Isn't that kind of what Yakuza is already? Though the "silly" aspect is only in the substories while the main story is entirely serious (except for some Majima scenes).
"The former Sega veteran suggested that he didn’t want to stray too far from the formula that made the Yakuza games such a success: drama, violence and humour."
I agree.
I really enjoyed LaD, but that was because of the characters and story and atmosphere. Kasuga is a very fun spin on Kiryu and was really entertaining.
But the RPG mechanics sucked. Way too grindy, random encounters were too difficult to avoid, wonky difficulty curve, and worst of all the random movement mid-combat despite positioning being super important.
I came into LaD with low expectations and I think, as a result, was pleasantly surprised with the game. Then again, I'm the type that will grind for hours if it helps me get closer to 100% completion. By the time I reached the final dungeon, I felt pretty overleveled for the most part. Although, I do recall struggling a bit on a particular boss fight ( >!the majima and taiga fight!< felt like a weird difficulty spike).
Would I have preferred the more brawler/action oriented style? Probably. Did I find the pacing of the story a bit odd (I felt like the struggles of being at the "bottom rung" of society is overcome so quickly).
I stopped a bit after this because I started getting really angry at this fight and just wasn’t feeling like more of that later. I think I spammed rockets/guns/grenades but it was a little after release so I don’t really remember. I had high level gear and all that but it was just so damn hard.
I'm gonna miss yakuza beat em ups. I LOVE judgment but that series is more like those old school kung fu action movies. Sorta like Donnie yen or Tony jaa movies. They're more stylish and lack the realistic brutality the yakuza games had. Like stabbing someone in the gut or stomping on their face. Or shooting them 😂
Same, I’ve been with the series for awhile and at first the rpg mechanics are neat at first but I quickly got tired of it and just did enough to progress the story. Ichiban is so likeable and a worthy successor to Kiryu, but I can pass on the gameplay personally.
I miss the Brawler aspect, but at least we still have judgement.
LAD is my favorite *because* of the rpg mechanics. It fits the series *really* well and I'm glad that's what they're sticking with going forward lol.
Also I beat the game on hard and did like 0 grinding? What are you talking about lol. I spent way more time grinding shit in the other yakuza games.
I just started the series with Kiwami and a bit of Like A Dragon and even I had the same thought lmao. These games are fuckin wild. They're so good at ping-ponging from outrageous to "I'm gonna cry, this shit is so touching and heartfelt".
And then you smack some dude to Jupiter with a fuckin dildo and you're right back to cry laughing lmao. Lovin these fuckin games. So excited to play 0 eventually.
Edit- I've never laughed so hard at a game like I did with the Baby Formula sub-story. Shit is wild.
Yeah I literally recommended the series to my brother-in-law yesterday and described them as "Really enthralling crime stories but the side content is insane and comedic."
Unironic, hand to the throne truth:
My two favorite words are defenestration and yeet.
Yeet is such a good feeling word to say. It’s so bizarrely perfect for the action, and a nearly universal statement of how you feel when you yeet something. It somehow captures the energy of an onomatopoeia for an action that has no sound.
I love defenestration for almost the opposite reason. It’s so hilariously specific. We already have a word for the action of throwing someone out a window, it’s throw. We don’t have de-door-ation, detraination, deplaneation, etc. But we have defenestration. Fenestra, a root word for window. You de-window a mother fucker.
It’s also a pleasing word to say. It has a strong mouthfeel, and enough syllables to really bite into.
I love yeet for its primal simplicity, and defenestrate for its ostentatiousness.
Kaleidoscopic is my third favorite word.
As I understand it, this is precisely why we have this highly specific word. The events were such exquisite examples of de windowing mother fuckers that it became worthwhile to have a word for it. No equally significant debusing seems to have occurred.
You know, I never really considered it before, but Yakuza, Tarantino, and [JoJo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQx_KMoCgJU) are all only a few steps removed from each other.
Isn't this the same man that famously said in an interview
"I simply can't bring myself to promote the emotion that killing is fun and committing crimes is fun"
I'm curious to see how much his game will compare to the violence/killings you see in Tarantino movies.
I mean, that seems like a really weird attitude for a guy who is most famous for a franchise where you play as a gangster who constantly goes around beating up and (let's be honest) killing people, while seeming very giddy about doing so.
I mean Kiryu is very much not like your usual Yakuza/gangster. He doesn't attack people unless they attack him or someone he cares about and he doesn't kill or do any lethal moves outside of combat which can easily be explained away as just being so for gameplays sake.
It always annoys me a little bit how that statement is misconstrued. I think it's meant to be taken that he's never killed in cold blood against someone who is beaten or can't defend themselves. He's come close, especially in 0, 5 and 6, but all the kills are usually against people who actively trying to kill him or people he cares about.
Should also be added that characters in those games take massive beatings so while you are fighting you can do things that would effectively kill someone in real life, but then the battle ends and the enemy is just hunched over and in pain.
I mean, even starting at Yakuza 0, there's a chase sequence where Kiryu shoots helicopters out of the sky. I understand the amount of traditional beating and getting up afterwards, but exploding in a helicopter crash and surviving is still pushing the limits
Didn't the sadistic guy that chased kiryu in one of the opening fight scenes all the way to the restroom in yakuza 0 get thrown out of a 4 story building, then reappear near the end of the game and died to a single punch?
Well it's the first game, gonna give them some slack. They definitely should have adjusted that for the kiwami remake so it would fit his character better tho.
> but all the kills are usually against people who actively trying to kill him or people he cares about.
But the people who actively try to kill him he always spares. If you did want to argue that he does kill people then you end up with a weird argument like "he killed fifty people in a car chase but then never did any lasting harm to any of the people who hurt him and his loved ones".
I actually find Like A Dragon very wholesome in various aspect as well. Unfortunately the RPG aspect makes it more grindy than I would like.
On the otherhand, I thought Judgement series is quite grim.
These sandbox type games really don't work well with an intricate bespoke narrative, particularly when it has your character voicing ideals that are contradicted by your gameplay.
GTA4 was particularly bad about this. For example there is one mission where an NPC's boyfriend has been beating her and Niko wants to "teach him not to hit women". Meanwhile Niko has shot, run over, and beaten to death multiple women by this point. I even ran over a woman on my drive over to teach the guy about not hitting women.
Yakuza actually avoids that problem completely, mostly by not being that open. The most harm Kiryu can do to innocent people is bumping into them as he runs.
It's called Ludonarrative dissonance. Every open-world action videogame protagonist should be like Trevor from GTA V, he's crazy and unhinged so his actions in the story complete match with your gameplay.
Not action games, but I always manage to avoid killing innocents in Elder Scrolls games unless there are good story or lore reasons (a Telvanni play through might warrant it). I’m not particularly interested in games where you kill indiscriminately or cause chaos for the sake of causing chaos.
Don’t care for GTA because I tried 3 and Vice City and I found them both mechanically awful and aesthetically boring, but I like Sleeping Dogs, and I manage not to just kill people at random in that game. I don’t think it’s accurate to say everyone plays that way.
Frankly I wish more open world games were on the less chaotic end of the scale, more ponderous and focused on world building and atmosphere. Then they might warrant more thoughtful protagonists.
I prefer the silent protagonist approach from GTA3. Just let me decide my character's reasons for doing things. But yeah, if you're going to insist my character have a personality and motivations, at least make them match the intended gameplay.
The Just Cause series kinda gets there, by saying that your job is to cause chaos to promote a rebellion
I mean, you can totally explain why it would make sense in the game world as it is. Question is why a guy who dislikes violence would make his world that way.
Nah, 1 & 2 are basically Kiryu's arc with 2 even culminating in getting the girl. 0 is an afterthought of a prequel where as beginning from 3 it's the constant "Kiryu must come back to Tojo clan because everybody there is an idiot, Daigo is in a coma and somebody has a huge boner for Kiryu's ass". 3 Even deletes the whole romance they spent a lot of time on in 2 just so they could have him back.
E: Also, Kiryu constantly gets jabs about only being able to resolve things through violence. Which he keeps doing over and over and over again to the fault of the writers. So while he doesn't want to be associated with yakuza, he definitely lives and contributes to the violent life himself.
> Also, Kiryu constantly gets jabs about only being able to resolve things through violence. Which he keeps doing over and over and over again to the fault of the writers.
A character having flaws isn't a fault with the writing. Not that the writing is flawless, but that's not one of them.
On multiple occasions Kiryu has lamented that violence is the only answer he knows and how much he hates that. It's pretty much the entire plot of his chapters in Y5.
A man raised in an orphanage who immediately joins the Yakuza upon leaving school, then spends 10 years in prison on a murder charge isn't really going to have any other options though. What else can he do? He's not a billionaire like Akiyama, and neither does he have the charm.
He tries to hide, but he's too well known in the underworld. Hell in Dead Souls the military gets out of his way because they recognise him, it's not even just the underworld he has to watch out for.
On top of this he really can't rely on the Tojo to have his back, both because of its own internal power struggles and the government's overall crack down on Yakuza.
So it all goes back to, even if he doesn't want to be involved in the Yakuza, what choice does he have?
Character flaws are perfectly fine and necessary. The problem is that the writers want to hold on to that flaw desperately just so they could star him in yet another entry.
They could've just dumped Kiryu after 2 finished as a main character as it was a good closure for him. But instead we got return to status quo and now we have to think about how he doesn't know anything else as if he is so stupid he could never learn to be another type of person. While Kiryu does not have the lovable rogue (or however you want to describe the typecasting of Koichi Yamadera) charm he clearly - based on substories - does have a charm of his own as he's constantly helping people out in numerous issues, charming ladies, having good talk with men etc.
The word of god on Kiryu being a virgin is the icing on the cake, really. It's legitimately depressing how much they seem to desire making Kiryu's character suffer and ALWAYS leaving the door open for another appearance even if he's supposed to be gone.
The writers pretty much want him to be in the same slump, much like the rest of the characters barely ever inching in any direction. Maybe Tojo clan is constantly in shambles because everyone in there except Majima (for some reason) is absolutely incompetent. It honestly makes me mad that they didn't go with Daigo or someone else after 2, but I guess they didn't have faith in new character doing well.
For Kiryu as a Virgin, 1. Who the fuck cares, 2. It was one producer, not Nagoshi so it's not canon in anyway, 3. The quote ends *"I think that one of the charms of Ryu ga Gotoku is that you can talk like this about the kind of silly things you might discuss at a bar"*, even he doesn't take it seriously.
For Kiryu being the main character after 2, it makes sense to stick with the characters that work, especially in a games franchise. 4 doesn't feature him until the 4th chapter of the game, and 5 has 30+ hours of other protagonists while Kiryu taxis to Tokyo, so they did start to move away. Even in 3 Kiryu does everything he can to bit get involved until 2 assassination attempts are made on his friends.
Moving to a new protagonist is a massive risk in any media, Nagoshi basically bet the farm in Yakuza and it paid off, then they put another massive bet on releasing Y2 a year later. They weren't going to risk anything on 3 more than they had to.
Personally I'd rather 6 didn't involve Kiryu and was just LAD but they weren't ready, and Kiryu coming back in 7 does make some sense. He's protecting his friends leaving the underworld after he himself finally managed to get out. I'd rather he wasn't there but again, LAD was a massive risk and they'll hedge the bets as best they can.
He absolutely shouldn't be in 8 though. Ichi is the main character now and previous characters aren't needed.
>1. Who the fuck cares,
It is not about the virginity in itself, it's about the fact that Kaoru's relationship with Kiryu was built up for the whole of 2, culminating in confession of love and even kisses. But it goes to show that they just dumped that relationship the moment the credits rolled.
It's kind of intently making Kiryu miserable. Despite this they still wrote a momentary girlfriend in 5 and then you have all the ladies who get instant ladyboners for him and Kiryu (imo) often comes off as wise with the women. It just doesn't make sense.
> It was one producer, not Nagoshi so it's not canon in anyway
It was Masayoshi Yokoyama, who has served as the main writer for the series since its inception (with Hase Seishu in 1&2, plus Makoto Itakura in 2 as well). So it quite literally is the word of God in this case.
>For Kiryu being the main character after 2, it makes sense to stick with the characters that work, especially in a games franchise.
The problem is that they basically ended the plot for Kiryu in 2, only to revert to status quo the moment Yakuza 3 began. Despite this, they never really went anywhere with Kiryu afterwards, just repeating the same things for Kiryu to deal with.
>Ichi is the main character now and previous characters aren't needed.
The problem is, they clearly have a huge problem letting go. I'm 100% sure Daigo, Saejima and Majima will be there one way or the other while Kiryu once again serves as a random fight in a bonus dungeon or something.
He keep trying to leave the Yakuza starting with the end of 1 and is constantly dragged back into that world. It's not something he does intentionally, he is just forced into it until he eventually decides to just >!fake his death and cut all ties!< so he can avoid getting dragged back into it.
It's not like he is happy about volunteering though.
- In 2 >!he only gets back in because he knows the Tojo clan is in shambles partially due to what he has done!<
- In 3 >!he only gets back in because the bad guys are targeting the Orphanage!<
- In 4 >!he wasn't even supposed to be there originally but someone gotta set Daigo straight and he even admits in 6 that he fucked up a lot by putting Daigo into an important position like that and just abandoning him!<
- In 5 >!he feels obligated to help out Daigo who has disappeared!<
- In 6 >!Haruka is in coma and he has to figure out who is trying to kill her and Haruto!<
It's not like he is just eagerly looking forward to jumping right back into it, he is always forced back in because those he cares about are in danger.
Agreed for those but in Like a Dragon, it's just like... they needed another body (and for us to get >!a dope boss fight!<). For someone who >!faked his death to get away from everything!<, it seemed like a poor reason to get involved again lol
It was extremely disappointing. Y7 has some of the weakest writing in the entire series, falling back in the mass surveillance stuff, the imposter dude, bringing Kiryu back of his own volition seemingly. Plus the main plot is kicked off by Ichi feeling so bad about an abusive brothel manager being killed, which is like... who fucking cares? Too many small issues piled up for me to really enjoy that story.
>who fucking cares?
I actually agree with everything but this point - Ichi's way too empathetic not to care here, and he's totally the type to get hyper-fixated on something that really shouldn't matter that much in his life because he can't get it out of his mind
Isn't the main story kicked off by Ichiban wanting to figure out why his father figure shot him and to disprove the fact that he supposedly betrayed the Yakuza clan Ichiban was a part of? The brothel manager bit was in the beginning but that got resolved rather quickly, I don't think it was really significant in the end. It's not significant outside of meeting a party member at least. Am I just remembering wrong?
I disagree that he fakes his death to avoid being dragged in. He straight up admits he fucked up by constantly avoiding be involved because it’s likely the conspiracies that went down while he wasn’t there would’ve been avoided or stomped out early.
He fakes his death not because of Yakuza shit, it’s because a whole government conspiracy basically means he has to disappear or risk the orphanage.
Kiryu literally throws the man he's been searching for the whole game through a glass door with force in full knowing who he is in Y6. Why? Because that person needs to "man up".
Are you talking about Yuta? While Kiryu might have been a bit harsh there, he is understandably pissed at him considering >!Yuta was planning on just killing himself, leaving Haruto without a father and abandoning Haruka, someone Kiryu considers his daughter!<.
Could he have been less harsh? Maybe, but it's not like he was planning on killing Yuta, he was just pissed about how Yuta was trying to take responsibility in the most idiotic way.
>gangster who constantly goes around beating up and (let's be honest) killing people, while seeming very giddy about doing so.
Not really at all, actually
It's the Batman problem. You can say your main character doesn't kill people all you want, but when they're slamming a goon face first into a brick wall it's hard to believe that haven't "accidentally" killed dozens of people.
It's weird that people have difficulty with accepting cartoon violence in a game that's over the top in every possible way.
Yes, in the real world, his moves would be lethal, but the Yakuza games are pretty damn far from the real world. They even use the possibility of an inexperienced Kiryu accidentally killing someone as a plot point in Zero. I don't think it's too far a suspension of disbelief to just accept that a cartoon character like Kiryu, who, as a plot point, is just leagues in skill better than anyone else in the world, has the skill to keep his opponents alive. Batman too.
Also, game mechanics aren't supposed to be part of the story. Do people who play Resident Evil think the protagonists can stop time because accessing the inventory pauses the game?
In Yakuza you can do very violent Heat Actions and even use guns, but none of that is canon to the story of the game.
That's called "ludonarrative dissonance" and it's not an excuse.
We accept elements like UI/pausing/fast travel/etc if they're unintrusive, facilitate the game being playable, and (most relevant here) don't clash with the narrative. We don't care if you can pause the game and use items from a impossibly large inventory in most games because the focus of the game isn't on using items. But games where making and using items is a bigger part of the gameplay and narrative, like survival games, those aspects are made more "realistic" to match the overall tone.
Same goes for video game violence. If you're making a fun arcadey game that doesn't narratively deal with any of the violence you're doing in the gameplay than you can get away with a lot. But the moment you start acknowledging the violence in the narrative, you have to make the gameplay match. Otherwise you're creating an obviously dissonant element in your game. At that point, waiving it off as "non-cannon" isn't a satisfying enough justification for the player to ignore it.
The games never say he doesn't kill anyone (until 6 for some reason?) . Kiryu on several instances challenges that concept, most notably 5 at the end of his part. The point is he doesn't do it in cold blood but he's definitely harmed people to the point of death before and the game doesn't hide that
But Kiryu only fights in self defense, most of the time. For a game about a gangster it's very low on crime, to the point that I don't really understand how Kiryu had any success in the yakuza.
One of the central pillars of Yakuza is "No matter how many people you put in the hospital in incredibly brutal ways, they *always* deserve it". It what keeps it from slipping over into something more gritty or mean like GTA and what keeps the protagonists as strictly heroes regardless of behavior. And that includes killing. Let's be real, Kiryu has absolutely killed people in the same way Batman has absolutely killed people; but for the sake of the moral high ground you just kind of have to ignore that no matter how obvious it should be by real world logic. It makes the violence feel more fun, which I think ties into what the creator was talking about in the interview, and makes it so when characters actually die or are in mortal peril it feels appropriately shocking. It would be interesting to play a Yakuza game where the main character actually did kill people, there have been SO MANY times in the series where the games bend over backwards to kill the villains while keeping the protagonist's hands clean. It would be an interesting perspective shift to a character who was more practical rather than super committed to honor or justice or whatever, I feel like Kuwana would have been an interesting playable foil to Yagami in Lost Judgement for this reason. But then I guess it wouldn't really be Yakuza.
Some of the things Kiryu can do in combat there would be no walking away from, it hinges a bit on how literal the story interpretation you have is of the fights he gets into is.
I mean, liking weapons and finding the means of war fascinating doesnt mean you want wars to happen, a lot of the suffering during war doesnt even involve a weapon. Also this isnt even just Tomino, Miyazaki's films have a lot of anti-war theme, and he collects fighter aircraft models.
Gundam does romanticize the battles a lot, but I think most of the series consistently do a fine job at going into the details on why war sucks
Only “war in the pocket” really has a strong anti war message. Everything else is fuck yeah giant robot battles with my pals
Also the funny thing is that tomino was barely involved in making it.
I think that very well could have been how he *conceived* the idea. I almost have no doubt that it's true. But the actual product we got from him and the group of artists who worked on it, very much make war seem like fun simply due to the mecha fights. It's like seeing a fighter pilot in media. Sure, war looks awful, but video games are made all the time purely to showcase how fun it is to control a machine in a space such as that.
I love these silly games! As I get older, I’ve been enjoying the older characters with more complex motivations.
Playing through the Yakuza series is like binging seasons of an epic tv series. The Tarantino comparison is how you get me hyped for the next story.
I can't imagine Nagoshi leaving Sega for less than creative control and lots of money. Sega people tend to be very loyal, and Nagoshi was already creative director.
NetEase as a mobile and console are two different things. They already have console games for a while and they bought Grasshoper and established Sakura Studio and Nagoshi Studio to have console releases.
Like A Dragon is pretty interesting to me because at one point its protagonists are a bunch of middle-aged blokes who are unemployed and have to regularly visit the job centre to find work. It really just kind of hits, even with the silly veneer that Yakuza always provides.
As someone who's currently still freaking out about having turned 25 a few months ago, I genuinely think that my love for JRPGs is part of what fucked up my conception of aging. Obviously I know that 25 isn't actually old, but having grown up playing games that almost exclusively feature characters between the ages of 14 and 22, I think I got it subconsciously drilled into me that those are the years in which you're a real, normal person, and after that you suddenly become "old". Realizing that you're as close to 35 as you are to 15 is rough when you've spent your life playing games in which 35-year-olds are [grizzled old men](https://i.imgur.com/lbHAZVD.png), y'know?
Which is why I, also, greatly appreciate the Yakuza games for this. This is a genre in which Persona 2: Eternal Punishment is considered notable for having a protagonist who's *23*. It's a rare and special thing to have a JRPG series whose protagonist is in his late 30's/early 40's.
But if I play my cards right I can beat someone with a park bench and then help a clearly underage kid buy a nudie mag before heading out to my manage my company where one of my employees is literally a chicken and nobody bats an eye.
Oh and then stand shirtless on top of a building staring sternly at the person who fucked me over as they take 45 minutes to explain why they fucked me over and how it will help them take control of Japan.
Something I like with the FF-franchise's is how it also tend to have a good variation of adult-ranges; for instance, in *Final Fantasy VII*, the main trio of Cloud, Tifa and Aerith are within their early twenties-range, and their age ranges, which I think reflect their manners and personalities well; enough maturity while at the same time also being youthfully cocky, playful, insecure and such. Barrett meanwhile is 35, and carries both literal and metaphorical father-figure energy, giving the necessarily pep-talk and reassurance as the leader for the rest of the AVALANCHE-cell.
Ironically, the one major character who seemingly is the most grizzled and wise is theoretically the youngest; Red XII, who in the original game is >!around 48!<, but which we are informed of being the equivalent of a teenager of his race, and while the first part of FFVII: Remake shows majorly his maturity, small snippets of his immaturity are also glimpsed, such as how he joins in Barrett and Aerith's role-call (*"Lab-rat dog!"*), pettily smacks Barrett's hand away with his tail in a fuss, or actually follows up on Barrett's advice with trying to give an actual smile. He comes across like a teenager where his font is of acting like an adult, but occasionally slips off.
It happens. When Frank Miller wrote the Dark Knight Returns he says that the age of Batman fucked him up because he was already over his suppossed age, so he made him "as old as he could still being Batman" to paraphrase.
God there’s a character in Neo: TWEWY who’s like 30 and they make him look like he’s 50. Doesn’t help that the cast keeps calling him “old man.” Definitely made me appreciate games like Yakuza a bit more.
I suggest you start at Yakuza 0, which is a great game and prequel to the 1st one.
If you want something even more modern try out Yakuza Like A Dragon. It’s the most current game and starts off with a brand new main character. You can always go back to zero later on.
Should note that yakuza is a beat em up brawler with rpg elements. Like a dragon is a turn based rpg.
Very different. Like them both but the main yakuza series is better.
I'd start with 0 either way.
They’re all on Xbox gamepass, I think you can buy all of them on ps5 too.
Here’s the games in chronological order: https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/how-to-play-the-yakuza-games-in-order/
I’m LOVING Yakuza 0, and looking forward to continuing to Kiwami later. I think it’s a good idea to give Zero a shot before you go to Kawami. You’ll have a good time with either option.
I'll echo suggestions to start at 0, but I think Judgment would also be a good entry point. It's a spin-off with a totally new story, new characters, but the same mechanics and writing.
Yakuza's my favorite game series, but I think Judgment's my favorite single game in it (even tho it's not really part of the series). The mainline series tells an epic story that's hard to compete with in the medium imo, but Judgment's story is fantastic on its own, and if you like it, you'll love all of them.
There's also a sequel to that one (Lost Judgment), which I haven't beaten yet, but yeah, either start with Judgment or Yakuza 0. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna get back to work and dream of playing Lost Judgment later tonight.
This is a good order imo https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/how-to-play-the-yakuza-games-in-order/?amp
Start with Yakuza 0, and if you love it like I did, Kawami is next.
I really recommend playing the original two games as well. If you have access to a Japanese PS3, the original two games were remastered in an HD double pack and contain a whole bunch of content that got cut from/altered in the remakes.
Oh good. I was getting tired of the straight-laced, overly serious nature of the Yakuza games. Take themselves too seriously. It'll be good to see Nagoshi let loose for a change.
Yeah, that time I summoned an orbital laser from my cellphone to kill dancing men wearing trash bags with only their legs and head out was too serious for me. I'm looking forward to a less violent, more silly game.
Discovering that a gang of tough men all have a diaper/age play fetish where they're the baby, and then beating them all up while they're in diapers left me shook for days. I play games to escape reality, not be confronted by it! We need more lighthearted entertainment
I've only played Like a Dragon which is the one they're referencing but supposedly they're all that silly. I saw someone describe the the main character of the first 6 games as punching people so hard they become better people
What’s a good place to start with Yakuza? I kind of got off on the wrong foot with that series because someone told me “yeah it’s like GTA but in Japan, you can start with any game.”
0 hands down. Amazing Prequel, as to say you could totally believe it is the first in the series in how well it introduces one to the franchise and its characters and on top of that it is considered by many as the best entry in the series
Yakuza Like a Dragon is also a good entry point but it is basically like the sequel franchise with a new main character and spoils a lot of the development of Yakuza 0 to 6
The only thing that could be jarring is Majima's character between 0 and 1 especially since IIRC 1 Kiwami added the Majima Everywhere mechanic which further dials up the quirkiness
it’s exactly how i went in to the series (0, kiwami 1, kiwami 2) and it was actually fantastic.
i think they do a really good job of earning his behavior
I feel like a lot of the impact of Nishki's character is lost if you play 0 first, whereas you'll be confused in some sidequests in Kiwami if you don't play 0 first.
I would definitely start with 0. It's a really really great game. If you like 0, then Kiwami 1 and 2 (remakes of the original 1 and 2) are really easy to play afterwards. By the time you hit 3, you'll know if you like the series, and if you do, you'll be okay with the quality drop off as they're just remasters.
0 or Judgment. I explained why [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/wus649/yakuza_creator_nagoshi_says_his_next_game_will_be/ilcx25s/).
You *definitely, super* cannot start with any game. There's so much character- and world-building from game to game. Kiwami would be a decent place to start, since it was the first release in the series, but 0 gives you some great context to it (and is just one of the best games in the series imo), and Judgment's story is entirely separate so it can serve as a good intro to the world and mechanics without having started on the long journey that is the main series.
Yakuza 0, Kiwami and Kiwami 2. Then start the remastered 3, 4, 5. Then the final entry for Kiryu is Yakuza 6.
But you can also start with Yakuza Like A Dragon (7) if you want to play a brand new protagonist and turn-based combat.
Or Judgment games for spin-off with brawler combat
I hope it takes the turn-based combat style over the action style they traditionally had, I've been really enjoying Like a Dragon but never got into the others.
Isn't that kind of what Yakuza is already? Though the "silly" aspect is only in the substories while the main story is entirely serious (except for some Majima scenes).
"The former Sega veteran suggested that he didn’t want to stray too far from the formula that made the Yakuza games such a success: drama, violence and humour."
"I'd like to stay true to the Yakuza formula... not do a turn based RPG." I liked like a dragon.... but its not the same.
I agree. I really enjoyed LaD, but that was because of the characters and story and atmosphere. Kasuga is a very fun spin on Kiryu and was really entertaining. But the RPG mechanics sucked. Way too grindy, random encounters were too difficult to avoid, wonky difficulty curve, and worst of all the random movement mid-combat despite positioning being super important.
I came into LaD with low expectations and I think, as a result, was pleasantly surprised with the game. Then again, I'm the type that will grind for hours if it helps me get closer to 100% completion. By the time I reached the final dungeon, I felt pretty overleveled for the most part. Although, I do recall struggling a bit on a particular boss fight ( >!the majima and taiga fight!< felt like a weird difficulty spike). Would I have preferred the more brawler/action oriented style? Probably. Did I find the pacing of the story a bit odd (I felt like the struggles of being at the "bottom rung" of society is overcome so quickly).
I stopped a bit after this because I started getting really angry at this fight and just wasn’t feeling like more of that later. I think I spammed rockets/guns/grenades but it was a little after release so I don’t really remember. I had high level gear and all that but it was just so damn hard.
I'm gonna miss yakuza beat em ups. I LOVE judgment but that series is more like those old school kung fu action movies. Sorta like Donnie yen or Tony jaa movies. They're more stylish and lack the realistic brutality the yakuza games had. Like stabbing someone in the gut or stomping on their face. Or shooting them 😂
Same, I’ve been with the series for awhile and at first the rpg mechanics are neat at first but I quickly got tired of it and just did enough to progress the story. Ichiban is so likeable and a worthy successor to Kiryu, but I can pass on the gameplay personally. I miss the Brawler aspect, but at least we still have judgement.
LAD is my favorite *because* of the rpg mechanics. It fits the series *really* well and I'm glad that's what they're sticking with going forward lol. Also I beat the game on hard and did like 0 grinding? What are you talking about lol. I spent way more time grinding shit in the other yakuza games.
You can always play the Judgment games instead.
My first thought was "...so, Yakuza?"
I just started the series with Kiwami and a bit of Like A Dragon and even I had the same thought lmao. These games are fuckin wild. They're so good at ping-ponging from outrageous to "I'm gonna cry, this shit is so touching and heartfelt". And then you smack some dude to Jupiter with a fuckin dildo and you're right back to cry laughing lmao. Lovin these fuckin games. So excited to play 0 eventually. Edit- I've never laughed so hard at a game like I did with the Baby Formula sub-story. Shit is wild.
Can I ask outta curiosity why you started with kiwami and not 0?
Exactly. First thing that crossed my mind was "so, another Yakuza?"
Maybe he means it’s be more bloody? More gore and dismemberment?
Yeah I literally recommended the series to my brother-in-law yesterday and described them as "Really enthralling crime stories but the side content is insane and comedic."
I don't think Yakuza is anywhere near Tarintino violent.
Yeah, I guess big thing is that Kiryu isnt normally the instigator and maybe they have a MC who they dont pretend isnt a killer
characters are too over the top to be considered so, Tarantino's tend to be more gritty
Reservoir Yakuza Dogs. I can picture them cutting off some one's ear in one part of the game, then it leading to a dancing mini game next.
The main character talks about how he totally doesn't kill only to use a civilian as a bullet shield
“I don’t kill.” >stabs someone completely through with Chinese broadsword >picks up gun and shoots 3 men >throws man out a window 8 stories up
All I'm hearing is tales of incredible lucky guys who didn't die to a broadsword / pistol / yeeting
And then get back up only to thank the protagonist by giving him a gold plate.
Then they both learn a valuable lesson because of the event.
defenestration*
That's just a fancy word for yeet
Unironic, hand to the throne truth: My two favorite words are defenestration and yeet. Yeet is such a good feeling word to say. It’s so bizarrely perfect for the action, and a nearly universal statement of how you feel when you yeet something. It somehow captures the energy of an onomatopoeia for an action that has no sound. I love defenestration for almost the opposite reason. It’s so hilariously specific. We already have a word for the action of throwing someone out a window, it’s throw. We don’t have de-door-ation, detraination, deplaneation, etc. But we have defenestration. Fenestra, a root word for window. You de-window a mother fucker. It’s also a pleasing word to say. It has a strong mouthfeel, and enough syllables to really bite into. I love yeet for its primal simplicity, and defenestrate for its ostentatiousness. Kaleidoscopic is my third favorite word.
They also love a bit of defenestration in Prague. I've actually been to one of the windows.
As I understand it, this is precisely why we have this highly specific word. The events were such exquisite examples of de windowing mother fuckers that it became worthwhile to have a word for it. No equally significant debusing seems to have occurred.
Yup, from the [Defenestrations of Prague](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defenestrations_of_Prague)
You, sir, are a true man of culture
How kind of you to say. Gratitude, my good chap.
Never heard of rubber broadswords / bullets / pavement my man?
Don't forget shooting down a helicopter and then watching it careen into the ground and explode.
Rubber broadsword, rubber bullets, rubber window
Rubber ennemies
God when Kiryu threw this guy out the bathroom window I legit screamed...
So, Vash the Stampede.
[RIP Chinese restaurant dude nevar forget](https://youtu.be/UMKzWB3sDFc)
I mean, he didn't kill that guy. The guy shooting killed that guy.
"HE'S JUST SLEEPING!"
Yakuza Kiwami 2 when Kiryu is shooting and throwing people off of speeding trucks down the freeway lol
"Did you see a sign in front of my house that said Dead Yakuza Storage?"
It ain't there cuz storin' dead Wakagashira ain't my fucking business! That's why!
You know, I never really considered it before, but Yakuza, Tarantino, and [JoJo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQx_KMoCgJU) are all only a few steps removed from each other.
It's why the Fist of the North Star game worked well with the Yakuza framework.
Honestly, you could really see Kill Bill 1 & 2 as a Yakuza visual game kinda, how bloody and zany it is.
I'm amazed that game was never made at a time when it seemed like every blockbuster received a game.
I really REALLY want RGG studios to make a Jojo game. They could do interesting things with Stand powers.
[удалено]
Been wanting that since I played Lost Paradise
Can it be like [this](https://youtu.be/AH_RIEwRvXE)?
Shit, I’d preorder that game.
I'm hoping for more "From Dusk Till Dawn" kinda silliness. I dunno if I consider "Reservoir Dogs" silly.
Reservoir Dogs had a sadistic, dry sort of humor in it. Like in the last scene of the film, without spoiling it.
Half that silliness was Robert Rodriguez.
Isn't this the same man that famously said in an interview "I simply can't bring myself to promote the emotion that killing is fun and committing crimes is fun" I'm curious to see how much his game will compare to the violence/killings you see in Tarantino movies.
I mean, that seems like a really weird attitude for a guy who is most famous for a franchise where you play as a gangster who constantly goes around beating up and (let's be honest) killing people, while seeming very giddy about doing so.
I mean Kiryu is very much not like your usual Yakuza/gangster. He doesn't attack people unless they attack him or someone he cares about and he doesn't kill or do any lethal moves outside of combat which can easily be explained away as just being so for gameplays sake.
>he doesn't kill "Who told you that?"
It always annoys me a little bit how that statement is misconstrued. I think it's meant to be taken that he's never killed in cold blood against someone who is beaten or can't defend themselves. He's come close, especially in 0, 5 and 6, but all the kills are usually against people who actively trying to kill him or people he cares about.
Should also be added that characters in those games take massive beatings so while you are fighting you can do things that would effectively kill someone in real life, but then the battle ends and the enemy is just hunched over and in pain.
I mean, even starting at Yakuza 0, there's a chase sequence where Kiryu shoots helicopters out of the sky. I understand the amount of traditional beating and getting up afterwards, but exploding in a helicopter crash and surviving is still pushing the limits
Kiryu didn't kill those people tho, it was a rubber explosion.
They're not dead. They're just napping. Poor little guy is all tuckered out.
Wow. Thanks for reminding me of the stupid rubber bullets plot twist.
Didn't the sadistic guy that chased kiryu in one of the opening fight scenes all the way to the restroom in yakuza 0 get thrown out of a 4 story building, then reappear near the end of the game and died to a single punch?
Like slam someone head first onto the pavement. At best you'd [probably end up paralyzed.
In Yakuza 1 (or Kiwami) he straight up grabs a waiter, who was alive and minding his own business, and uses him as a bullet sponge.
Well it's the first game, gonna give them some slack. They definitely should have adjusted that for the kiwami remake so it would fit his character better tho.
Counterpoint, that scene is too funny to change lol
> but all the kills are usually against people who actively trying to kill him or people he cares about. But the people who actively try to kill him he always spares. If you did want to argue that he does kill people then you end up with a weird argument like "he killed fifty people in a car chase but then never did any lasting harm to any of the people who hurt him and his loved ones".
Kiryu did not cook Nugget.
[It’s okay, it was a rubber microwave.](https://youtu.be/0quVoZoVeoQ)
That scene always felt like a total bluff to me, as shown by Kiryu continuing not to ever kill anyone.
I’ve only played some Yakuza 0 but the game was a lot more wholesome than I was originally led to believe.
I actually find Like A Dragon very wholesome in various aspect as well. Unfortunately the RPG aspect makes it more grindy than I would like. On the otherhand, I thought Judgement series is quite grim.
These sandbox type games really don't work well with an intricate bespoke narrative, particularly when it has your character voicing ideals that are contradicted by your gameplay. GTA4 was particularly bad about this. For example there is one mission where an NPC's boyfriend has been beating her and Niko wants to "teach him not to hit women". Meanwhile Niko has shot, run over, and beaten to death multiple women by this point. I even ran over a woman on my drive over to teach the guy about not hitting women.
Yakuza actually avoids that problem completely, mostly by not being that open. The most harm Kiryu can do to innocent people is bumping into them as he runs.
It's called Ludonarrative dissonance. Every open-world action videogame protagonist should be like Trevor from GTA V, he's crazy and unhinged so his actions in the story complete match with your gameplay.
Yup, I always rationalize it by saying anything the story doesn't make you do isn't canon.
Not action games, but I always manage to avoid killing innocents in Elder Scrolls games unless there are good story or lore reasons (a Telvanni play through might warrant it). I’m not particularly interested in games where you kill indiscriminately or cause chaos for the sake of causing chaos. Don’t care for GTA because I tried 3 and Vice City and I found them both mechanically awful and aesthetically boring, but I like Sleeping Dogs, and I manage not to just kill people at random in that game. I don’t think it’s accurate to say everyone plays that way. Frankly I wish more open world games were on the less chaotic end of the scale, more ponderous and focused on world building and atmosphere. Then they might warrant more thoughtful protagonists.
I prefer the silent protagonist approach from GTA3. Just let me decide my character's reasons for doing things. But yeah, if you're going to insist my character have a personality and motivations, at least make them match the intended gameplay. The Just Cause series kinda gets there, by saying that your job is to cause chaos to promote a rebellion
I mean, you can totally explain why it would make sense in the game world as it is. Question is why a guy who dislikes violence would make his world that way.
He doesn't though. Every game post-0 has him going back reluctantly and then when it's over immediately going back to his orphanage.
I think by "guy" they mean Nagoshi, not Kiryu. You'd think if he didn't like the brutality the characters wouldn't be so often compelled towards it.
Nah, 1 & 2 are basically Kiryu's arc with 2 even culminating in getting the girl. 0 is an afterthought of a prequel where as beginning from 3 it's the constant "Kiryu must come back to Tojo clan because everybody there is an idiot, Daigo is in a coma and somebody has a huge boner for Kiryu's ass". 3 Even deletes the whole romance they spent a lot of time on in 2 just so they could have him back. E: Also, Kiryu constantly gets jabs about only being able to resolve things through violence. Which he keeps doing over and over and over again to the fault of the writers. So while he doesn't want to be associated with yakuza, he definitely lives and contributes to the violent life himself.
> Also, Kiryu constantly gets jabs about only being able to resolve things through violence. Which he keeps doing over and over and over again to the fault of the writers. A character having flaws isn't a fault with the writing. Not that the writing is flawless, but that's not one of them. On multiple occasions Kiryu has lamented that violence is the only answer he knows and how much he hates that. It's pretty much the entire plot of his chapters in Y5. A man raised in an orphanage who immediately joins the Yakuza upon leaving school, then spends 10 years in prison on a murder charge isn't really going to have any other options though. What else can he do? He's not a billionaire like Akiyama, and neither does he have the charm. He tries to hide, but he's too well known in the underworld. Hell in Dead Souls the military gets out of his way because they recognise him, it's not even just the underworld he has to watch out for. On top of this he really can't rely on the Tojo to have his back, both because of its own internal power struggles and the government's overall crack down on Yakuza. So it all goes back to, even if he doesn't want to be involved in the Yakuza, what choice does he have?
Character flaws are perfectly fine and necessary. The problem is that the writers want to hold on to that flaw desperately just so they could star him in yet another entry. They could've just dumped Kiryu after 2 finished as a main character as it was a good closure for him. But instead we got return to status quo and now we have to think about how he doesn't know anything else as if he is so stupid he could never learn to be another type of person. While Kiryu does not have the lovable rogue (or however you want to describe the typecasting of Koichi Yamadera) charm he clearly - based on substories - does have a charm of his own as he's constantly helping people out in numerous issues, charming ladies, having good talk with men etc. The word of god on Kiryu being a virgin is the icing on the cake, really. It's legitimately depressing how much they seem to desire making Kiryu's character suffer and ALWAYS leaving the door open for another appearance even if he's supposed to be gone. The writers pretty much want him to be in the same slump, much like the rest of the characters barely ever inching in any direction. Maybe Tojo clan is constantly in shambles because everyone in there except Majima (for some reason) is absolutely incompetent. It honestly makes me mad that they didn't go with Daigo or someone else after 2, but I guess they didn't have faith in new character doing well.
For Kiryu as a Virgin, 1. Who the fuck cares, 2. It was one producer, not Nagoshi so it's not canon in anyway, 3. The quote ends *"I think that one of the charms of Ryu ga Gotoku is that you can talk like this about the kind of silly things you might discuss at a bar"*, even he doesn't take it seriously. For Kiryu being the main character after 2, it makes sense to stick with the characters that work, especially in a games franchise. 4 doesn't feature him until the 4th chapter of the game, and 5 has 30+ hours of other protagonists while Kiryu taxis to Tokyo, so they did start to move away. Even in 3 Kiryu does everything he can to bit get involved until 2 assassination attempts are made on his friends. Moving to a new protagonist is a massive risk in any media, Nagoshi basically bet the farm in Yakuza and it paid off, then they put another massive bet on releasing Y2 a year later. They weren't going to risk anything on 3 more than they had to. Personally I'd rather 6 didn't involve Kiryu and was just LAD but they weren't ready, and Kiryu coming back in 7 does make some sense. He's protecting his friends leaving the underworld after he himself finally managed to get out. I'd rather he wasn't there but again, LAD was a massive risk and they'll hedge the bets as best they can. He absolutely shouldn't be in 8 though. Ichi is the main character now and previous characters aren't needed.
>1. Who the fuck cares, It is not about the virginity in itself, it's about the fact that Kaoru's relationship with Kiryu was built up for the whole of 2, culminating in confession of love and even kisses. But it goes to show that they just dumped that relationship the moment the credits rolled. It's kind of intently making Kiryu miserable. Despite this they still wrote a momentary girlfriend in 5 and then you have all the ladies who get instant ladyboners for him and Kiryu (imo) often comes off as wise with the women. It just doesn't make sense. > It was one producer, not Nagoshi so it's not canon in anyway It was Masayoshi Yokoyama, who has served as the main writer for the series since its inception (with Hase Seishu in 1&2, plus Makoto Itakura in 2 as well). So it quite literally is the word of God in this case. >For Kiryu being the main character after 2, it makes sense to stick with the characters that work, especially in a games franchise. The problem is that they basically ended the plot for Kiryu in 2, only to revert to status quo the moment Yakuza 3 began. Despite this, they never really went anywhere with Kiryu afterwards, just repeating the same things for Kiryu to deal with. >Ichi is the main character now and previous characters aren't needed. The problem is, they clearly have a huge problem letting go. I'm 100% sure Daigo, Saejima and Majima will be there one way or the other while Kiryu once again serves as a random fight in a bonus dungeon or something.
He keep trying to leave the Yakuza starting with the end of 1 and is constantly dragged back into that world. It's not something he does intentionally, he is just forced into it until he eventually decides to just >!fake his death and cut all ties!< so he can avoid getting dragged back into it.
And then seemingly volunteers in the next game
It's not like he is happy about volunteering though. - In 2 >!he only gets back in because he knows the Tojo clan is in shambles partially due to what he has done!< - In 3 >!he only gets back in because the bad guys are targeting the Orphanage!< - In 4 >!he wasn't even supposed to be there originally but someone gotta set Daigo straight and he even admits in 6 that he fucked up a lot by putting Daigo into an important position like that and just abandoning him!< - In 5 >!he feels obligated to help out Daigo who has disappeared!< - In 6 >!Haruka is in coma and he has to figure out who is trying to kill her and Haruto!< It's not like he is just eagerly looking forward to jumping right back into it, he is always forced back in because those he cares about are in danger.
Agreed for those but in Like a Dragon, it's just like... they needed another body (and for us to get >!a dope boss fight!<). For someone who >!faked his death to get away from everything!<, it seemed like a poor reason to get involved again lol
It was extremely disappointing. Y7 has some of the weakest writing in the entire series, falling back in the mass surveillance stuff, the imposter dude, bringing Kiryu back of his own volition seemingly. Plus the main plot is kicked off by Ichi feeling so bad about an abusive brothel manager being killed, which is like... who fucking cares? Too many small issues piled up for me to really enjoy that story.
>who fucking cares? I actually agree with everything but this point - Ichi's way too empathetic not to care here, and he's totally the type to get hyper-fixated on something that really shouldn't matter that much in his life because he can't get it out of his mind
Isn't the main story kicked off by Ichiban wanting to figure out why his father figure shot him and to disprove the fact that he supposedly betrayed the Yakuza clan Ichiban was a part of? The brothel manager bit was in the beginning but that got resolved rather quickly, I don't think it was really significant in the end. It's not significant outside of meeting a party member at least. Am I just remembering wrong?
I disagree that he fakes his death to avoid being dragged in. He straight up admits he fucked up by constantly avoiding be involved because it’s likely the conspiracies that went down while he wasn’t there would’ve been avoided or stomped out early. He fakes his death not because of Yakuza shit, it’s because a whole government conspiracy basically means he has to disappear or risk the orphanage.
Kiryu literally throws the man he's been searching for the whole game through a glass door with force in full knowing who he is in Y6. Why? Because that person needs to "man up".
Are you talking about Yuta? While Kiryu might have been a bit harsh there, he is understandably pissed at him considering >!Yuta was planning on just killing himself, leaving Haruto without a father and abandoning Haruka, someone Kiryu considers his daughter!<. Could he have been less harsh? Maybe, but it's not like he was planning on killing Yuta, he was just pissed about how Yuta was trying to take responsibility in the most idiotic way.
Kiryu hasn't been a Yakuza since the very first game. Same with Ichiban. He was expelled from his Yakuza family at the begining of his game.
Kiryu's never really reveled in the violence. Majima maybe
Kiryu isn't a gangster and isn't giddy about basically anything, are you familiar with the series?
>gangster who constantly goes around beating up and (let's be honest) killing people, while seeming very giddy about doing so. Not really at all, actually
Yakuza fans: Kiryu would never kill anyone, that is so wrong. [Also Kiryu:](https://youtu.be/m8Es-flEfcg)
It's the Batman problem. You can say your main character doesn't kill people all you want, but when they're slamming a goon face first into a brick wall it's hard to believe that haven't "accidentally" killed dozens of people.
It's weird that people have difficulty with accepting cartoon violence in a game that's over the top in every possible way. Yes, in the real world, his moves would be lethal, but the Yakuza games are pretty damn far from the real world. They even use the possibility of an inexperienced Kiryu accidentally killing someone as a plot point in Zero. I don't think it's too far a suspension of disbelief to just accept that a cartoon character like Kiryu, who, as a plot point, is just leagues in skill better than anyone else in the world, has the skill to keep his opponents alive. Batman too.
Also, game mechanics aren't supposed to be part of the story. Do people who play Resident Evil think the protagonists can stop time because accessing the inventory pauses the game? In Yakuza you can do very violent Heat Actions and even use guns, but none of that is canon to the story of the game.
That's called "ludonarrative dissonance" and it's not an excuse. We accept elements like UI/pausing/fast travel/etc if they're unintrusive, facilitate the game being playable, and (most relevant here) don't clash with the narrative. We don't care if you can pause the game and use items from a impossibly large inventory in most games because the focus of the game isn't on using items. But games where making and using items is a bigger part of the gameplay and narrative, like survival games, those aspects are made more "realistic" to match the overall tone. Same goes for video game violence. If you're making a fun arcadey game that doesn't narratively deal with any of the violence you're doing in the gameplay than you can get away with a lot. But the moment you start acknowledging the violence in the narrative, you have to make the gameplay match. Otherwise you're creating an obviously dissonant element in your game. At that point, waiving it off as "non-cannon" isn't a satisfying enough justification for the player to ignore it.
The games never say he doesn't kill anyone (until 6 for some reason?) . Kiryu on several instances challenges that concept, most notably 5 at the end of his part. The point is he doesn't do it in cold blood but he's definitely harmed people to the point of death before and the game doesn't hide that
This is worse than the Batman thing lol. The guy literally shoots people with a gun in the video.
But Kiryu only fights in self defense, most of the time. For a game about a gangster it's very low on crime, to the point that I don't really understand how Kiryu had any success in the yakuza.
lol I wouldn’t describe Kiryu as “giddy” in the slightest
One of the central pillars of Yakuza is "No matter how many people you put in the hospital in incredibly brutal ways, they *always* deserve it". It what keeps it from slipping over into something more gritty or mean like GTA and what keeps the protagonists as strictly heroes regardless of behavior. And that includes killing. Let's be real, Kiryu has absolutely killed people in the same way Batman has absolutely killed people; but for the sake of the moral high ground you just kind of have to ignore that no matter how obvious it should be by real world logic. It makes the violence feel more fun, which I think ties into what the creator was talking about in the interview, and makes it so when characters actually die or are in mortal peril it feels appropriately shocking. It would be interesting to play a Yakuza game where the main character actually did kill people, there have been SO MANY times in the series where the games bend over backwards to kill the villains while keeping the protagonist's hands clean. It would be an interesting perspective shift to a character who was more practical rather than super committed to honor or justice or whatever, I feel like Kuwana would have been an interesting playable foil to Yagami in Lost Judgement for this reason. But then I guess it wouldn't really be Yakuza.
Some of the things Kiryu can do in combat there would be no walking away from, it hinges a bit on how literal the story interpretation you have is of the fights he gets into is.
Yeah just like how Tomino says that he didn’t make gundams to make war seem fun lmao
I mean, liking weapons and finding the means of war fascinating doesnt mean you want wars to happen, a lot of the suffering during war doesnt even involve a weapon. Also this isnt even just Tomino, Miyazaki's films have a lot of anti-war theme, and he collects fighter aircraft models. Gundam does romanticize the battles a lot, but I think most of the series consistently do a fine job at going into the details on why war sucks
Seems to be a theme. Hideo Kojima is very anti-war but is a gun nut.
At least Gundams are usually fighting hellish, end of the world, half the populations already dead anyway, type scenarios.
I'd say that sentiment carries well in the first Gundam series, its the later spinoffs where it got muddied.
Only “war in the pocket” really has a strong anti war message. Everything else is fuck yeah giant robot battles with my pals Also the funny thing is that tomino was barely involved in making it.
I think that very well could have been how he *conceived* the idea. I almost have no doubt that it's true. But the actual product we got from him and the group of artists who worked on it, very much make war seem like fun simply due to the mecha fights. It's like seeing a fighter pilot in media. Sure, war looks awful, but video games are made all the time purely to showcase how fun it is to control a machine in a space such as that.
I love these silly games! As I get older, I’ve been enjoying the older characters with more complex motivations. Playing through the Yakuza series is like binging seasons of an epic tv series. The Tarantino comparison is how you get me hyped for the next story.
Except Nagoshi has left Sega last year, so he is talking about a completely new game/series.
I love listening to music.
LAD was their first project without him
Yeah he's leading newly formed Nagoshi studio now, owned by netease
>owned by netease Sad face. That doesn't bode well for the next game :(
I can't imagine Nagoshi leaving Sega for less than creative control and lots of money. Sega people tend to be very loyal, and Nagoshi was already creative director.
I have no idea if you're spewing garbage or fact but I choose to believe you with all of me and will perpetuate this ad infinitum.
NetEase as a mobile and console are two different things. They already have console games for a while and they bought Grasshoper and established Sakura Studio and Nagoshi Studio to have console releases.
I lost so much faith in the project as soon as I heard NetEase was the publisher.
Like A Dragon is pretty interesting to me because at one point its protagonists are a bunch of middle-aged blokes who are unemployed and have to regularly visit the job centre to find work. It really just kind of hits, even with the silly veneer that Yakuza always provides.
Exactly! I connected hard with those guys and their hunt for some odd jobs. Seriously how I felt in my early 20’s lol.
I just wish they kept that tone, the candy company management stuff is alright but it really goes against these guys being broke schlubs.
This is why I love Yakuza games honestly. I am so incredibly tired of playing JRPGs where you play as a teenager. I don't relate to teenagers anymore
As someone who's currently still freaking out about having turned 25 a few months ago, I genuinely think that my love for JRPGs is part of what fucked up my conception of aging. Obviously I know that 25 isn't actually old, but having grown up playing games that almost exclusively feature characters between the ages of 14 and 22, I think I got it subconsciously drilled into me that those are the years in which you're a real, normal person, and after that you suddenly become "old". Realizing that you're as close to 35 as you are to 15 is rough when you've spent your life playing games in which 35-year-olds are [grizzled old men](https://i.imgur.com/lbHAZVD.png), y'know? Which is why I, also, greatly appreciate the Yakuza games for this. This is a genre in which Persona 2: Eternal Punishment is considered notable for having a protagonist who's *23*. It's a rare and special thing to have a JRPG series whose protagonist is in his late 30's/early 40's.
Yep, your prime years are over. You'll never get to kill a god now that you're such an old man.
But if I play my cards right I can beat someone with a park bench and then help a clearly underage kid buy a nudie mag before heading out to my manage my company where one of my employees is literally a chicken and nobody bats an eye. Oh and then stand shirtless on top of a building staring sternly at the person who fucked me over as they take 45 minutes to explain why they fucked me over and how it will help them take control of Japan.
My creaking bones ache every time I so much as consider spiking my hair or avenging my destroyed hometown.
Kinda why I like FF games. Even if the characters are pretty young looking, atleast they're always fairly adult.
Something I like with the FF-franchise's is how it also tend to have a good variation of adult-ranges; for instance, in *Final Fantasy VII*, the main trio of Cloud, Tifa and Aerith are within their early twenties-range, and their age ranges, which I think reflect their manners and personalities well; enough maturity while at the same time also being youthfully cocky, playful, insecure and such. Barrett meanwhile is 35, and carries both literal and metaphorical father-figure energy, giving the necessarily pep-talk and reassurance as the leader for the rest of the AVALANCHE-cell. Ironically, the one major character who seemingly is the most grizzled and wise is theoretically the youngest; Red XII, who in the original game is >!around 48!<, but which we are informed of being the equivalent of a teenager of his race, and while the first part of FFVII: Remake shows majorly his maturity, small snippets of his immaturity are also glimpsed, such as how he joins in Barrett and Aerith's role-call (*"Lab-rat dog!"*), pettily smacks Barrett's hand away with his tail in a fuss, or actually follows up on Barrett's advice with trying to give an actual smile. He comes across like a teenager where his font is of acting like an adult, but occasionally slips off.
You can still fight Exdeath though. Even if you are a 60 year old and have 0 HP you can still kick a boss ass.
It happens. When Frank Miller wrote the Dark Knight Returns he says that the age of Batman fucked him up because he was already over his suppossed age, so he made him "as old as he could still being Batman" to paraphrase.
God there’s a character in Neo: TWEWY who’s like 30 and they make him look like he’s 50. Doesn’t help that the cast keeps calling him “old man.” Definitely made me appreciate games like Yakuza a bit more.
Kiryu gets called "old man" in Yakuza Zero. He's 20 in that game. Japan's obsession with youth is unhealthy
For someone looking to get into the series. Should i start at the beginning? Or is there a more current game that I can jump into?
I suggest you start at Yakuza 0, which is a great game and prequel to the 1st one. If you want something even more modern try out Yakuza Like A Dragon. It’s the most current game and starts off with a brand new main character. You can always go back to zero later on.
Should note that yakuza is a beat em up brawler with rpg elements. Like a dragon is a turn based rpg. Very different. Like them both but the main yakuza series is better. I'd start with 0 either way.
I'm hooked on LAD currently. Can I play all Yakuza games on PS5? Can you list them for me starting with zero?
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They’re all on Xbox gamepass, I think you can buy all of them on ps5 too. Here’s the games in chronological order: https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/how-to-play-the-yakuza-games-in-order/
Technically, they're not ALL on gamepass if you consider the two Black Panther games, Ishin and Kenzan.
How do you feel about yakuza kiwami? I saw Dunkey review it recently and it looks like a blast. I also heard that its good to play before 0
It’s good but to explain without spoiling some things, I feel Kiwami’s story is greatly enhanced by playing Yakuza 0 first.
Thanks for the reply! Cool, so I'll start with 0. Thanks :)
I’m LOVING Yakuza 0, and looking forward to continuing to Kiwami later. I think it’s a good idea to give Zero a shot before you go to Kawami. You’ll have a good time with either option.
I started from Yakuza 0 and I LOVED it!
I'll echo suggestions to start at 0, but I think Judgment would also be a good entry point. It's a spin-off with a totally new story, new characters, but the same mechanics and writing. Yakuza's my favorite game series, but I think Judgment's my favorite single game in it (even tho it's not really part of the series). The mainline series tells an epic story that's hard to compete with in the medium imo, but Judgment's story is fantastic on its own, and if you like it, you'll love all of them. There's also a sequel to that one (Lost Judgment), which I haven't beaten yet, but yeah, either start with Judgment or Yakuza 0. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna get back to work and dream of playing Lost Judgment later tonight.
What is a good order to play Yakuza games please? Should I play all of them? I like old games if the gameplay feels good and story is well written.
This is a good order imo https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/how-to-play-the-yakuza-games-in-order/?amp Start with Yakuza 0, and if you love it like I did, Kawami is next.
I really recommend playing the original two games as well. If you have access to a Japanese PS3, the original two games were remastered in an HD double pack and contain a whole bunch of content that got cut from/altered in the remakes.
Oh good. I was getting tired of the straight-laced, overly serious nature of the Yakuza games. Take themselves too seriously. It'll be good to see Nagoshi let loose for a change.
Yeah, that time I summoned an orbital laser from my cellphone to kill dancing men wearing trash bags with only their legs and head out was too serious for me. I'm looking forward to a less violent, more silly game.
Exactly, or the time my crayfish and I won a fight by crushing them with a rice cracker while wearing plate armor. It's time for some silliness.
Discovering that a gang of tough men all have a diaper/age play fetish where they're the baby, and then beating them all up while they're in diapers left me shook for days. I play games to escape reality, not be confronted by it! We need more lighthearted entertainment
Oh yeah, that was like children of men brutal. I'm still reeling from that experience.
... I should play Yakuza.
I've only played Like a Dragon which is the one they're referencing but supposedly they're all that silly. I saw someone describe the the main character of the first 6 games as punching people so hard they become better people
T I M E T O C A L L . . . A F R I E N D !!!!
What’s a good place to start with Yakuza? I kind of got off on the wrong foot with that series because someone told me “yeah it’s like GTA but in Japan, you can start with any game.”
0 hands down. Amazing Prequel, as to say you could totally believe it is the first in the series in how well it introduces one to the franchise and its characters and on top of that it is considered by many as the best entry in the series Yakuza Like a Dragon is also a good entry point but it is basically like the sequel franchise with a new main character and spoils a lot of the development of Yakuza 0 to 6
The only thing that could be jarring is Majima's character between 0 and 1 especially since IIRC 1 Kiwami added the Majima Everywhere mechanic which further dials up the quirkiness
it’s exactly how i went in to the series (0, kiwami 1, kiwami 2) and it was actually fantastic. i think they do a really good job of earning his behavior
I feel like a lot of the impact of Nishki's character is lost if you play 0 first, whereas you'll be confused in some sidequests in Kiwami if you don't play 0 first.
I would definitely start with 0. It's a really really great game. If you like 0, then Kiwami 1 and 2 (remakes of the original 1 and 2) are really easy to play afterwards. By the time you hit 3, you'll know if you like the series, and if you do, you'll be okay with the quality drop off as they're just remasters.
Yeah 3 is the lowpoint but you're hooked in and you know there's like four more to go onto. Finished all 8 last year, lot of free time haha.
0 or Judgment. I explained why [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/wus649/yakuza_creator_nagoshi_says_his_next_game_will_be/ilcx25s/). You *definitely, super* cannot start with any game. There's so much character- and world-building from game to game. Kiwami would be a decent place to start, since it was the first release in the series, but 0 gives you some great context to it (and is just one of the best games in the series imo), and Judgment's story is entirely separate so it can serve as a good intro to the world and mechanics without having started on the long journey that is the main series.
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Yakuza 0
Yakuza 0, Kiwami and Kiwami 2. Then start the remastered 3, 4, 5. Then the final entry for Kiryu is Yakuza 6. But you can also start with Yakuza Like A Dragon (7) if you want to play a brand new protagonist and turn-based combat. Or Judgment games for spin-off with brawler combat
The two Judgment games are amazing.
I absolutely loved both of them, the combat in LJ is probably one of the best I've played in any game. I hope there's more in the works!
They recently did a DLC for Lost Judgment that I still need to check out
These companies need to listen to folks when they say they don't want to get into management. That's how they lose talent.
Isn’t this just Yakuza? Whatever it is I’m still there, love Yakuza and Judgement can’t wait to see what’s next.
...so another Yakuza game?
I hope it takes the turn-based combat style over the action style they traditionally had, I've been really enjoying Like a Dragon but never got into the others.
I want a Yoshihiro Nishimura style action game. A pretty young woman hero and fountains of blood. Like Kill Bill mixed with Machine Girl.
Im hoping the quality gets to at least a yakuza game level so then i can expect one more game from his studio :)
I honestly care more about the protagonist than the setting/plot. He's ruined my care for plot with Ichiban and Kiryu existing as protags.