YAKUZA SERIES PLAY ORDER FOR NEWCOMERS - PS4/5 - XB1/SX/SX - PC
It's like Dunkey always says - "if you want something done right, you gotta do it all by yourself" TLDR play order for the mainline series:
Yakuza 0
Yakuza Kiwami
Yakuza Kiwami 2
Yakuza 3
Yakuza 4
OPTIONAL - Yakuza: Dead Souls - NOT CANON TO THE MAIN SERIES STORY
Yakuza 5
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
OPTIONAL - JUDGEMENT - HAS REFERENCES TO THE MAIN SERIES BUT ISN'T INTEGRAL
Yakuza: Like a Dragon
OPTIONAL - Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise - PURELY SPINOFF TITLE USING GAMEPLAY FROM YAKUZA SERIES
Hey there kyodai, this is the New and Improved "I'm Tired of Seeing This Posted 300 Times a Day" Yakuza series play order post! We haven't had one of these stickied in a long time, and I doubt this one will be, but at least we will have something to link to! Please feel free to link to it as you see fit! This guide covers the titles on all available current/next gen platforms and PC. Yes I know Yakuza exists on PS2 and PS3, nobody cares anymore. This guide is also just in reference to the NA releases and doesn't go into the PSP titles or the JPN exclusives ISHIN and KENZAN. This is to help the influx of new Xbox and PC players. I will update this post as new releases on PS5 and the like become available! PLEASE NOTE! All physical releases for the PS4 and XB1 will work on new gen PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles. WHERE TO START WITH THE YAKUZA SERIES REGARDLESS of what console you play on, the games are meant to be played chronologically. There is the argument that the story is best played by release date and I will refute that statement until my dying breath. Because it doesn't make sense. Why would you play through the series, then go back to 0, a prequel, then BACK to 6, the end? That's dumb. In the same vein, if you want to experience the entire saga the way it's intended, DON'T SKIP GAMES. Just watching the cutscenes leaves sooo much to be desired. YOU START THE SERIES FROM YAKUZA 0. 0 is available on all platforms and can be had the following ways:
Digitally on PlayStation, Xbox and PC
Digitally as part of the Yakuza Origins bundle on Playstation
Digitally with GAMEPASS on Xbox and PC
Physically as a standalone blue case release on PS4
Physically as a standalone red case Greatest Hits release on PS4
NEXT IS YAKUZA KIWAMI Yakuza Kiwami is a remake of Yakuza on the PS2. It uses a very similar style to Yakuza 0 combat wise and is about half as long. Kiwami is available the following ways:
Digitally as a standalone title on PlayStation, Xbox and PC
Digitally as part of the Yakuza Origins bundle on PlayStation
Digitally with GAMEPASS on Xbox and PC
Physically as a standalone blue case release on PS4
Physically as a standalone red case Greatest Hits release on PS4
Physically as a standalone Steelbook release on PS4
AFTER THAT IS YAKUZA KIWAMI 2 Kiwami 2 is a remake of Yakuza 2 originally released for the PS2. This is the first CHRONOLOGICAL game to use the Dragon Engine. The combat is most similar to Yakuza 6 and JUDGMENT. It's available the following ways:
Digitally as a standalone title on PlayStation, Xbox and PC
Digitally as part of the Yakuza Origins bundle on PlayStation
Digitally with GAMEPASS on Xbox and PC
Physically as a standalone blue case release on PS4
Physically as a standalone red case Greatest Hits release on PS4
Physically as a standalone Steelbook release on PS4
NEXT IS YAKUZA 3 Yakuza 3 was first released on the PS3 in NA and Japan and acts as a sort of soft reboot for the series in HD. Until just last year it was only ever available on disc but now you've got the following ways to grab it:
Digitally as a standalone title on PlayStation, Xbox and PC
Digitally as part of the Yakuza Remastered Collection on PlayStation, Xbox and PC
Physically as part of the Yakuza Remastered Collection on PlayStation
Physically on PS3
LOGICALLY, YAKUZA 4 IS NEXT Yakuza 4 marked the first time RELEASE DATE WISE that you could play as someone other than Kiryu. 4 introduced 3 new protagonists to the mix and can be played the follow ways:
Digitally as a standalone title on PlayStation, Xbox and PC
Digitally as part of the Yakuza Remastered Collection on PlayStation, Xbox and PC
Physically as part of the Yakuza Remastered Collection on PlayStation
Physically on PS3
YOU GUESSED IT, YAKUZA 5 COMES AFTER THAT Yakuza 5 brings us 5, count em', FIVE protagonists and is arguably the largest game in the series (although 7 comes damn close). Until recently, 5 was a downloadable only title on the PS Store but can now be purchased as such:
Digitally as a standalone title on the PlayStation, Xbox and PC
Digitally as part of the Yakuza Remastered Collection on PlayStation, Xbox and PC
Physically as part of the Yakuza Remastered Collection on PlayStation
FINALLY WE END WITH YAKUZA 6 Yakuza 6 is the final chapter of Kiryu's saga and for now is only available:
Digitally as a standalone title on PlayStation
Physically as a standalone blue case PlayStation release
Physically as a standalone Artbook case PlayStation release
Physically as a standalone red Greatest Hits PlayStation release
THE SERIES STARTS ANEW WITH YAKUZA: LIKE A DRAGON The newest title in the Yakuza series is Yakuza: Like a Dragon. This game features a totally new protagonist and main area to explore, as well as introduces a brand new, turn based battle system. It's a fantastic game and a welcome change to the formula, despite what Reddit would have you believe. Grab it any of the following ways:
Digitally as a standalone title on PlayStation, Xbox or PC
Physically as a Steelbook release on PlayStation and Xbox
Physically as a standalone blue case release on PS4
And that's it! Feel free to browse but not to carouse!
Here is a list of recommendations if you can't decide which ones to get:
Disgaea 5: To be honest any game in this series or even it's spin-offs, like Phantom Brave, is worth getting. Great voice acting, always funny characters and funnier events, and you'll always get more than you're money's worth of content and gameplay time even if you are paying full price for it. But if you don't have the time to go through the series one by one, then going for this one is more than worth it. You'll miss out on a lot of inside jokes and great cameos if you start with this one, but story wise you don't have to worry about anything since they aren't really connected. They happen in the same world, but even if you don't know the story of other games it still won't hinder your enjoyment of the story here.
.hack//G.U. Last Recode: You're itching for the next great action JRPGs that plays like the Tales series, but with an even more edgy and revenge hungry main character than Velvet from Berseria ? Then look no more. With 3 games 1 and with an extra new episode to wrap the story up, then you'll be getting more than you money's worth for sure. With an MMO setting and a fresh approach to side-quests and world exploration, it's a classic that is more than worth giving a try.
TROUBLESHOOTER: Abandoned Children: What if you want something serious ? then this is your go to game. I always liked X-com but I couldn't get into the RNG gameplay and losing characters forever because of one mistake. So here is TroubleShooter, an X-com JRPG, with an actual full story told through multiple chapters. A really fun world to get into, with great characters and fantastic music. The detective Noir atmosphere combined with really deep and complex customization system just provides endless content to go through. They also just recently released a whole DLC for free that expands the story and adds more content...yes for FREE!
SaGa SCARLET GRACE: AMBITIONS: You heard a lot about the series, but you never knew where to start ? well wonder no more. Scarlet Grace is one of the best entry games to the the SaGa series. Everything is tutorialized, and the game even has it's long list of tips and strategies that will be given to you from the start to even the very late parts of the game, to make sure you are prepared for everything the game throws on you. Then you add that it has one of the best and most challenging turn-based combat systems out there, if you ever thought turn-based combat in JRPGs is too easy, this will change your mind as it what can be done with it. And a fantastic soundtrack, and this is an easy pick up.
SD GUNDAM G GENERATION CROSS RAYS: You want a Tactical Mecha game focused on the Gundam universe with great graphics and crazy amount of customization and days worth of play time ? that's a weird request but I got you, here you go fam, Cross Rays brings you amazing Metal on Metal clash! with a huge (and I mean huge) list of Mechs to develop, evolve, capture, exchange, and unlock throughout a long and satisfying story campaign, and a customization system deep and varied enough to lose days of your life on.
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA: Again this is a case of a whole series is filled with great games, but if you're going to choose one, then this one is an easy pick. Fantastic soundtrack ? check! Great Smooth Action gameplay ? check! Dogi the wall breaker ? check! Base building and crafting ? check! and check!
Tale of Wuxia: Are you into great world building ? choices that matter ? open-world gameplay and life-sims ? Tactical turn-based combat Chinese Martial Arts novels/comics ? well here is one of the best games you can find. A remake of an older game, they did a fantastic job with it. There are issue with the translation, but for something so unique and one of a kind you'd have to work through minor issues. The game is about building your own Martial Art master, by managing their daily life-style, chores, adventures, jobs, training, and even social relations. With multiple endings, and so many different routes and events, you can easily gets sucked into it's world. If you like it then you can also check Tale of Wuxia:The Pre-Sequel, that does away with the life-sim, and focuses completely on the open-world adventure and tactical gameplay aspect.
Battle Chasers: Nightwar: An actual kickstarter JRPG that more than delivered what it set it out for and more. It went under the radar since release, but it's a great turn-based JRPG with great characters and challenging combat and a satisfying crafting system, arena fights, fishing, skill trees, and a fantastic in-game encyclopedia with an actual incentive to complete. With a great tiered loot system, dungeons with random events and side-quests every time you enter. And really great monsters to hunt. It's more than worth full price, but right it's dirt cheap.
Tales of Symphonia: To be fair, any of the Tales games on Steam right now are good to get since they are all dirt cheap in this sale. But if you had to choose only one, then this is the classic Tales game experience, and it might as well be free at the price they are selling it now at. Whatever Tales game you get, make sure to check out the mods on steam, there are some really good ones to make sure you get the best experience possible, graphics and FPS wise.
Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale: One of the best (if not thee best) Item shop simulator JRPGs. If you're in the mood for something relaxing and fun without much tension, then this is a no-brainer.
Lost Dimension: This one probably went under the radar when it was ported to PC. But it's a solid Tactical JRPG, with a really fun setting. To save you the time on the story, Imagine Danganronpa as a tactical JRPG and there you go. A really dark Mystery story, filled with plot twists, and some really great customization done in a way that makes sure no 2 playthroughs are the same.
GRANDIA HD Remaster and GRANDIA 2 HD Remaster : If you are in the mood for one of those old turn-based epic fantasy adventures, then look no more. The first Grandia in particular is one of the classics great fantasy adventure games. Grandia 2 is more "Edgy", but still has the great gameplay that Grandia 1 had.
Persona 4 Golden: Came in number 1 in every category it was nominated for. One of the best school life-sims, with a great and lovable cast of characters that you'll surely be devastated to leave come the end of the game.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon: Another game that is always in the top 3 in multiple categories, with it's Main Character (Ichiban Kasuga) winning the number 1 spot for the best character for 2020. The Yakuza series was already crazy fun, and now it's Turn-based ? enough said.
Trials of Mana (remake): Ranking 4th in both top JRPGs for PC and Switch, a Remake of an old SNES classic did more than anyone could have expected from a SE remake.
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin: Making it into the 5th spot on the PC rankings, an intense action game combined with rice farming. Are you ready to be surprised ?
CrossCode: Look.....I have yet to play this myself, but I got so many people and telling to play it, and friends begging me to, that it has to be good. But just to be on the safe side, you can check the free demo before you take the jump. And am sure someone in the comments can vouch for the game. Oh and it's Number 1 in the rankings of this year's Indie JRPGs.
Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling: 2nd rank on the best Indie JRPG of 2020 and only because CrossCode took number 1, this Paper Mario style JRPG saw that Nintendo isn't making what JRPG fans are waiting for, so they scrapped themselves in to patch in that gap in JRPG history. With praise from every where and Overwhelmingly Positive score on steam. why not give it a try ?
Here is the "Bonus Round" version:
AKIBA'S TRIP: Undead ＆ Undressed: A Beat'em up JRPG, where you kill Vampires in modern Japan, by using a combination of elaborate wrestling moves and every weapon you can get your hands on, and finally finishing them by stripping them till they disintegrate. A funny and silly game that has a weird amount of detail.
One Piece Pirate Warriors 3: Yes I am aware that Pirate Warriors 4 is out and on sale, but I like this one more, and it's cheap as hell. If you're looking for something mindless but very satisfying to waste hours on, then this is really good. Even as someone who isn't a fan of the Warriors series, I really couldn't stop playing this one when I first got it, and if you're a fan of the show then this is a must.
Okami HD: I mean, what is there to say ? a true PS2 classic...on the PC, in HD, for dirt cheap. It's Okami people come on.
Please go ahead and post any great deals that I missed, or ask about any you are unsure of.
So, I've been loving reading all the posts about the games you all have played this year and I was inspired to also share my games. I will not go too much into the games but mostly share a few short thoughts on them. Also, I will list them in chronological order, i.e. the order in which I played them through. There will also be one or two recent games that I played at release.
January Lego City Undercover (Wii U): My first Lego game and I had a lot of fun with it. Others have described it as GTA for children and this might be rather accurate. It has a fun open-world, a lot of collectibles if you like those, the characters are great, and the whole game just makes fun of many movie tropes and many of the lines made me actually laugh. It is a great game for children but also adults as many lines are clearly direct toward adults, especially all the movie parodies may not be picked up by younger gamers. All in all, I loved this game and I am looking forward to other Lego games (open for any recommendations). Score: 8/10 Pokemon Silver (Game Boy/Color): It wasn't really the first playthrough but I wanted to play one of the old Pokemon games that I have played in my childhood since I had stopped after the third generation and the only newer games that I have played were the Sun/Moon games. It aged pretty well even with some of the outdated mechanics. Had a lot of fun and I was blown away by the endgame content since I never discovered that as a child. Score: 9/10
February Concrete Genie (PS4): Unexpectedly fun game. You play as this boy with a magic brush with which you interact with the world and which is also the main mechanic of the game to defeat enemies and solve small puzzles. Loved the art style of the game, loved the adorable creatures you could create, and it had a nice message. Score: 8/10
March Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles (PS4): A wonderful little game. I loved the look of the game. It was beautiful and gave off a really cozy vibe. There are no real (if any) enemies. You rather collect things, carry out tasks given by the villagers while still having an overarching story, albeit a rather negligible one. It got a little repetitive toward the end but that was probably because of my effort to achieve the platinum trophy. The mechanics were also not all fully-fledged out but it is all in all a very charming game. Score: 7/10 Picross 3D: Round 2 (3DS): What can I say? Plain old Picross with a ton of content (my playtime was roughly 83 hours). I loved playing this at night in bed right before sleeping. If you like Picross games I can highly recommend this one. Score: 10/10
May Days Gone (PS4): Fun open-world zombie game. Has a charismatic and likable protagonist and I had a lot of fun exploring the world. For some, the beginning might be rather slow but I was hooked from the beginning. The story can be generic at times but I still enjoyed it a lot. And one of the best aspects was the hordes. Oh boy, are they scary when you first encounter them but working toward defeating them is incredibly satisfying. Also, loved the soundtrack. There were moments when a track set in and you had to ride your bike from one point to another and you were just vibing with the music. I am looking forward to the second game. Score: 8/10 A Way Out (PS4): Played it with a friend, loved it more than I expected I would. It is a unique take at a co-op game with a split screen. I really liked how one character was doing something entirely different while the other one is throwing chickens into the air. In all seriousness, the game and the story would be nothing special if it weren't for the co-op aspect but that makes this game just so good. One moment you have action filled sequence and in the next you're playing piano with your buddy. There were many great little moments in this game and it even switched up the gameplay at some points. It surprised us in many ways in the six hours we played the game. Score: 8/10
June Yakuza Kiwami (PS4): My first Yakuza game and I loved every minute of it. It does not have a big map but that little district is filled to the brim with wacky characters and side quests, a lot of fun mini-games and activities, while the main story is rather serious and suspenseful. Love Kiryu, the protagonist, and the fighting mechanic. The finishers are just brutal, but so much fun. But I will never grasp the mechanics of mahjong. Score: 9/10 Firewatch (PS4): A short "walking simulator". Beautiful art style and setting. Gave off a rather cozy vibe and the little mysteries were interesting enough but it didn't really click with me. Score: 5/10 Gris (PS4): Beautiful art style, beautiful level design, and it really touched me on an emotional level without a single dialog. Also, the music is just incredible, it added so much in specific moments. It is a short game, so you could easily play it in one afternoon. Score: 10/10 The Last of Us: Part II (PS4): One of the games that I wasn't patient with and played on release. It had a big controversy as most of you surely know, but I loved this game to bits. Beautiful graphics, improved gameplay mechanics, interesting and lovable characters and so many incredible details. You could see the love that was poured into the game. There were some aspects I did not enjoy and which I cannot mention without spoiling the game but they were negligible. In fact, my score may even change to a perfect ten when I play this game a second time with a fresh perspective. Whatever the case may be, I commend Naughty Dog for their daring direction they took with this game even if it did not resonate with everyone. Score: 9/10
July Death Stranding (PS4): (Might contain a slight spoiler!)Another controversial game that I thoroughly enjoyed. I do not know why it hooked me so much to play as a delivery guy but it did. It has an interesting albeit often confusing story. I liked the characters and fell in love with the BB. And the soundtrack was just incredible, one of my favorite tracks was "BB's Theme". I think I have never cried so much while slowly walking through an empty world. It is a weird game but I loved it nonetheless. Score: 8/10
August The Walking Dead Definitive Series (PS4): I wanted to finally play the complete Telltale Walking Dead Series. I played the first two seasons back when they were released on the PS3 and loved both seasons, especially the first one. Loved all four seasons, even though the third one is the weakest. But the fourth one was a fitting and beautiful farewell from the developers after the demise of Telltale. It was really bittersweet to see the credits. Also, cried like a baby. Would play again. Score: 9/10 Flipping Death (PS4): Fun, little puzzler. You play as Penny who meets an untimely demise and is mistaken as the replacement for death while he goes on vacation. It is a wacky story with charming characters and interesting gameplay mechanics. Had a lot of fun with it. Score: 8/10 Batman Arkham Asylum (PS3): My first Batman game and it was incredible fun. I realize now where many games with similar mechanics have been inspired by. The fighting is fun albeit sometimes clunky. I liked the setting of the asylum (I always assumed it was just in the asylum, did not expect a whole ass island) and I am already looking forward to the other games. Score: 8/10
September Grand Theft Auto 4: Complete Edition (PS3): Finally got around playing this through. I played it several times in the past decade but always only a few hours. It has now become one of my favorite entries in this series. The graphics on the PS3 are really bad since it was not properly optimized. It is kind of blurry but I got used to it. The story was really entertaining and was one of the best in the series. I liked Niko, I liked the setting of Liberty City and I even got used to the abhorrent driving mechanics. The DLCs were also fun although I enjoyed the Ballad of Gay Tony more than The Lost and Damned. Score: 8/10 A Plague Tale: Innocence (PS4): Great game by a smaller studio. The setting of the Inquisition and the Plague was fresh and unused and I liked the brother-sister dynamic. There are no games that I know of where you play as the older sister with a younger brother and this kind of resonated with me as an older sister. The story got a little weird toward the end and I think the developers had to cut some content but it did not affect my enjoyment too negatively. Score: 8/10
October Okami (PS4): Oh boy, have I fallen in love with this game. For some reason, I had always put off playing this game and I finally did and did I enjoy every single minute of it. The art style is just chef's kiss, that watercolor kind of graphics is just beautiful. I loved Amaterasu, I loved Issun and I loved all the other characters in this game. The gameplay was fun and the ending had no right to be so emotional. Score: 10/10 Assassin's Creed (PS3): My first AC game and I liked it very much. The protagonist was not that likable and the missions were rather repetitive (you basically did the same three types of missions over and over again) but I could understand why it was so revered back when it was released. The aspect of climbing basically everywhere was a lot of fun albeit not always accurate. And even today, the arrival at a new city is really mesmerizing and I can only imagine how blown away people were back then. Score: 7/10 Enslaved: Odyssey to the West (PS3): A fun little gem with great voice actors. Fun gameplay mechanics and an interesting story albeit not fully fleshed out. But I liked the dynamic between Monkey and Trip. A shame that a sequel is unlikely. I would have loved to see a continuation. Score: 8/10 The Escapists: The Walking Dead (PS4): I like the idea of the Escapists games but this one got rather repetitive and even had a game-breaking bug that I had to figure out somehow because the developers never made an effort to fix it. Funnily enough, it was the patch that broke the game so I had to play without it for that level. Score: 6/10 Soma (PS4): A psychological horror game that poses many philosophical questions about one's mind and identity, and what makes us human. It was kind of a project with a friend who cannot play horror games on her own but liked to watch me play. We had a lot of fun but the enemies were quite unnecessary and rather strenuous and annoying than scary. However, as I wrote, the story was interesting, and the ending kind of caught me off guard even though I kind of expected it. Score: 7/10
November Little Dragons Café (PS4): It is a charming game in the likes of Harvest Moon but it misses its potential. It gets repetitive pretty fast and the controls are a bit clunky. The mechanics of running a café also got stressful at times and this combined with the exploring part was not very well balanced; I felt rushed so many times I played it on and off again for a bit but I was glad when I finished the story. It is a shame that it was not more fleshed out. Score: 6/10 Monster Hunter World (PS4): I played this game on and off again since the beginning of 2019 but really intensively at the beginning of 2020 with some friends. It is the best Monster Hunter in the series as it is more friendly to the new players and not as cryptic as the other games (but still you have to figure out a lot by yourself and or just having a lot of tabs open on your phone). It is so much fun fighting the different monsters, grinding for better weapons and armor. I had the most fun with my friends, all using different weapons and just trying to finish off a freaking Kirin. At some point, I just decided I was done with it with over 180 hours of game time until I will buy the DLC. Score: 9/10 Sleeping Dogs (PS4): I did not expect much but fell in love with this game. It has an interesting story and picks up on the undercover detective trope, so it is not the most original idea but is executed well enough. I liked the protagonist and loved the setting of Hong Kong. I also liked that there was emphasis put on melee fighting rather than gunfighting. The DLCs were not as fun but were a sweet bonus. I would love a sequel to this. Score: 8/10
So, this became longer than expected and I am sorry for any mistakes or not being as eloquent as other posts here but I enjoyed writing this up and reflecting on all the games I have played this year. Thank you, if you took the time reading any of it. Edit: For some reason I totally forgot one game: A Way Out. I have added that to the list.
I completed all Yakuza games from 0 to 6, so here's my ranking
Here are my thoughts on every game that's part of Kiryu's saga, one of the greatest I've had the chance to experience in my gaming life. I've ranked from my most disliked game to my most liked. Spoilers for each entry, beware! #7 - Yakuza Kiwami 2 I've read a lot of people on this subreddit saying Yakuza Kiwami 2 was a bad remake. While I've never played Yakuza 2, I do feel like some parts of the story were simply not very good. The ending, with three different BBEG's standing in line and waiting to stab each other in the back before explaining their motives, is especially ridiculous, a symptom of the game's bloated narrative. Terada coming back from the dead to reveal he was Korean all along was an incomprehensible twist: the game wants you to believe that it was easier for this man to destroy the Tojo Clan by faking his own death... when he was the acting chairman of the Tojo Clan without anyone suspecting a thing. While I enjoyed Kiwami 2's gameplay with the Dragon Engine, it is, for me, the weakest game because it just wasn't very memorable. The only two things I remember from playing it were Ryuji Goda being a great but poorly used antagonist - a foe worthy of being Kiryu's rival that becomes overshadowed by all the weird mafia subplots - and the return of the Cabaret Club minigame. Kiwami 2 is so unneccessary in the grand scheme of things that Kaoru Sayama simply disappears for the rest of the franchise, as if the writers simply didn't want to have to deal with whatever they established during that game. #6 - Yakuza 4 I was very thrilled to go back to a Yakuza game with multiple protagonists, especially after hearing so many good things about Saejima and Akiyama. And they didn't disappoint! Both characters were great in their own right and they really make the first half of the game work... and then, the pacing takes a huge hit with Tanimura. While I quite liked his character, his story took a very personal turn that simply made me wonder where the rest of the game was going, and Kiryu's arc simply felt rushed. I felt like it was there for the sake of having Kiryu in the game. And then, the disappointments with the story began to pile up. I groaned at the rubber bullets. I banged my head against the walls as the good guys' great plan to lure the villains in was to put a huge pile of cash on top of a building and to just wait for them to show up all at once. The whole finale, while very hype in its own, Yakuza way, tried to have you believe that Kiryu beating the crap out of Daigo to make him keep his role as chairman made any sense. Saejima got terribly handled in that final portion of the game, too: with his sister's death and her murderer killed by another character, it seems all he has left is to stick around until the final boss, and his fight with Kido made me feel like they just matched him with whoever was left after the other fights happened. Yakuza 4 tries to have multiple, interesting protagonists and mostly succeeds, but fails at tying them together into something coherent. It did not make me want to spend time with the characters past its first half, it did not have memorable minigames or side content. However, it introduces important elements that the series was going to pick up on in later installments, and I do feel like it's a lot more memorable and enjoyable than Kiwami 2. #5 - Yakuza 3 A lot of people believe that Yakuza 3 is the worst game in the Kiryu saga, and I can understand why. It looks dated, has a combat system in which enemies are annoying instead of being hard to beat and its story features an evil CIA twin of Kiryu's dad. However, Yakuza 3 did two things that no other game did in the past for me. Its first greatest achievement is its Okinawa setting. Yakuza 3 was set somewhere I had never visited, in a videogame or otherwise. It brought back this idea of virtual tourism that had been so magical in the first game I had played in the series. Also, hawaiian shirt Kiryu. Its second greatest achievement was the way it presented Kiryu's new fatherly role. Yakuza 3 is still a game about beating the shit out of baddies with the power of screaming and justice, with a convoluted plot and crazy side content, but it also tackled the task of raising children. In how many games do you get to raise children? Or even just one child? Not a lot, and certainly not in a very narrative, deep way the way Yakuza 3 did it - only the first season of Telltale's The Walking Dead or God of War on the PS4 come to mind. And those games featured fathers that had to raise children in terrible, nightmarish conditions. They weren't about raising children to become people, they were about training children to turn them into survivors. Yakuza 3 isn't about that. Yakuza 3 is the game in which you play baseball with kids. In which you organize wrestling matches for them. In which you see them struggle with their feelings and fears and help them get back up and become better people. And even with that said, the other aspects of the story are also pretty great! Rikiya was possibly the most fun sidekick in the entire franchise, and Mine still felt like an antagonist with fairly deep motivations whose actions, while not entirely coherent, were his way of express the disgust he felt with his life, the world and himself. His final fight with Kiryu felt almost like a dialogue, at the end of which I was left with the feeling that, had they met earlier in life, Mine could have become a great person. More than any other game in the series, Yakuza 3 establishes Kiryu as a fundamentally good person that changes the world not only through his fists, but also through his heart. #4 - Yakuza Kiwami I played Yakuza Kiwami as a sequel to Yakuza 0 and some of the things in the game, like the Kamurocho setting, the combat system or the minigames, simply felt like they had been reheated. While I now know nearly all Yakuza games share very large similarities in terms of mechanics and settings, this was a surprise for me when I started Kiwami and it affected the way I experienced the game a bit negatively. But everything else? It was pretty good. Sure, the story was a bit dated and all over the place, but it truly felt like a game that was about Kiryu and that established who he was and how he got there. Nishiki was one of the franchise's greatest villains, if not the greatest, and they managed to turn the sweet, loyal character I had grown to love in Yakuza 0 into a complete monster that had to be put down for everyone's good, and to make the transition believable despite the original game's story being considerably older than Yakuza 0. With those dear to Kiryu dying left and right, leaving him to fend for himself in what's left of his life, Yakuza Kiwami is bittersweet until the end, and it's truly great in a lot of ways. And Majima everywhere? Hoooooly shit. Probably the greatest system in the series, giving new life to a beloved character and turning him into this meme-worthy, larger than life challenge the way only the Yakuza series can. Truly, Kiwami felt like an improvement over the original Yakuza that made its story more coherent and in line with the prequel, and that also dropped little treasures here and there like the continuation of the Pocket Racers drama from 0's minigame. It wasn't the best Yakuza, but it was certainly the best remake. #3 - Yakuza 5 Yakuza 5 is what Yakuza 4 should have been. Saejima's arc feels a lot more climactic now that his nemesis isn't outright killed by someone else during a cutscene, and while Akiyama kind of walks into the middle of another character's arc, he's still a fun, charming character I was glad to play as. Haruka's arc is completely unique and unlike anything the franchise had ever done, and Shinada was also a goofy breath of fresh air that, while a bit unnecessary and way too centered around baseball, was a lot of fun to see evolve. Even Kiryu's new life as a taxi driver, purposefully removing himself from those he loved for their own good, felt like a believable and interesting development, and his inability to truly drag himself from his loved ones and the world of crime and violence he grew up in bringing him back into the fray were absolutely believable. Truly, every character had something going on for them, and the way their stories tie up at the end felt believable, and not forced. The side content was also the best I had seen in the franchise since Yakuza 0, with the deep taxi, hunting, dancing and baseball minigames being engaging and not feeling like recycled or tacked-on content. Yakuza 5 was truly the largest game, and its only flaw, to me, was being a little too grindy and "too full". With that aside, I loved it, and felt like they had done Akiyama, Haruka, Kiryu and Saejima justice as characters after the uneven Yakuza 4. #2 - Yakuza 6 Boy, did I love this game, and I didn't expect to. Yakuza 6 is often treated as the black sheep of the Yakuza family, and here again, I can see why. The first game with the Dragon Engine did feel a little too easy or simplified when it came to combat, and the complaints about important characters like Majima, Saejima, Daigo or the florist of Sai being pushed aside of completely forgotten are very justified. But Yakuza 6 was meant to be the conclusion to Kiryu's saga, and as such, is a game about Kiryu, who he is, and what he fights for. Placing him into a completely new setting to have him interact with new faces, to uncover a deeply personal mystery, felt like the right decision to me. From there, it was one memorable character after another. The mystery does not let up, the plot twists feel just crazy enough to take you by surprise and to fit the tone of the Yakuza franchise while not being completely unbelievable. It felt great, after the convoluted previous games, to have a game that wasn't afraid to be about Kiryu, his interactions with other people and complex, driven villains that would stop at nothing to stop him. I have read and understood some criticism about the ending as well, and I can understand how some people could be disappointed by it. However, I do believe it's a fitting end for Kiryu's, whose tragic flaw is and always has been that he can't help but sacrifice himself for others. Disappearing from the surface of the world to ensure his loved ones can live in peace felt like the most Kiryu thing to do, and it was no more different than taking a bullet to protect his family, only it was a conscious decision rather than a spur of the moment thing. As the rule of Asian soap opera wills it, Kiryu cannot have the happy ending he truly deserves, but he can at least move on, knowing he made all the difference he could, and go towards other adventures. There's also a baby. The baby is very cute. I love you, Haruto. #1 -Yakuza 0 Yakuza 0's only true flaw is how good it is, because it sets up unhealthy expectations for the rest of the franchise. Starting with this game made me fall in love with the series, and 0 will always have that "first time" magic for me. However, even if I look at it from a less personal standpoint, it's arguably the best game they've made. Both protagonists are fun to play as and have several fighting styles that add a lot of depth to the combat. The story feels focused and personal for both characters, and while Kiryu's story isn't as good as Majima's, they both have unforgettable moments like the Kuze sewer fight. The minigames were fantastic and featured a lot more depth than in most Yakuza games, especially the disco minigame. Cabaret Club Royale might be the best "game within a game" ever. And what makes Yakuza 0 so special is how it oozes style, with the 80's setting and dollar bill-filled enemies and disco music and just... holy shit, the music in general. Yakuza 0 was the beginning of my love story with Yakuza. No matter how great the ride was, I can't help but look back to where it all began, and think "Man, was that a great game".
What were some games that you found charming or captivating even if the gameplay did not click for you? (discussion w/ semi-review)
Note: this doesn't have anything to do with the games not meeting your expectations. Plus, the game doesn't necessarily need to be a "bad" game; it could just be a game from a genre you don't really like. In general, I tend to be very tolerant of any game, but I can't help but name and discuss these games: -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Since it's always mentioned, I think it'd be best to start with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and its open-world RPG system. I really enjoyed the lore/world-building, characters, and feel the game had (especially the soundtrack); however, I did not care for the actual gaming part at all. I honestly could have happily done without the loot system, the hundreds of interest markers on the map, and the level system—basically most of the lackluster padding that I mostly ignored anyway. Open World fluff aside, to me, a lot of features just felt very unnecessary since you were already equipped for most jobs. Minus the alchemical recipes, they didn't gate any progression through unlocking abilities and etc, so you had the baseline essentials. It might be cool to learn X and Y versions of signs or other various skills, but most of those skill points just enhanced already powerful abilities or were just superfluous. Hurray, Yrden traps now deal 10-50 DPS to enemies standing on them even though you deal like 500+ damage with a sword already. Quen did have upgrades that were straight-up OP with infinite stunlock and regenerative capabilities, but even then, it just felt messy for me. Don't even get me started on the loot system in combination with the leveling system where somehow it's always 5-15 levels underneath/over your current level or possible gear. Then again, we all know that fashion mattered the most when Quen made you practically invincible anyway. Since this has already been discussed enough though, I think it's best to just say that I'd definitely do things Cerys's way instead of just the Witcher way if possible. They may excel with their presentation and material, but they really miss the mark on how it plays out. It's definitely a great game to experience overall though—I'd highly recommend playing on the lowest difficulty settings and just enjoying the world as much as possible. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yakuza 0, Kiwami, Kiwami 2
Although I'm on the fence about it, I think I have to mention the Yakuza series so far on the PC. I love the serious, crime drama that unfolds, the absurd substories, and all the extra minigames, but I kind of just got tired of the beat-em-up combat that was continually thrown at me. Maybe less can be said about the Kiwami games overall since they kept the original storylines that were a bit too crazy with the pacing and repetitive with its quality at times. It definitely can be very satisfying to smash some faces every now and then (especially since it makes scenes very tense), but it was just something I found to be tedious. It just got to the point where the difficulty that they tried to throw at me was just infuriating to deal with rather than enjoyably challenging. It might be due to how formulaic the games were and how short of a time period I played the games, but I just resorted to using as many weapons/charged attacks in Kiwami 2, OP styles in 0, and tiger dropping/Rushing my way through Kiwami as much as possible. In general, I think Kiwami was the worst one overall and could easily be the main reason I have to bring up the series since that was where bosses constantly had super armor, blocked, and dodged, resulting in stale gameplay. For 0 and Kiwami 2, I was fine with most of the combat, but it just got to the point where I wanted fights to go faster—too much essence of beefcake. Again, I'm on the fence with stating the Yakuza series so far because I probably found it more tedious playing them back to back—it'd probably be fairer to discuss the positives and negatives of how formulaic the games are more than anything. Plus, the Yakuza games are such a mixed bag of a game; if you really think about it, the combat is only around 30% of the game (maybe even less depending on how you played). Regardless, I'll definitely be playing the rest of the series when it's released at the end of January even if it may get worse due to older gameplay—some of the best parts about the game is the strangeness of the extra activities anyway. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Drakengard 3
Now, this game might not be mentioned often (if not at all), but it's one hell of a ride to say the least. I've never played any other games regarding Nier or the other Drakengards, but it's a hack and slash game in which you travel across the land with your trusty dragon to kill off your intoner "sisters" in a sort of fantasy-medieval setting. Yes, you read that correctly. Not only that, but it's a game that constantly throws sexual jokes your way and doesn't shy away from OVERKILLING that charm when and if possible. I wouldn't be surprised if you got distracted during a boss fight or stage since there can be constant, lewd dialogue throughout the game/fights. I won't spoil anything else besides that premise, but it's an absolutely insane game that doesn't really hold back. Although I played this game when I was still in my early years in High School (extremely surprised when I played it), I found it to be strangely charming with just how different it was—plus, I really liked the soundtrack and how comedic it was. Regarding the combat though, it sort of plays out like a Dynasty Warriors game mixed with Devil May Cry/Bayonetta aspects to it. You level up, collect/buy/upgrade four weapon types, and progress through multiple, linear stages for the A, B, C, and D endings. However, for most bosses, you ride on your dragon in an arena, pilot your dragon like an arcade game, and very rarely fight them normally on foot. It's very diverse and intriguing to witness, but it was very straightforward gameplay that is carried by the dialogue, soundtrack, and how diverse it tries to be with its presentation. For example, the true final boss is an unfair rhythm game of all the things—charming/strange but easily hated by many (not as anal as Drakengard 1 from what I've seen). I really enjoyed the crazy roller coaster ride this game had to offer (even the final boss), but the gameplay was nothing special compared to everything else—it was more padding to allow for the crazy dialogue to flow which I happily enjoyed. I would definitely suggest watching a few clips on YouTube if you can't get a hold of the game since I think it might be only available on PS3; it's a wild experience. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anyway, what were some of yours now that this essay is done?
"The turn-based combat is a welcome change however combined with some weird decisions and a somewhat bland story its not all sunshine and rainbows for this new kid on the street."
The transition from a top notch brawler to a JRPG feels totally seamless. The gameplay have all the good parts we expect from a JRPG translated to the language of the Yakuza series but it also has some of the bad parts like the need for grinding and some unfair boss fights. The story and new characters are presented in a way that make this new journey for the franchise very well worth taking.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon is the perfect update for a flagging series. Its clever storytelling, bizarre substories, and engrossing gameplay makes this one of the strongest entries in the franchise. Mixing deep societal messages with references to popular culture, the game is both hilarious and thought-provoking. It is very clear to see that with Ichiban Kasuga, the series is in safe hands
Yakuza: Lika A Dragon goes a different way but follows what made the series so great. The new protagonist, the story (besides some weak points), the crazy mini games, battle animations, summons and Ichiban Kasuga offer so much fun and action. Some boring dungeons in the middle of the game and balancing issues are the only downsides you should expect. Even if you are not a fan of turn based combat or haven't touched the series yet, you should give this a shot.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon has definitely made some drastic changes to the series but without losing its original charm. The fast pace turn base system has so much added depth while still feeling like a Yakuza game. The graphics are the best the series has seen to date, players will fall for the ridiculous Ichiban who is a well-worked new hero to the series. Other than the lag between different sections of the games and slightly clunky animations it's really hard to fault this reimagining of the legendary series.
Like a Dragon isn't my favorite Yakuza, and its fresh turn-based combat eventually grows stale, but I have a lot of love for it. If it's your first game, it'll quickly initiate you into this wild, one-of-a-kind series.
Who knows if this wild experiment will bear fruit and become its own series. Yakuza: Like a Dragon has everything it needs; an excellent crop of new characters, and even a new playground to base a series in, as we hadn't been to Yokohama previously. The future of the series would depend on how turn-based combat sells in comparison to action brawler combat, I would assume. Either way, though, Like a Dragon is a delight. It's a parody-homage to every turn-based JRPG trope you've ever known, set against brilliant character writing and the traditional urban playgrounds that have built this series into something beloved. I hope the development team is rewarded for the inherent risk that they took with this undertaking.
Like a Dragon is the story of a carp that turns into a dragon, of a gang of scapegoats who decide to defy the established order and come to the head of a desperate situation. Ichiban Kasuga is an individual far from dojima's stoic and serious Dragon but has an equally kind soul and crackling personality, which makes him - along with his strange clique - the symbol of Yakuza's rebirth. A rebirth that passes through a fun and enjoyable but also improveable role-making formula. With this seventh chapter, in other words, the Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has shown us the potential of what would seem to be his idea for the future of the series, which with the advent of next-gen consoles could give us great surprises.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon has made the leap into the RPG genre with flying colors. The story is kept exciting and you can't stop following Ichiban's vendetta. The abundance of side tasks can be a bit overwhelming for the player at the beginning. But once you have played the game for a few hours, you know the most important points in the city. Time passes very quickly when playing darts or karting. By no means you need to believe that these actions are a waste of time. You get personality points which finally strengthen the fighting actions. The fights bring a breath of fresh air to the row and put a smile on the players' faces. Through the different creative classes you attack the opponents with pigeons or wrestling moves instead of casting disdainful fireballs. Unfortunately, the invisible AoE range of abilities spoils the fun of the game. Also the unusually long races until a comrade reaches the enemy seem strange. A timeline showing the next actors would have been helpful too. If you like the Yakuza series and are open for new things, you definitely have to go for Yakuza: Like a Dragon.
Yakuza fans were anxious about whether the series would survive without the glue of Kiryu Kazama to hold it together. However, Ichiban Kasuga is a worthy successor to the Dragon of Dojima, and Like a Dragon is a great new start for this fantastic series that will please long-time Yakuza fans and newcomers alike.
You should look at Yakuza: Like a Dragon through the lens of it's protaginist. This game is unapologetically brash, unmistakable bold, life-affirming and insanely charismatic. The legend of Ichiban Kasuga journey, like a bright flame, tells us one familliar, but sweet and romantic idea - each and every one of us can become a true Hero, even if you have to fight the fate itself, while making your way through hundrends upon hundreds of random encounters.
Ultimately, despite all the changes that have been made, Yakuza: Like a Dragon feels very much like a Yakuza game. The combat may now be turn-based, and the scenery might be different, but this is still a game full of drama, thrilling battles, and a huge amount of side content, all smothered with an ample amount of humour. And I never thought I’d say this, but I didn’t miss Kazuma Kiryu one jot while playing it; Ichiban Kasuga is simply a more likeable fellow with more depth. So, if you like the Yakuza series, consider Yakuza: Like a Dragon a must-have.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon reminded me why I loved video games to begin with. I cannot think of a game this year that has gripped me this tightly and didn't let go. Here comes a game brimming with joy and excitement that is earnest with its drama and comedy. It's the sort of game you can gush about for hours, and I will long after this review is published. Anyone who loves RPGs, open world games, comedies, crime dramas, and games PERIOD should have a lot of fun with the newest Yakuza.
As the Yakuza franchise is still trying to become a household franchise in the West, the Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio decided to flip the switch and create a turn-based RPG. The result of that experiment, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, is a resounding success. The "dynamic RPG" gameplay fits the Yakuza universe and tropes like a glove and its mechanics are surprisingly deep. And the fact that the game's new characters are lovable doesn't hurt. The turn-based gameplay will probably put off some gamers but Yakuza: Like a Dragon truly deserves a shot. The Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio made the JRPG genre proud.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon impressively pulls off the switch to an RPG in style, providing an excellent combat system supported by loveable characters, and a tantalising main storyline with meaningful side quests.
Yakuza is reborn in this brilliant and compelling new addition to series canon that recontextualizes series tropes and mechanics for an entirely new genre, delivering one of the best outings the series has ever seen.
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has topped themselves once again with Yakuza: Like a Dragon! This new take on Yakuza brings a lot of fun, new ideas to the table while remaining its heartfelt self. Turn based combat is somehow a perfect fit for this new direction, the characters are all instantly loveable, and the story is endearingly melodramatic.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a phenomenal entry into the Yakuza franchise, with an interesting new protagonist, a compelling story, and a combat system that constantly mixes things up.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon largely succeeds at moving the series forward in a bold new direction. Kasuga and his band of unlikely heroes are incredibly interesting and make it so easy to care about their crazy antics. The new main locale is massive and plays host to so many compelling things to do. Getting wrapped up in everything Like a Dragon has to offer is worth it and you’ll easily pour 30+ hours into its captivating tale. The turn-based battle system works in parts, but its annoying character placement issues and faulty summons system keep it from being a total victory. Like a Dragon is still worth hopping into if you’re looking for an amazing parody of RPG tropes, however. It’s a Yakuza sequel that signals a bright future ahead for the beloved franchise.
No doubt about it, SEGA took some considerable risks when they decided to change their established formula so radically for Yakuza: Like A Dragon. But in the end, I think the gamble paid off. Ryū ga Gotoku Studio's latest offering may not pack the punchy, moment to moment gameplay of its predecessors. Still, it makes up for that with its more in-depth brawls, an engaging job system, and a story that focuses not just on a single protagonist, but on several compelling heroes with their own complex motivations. While beat-'em-up fanatics may find this change in direction blasphemous, I couldn't be happier. If you're a Yakuza fan who loves JRPGs, adding this underworld epic to your PS4 library is a no-brainer.
It keeps the great narrative and setting from the Yakuza series, using a new protagonist, a city that has more life than even Kamurocho and turn-based combats. It suffers from some of the classical troubles of the J-RPG, but it is a breath of fresh air and a great example of how to reinvent a franchise.
Yakuza Like a Dragon is a real and huge JRPG who knows how to maintain the essence of the saga. Fun fighting system and deep script with too many ups and downs to justify the new playable elements. I hope this new formula that works and gives new wings to the franchise will be repeated.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon makes for an excellent new entry in this long-running series. The developers took a chance on a new protagonist and battle system, which forces fans out of their comfort zone for a very different yet, familiar Yakuza experience. Although the opening exposition can be a bit overwhelming, this is a standout video game on its own with plenty of emotional story beats, insane sub-stories, and plenty of ways to spend your time around Ijincho.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a very good sequel to the popular Yakuza series which shows that Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios still manages to create a great story and narrative. The game's turn-based battles are good in themselves, but due to the extreme use of enemies in the environment, they soon became repetition.
Yakuza: Like A Dragon is an impressive and quality JRPG that successfully acts as a jumping in-point for new fans and also ties itself to the series' past in exciting and engaging ways. The turn-based combat has been infused with some mechanics that help retain the action and over-the-top hilarity the series is known for. Mini-games once again shine and there is a lot packed into Ijincho. Like A Dragon paves the way for a bright future for the franchise.
It was a gamble on Sega’s part to make such major changes to a tried and true formula, even more bewildering given its recent meteoric rise in Western markets. If Yakuza: Like A Dragon proves anything, it’s that fortune does indeed favour the bold.
Like a Dragon's story attempts to touch on certain social issues that are relevant in present-day Japan, such as classism, social status, sex work, and government corruption on a prefectural level. However, the writing often lacks the nuance or range to address the topics at hand, and doesn't give any of them adequate room to breathe. The second half of the game gains some measure of focus as plot threads tie together and result in genuinely surprising twists, but when Like a Dragon drops the ball, it drops it hard. Despite this, the Japanese cast's performances sell the story with evocative deliveries that breathe life into the characters. The finale is an emotional one that brought me to tears and moved me, just as most previous Yakuza games have.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon, when all of its pieces are taken together, is not only a fantastic new direction for the series, it's also one of its best titles.
Yakuza Like a Dragon is both a fresh start and a shot in the arm that caters to series veterans and newcomers like. It bears all the hallmarks of a great Yakuza game, while making a damned good case for its revamped battle system. After Yakuza 6 topped the rest of the franchise with a matured and succinct focus it feels even more exciting to see the whole thing blown wide open again and have Ryu ga Gotoku just run wild. Kudos is deserved at Sega of America for their commitment to the game's localization as well, which is incredibly considered and comprehensive. I think I've found a new favourite Yakuza game.
With a new battle system and new main character, Yakuza: Like A Dragon aims to be a new entry point to Yakuza newcomers even though it is anything but that.
So, the takeaway is this – Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a successful experiment. So successful that I think it should be the template for much of the series going forward.
A brilliant reinvention of the series that still manages to faithfully capture its essence, with an eclectic cast of characters, the star being Ichiban himself. A great entry that goes toe-to-toe with Yakuza 0.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a successful pivot from traditional Yakuza mainstays. The game goes heavy on style, while still packing in enough substance to keep players satisfied. The party system and new RPG elements give players more ways to play than ever before. The turn-based combat is solid, and never feels too foreign. Longtime fans of the franchise will appreciate what Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and SEGA have to offer in Yakuza: Like a Dragon.
Much like Kasuga’s dragonfish tattoo feels like a quirky but faithful successor to Kiryu’s dragon, Yakuza: Like a Dragon rebuilds the franchise by leaving a lot of it in place. The new protagonist doesn’t feel like he has seven games of story in him, but his eagerness to join the fray could carry the next few entries.
After the culture shock of such a total change to the Yakuza recipe, I’m extremely glad the Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio team took such a big leap when Kiryu’s tale came to an end. Like A Dragon is a revitalised game full of fresh ideas and proves that the series won’t be re-treading the same ground with Ichiban in the driver’s seat. If this is the first step into the new age of Yakuza, I can’t wait to see how bonkers the next game will be.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon refreshes the action with a turn-based JRPG that retains its charming identity, but it falls into some pitfalls that are emblematic of the genre.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon is an interesting new entry into the criminal universe created by SEGA, and undoubtedly represents the most courageous and anarchic chapter so far. It's not entirely convincing, but what works bodes well for the future of the series.
Yakuza Like a Dragon is an enjoyable new twist on the series, although it's not hard to imagine that many long-time fans of the series will be put off by its slow pace. In a day and age where video game companies rarely take risks, Like a Dragon is a refreshing change of pace for a series that risked starting to feel stale.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a triumph, and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio should be commended for redefining such a seasoned franchise, despite the backlash it might have received. Leaving Kazuma Kiryu behind hasn't been easy, but Ichiban Kasuga and company have crafted a compelling path into the future that I cannot wait to see continue.
The mean streets of Yokohama offer the opportunity for a new cast, a new suit, and a new hero. Ichiban Kasuga might not be the role model in the same way that Kiryu-chan was, but this dragon's quest might be the most fun Yakuza title to date!
Yakuza: Like a Dragon feels like everything I ever wanted in a game. Once the game stomps on the gas, it very rarely slows down. Its unique cast of characters and gameplay had me hooked and wanting more, and it almost feels like it never stops giving. Even after the story ends at the 45+ hour mark, I was ready to fight more, complete more side missions, and squeeze out every drop of gameplay that this game has to offer.
The Yakuza series continues to grow and expand in the gaming world. I love its quirky humor and deep narratives. This new entry begins a new saga and I cannot wait to see how the story of Ichi evolves over time. If it is even half as good as Kiryu’s the studio will have another series of great games on its hands. Everything about this title feels good and for those worried about having previous knowledge, don’t be concerned. Like a Dragon is a wonderful jumping in point for the series and also one of the best titles in it to date. Don’t sleep on this game, it is worth digging into.
Graphics Quality Ranking of games available for the Xbox Series S
\Will be updating this post as I go through more of the Game Pass catalogue. But please, note it's only my opinion and you might see it differently. Video links are provided if you click on the titles for you to judge them yourselves.* Just thought I would share my ranking of the graphics quality of the Xbox Series S games: Poor: Low res textures made it so ugly, it's unplayable!
Ark Survival- this game looks really ugly on the Xbox Series S. Looks better after the update
Final Fantasy IX - glitchy cut scenes and low res background graphics made this unplayeable
Jedi Fallen Order- AAA game that seriously needs an update soon. Longer gameplayhere. **Just updated with higher res & fps!
Hyperscape: free to play game, running at 60fps but with low res textures. In danger of becoming irrelevant if they don't keep up with the rest offering 120fps or higher resolutions!
Outer Worlds - what were they thinking? This needs an update ASAP! Very disappointing considering this is a game MS advertised to show the low load times.
Outer Wilds - great game let down by poor res graphics
Age of Wonders Planetfall: abit blurry due to lower res textures but good enough to be played on the big screen (sorry for the oversaturated video capture)
Assetto Corsa: could do with higher res textures but cars look good.
Halo Master Chief Collection: I would say Halo Reach 3/4 still look good, Halo CE & 2 is OK but Halo ODST is horrendous!
The Hunter Call of the Wild: textures are quite low res, everything a little blurry so hard to spot the animals but good enough to play and enjoy a little. Runs at 30fps
Jedi Fallen Order - With next-gen update, it now has higher res textures and smoother gameplay at 60fps.
Killer Instinct: probably the best looking fighting game I've seen so far on the Xbox Series S
Cyberpunk 2077: I know the bugs can be quite disappointing but if you just consider the graphics quality, it is amazingly good for the Series S (even better than X performance mode) but runs at quite a stable 30fps.
Destiny 2: improved graphics and 60fps now after recent update
FIFA21: seriously not much of a visual improvement over FIFA20 if you play the classic mode. Most of the differences come in the cut scenes and rendering of players.
PHOGS! Zelda BotW style graphics in a puzzle game. 2 player mode is really fun!
Rainbow Six Siege: still so good after this many years. Can run up to 120fps at 1080p if you select "Prioritize Performance" in video settings. 60fps at Quality mode.
Rocket Arena: looks good and really fun to play + it's free to play if you're on EA Play/Game Pass!
Finally played the Episode DLCs, here are my thoughts on each one.
Episode Gladio
I've seen a lot of people give Episode Gladio crap for how short it is, but I think the short length is a good thing. It's simple, straight to the point, and doesn't overstay it's welcome. It also highlights a problem I've seen in the other DLCs (I'll talk about this during the other sections) that Episode Gladio actually doesn't suffer from at all. I liked being able to pick up pillars and smash enemies with them, I liked that there was more development and screen time given to Cor, and I liked that each trial Gladio went through actually benefited him in terms of gameplay. Oddly enough, Gladio's HP in this doesn't have the danger state/secondary health bar from the main game and even the other three DLCs, making fights a lot more hectic, risky, and requiring more strategy. I found this to be a good thing as I think the secondary health bar in FFXV made the game too easy. I also enjoyed the Final Trial against Cor but I did notice that some of his attacks had inconsistent tells so I had to guess through analyzing his attack patterns. It took well over ten tries before I was finally able to beat him. Overall, a pretty good DLC.
Episode Prompto
It was during this DLC that I noticed something about Final Fantasy XV's game design and that's the various mechanics across both the main game and the DLCs don't have cohesion with each other. For example, Prompto is able to use two weapons in the DLC that he can't use in the main game, the Sagata Rifle and the Audax Blade. There is no ability to change out your weapons at will even though the gear menu is available for them, you can only change your outfit. Prompto can also learn Trigger Happy in the main game, but can't actually use it when you are playing as him until you play his DLC. The opposite issue also lies with Starshell and Snapshot, where playable Prompto will have those techniques unlocked at the start but the player must still spend AP to unlock the same moves for Command-Controlled Prompto to use. Aside from that, there are side quests and side objectives that don't matter, biggest example being an upgradable snowmobile, CPUs are needed to upgrade it and you get those through rather repetitive sidequests. However, you don't ever need the snowmobile past the first open area you use it in, so it makes me wonder what was the point of it being upgradable it to begin with. I thought Prompto's arc was ok, but it feels a bit a flat and does fall into the trope of Clone/Science Experiment/Weapon that a lot of characters in JRPGs go through, like Vivi and Zidane from FF9 as well as Cloud from FF7. The Aranea fight wasn't as hard as the Cor fight in Episode Gladio, I actually managed to beat Aranea on my first try (I still came close to losing though). I also liked that both Aranea and Verstael got more screen time, especially Verstael since he was only ever in one cutscene in the entirety of XV's main campaign, never to even be mentioned again. Verstael's idea of Divinity is pretty skewed though, what in the world made him think that becoming a giant metal worm would gain him Divinity? You can't do shit in that form except destroy things and barrow yourself into the ground. Seriously, they tease Diamond Weapon in this DLC, Diamond Weapon would've been a far more interesting thing to become in terms of Divinity than a giant metal worm (Might've made for a better boss fight too). One thing that really irks me about Episode Prompto is the A.I of the enemies, sometimes they would stand there and not do anything, even when you are attacking them. Their A.I felt more refined in the main game and even the other DLCs than it does in this one. I liked that there was some exploration within the Niflheim continent in this because that was one of the things I really wanted to see more of in XV, but there wasn't much value to it in Episode Prompto, just a bunch of shacks, a few empty houses here and there, a lake, and then that's it. One thing does have me confused though is the timeline of this DLC. Now I might not be remembering things correctly since I haven't done a replay of XV's main campaign since the game itself first came out, but after Prompto gets knocked off the train in the main campaign, doesn't it take Noctis and crew about a day before they arrive in Gralea? If so, how come Prompto is already there when they arrive but Episode Prompto takes place "several days" after Prompto already got knocked off the train. It's a bit confusing to me is all. Other than those things, it's an Ok DLC. Not great, not terrible, probably the worst one out of the four, but not in the sense that it's bad, just Ok in terms of quality.
Episode Ignis
I loved the environmental traversal in this, the grapple hook you get from an MT is a nice substitution for Ignis' inability to warpstrike and how you can use it to insta-kill certain enemies in a sort of Metal Gear Raiden Style. I liked the fact that there is actually swimming this DLC. It always confused me why swimming was left out in the main game aside from the Leviathan fight, even in just lakes or ponds (The Ocean and Altissia I can understand). I know you can use Chocobos to traverse across them, but was there a reason Noctis and the group couldn't swim in lakes or ponds? The thing I loved the most in this DLC was the in-game scenes with Titan. It reminded me so much of the announcement trailer from E3 2013 when Noctis was going up against Leviathan and there was just chaos, buildings flying everywhere, Niflheim ships firing on both Noctis and Leviathan, something that was massively downgraded in the final version. However, I think out of the four Episode DLCs, this one has the most unnecessary amount of padding. First up, the introduction tutorial section is too damn interrupting. I already knew how to play as Ignis and you can skip the tutorial in Episode Gladio, but every five-ten seconds a new tutorial/strategy came up. Thankfully it's over quick but it bugged the hell out of me when I first started it. Second, there are districts within the section of Altissia you are in that you can go in and clear out of imperial forces. Why this mechanic is even here boggles my mind. Ignis' priority is to find and secure Noctis, why should he care about what the empire does in these districts? Once you reach the eastern bridge that can be used to crossover into altar where Noctis and Luna are and it collapses (It's not like Ignis couldn't just cross it, he has a grappling hook.....), the districts get retaken again, but after you deal with some imperial forces nearby and you hear a guard mention a boat, there is nothing stopping you from just going straight to the boat and forgetting about the districts, considering they're not brought up again after this. This is what I meant by it felt like it had a lot of unnecessary padding. Taking the districts back don't matter and Ignis ends up back near the starting area after Caligo chases him away. You can even go back to the same bridge that a Magitek Engine crashes into at the start, the one that separates Ignis from Gladio and Prompto, as well as find notes from both Prompto and Gladio that indicate that they are in the same area you, yet you can't actually find them. There's even rest areas. Again, Ignis is trying to get to Noctis as fast as he can, why would he stop to take a break? It made sense in Episode Gladio since there wasn't a sense of urgency in the context of that story and even served to give Cor and even Gladio more exposition, but why would Ignis need to take a break? There were also times that the game would freeze for a half-second to a second during gameplay, I never had this happen to me even during the main game with the open world, and I played this on a standard PS4. I never experienced this issue during the other DLCs either. Then there is the alternate ending. Granted it's not available on your first time playing the DLC, but as much as people can like this ending since it's a more favorable outcome, what on earth is the actual point of it? Ignis finds himself in Zegnautus Keep, walks for a bit, hears a voice telling him about Ardyn's past, Ardyn tries to kill him after revealing his true name to him, then after supposedly putting the ring to sacrifice himself for Noctis to live, Ignis lives anyway (Doesn't even lose his eyesight), and somehow managed to cook up a plan to defeat Ardyn and bring back the light without Noctis dying in the 10 years it took for Noctis to come back. This would've been much better integrated into the main game rather than some DLC. However, it was during the part where Ignis was supposedly dying though where I felt like these four guys were actual brothers. Think about it, how many times in the main game where the bros actually THAT concerned for each other? Maybe the instances when Noctis knocked Prompto off the train or when Noctis stood up for Gladio after Ravus sent him flying into the Regalia, true, but was there ever a moment in the main game where one of the bros could be potentially dying and the others were freaking out about it? Not that I recall. Aside from moments when a party member would be KO'd during gameplay and one of the bros would react, NOTHING like this happens in the main game in terms of the story. One thing that did bother me is even though you unlock the "Quick Recipeh" skill for Ignis in the main game after completing Episode Ignis, it's actually still unavailable when you replay the DLC, either it's a glitch or maybe I missed something, I don't know. However, out of all the four optional boss fights these Episode DLCs come with. "Friendly Match" is by far the hardest one. This is the only optional boss fight of the DLCs I have yet to actually beat. Cor was tough but I eventually defeated him, Aranea I got on my first try, and even Kingly Clash where it was Ardyn vs the bros wasn't that tough at all. Friendly Match on the other hand is no joke for it's not even a friendly match to begin with, Noctis is an absolute monster in this. Nevermind the fact that he can use more than four weapons at once in this and even uses the weapons you get from the DLCs, this Sasuke Uchiha Cosplaying Motherfucking No-Vegetable Duck-haired Son of a Gun even uses the fucking Ring of the Lucii on you, turning Ignis from the beautiful toothbrush that he is into a toothpick that looks like it was discarded by Deadeye after chowing down on an unfortunate Chocobo. How is this a "Friendly Match" again? However, Friendly Match isn't challenging because it's hard, it's challenging because it's broken. A part of what makes Ignis effective when playing as him is his damage multiplier that increases the more hits you land on an enemy. It is practically impossible to maintain the multiplier against Noctis though, since he practically blocks and even counters against Ignis attacks way too often and the multiplier can go down very quickly. Then there is the Armiger, nearly impossible to avoid his Armiger attacks which can put you in the danger state very quickly. The closest I came to beating him is when he used the Drain Spell on me. Ravus showed up at one point but barely helped since half the time he was stuck on the Gas Pump and didn't really attack Noctis until I commanded him too. Overall, this was a fun DLC, but it also had the most unnecessary amount of padding to it, it would've been over in 20 minutes or less without the padding.
Episode Ardyn
This and Episode Gladio are by far the best ones. Of course, it's not without it's problems, but let's start with the positives first. Starting with the Behemoth in the room. Insomnia, we finally get to see what Insomnia looks like in the day time and before it's destruction. This was the main thing I was looking forward to in this DLC and man did it not disappoint. I loved the traversal in this a lot more than in Episode Ignis, especially with Ardyn's shadow step ability, going on rooftops and seeing what Insomnia is like from above was really fun. The funny thing is that the structure Insomnia's map reminded me a lot of Kamurocho in the Yakuza games where there is usually a small district to explore that is filled with life, focusing more on density rather than size (Something I wished XV's open world focused more on). Except in Episode Ardyn, that isn't the case. Insomnia is pretty empty, which is understandable given the context of what happens after Ardyn first arrives, but this does make me want this area reworked into a proper beginning section where you are exploring Insomnia as Noctis and the Bros for the first time and maybe have the Niflheim invasion reworked back into the game, just using this map as the foundation for it. It's wishful thinking though. However, there was something this DLC has a lot of that I noticed was very lacking in the main game, and that's human enemies, not humanoid enemies like the MTs or even humans piloting mechs like with Loqi and Caligo, but human enemies. Aranea and Ardyn are the only human enemies you fight in the main game of XV, and that's not even fully counting Ardyn since he's not entirely human himself, making Aranea the only true human you fight in the entirety of XV's main campaign. Anyway, playing as Ardyn was pretty fun. Granted, I haven't played all the FF games anyway as I'm currently making my way through FF9 and I'm almost done with it, but I don't any other FF game has a section where you play as the main villain, aside from that one instance in FF7 where Cloud and Sephiroth fight a dragon together (Even then, you still can't issue commands to Sephiroth since he's CPU controlled). I liked the spin on his "Descension" Grid, a parallel to where Noctis was rising and Ardyn was falling. The Ceberus-0 rifle is too OP, especially when you gain an ability that allows you to stop time when using it. His Armiger is unique in that you have to consume others in order to fill up (Which can be upgraded to use MP to do the same), that and with his ability to see the memories and acquire the knowledge of those he infects or consumes reminds me of Alex Mercer and James Heller from the PROTOTYPE series, as it was a similar concept. The thing I liked most about Ardyn's gameplay though, was Ifrit. Finally, I can summon the Infernian during gameplay, something that was pretty much absent during the main campaign. Not only that, but you can actually control when he you summons and what he does too, something Noctis can't do with the other summons. Now that I think about, considering the summons in XV's main game did pretty much the same thing, I guess there was no point in making Ifrit or even Bahamut summonable in the main game as cool as they would've been. There are a lot of areas here that were originally teased even during the Versus trailers before being cut out of the main game, one of them being the Tokyo-like area. It's kind of funny now that I think about, a lot of the what the Versus trailers showcased was the Insomnia invasion, which didn't happen in the final game and was relegated to Kingsglaive. If XV gets remastered for next-gen with added content, they really could rework this map for the Insomnia Invasion. Again, it's just wishful thinking. However, as great as this DLC is, it still suffers from the same problems that Episode Ignis and Prompto suffer from, padding (At least it's the good kind of padding) with mechanics and secondary objectives that just don't matter. Ardyn's objective once he is Insomnia is to destroy wall amplifiers. However, you don't need to destroy all of the amplifiers in order to progress the story, you could, but there is nothing for you to gain. You also end up fighting incarnations of the both the Rogue and the Fierce, sometimes more than one. I don't know why the Rogue and the Fierce are important in Lucis' line of kings for both the Royal Family to create statues of them as well as Ardyn corrupting them alongside Somnus at the end of Royal Edition, but fighting them over and over got pretty repetitive pretty quickly, and with each amplifier cleared out, you got access to more shops, rest areas, and treasures, kind of reminds of me of Ubisoft's tower thing. You can destroy environmental things for points (Which earns some banter from Ardyn) as well as buy hats you can wear which affects your stats (Some of which are expensive and require you to "sell" treasures you find all around insomnia, I say "sell" because there is no one to sell them too, how do you sell to a vending machine or to an empty stall? Why would Ardyn even buy them, wouldn't he just steal?!), they don't really matter though, at least I ended up buying all the hats but not doing anything with them. The shops did answer a question that had been lingering in my mind since the game first came out, and that was how in the world did Prompto not know what Gil is? Well, that's because Insomnia doesn't use Gil, it uses Yen. Makes sense since Insomnia was based off of Tokyo. Of course, I haven't talked about the part when Ardyn was found by Niflheim and what he did with them over course of his stay with them. It's kind of odd that Verstael only told Ardyn about the cloned food and his research facility only after several months of staying with them (Young Verstael's voice does NOT match his look, I can't imagine what kind of puberty he went through). I'm probably crazy for thinking this, but I think this section should serve as the intro to the main game. Play as the villain, learn about the world for a bit, and without revealing who said villain really is, reveal him as the main villain. I don't know, it just has a stronger build up when compared to the original intro of XV. I liked this section, but it really only ever served as a lore dump kind of thing, especially when it came to the various place in Eos, where a lot of it's lore from, some places you can't visit *Sigh*. It's not a bad thing though since we got to see how Niflheim was when it's military mostly comprised of humans before being fully converted into MTs. If there is one character that is severly underdeveloped in XV besides Luna, it's Ledolas Aldercapt and the rest of Niflheim. Aside from that, Episode Ardyn does suffer from the same problem that XV's main campaign suffered from, and that the character development of Aera, Somnus, and even Ardyn was relegated into an anime short that really isn't all that good to be honest. Overall though, fantastic DLC.
Conclusion
Overall, these DLCs were pretty good. I got them during the recent 50% off sale along with the Royal Pack so I thought they were fine for what they are worth. But a common problem I saw amongst all of them save for Episode Gladio is that there are a lot of unnecessary objectives/upgrades/padding that just didn't matter and felt like they were put there to extend the playtime of the DLCs. Here's how I rank them.
Came to criticize/complain after completing the game. (Switch)
My save file says that my play time is 96h, activity log says +125 hours. Now I have to say that i bought the game like 1-2 years ago(?) and back then i only played about 7-9 hours and stopped. Around last December i wanted to play something and i found this and decided to play it. I feel weird saying this after +100h that i felt that half of the story and over third of the game was missing if that makes any sense. Before I start Let me say couple things. I enjoyed the combat for most part. Early game: liked a lot. mid game I really enjoyed it. Options opened up and game was still fresh. second party run was too easy even with all restrictions.advanced Shrines were dissapointing because 2 are absolute jokes with dancer Divine+ reflect. Warmaster was fun(I banned using all advanced classes until I beat all shrines) I really enjoyed Managarmr and Galdera. First mistake this game does is that it locks the starting character to your party until you complete his/her story. This only limits possibilities and brings nothing to the table. Especially in this job based game that wants you to experience it in the order you want. Knowing this from experience 1-2 years ago i decided to make two teams and play their stories separately. Main team is H'aanit(starting char.), Primrose, Ophilia and Olberic. And also when I found Purple chest I would go get Therion.(lot of back and forth) I banned BP items and i didn't steal or buy any equipment/items until completing "main party" stories. On secondary team I also banned all high level(relative to current lvl) gear (against story enemies/bosses)and only main class support skills allowed(main party had only main and subclass support skills, exceptions were Ophilia had second wind(3rd dancer) and H'aanit Inspiration(1st Apothecary). MENUS/UI This is something I almost always complain about in these kind of games: maps. Why can't I make notes, put pictures with screen capture or just color mark things? Even the last thing would've made things better. Even something simple like able to make location marks different colors would help. Red for still dangerous/not explored, purple for locked chest etc. But no I have to make notes about location levels and hopefully remember to check them. I totally "missed" bunch of elite monsters(relatively low health "boss" encounters in caves etc). "Missed" I mean i missed them when they were level appropriate and not me going to just stomp them. Having ability to lower your level like in Xenoblade chronicles DE would've helped. Minor but honestly it would make different challenge runs against Galdera possible when you don't have to worry about overleveling.(if you want to grind job levels or something) equipment menu... why isn't the right side menu(where you see what weapons are in your inventory) always visible?And while we are at it, why are the equipment/item details under what you choose? In inventory there's extra space on bottom of the screen and in equipment the could show it in the space between the equipment and the "equipped" space. Having details location change depending where your cursor points is pretty annoying and also makes scrolling through items pain in the ass while checking descriptions. Yes they probably made One thing that works for all menus and combat but it really isn't great on any of them. Also sell only items should have dedicated icon and category but some items like Red Apple(Grants full BP to a Single ally.) share the same icon. Why doesn't Support skills become visible for all character when one character has that skill in the jobs menu? When they also have the marker if the character actually has it.. very minor but something that they could easily improve. Ability to Make Loadouts for support skills. Honestly not required for most of the game. experimenting/swapping jobs would be more pleasant when you don't have to start from scratch towards end of the game. The Translation and item descriptions .I don't remember really any problems when it came to the story (not story related but why is the octopus boss called leviathan?)but the item descriptions and Support skills really do suck from time to time. Werner's sword just doesn't mention that it has hard coded chance to miss even broken enemies. When It comes to Support skills I think the descriptions should've assumed that It only affects the character and mention separately when it affects whole team(exp/job boost example.) and also actually tell what the skill does precisely Vim and Vigor. Regenerate 10% health per turn. Also use same terms so i don't have to pointlessly experiment. Game uses Augment,enhance and increase stat but mean same thing (a stat buff) Stronger Strikes could mention that It does nothing if enemy if broken and the list goes on. Now yes there is probably someone who has made document about what exactly every support skill does but it won't fix the game. Also like to experience the game without looking stuff up because you generally can only experience it once. Now finally the stats. No descriptions on them. Now yes they are easy to understand but I have a problem with Accuracy, critical and Evasion. attacks and defs are straightforward so is speed(Pretty sure there is some random multiplier going on there). But the 3 stats are a question mark not because what they do but for example what is difference between 100 Evasion and 268? does evasion get compared to opponents accuracy? And what about critical? Does 999 always crit? Because of this I pretty much ignored evasion,critical and missing was so rare that acc didn't really matter. STORY Now finally I'm going to mention the story. OT story is like cliff notes version. Stories are short and don't have enough time to establish characters or go more in depth into concepts they give. I liked lot of the lore that i saw but it started to feel like my imagination was doing most of the work. For example the image i had of Riverford (before Olberic CH.4)definitely would not get into the 12+ game. I think that the possible world and lore is more interesting than the stories here. (as far as I can see, this game was put out before the game was fully ready.) I enjoyed Primroses, Cyrus and H'aanit stories(simple as they were). Meh About Alfyn and Olberic and disliked Ophilia, Tressas and Therion stories Also disliked the secret boss story. Alfyn story "problem" was that Miguel didn't have time to do anything "except" beat up a child. Honestly I think it would've worked better if Alfyn actually failed to save the child. Olberics was generic swordman loses his life's purpose. There's pretty much no easy "fix", all of them would require more details to Erhardt, their time in Hornburg and especially the conflict in Riverford needed more time develope. Ophilias was generic and the worst part was Liana. "My heavily religious father is dead so I want to revive him by screwing the whole religion by sabotaging important ritual but also using unspeakable powers of Jonathan Cthulhu." of course with more time you could have bunch of bad things happen to her that makes the situation be final blow to break the camels back but that's not it. And she does it willingly, sacrificing people and not caring about anything. I started to think there was something magical persuasion going but that felt like my mind trying to find some explanation. Tressa just didn't interest me as a character, she acted more like a corpse looter from the gameplay side for me and only interesting thing about her story was the notebook(never get to know any of the entries but i guess it doesn't matter because Tressa gives it away and Esmeralda says so.) I liked Leon but Ali and Tressa made sure that one side character can't save a story also it didn't feel like a "merchant" story for me. Therion....he felt too edgy for me. (jap voice actor didn't make him easier to like but I was already got used to the rest of the cast)Trust no one(work with no one. but 5 minutes later he joins players group). The whole fool's bangle thing just bothered me because it raised way too many questions. Why can't it be taken off? the lock itself can't be picked? highly doubt it? it's magical? and also in artwork it doesn't really come of as something nobody can remove. on. So I decided to throw my brain in the trashcan and stop thinking about it. I'm gonna start going into "fantasy" side on how things could be and I will fully ignore how much money, effort and time this would take. Now honestly I think that the character stories should've been fully solo when narrative was concerned. Literally make it so that you only see your current story character and fully separate gameplay. (like Yakuza series for example)Get rid of the current Travel banter. Right now the game has confusing mix of only the "story" character exists while "cutscenes" are going, but second later a character appears and starts talking as if he/she was there and what makes it even worse is that the one that "appears" feels more like the after chapter 4 version of the character. Especially if the character is Primrose, Alfyn or Therion (because of their state of mind during parts of their story. And yea, the totally normal villagers (Ophilia ch. 4)knocked out and threw Unbending Blade, Dragon(or Red eye) Slayer and the one who ended Obsidian into a cell.(ps. Also here is the only time you can't view all travel banter) Yea trying to make things work with all possible ways you can do things in this game is probably was not possible so better to just not have it when it distracts from the already lacking story bits. Of course I would've wanted the stories to have more details, characters, exploring the ideas they gave(because there are good ideas) but I think more pressing matter is that the "middle" game is missing. After chapter 4 there's pretty much only Galdera(shrine bosses and managarmr doesn't add story just 5 boss fights) and the story that is there gets pushed into one section with diaries(I liked reading them but it doesn't fix how obviously rushed the game was. Or that's how it feels like. ) Kit...just what is wrong with this man...or kid? Is he a teenager or adult? I have no clue but he's even more stupid than...Liana?"Oh yes. Your father is behind this big ominous gate that clearly looks like gates of hell." "Sure. I'll jump in." How desperate are these people? or how trusting is this bint? Didn't your father ever tell you about your bloodline? Wait now that I think about it he probably didn't even know much but who knows. And After sending Galdera back, Kit comes back and gets to see his dead parents....ffs. I was thinking Gate of Finis was conjuring things from the peoples consciousness or something (yea me writing the story for them. of course nothing explain why the exposition books come from except developer trying to tie things together in 5 minutes) Why is Kit totally fine getting shoved into Galderas junk? And he is the one who gets rewarded after getting others to clean his massive mess. Yea this is not dark fantasy clearly but getting swallowed by the dark god should mean something. Why doesn't Ophilia, Primrose or Olberic get something out of this? I guess Liana could've resurrected her father with Galderas power if this thing really is the underworld rather than a location that has been corrupted by Galdera. Also they didn't even bother making the "cutscene" between the fights make it seem like they split into groups: Save the bint and Stop Galdera but the whole group just shows up. Don't get me wrong I honestly enjoyed Galdera (not so much the boss rush) But the ending felt like a slap in the face. While you are playing the main stories of the characters I think there should've been Side stories that get unlocked when you complete certain chapters. Something simple could've been Alfyn and Ophilia where obviously there would be dialogue but also the game could properly show the player difference between apothecary and cleric. (Currently it seems like clerics are basically useless(healing wise), can't actually use healing magic storywise?) Could've shown us limits of both medicine and magic while making them work together or something. Current side stories honestly didn't make me want to do them(yea some of the rewards are sometimes good but they were so boring. Some of them you can you do 2 different ways but basically has almost no difference and some of them I think you could've done both of them. I don't remember which quest but you basically had to either beat some girls drunk father enough(hit him with Brand's thunder to the face) and make him responsible adult or give the girl a dream job. Why couldn't I do both? Now that girl works in a bar singing and the father drinks the money away rather than also working? Having to swap characters in the bar. Honestly it started to become pain in the ass once you start doing it more often than once a hour. Bar is the good old friend of adventures. Honestly I would've rather have quests start there. Hear rumors/clues about new side content. Find actual jobs there "Need Apothecary fast" notice. Making all the bartenders actually unique. Now yea all of them don't need to have essays worth of things to say but it would've been nice that they didn't go pokemon nurse route. Once player is done with the main stories, This would open storyquests where you use 2,3 or 4 prechosen characters to explore ruins, caves, castles(instances) but also finally making the 8 characters not just a group but also connecting all stories together. Yea I know this is so broad that honestly doesn't give much but I rather not make this even longer with my lacking writing skills. Because they do have things to explore Hornburg, Gate of Finis, Obsidians, Crossford bloodline, Dragonstones, 13 Gods, Dark rituals, all the manipulation going on by Lyblac(who apparently is half breed? gods can reproduce with humans? or is she just part out of Galdera?)and Galdera himself. This is honestly probably the biggest reason why I even bothered to write(barf) this thing right after beating Galdera. So much wasted potential and clearly rushed out before it was ready. PATH SKILLS For my playthrough these things didn't really do much. 2 guides and 2 challenges. Game basically has 4 pairs: Guide/Allure, Scrutinize/inquire, Provoke/Challenge and Steal/purchase and they are generally split into 2: if your level is high enough->always succeed(or have enough money) and other is save scum the skill. I noticed that with steal you can get some overpowered items as long as you don't mind loading bunch of times so this is save scummers heaven. and there's like less than 5 instances per skill that you have to use certain skill.(not 100% sure but there were very few of them). I personally didn't care for this at all. And Steal is just better than purchase outside of few purchase only items. Guide/allure was pretty much to get meat shield and/or buff/debuff buddy and provoke is outright worse than challenge. not only does it have limitations but also you actually have to go capture things and use limited resources or you can just hit enemy once with Brad's thunder. Lot of these could've been used as a way to start side stories.(even failures) Cyrus is obnoxious and put his nose where i doesn't belong out of curiousity: dark mysteries about magic, murders or just some high noble getting pissed at his nonexistent social skill and accidentally seducing his sister. Alfyn actually inquire would get you quests to heal people, find herbs .etc even some of these could be side stories where alfyn ask help from H'aanit because of some local monstepredator that has made nest around the specific flower or something. Primrose and Cyrus go undercover as a couple to masquerade. So many possibilities. But nah, you get some text whichever you choose and characters have one response to all failures pretty much. My experience with most of these skills were that after I was done with all Chapter 4s, The biggest crime spree happened, Everyone gets inquired/scrutinized, while talking Therion steals everything, if they still have their socks on: buy them and finally Olberic beats them up. And this happened to every citizen(I also did all side quests that were left) TALENTS This is a mixed bag for me. honestly all character should've had 2 of these. One for combat, One for exploration/interacting with the world. Combat one would've made them truly unique in their main joband 2nd could give more reason to backtrack areas and not make you hate one characters existence. H'aanit :tracking,Therion: Pick locks(not just chest but doors), Cyrus: deciphetranslate murals,runes and texts etc. to open new areas/find secrets. Once I played Alfyn I noticed how broken he is. On my playthrough he was heavily nerfed because of the no BP items but he still was good(concoct + Saving Grace= 9999 health) Yea the offensive ones didn't make much sense to me also having ???? in as effect but showing that you're going to do fire dmg from enemy weakness seemed really pointless. Also having only one component that made unique effects seemed really boring. Honestly thought that They would fit Thief more but thanks to them alfyn can break all elements multiple times max 3. H'aanits capture honestly made game more fun because I could cover certain weaknesses with it but also it would make me play differently if I wanted to capture something. Felt bit silly to be able to tell the move you get before I had ever captured one but whatever. Then again H'aanit is able to capture beastmen, constructs(elementals?) and even undead. Truly unique as hunter( even though about chapter 3-4 they become mostly useless (especially linde)or worth the effort.) Cyrus Study foe is more useful in the early-mid game. And yes I played the game in a way that I always got all the weaknesses(otherwise small part of my brain would start giving a wegie to the rest of my brain) Why is the no Beastiary in this game? Olberics make him perfect meat shield against (atleast) physical attacks. BP defend made him eat Winnehilds Warcry alone so.... 24 hits. Was pretty funny to see his corpse block reast of the hits when he was already knocked out Primrose and Ophilia have Summon random pervert or believer to do something and/or take hits. doesn't really make them unique but they are atleast useful but nothing out of ordinary. Buff/debuff ones were most useful to me(no idea what highest strenght even do cause they don't exactly seem very useful. Rest? nothing. Nothing that makes them unique (yes they are the only ones that are able to make main class+ any class combo but only truly unique combo in the game is merchant+runelord. COMBAT FINALLY. Best part of the game. You will spend most of your time with this(most likely).But why do you only use 4 buttons(2 for boost). Persona 5 has already shown that you don't need to just use 2 buttons and d-pad for menus. Left and right always swap weapons in "main menu", B acts as back outside of main menu, A is confirm or choose outside of main menu. A= attack, B = talent, Y= Main class, X Sub Class, d-pad Up= items, L and R boost, ZL=Defend, ZR=Flee. once you go into specified menu you start using the basic Up/down menuing. or something along those lines. Why is no other turn based game using something like that? no you don't need the slick UI that persona has . Or if this is too foreign, have the old way as option. I just feel silly holding controller and not even taking advantage of the few buttons there are. The games lack of ability to show all buffs on enemies and your own characters. move turn order to lower part of the screen or have it be on right side of the screen going up to bottom. and then move the character info to top of the screenand then you gen show more buffs per character if you move the buffs/debuffs under the SP bar. Also why can't I check buff descriptions in fights? all them are not available and you have to guess/try and see what they do: Immune for example(galdera) what button? I don't know Select? Also no way to reorder your skills. For example Cleric has most obnoxious order: heal wounds, holy light, sheltering veil, luminescence, heal more, reflective veil, revive. what the heck is this? I would've liked maybe something like Heal wounds, Heal more, Holy light, Luminescence, sheltering veil, Reflective veil, revive. I never got used to this.Also thiefs but I think you get the point. I like the weakness system. It gives all characters something unique and it makes a difference if character swings with a two-handed axe or a wand. Having weaknesses always appear in same order did make the guessing easier but also have certain predictability. And also the Boost system also makes supports more flexible but makes it so that base attacks never become fully useless right after beginning. Personally I would've liked having able to go negative like the bravely default but I guess they wanted something newplayer friendly. once you hit weaknesses enough the enemy breaks and you start doing extra damage. (about 1.5x)Game shows criticals and hitting on broken enemies as same. It becomes "problem" because it gives illusion that all damage done to broken enemy is critical rather than additional damage. they could fix it by making critcals have own font. Something that makes sure to teach the player correct and NOT making you think that "crit is useless because you always crit on broken enemy" Learned the difference when Brad's thunder made crit on broken enemy" bad design if you ask me. Breaking itself does have "problems" and that is you can basically use a toothpick to break enemies(do 1 dmg multiple times. This also makes it that you really only need to upgrade your main damage weapon). Having enemies/bosses/enemy types that would have minimum dmg requirements to break shields. Before you can start breaking the enemy you would've to do a strong hit to lower enemy guard/"stun" them until next enemy turn. Enemies would've reaction abilities. If you cast fire spell, enemy can dispel it unless you use 2 or more boost. Having bosses go into counter state that randomly picks one of the weaknesses that it counters against.(would make you more careful about using multi hit abilities.(obviously this should not be send you to heaven dmg counter that the current game has but rather does damage compared to how much was done to the enemy and as many times as there were strikes) Making reason NOT to use aoe magic or skills.(via enemies always countering against sword hit, or thunder magic) All the single hit/single target spells are basically useless outside early game and against souls in omniscient eye encounter.(if you want to make them have same weaknesses) aaaaand that's it. Things that keep your brain active. Yea these are no brain teasers but giving enemies more personality, keeping your mind in the game(at least when you play for first time) After you Break the enemy you always go for the same combo/s. Enemies don't soak anything really enough for you to bother making dmg multiple ways(50% reduction against swords. something that would give reason to spread your options). Enemies that would change their damage reductions during fight? Maybe some monster you first had to hit it 5 times to expose its core or use fire magic? get creative. now when I'm saying these both breaking and doing damage things I mean mostly in the post chapter 4 Game in my "fantasy version" because the chapters really should've been tutorial(that's what it felt like) give players room to experiment and try things but mid/late game should be about you swapping characters, adjusting your team to bosses after you lose. (Of course I think that the game then should make it possible for you to actually change your characters in special save points before boss or something) Now "balance" issues. Now I'm not some "wizard" who knows all perfect combos but yea the magic dmg combo got way too ridiculous and even the physical dmg got pretty high. But weird things first. If you had phy.dmg augment from support skill, enemy cast debuff on you, you cant actually "cancel" the debuff with normal buff. Is it on purpose? dunno. thought it was weird. honestly the whole tressa+runelord combo is just stupid(banned it ) but also the reflect feels too good. These things stay as long as they are not cancelled. these "augments"/buffs are so strong that literally there is pretty much nothing you can do to fix them. Unless you make opponent have something that overrides them(honestly I hoped that the archmagus would dispel reflects but no. So only option becomes that Managarmr and Galdera both nulify all buffs once in a while. But honestly the biggest problem in the game is hunters leghold trap. Makes speed stat mostly useless but also makes break loops easy. Lot of bosses seem to have hard coded responses after recovery and after that response you have +7 turns(if you have to reapply leghold) to break the enemy again and then you just have a loop.Starseer just becomes a joke with reflect because after breaking her she always uses one turn to swap weakness and another was her aoe spell that hits wind, light and darkness was it? so you litterally hit her 12 times and she even breaks herself with probably her "hardest" to break 4 darkness. So yea you can literally beat her with any level team as long as you break her once. then you just loop it and she never gets out of it.Lot of ways to nerf: making it affect all but first action , making it affect only last action . This thing enables so many things that it's not even funny. I doubt I'll play this game again(not because it's so bad but rather it eats lot of time) but I would throw this thing into the ban list too. Random final barf of thoughts: Healing items are too powerful. you can basically heal everything with single item. Now this is totally personal preference but I would like that characters would have individual inventories. Just feels weird that all the characters have space pocket to my teams almost infinite healing items. Also you could make merchant have biggest inventory followed by apothecary. Also this would nerf concoct. Making a difference between magic items but also making most effective healing combination of the two. Maybe getting hurt would also lower your max hp and healing skills would have 2 values. how much they heal max hp and your current hp. Getting hurt multiple times a round would make your max hp drop faster? Would also nerf delay tactics. Making enemies who do same amount of max and current hp damage? getting revived would make the character have debuff that if you down again (within next 2 turns)you take x% negative buff to all stats. Making stronger medicine have side effects like: fully heals but you take physical debuff for 3 turns(can't be removed with items/magic) Making more mechanics. debuffs that you can't remove with items or magic. Force the player to handle something outside of just using a item. Also I just checked I didn't use A SINGLE Herb-of-grace during my playthrough. Why doesn't redeye use the petrification? Even though he seems to use it smg style in cutscenes. yes there are only limited amount but I'm gonna guess that he never uses it when he gets out of break. Great. Also the game is too "convenient" when it comes to learning support skills. Felt weird that you would master bunch of classes in the end even though the character has never even touched it. I'm aware that making these kind of things would probably be a nightmare to balance but then again I am just dreaming here. I'm starting to run out of steam here. Rough to write this kind of thing in one sitting. Thank you for anybody who bothred to read this whole thing.
This is part 1 VOD of my playthrough of Yakuza: Like a Dragon/ Yakuza 7. My twitch channel:... Yakuza: Like a Dragon is, at its core, an underdog story about fighting for what you believe in, even when you're at rock bottom. Our new main protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga, a low-ranking grunt of a ... Yakuza Like A Dragon Xbox Series X Gameplay Part 1: 2020-11-09: BORDERLANDS 3 All New ARMS RACE Legendary Weapons & Gear So Far - Designer's Cut: 2020-11-09 : Assassin's Creed Valhalla Review After Completing the Game and How Long to Beat: 2020-11-09: Monster Hunter Rise Character, Palamute & Palico Customization: 2020-11-09: Assassin's Creed Valhalla Don't Miss This Weapon ... Yakuza: Like a Dragon ... If you go to Hello Work, you can opt to wear the Job's costume in normal gameplay as well. You also get access to the Final Millennium Tower, a post-game dungeon. That's pretty much all there is to it. New Game + This is an option on the main menu, which can use any data labeled "Premium Adventure". This will allow you begin the story anew with certain elements from ... GAMEPLAY. Yakuza: Like a Dragon has a great story creating a fantastic experience for players and like many RPGs Yakuza: Like a Dragon follows a main story AND has a variety of sub stories. Players have the option to pick up sub stories with benefits such as money, experience, and personality points for Ichiban. These sub stories are impressively realistic showcasing the effort the developers ... Yakuza Like a Dragon Gameplay Walkthrough Part 1 - Opening of a Timed Xbox Exclusive - Yakuza Like a Dragon Thanks to Xbox & Sega for the early access Subscribe NOW ... Yakuza 7: Like A Dragon (PS4 PRO) Gameplay walkthrough part 1 – the first half of Chapter 1. This is the Japanese version. Gameplay is recorded in 1080p & 60fps. LollaYakuza is a let's play series where video producer Colm Ahern plays Yakuza: Like A Dragon from beginning to end. Yes, the name came first. I've been looking forward to Yakuza: Like A Dragon ever since the RPG combat was first shown off. Sure, I thought it was an April Fool's at first, too, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense.. There needed to be a clean break between ... Retro Gaming: Like a Dragon, Part 1: Yakuza (2005) Thu, 06/07/2018 - 12:10. Gaming Info. Developer/Publisher: Sega. Release Date: December 8, 2005 (PS2 JP); September 5, 2006 (PS2 NA); September 14, 2006 (PS2 AU); September 15, 2006 (PS2 EU); November 1, 2012 (PS3 JP); August 8, 2013 (Wii U JP) Also known as: Ryu ga Gotoku (JP) Yakuza is a series with a strange and convoluted history outside ... Yakuza Like a Dragon Gameplay Walkthrough Part 1 - Opening of a Timed Xbox Exclusive - Yakuza Like a Dragon Thanks to Xbox & Sega for the early access
YAKUZA LIKE A DRAGON - Gameplay Walkthrough Part 1 ...
Yakuza: Like A Dragon is finally here. And that means we get to show you some lovely Yakuza: Like A Dragon gameplay... and some lovely cutscenes, too, becaus... Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a role-playing video game developed and published by Sega. It is the eighth main release in the Yakuza series, and was released in J... Thank you to SEGA for allowing me to providing me a game key to play this early! In part 1 of Yakuza 7: Like A Dragon Chapter 1: Light and Shadow, we meet Ka... Yakuza 7 Like A Dragon Gameplay Walkthrough PS5 PC Xbox Series X No Commentary 2160p 60fps HD let's play playthrough review guide Showcasing all cutscenes mo... Yakuza Like a Dragon Lets Play Part 1 on PCAntisocial Socials:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jafajess/ Yo yo, what's up guys! This is the Yakuza: Like a Dragon Walkthrough Gameplay Part 1, which includes my commentary as I play through the game. Captured on Ac... Check out the beginning of Yakuza Like A Dragon running on Xbox Series XIf you enjoyed the video, don't forget to hit LIKE and leave a COMMENT down below. SU...
