter rate.
My biggest disappoin
LOL, good one! :D And yeah, I really liked her chapter.
I think my biggest disappointment, when it comes to side activities in Yakuza 5, was actually that there weren't enough taxi driver missions. I mean actual driving missions, not the ones where you just have a conversation with your guest, but the ones where you're actually driving through Fukuoka. I loved those. But sadly there were only a few of them.
LOL, good one! :D And yeah, I really liked her chapter.
I think my biggest disappointment, when it comes to side activities in Yakuza 5, was actually that there weren't enough taxi driver missions. I mean actual driving missions, not the ones where you just have a conversation with your guest, but the ones where you're actually driving through Fukuoka. I loved those. But sadly there were only a few of them.
Yeah, I loved the driving ones, but there are just not enough of them. I'd have loved to get double them at least. But that's just me.
On the opposite spectrum I felt Haruka singing the same song, and doing so many handshake events was not needed. I did like the more individual stuff like the gameshows and especially the different interviews (Okinawa mag :( ).
Saejima though... I must have spent 10 hours on the mountain before moving that story forward. I loved it, loved hunting the gold deer and doing all the challenges. My only really peeve on that was the menu system - having to go through so many prompts each time you remove/reset a trap was a nightmare after a while.
On the opposite spectrum I felt Haruka singing the same song, and doing so many handshake events was not needed. I did like the more individual stuff like the gameshows and especially the different interviews (Okinawa mag :( ).
Saejima though... I must have spent 10 hours on the mountain before moving that story forward. I loved it, loved hunting the gold deer and doing all the challenges. My only really peeve on that was the menu system - having to go through so many prompts each time you remove/reset a trap was a nightmare after a while.
Saejima was the one who made all my Yakuza characters rich in the endgame, haha. It was so easy to make money with his hunting. Good thing that it was fun, too.
I agree with Haruka needing more activities for her idol job. I doubt it was their intention, but doing the same handshake events and singing the same song over and over again was kinda realistic though (lol). The magazine interview was actually quite awesome, because it really highlighted the aspect of the idol not really expressing their opinion but rather stating what the readers want to hear. In general I think Yakuza 5 did a good job showing the more darker side of idol industry and how tough it is for everyone in it, especially the artists.
I agree with Haruka needing more activities for her idol job. I doubt it was their intention, but doing the same handshake events and singing the same song over and over again was kinda realistic though (lol). The magazine interview was actually quite awesome, because it really highlighted the aspect of the idol not really expressing their opinion but rather stating what the readers want to hear. In general I think Yakuza 5 did a good job showing the more darker side of idol industry and how tough it is for everyone in it, especially the artists.
I like 5 quite a bit. Enjoy the idol chapters along with all the other characters in the game.
There's a bunch of great set pieces and an immense amount of content.
Can't wait for the PS4 port.
There's a bunch of great set pieces and an immense amount of content.
Can't wait for the PS4 port.
So, basically done with Judge Eyes now. I've only got the last girl friend, secret boss and the last crowd funding tier to do and I'm done. Managed to finish off a couple more side stories this afternoon, the
.
So yeah, JE definitely has the best side stories in the series by now, bar none.
side story that has you refight all the overworld bosses while teaming up with the many people that you help out throughout the game is definitely one of the best side stories in the game, or series. Loved it! Nice and long with plenty of great combat to be had
So yeah, JE definitely has the best side stories in the series by now, bar none.
Y6 physical copy w art book is on sale for $20 at Best Buy and GameStop. Might have to break my preference and buy physical. We shall see
