TLZ
Banned
The fact he can kick with his hands is legendary.
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Yakuza might be my favorite video game series
- Thread starter The Artisan
- Start date
The fact he can kick with his hands is legendary.
IrishNinja
Member
got your back, kyodai~
IKUZO!
ScientificPizza
Banned
Best of all time since day one
Permanently A
Junior Member
you can't just say that and not get into it
Son Of Sparda
Member
I feel the same way OP. I also wanna add that YakuzaGAF is my favorite community.
You guys are all my Kyodais
You guys are all my Kyodais
Kiryu's got a good voice... but is it Akiyama good?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hISuRO6s3P0
Okay yeah, they're both good.
Yakuza/Ryu Ga Gotoku and all of it's wacky spinoffs are absolutely my favorite game series. Picked up the first game back in the 1up.com days and haven't looked back.
Yeah I know, I'll get around to it when the school year ends. I have the money and everything it's just too inconvenient to play console games in a dorm room
eyeball_kid
Member
I'm not sure about that. Unless Persona 5 pulls out some kind of magical videogaming perfection or Kiwami is somehow even better than Zero, Yakuza 0 is pretty much my GOTY at this point, and I don't see anything upcoming that can top it.
But yeah, it is steeped in a love and joy of videogames. As a newcomer to the series I was anticipating something good, but I was blown away at the story and the characters, the vibrant world they created, and the excess of fun side content.
Lastly, I just want to say that I am very upset that even Yakuza 0 did not set the series off in the west. It's gotten plenty of good press on like, YouTube and here on GAF, but it did not translate into sales.
Oh yikes! I hope this doesn't derail Yakuza 6 release next year. Yakuza 5 IMO is an underrated masterpiece, one of the best games last gen. It ended on a cliff hanger and I need to get closure.
I'm only at the start, but I loved the bit with the kid outside Don Quioxte waiting for the release of a new video game saying he got the last copy. Damn right son! And it was night time too - what sort of parents would let their kid line up at night time for a video game. LOL.
uomoartificiale
Member
Love the series and I'm enjoying Zero. I'm happy that with this game many new people are jumping on the crazy bandwagon of fun that is the Yakuza series, but I have to say that it is probably the weakest entry after the first two games.
imo 3, 4 and 5 are better games, each with their flaws of course. This one is very polished but it's very on rail and they fucked up the karaoke (what's up with sega losing lipsync data of the old songs?).
imo 3, 4 and 5 are better games, each with their flaws of course. This one is very polished but it's very on rail and they fucked up the karaoke (what's up with sega losing lipsync data of the old songs?).
i don't know if this is speculating, but i think (just a opinion based on what i see) this is probably the best selling title in yakuza series in NA without a single doubt. When yakuza 4 came out, i remember having bought the only single copy of the game... and nobody ask me if we receive it at release windows. For yakuza 0, the store i go sold like 6-7 copies at release. And yakuza 5 only came out in digital, it probably never sold that well. Sales number would be fun to have...
davidwhangchoi
Member
everyone... you can start with this one!
Audioboxer
Member
Yeah, nice try Mr Biased.
Agree, Yakuza is amazing and I need to get 0. Pls Sega release all on PS4 in English over the next 3~5 years.
lucebuce12
Member
The way I got into the Yakuza series was when my friend lent me a ton of his old PS2 games. I also had a PS2 but being as young as I was back then, I had fairly limited tastes.
This collection had a lot of interesting games that I hadn't played before and one of them was Yakuza 1 and 2. Since I love games with melee combat, I chose to fire up Yakuza 1 after God of War 2.
I was initially not impressed. The game was quite bold, that much was obvious. But the bad dub, the combat which was decent but coming from other action games just felt way too stiff. I persevered through it however and found a game that I really enjoyed.
Then came Yakuza 2 and OH BOY, I was not prepared. I INSTANTLY fell in love with Kiryu's JPN voice and I can't even imagine going back to that garbage dub in the first one. The combat was smoother, the story was EVEN BETTER and all the characters were just so well-defined and loveable (or hateable). Kaoru in particular was a great companion in Kiryu's adventures.
After Yakuza 2, I was flat out hooked. Even though I hadn't owned a PS3 or a 360, I went out and bought a PS3 with the goal of playing through Y3,4 and 5.
The series is now one of my favourites in all of gaming, if not my favourite. There are a lot of elements in the series that have been discussed before. The fact that there aren't that many 3D beat-em-ups still coming out, the fact that the voice acting is always TOP NOTCH in these games. The fact that it feels like a Tourist guide to some of Japan's urban hotspots.
But the series has now stepped it up a notch, going for STRAIGHT UP ACTING from Yakuza 4. With motion capture, we have terrific actors giving it their all playing well-written characters with depth, emotions, motivations and beliefs that feel exclusive to them. No villain is just doing it cause he's the bad guy, or cause all he wants is more power. There's a reason behind everything. This is one of the reasons why Yakuza 2 and 3's antagonists were so damn good.
Yakuza 0 is no slouch either, being the best in the series since Yakuza 2. It delivered ON EVERY FRONT. Great gameplay, robust combat system, great graphics, fantastic acting, wonderful story, fun side activities, absolutely ludicrous sidequests, sidequests that make you cry for your mommy. It's got it all, and there's a lot of heart in this game.
There is one thing that I feel isn't mentioned when talking about the series, and it's that it's almost always the SAME cast of characters on the "good guys" side. Now some of you may think that this is not a selling point but to me it is.
Characters grow. Both literally and figuratively.
I got unexpectedly weepy. Family and love is a key theme in this series and to face this positive and non-violent theme in today's gaming landscape was a very fresh change of pace. Seeing the kids from the orphanage ALL GROWN UP in Yakuza 6 is gonna be a real tear-jerker moment for me, I just know it. Characters get older, their priorities change. The city itself changes as well, with Kamorucho getting new developments and stores and locations as the series goes on.
A few people have complained about not liking Haruka but Haruka is truly what grounds Kiryu as a protagonist. His desire to just live a normal life with his kids
are what makes him different from someone like Majima or Saejima. He has a family, and he doesn't WANT to be stuck in this life.
And as much as I've talked about awesome Kiryu, let's not ignore some of the amazing protagonists that they introduced with Yakuza 4. Namely Tanimura, Akiyama and Saejima. I feel like I've said quite a lot already lol so I'm just gonna say that Kiryu is by no means the only protagonists capable of carrying this series. Akiyama and Saejima both have what it takes to lead their own stories, as they've demonstrated before.
To cap it off, I'm just gonna leave 3 things here:
One of the best boss themes in recent history (for me personally)
A video of a baby peeing on Kiryu and him laughing it off.
A gif of Saejima
:
This collection had a lot of interesting games that I hadn't played before and one of them was Yakuza 1 and 2. Since I love games with melee combat, I chose to fire up Yakuza 1 after God of War 2.
I was initially not impressed. The game was quite bold, that much was obvious. But the bad dub, the combat which was decent but coming from other action games just felt way too stiff. I persevered through it however and found a game that I really enjoyed.
Then came Yakuza 2 and OH BOY, I was not prepared. I INSTANTLY fell in love with Kiryu's JPN voice and I can't even imagine going back to that garbage dub in the first one. The combat was smoother, the story was EVEN BETTER and all the characters were just so well-defined and loveable (or hateable). Kaoru in particular was a great companion in Kiryu's adventures.
After Yakuza 2, I was flat out hooked. Even though I hadn't owned a PS3 or a 360, I went out and bought a PS3 with the goal of playing through Y3,4 and 5.
The series is now one of my favourites in all of gaming, if not my favourite. There are a lot of elements in the series that have been discussed before. The fact that there aren't that many 3D beat-em-ups still coming out, the fact that the voice acting is always TOP NOTCH in these games. The fact that it feels like a Tourist guide to some of Japan's urban hotspots.
But the series has now stepped it up a notch, going for STRAIGHT UP ACTING from Yakuza 4. With motion capture, we have terrific actors giving it their all playing well-written characters with depth, emotions, motivations and beliefs that feel exclusive to them. No villain is just doing it cause he's the bad guy, or cause all he wants is more power. There's a reason behind everything. This is one of the reasons why Yakuza 2 and 3's antagonists were so damn good.
Yakuza 0 is no slouch either, being the best in the series since Yakuza 2. It delivered ON EVERY FRONT. Great gameplay, robust combat system, great graphics, fantastic acting, wonderful story, fun side activities, absolutely ludicrous sidequests, sidequests that make you cry for your mommy. It's got it all, and there's a lot of heart in this game.
There is one thing that I feel isn't mentioned when talking about the series, and it's that it's almost always the SAME cast of characters on the "good guys" side. Now some of you may think that this is not a selling point but to me it is.
Characters grow. Both literally and figuratively.
The kids that you raised in Yakuza 3 become teenagers in Yakuza 5. When we find out that the kids offered to quit school and get a job to finance Haruka's singing career,
A few people have complained about not liking Haruka but Haruka is truly what grounds Kiryu as a protagonist. His desire to just live a normal life with his kids
(THEY ARE HIS KIDS GODDAMNIT)
And as much as I've talked about awesome Kiryu, let's not ignore some of the amazing protagonists that they introduced with Yakuza 4. Namely Tanimura, Akiyama and Saejima. I feel like I've said quite a lot already lol so I'm just gonna say that Kiryu is by no means the only protagonists capable of carrying this series. Akiyama and Saejima both have what it takes to lead their own stories, as they've demonstrated before.
To cap it off, I'm just gonna leave 3 things here:
One of the best boss themes in recent history (for me personally)
A video of a baby peeing on Kiryu and him laughing it off.
A gif of Saejima
punching a bear
Son Of Sparda
Member
I wish everyone read this post and played Yakuza.
It's my favourite series and the only one where I've finished every game. I don't even know how the combat doesn't get old, but it somehow doesn't.
Dangansona
Member
Poor Gravity Rush.
The Greek Freak
Member
I'm loving Yakuza 0 so much that I hope the other games come out redone on PS4.
I know plenty of people like me who barely touched/didn't touch the series before 0 who would eat them up now.
I know plenty of people like me who barely touched/didn't touch the series before 0 who would eat them up now.
I managed to compete Yakuza 0 over spring break after about 100 hours and thoroughly enjoyed it. The story was really engaging and made me care about the characters (especially Majima). The biggest surprise to me was how much my girlfriend loves these games, she usually only plays turn based RPGs but the combat is very accessible and she really enjoys the mini games. I already watched her play the remake and 6 in Chinese and those both looked fun too. Can't wait for them to come out in English.
MadClacker
Member
It's certainly one of mine (if not my absolute) favorite series also! I look forward to hearing all your reactions when you play Kiwami later this year. I thoroughly loved it when I played through the JP version.
Phenomenal franchise, so easy to get sucked in.
I think you had an excellent intro into the series, hope you're able to check out the others!
I think you had an excellent intro into the series, hope you're able to check out the others!
How's the writing and story in Yakuza 0? And is there any romance to be found? I know there's some hostess bar stuff in there, but does that have any depth?
I'm kind of looking at Yakuza 0 as a substitute for Mass Effect: Andromeda. Two really different things there, I know, but I'm a big fan of Shenmue and sort of thinking I might rather play Yakuza 0 over MEA right now.
Also, I've heard Yakuza 0 is in somewhat short supply in the US. Does anyone know if that's actually the case or if it was just some weird launch issues with shipping?
I'm kind of looking at Yakuza 0 as a substitute for Mass Effect: Andromeda. Two really different things there, I know, but I'm a big fan of Shenmue and sort of thinking I might rather play Yakuza 0 over MEA right now.
Also, I've heard Yakuza 0 is in somewhat short supply in the US. Does anyone know if that's actually the case or if it was just some weird launch issues with shipping?
Believe me, if they don't have intention to redo yakuza 2, just play it... the story is so good and engaging, the number of time i was like, i didn't saw that one coming, is insane. Twist, after Twist , after Twist... it's amazing.
I can't freaking wait to play Majima in Y0, i love him in yakuza 4 ! (i like him a lot before that but Y4 make him shine even more). Total badass level x 1000 !
So far :
Y2 > Y3 > Y1 > Y4(not finish yet, game is a little too easy on hard, 0 challenge so far, less then y2-y1 on normal, make no sense). Someone can confirm that Y5 isn't a cakewalk like Y4 on hard ?
It is up there as my one of my favorite series but i still have issues with the combat which I feel like it hasn't evolved enough since the PS2 days and that is a unacceptable to me. Also I am still playing Yakuza 0 (in chapter 11) and I find myself way more into Kiryu than Majima which is a surprise honestly.
This is also 100% true for me as well. I can't think of another series that manages the swing of emotional highs and lows as the Yakuza series does.
I started with 0 early this year. What i really love about it is the fact that Yakuza is as video-gamey as you can get, but in the best thinkable way. There's no movie, anime, book, comic... like this game. Everything is sooo stylish...picking up a phone, beating up thugs, dancing, eating and so on
lucebuce12
Member
Both the writing and the story are IMPECCABLE in Yakuza 0. A finely crafted story with amazing characters, both in how well they're written and how well they're acted.
The story will always leave you wanting more and on the edge of your seat till the climax. Doesn't hurt that the gameplay is also fantastic
There is no main story romance. All the optional stuff is Majima only, and it doesn't REALLY have much depth to it, it's just a substory. Majima's not actually interested in any of them romantically (he has his own romances but they're not in this game).
Don't know what the shipping situation is but I think it's cleared up now. It was mainly due to unexpectedly high demand at release but I think they have enough copies in stock at most places.
Shadowman16
Member
Yakuza has ended up as my favourite game series, right after Mega Man (but that series is dead, so Yakuza is now my favourite current game series).
Initially I wanted something to take the sting off of never getting Shenmue 3 and when the first game was announced for the PS2 I instantly fell in love with the game. Of course bar a couple of passing resemblances its really not all that much like Shenmue at all, but that doesn't matter. I loved the mix of exploring a Japanese city and hand to hand fighting, sure the game had some lock on issues (Komaki was a demon to beat in the original game) but I still loved it to pieces. What took me by surprise though was the story, I didn't expect to really care about the characters but the story was done well enough that I really did.
The sequel then amped everything up, improved heat moves and combat, introduced a real badass antagonist (still the best in the series) and just refined everything else.
The third game I'm a big fan of, mainly due to the slower start at the beginning. I personally liked the change of pace though I understand why many hated it. Loved some of the new characters in the game as well - Mine is a real badass, not quite Goda level but I still really loved his part in the story.
Its also the point where I really started getting into the side stuff in the games - I mainly stuck to the story in the first two games but I actually bothered doing all the side stuff in 3 (bar a few tricky mini games) and that started my love for trying to 100% the series. I loved Darts, Karaoke and the arcade the most.
One note on 3 though, the English version sucks content wise. I've still not forgiven Sega for chopping out 10+ hours of content (at least) with their flimsy reasoning that it wouldn't appeal to English audiences. Revisiting the game and playing the Japanese version instead was a huge eye opener for me just to see how much was cut out.
I ended up importing all the titles from Japan after that (and grabbing 3 and Kenzan while I was at it) since translations took so long, plus there were enough good guides out there to fill in the story gaps. And the series (content wise) just kept getting better - Mahjong is a huge thing for me now, the arcade has gone from strength to strength (it rocks in 6) and the combat has evolved nicely along the way. The two Samurai spinoff games are also terrific, especially with all the cameos and the sword based combat.
Its also one of the only open worlds I can revisit over and over without getting bored. I know Kamuracho like the back of my hand and its always nice to revisit it a few times a year, 6 especially blew my mind when exploring the city at night - the lights, greater freedom, no load times etc.
I can't wait to see where the series goes next, hopefully the next true sequel builds on 6's engine and fixes the issues I had with the game, it'd be something truly amazing if it does.
Initially I wanted something to take the sting off of never getting Shenmue 3 and when the first game was announced for the PS2 I instantly fell in love with the game. Of course bar a couple of passing resemblances its really not all that much like Shenmue at all, but that doesn't matter. I loved the mix of exploring a Japanese city and hand to hand fighting, sure the game had some lock on issues (Komaki was a demon to beat in the original game) but I still loved it to pieces. What took me by surprise though was the story, I didn't expect to really care about the characters but the story was done well enough that I really did.
The sequel then amped everything up, improved heat moves and combat, introduced a real badass antagonist (still the best in the series) and just refined everything else.
The third game I'm a big fan of, mainly due to the slower start at the beginning. I personally liked the change of pace though I understand why many hated it. Loved some of the new characters in the game as well - Mine is a real badass, not quite Goda level but I still really loved his part in the story.
Its also the point where I really started getting into the side stuff in the games - I mainly stuck to the story in the first two games but I actually bothered doing all the side stuff in 3 (bar a few tricky mini games) and that started my love for trying to 100% the series. I loved Darts, Karaoke and the arcade the most.
One note on 3 though, the English version sucks content wise. I've still not forgiven Sega for chopping out 10+ hours of content (at least) with their flimsy reasoning that it wouldn't appeal to English audiences. Revisiting the game and playing the Japanese version instead was a huge eye opener for me just to see how much was cut out.
I ended up importing all the titles from Japan after that (and grabbing 3 and Kenzan while I was at it) since translations took so long, plus there were enough good guides out there to fill in the story gaps. And the series (content wise) just kept getting better - Mahjong is a huge thing for me now, the arcade has gone from strength to strength (it rocks in 6) and the combat has evolved nicely along the way. The two Samurai spinoff games are also terrific, especially with all the cameos and the sword based combat.
Its also one of the only open worlds I can revisit over and over without getting bored. I know Kamuracho like the back of my hand and its always nice to revisit it a few times a year, 6 especially blew my mind when exploring the city at night - the lights, greater freedom, no load times etc.
I can't wait to see where the series goes next, hopefully the next true sequel builds on 6's engine and fixes the issues I had with the game, it'd be something truly amazing if it does.
Both the writing and the story are IMPECCABLE in Yakuza 0. A finely crafted story with amazing characters, both in how well they're written and how well they're acted.
The story will always leave you wanting more and on the edge of your seat till the climax. Doesn't hurt that the gameplay is also fantastic
There is no main story romance. All the optional stuff is Majima only, and it doesn't REALLY have much depth to it, it's just a substory. Majima's not actually interested in any of them romantically (he has his own romances but they're not in this game).
Don't know what the shipping situation is but I think it's cleared up now. It was mainly due to unexpectedly high demand at release but I think they have enough copies in stock at most places.
Thanks for all the info! I think I'm going to pick this one up.
AmaterasuOkami076
Member
I'm certainly a convert having played Yakuza 0 - my first in the series - when that released earlier this year. Absolutely loved it. Stoked for any future releases from this franchise going forward. Have a few mates in the same boat too.
Host Samurai
Member
Love this series. Been playing since Yakuza 1. 2 remains my favorite in the series. Though I need to get 5 already, been too busy with life for the past 2 years.
I even liked Dead Souls. Going to no doubt dig into 0 hopefully soon. This series hits all the right notes for me. Action, humor, immersive, art, personality, story and the game play are on point.
From what I played
2>1>4>3. Osaka was my favorite secondary location in the series and Nishiki is my favorite character besides Kiryu.
I even liked Dead Souls. Going to no doubt dig into 0 hopefully soon. This series hits all the right notes for me. Action, humor, immersive, art, personality, story and the game play are on point.
From what I played
2>1>4>3. Osaka was my favorite secondary location in the series and Nishiki is my favorite character besides Kiryu.
Peroroncino
Member
I'm glad you think so, welcome to the club.
Soul of the Beast
Member
You are not the only one who feels this way, especially in here Asia.
Yakuza 6 seems like a huge disappointment though, Japanese/Asian fans are acting like it's Mass Effect 3's ending or something. Don't get your hopes up too high. I have heard rumours of a remake in the making already. It is THAT bad.
Yakuza 6 seems like a huge disappointment though, Japanese/Asian fans are acting like it's Mass Effect 3's ending or something. Don't get your hopes up too high. I have heard rumours of a remake in the making already. It is THAT bad.
FallenGrace
Member
New to the series with 0, knew all about them but never really bothered and wish I had cause dam 0 is intense, hilarious and emotional all at the same time. The story and characters have been amazing and I love the writing, music and character animations in cutscenes.
It has a few issues but it's my current game of the year and I'll be day one with Kiwami.
It has a few issues but it's my current game of the year and I'll be day one with Kiwami.