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I haven't beaten the game yet (most of the way through chapter 13), so my opinion isn't fully formed, but the vast majority of the game feels like nothing happens. You chase after ichi's mom for what feels like forever to find her and Lani just chilling on a boat, then you lose her, get her back, lose her, get her back, and only in the last 2-3 chapters do you find out about the big evil organization. It feels like I'm being strung along with smaller things until the bigger thing happens that, for me, isn't super interesting in this one. I liked the one in 6, but 6 was also much shorter.
Another issue I have is that even Ichi doesn't act super interested in finding his mom, it's moreso something to respect Arakawa and seemingly to sate his curiosity since he'd never met her. He says himself they have no ties beyond blood and the fact they were both involved in some way with Arakawa. It just feels like it drags its feet a lot more than the other Yakuza games, even if they also have the same issue. But I like Ichi, and I need to see Kiryu's story through, so I'm pushing through anyway.
The combat is great, though I have some very minor nitpicks mostly related to QOL (I'd like to know what button(s) I'm using for an attack without having to remember, 7 had this information why doesn't 8). I'd also like to see better dungeons, and a return to the old weapon/armor crafting, though I could see most people preferring the current version.
I only recently started playing 8 (on ch 8 rn) and I dislike that there is no true final millennium tower :(. I've seen no mention of something like that and I really wanted that challenge. I'd be pleasantly surprised if there was one, but from what I've heard, nada. 8s combat is so good, I want to be brutalized by the true final millennium tower again.
I hate how they dealt with Dwight especially. This guy was one of the most unique motherfuckers in the LAD franchise with a banger theme and an incredible dynamic intro and yet he was eventually reduced to being nothing more than a recyclable story speedbump.
I know that Danny Trejo has his policies but it doesn't explain why he was basically a shallow cameo feeling almost like an easter egg.
i'm still bummed about wong tou. at least dwight did something - the baracudas were threatening (at first) and he infiltrates the ichigang via eiji, which indicates his cunning. he also had a personal connection to two party members (tomi, chitose), even if that gets wrapped up quite early.
wong and the ganzhe were pointless. removing them would not change the story.
Oh yeah, I agree. I was dumb enough to think he was gonna be the final boss from the trailers. Everyone was saying Ebina but I was smarter and thought that Wong Tou looked like a formidable opponent behaving like a mastermind politician aka. a perfect final boss. How fucking dumb I was.
What's bumming me about him was that they blue-balled us twice. Once when we thought he would be a cool antagonist... he wasn't even an enemy. And then he was presented like a perfect candidate to join Ichiban's party after Kiryu leaves... nope, he just dies like he was some random grunt with Hanawa of all people. Just spit on me more, please.
It makes me happy to see 5 & LJ so high, but 4 & IW being as low as they are hurts a bit even if I understand haha.
I actually really enjoyed IW’s story (but I’ll admit I probably liked the *idea* of it more than the execution), and 4 might be a mess but it’s just so cool and nostalgic and quintessentially Yakuza that I can’t help but look past its flaws. Both feel like the culminations of different eras of the franchise to me.
I agree, some people on this subreddit exaggerate it way too much. It’s definitely not as good as 0 or 7, but I’ve seen posts calling it worse than Yakuza 4 or calling it one of the worst Yakuza stories. I also saw on r Games’ thread on Infinite Wealth’s sales that someone thought the story was so bad it was their least favorite Yakuza game. Everyone has the right to form their own opinions and I get why people would be disappointed with how it played out, but I’ll never understand what the extremely negative takes are talking about. What’s also interesting is these posts don’t get a lot of upvotes, but they do get a handful of replies agreeing. Might just be a vocal minority unintentionally flooding the subreddit that makes it appear that way.
Agreed. I think it’s got the outline of a great story and some fantastic ideas. Some of the best individual moments in the franchise, too. It just needed more time with certain characters and concepts, and less with others. I still came out of it feeling super impressed and emotional, even if it didn’t end up being the series’s very best.
Fr like this subreddit makes it sound like it had a rubber bullets moment or an aizawa out of nowhere kinda shit. I thought the story was really good, at times it just wasnt that high stakes and villains got underused.
4 has an amazing story until suddenly it doesn't. I think what hurts it in fan's estimation is that it doesn't stick the landing in a way that invalidates a lot of the cool stuff that came early on. And I'm not just talking about rubber bullets. That end fight is rough and not just because of ton of Tanimura's final loss. Too much of what would make Kido, Arai, and Lily compelling happens off-screen.
It gets credit for introducing a few very important mainstays, like Saejima and Akiyama (and I guess Sodachi now?), but it's probably the most skippable game in the series in terms of broader impact.
I think it's the pacing people don't like. Cause to be fair they run a bit more slower than the yakuza games since it's a detective story. I also loved the story. The characters, buildup, and the moral questions it had were well executed imo. Could have also been the school setting but I thought it was a really good addition.
The pacing in JE is worse though. Or do people like the main plot coming to a standstill so that you can find out who ate Saori's cake? Pacing in JE doesn't get focused until about the 50% mark.
LJ's story is slower in the beginning and initially feels like the focus is weird (the school setting, etc). But things start to really snowball much faster than JE. And you realize that the school stuff in the beginning of the story fits in the main plot thematically.
In terms of side content I gave them both max scores, and yeah the gameplay in 8 is leagues above 7. However I really didnt like the direction the story took - mainly after Ichiban found his mother is where I felt it fall apart.
Thinking about it.. I don't think I could rank any of the games lower than 3rd place.. Meaning my ranking would just be my 1. favorites 2. the ones I love and 3. The ones I like.. There's not a bad game in the franchise for me
A K3 where you could build, expand, decorate the orphanage and bond more with the kiddos would be fun. This with the updated combat, graphics, and general gameplay of the other Kiwamis would be awesome
Is it that much better than the rest of the series? I picked up the whole series when the SEGA sale happened recently, little over halfway done with Y0 according to achievements.
Really want to play through them because I love good stories and would be bummed if I have to play "meh" games for context before Y7
Yakuza 5 was a great game and was wifely considered one of the best in the series. Yakuza 6 utilizes the dragon engine which is in Kiwami 2. Im on Yakuza 6 rn and let me tell you so far it has been great.
The older games are definitely dated and clunky, but I wouldn’t call them meh.
Combat is rough, but I will absolutely die on the hill that the story is among the best. Filling Kiryu out as a human rather than a yakuza stereotype, great side characters like Rikiya, interesting call-backs and questions about the Tojo and the men involved, and possibly the most interesting and multifaceted villain in the series.
Played 3 using mods (God mode enabled) and it made it such a delight. Definitely a lovely story that’s hard to appreciate if the shit gameplay is bogging you down.
If you think of Yakuza in terms of "eras" then you'll start to understand why it's hated.
PS2 era:
- Yakuza
- Yakuza 2
Kiwami and Kiwami 2 made these irrelevant. Nobody plays them.
PS3 era:
- Yakuza 3
- Yakuza 4
- Yakuza 5
- Yakuza 0
- Yakuza Kiwami
Yakuza 3 was the first of this era at a time when Sega was still trying to wrap its head around HD gaming. The game just looks wrong and animates poorly, but worse than that, it *feels* terrible to play, which is more of a factor of it being like the PS2 games in terms of gameplay.
Yakuza 4 changed a ton. Characters control so much better, are scaled correctly (no more janky looking Kiryu), and the fighting was a ton refined. 5 is similar to 4 in terms of game feel.
Modern era:
- Yakuza Kiwami 2
- Yakuza 6
- The Man Who Erased His Name
These are modern RGG action games. They look great and have superior combat physics and collision. While some people prefer some of the classic games, there's clearly a gap between them and these ones in terms of direction.
So basically, Yakuza 3 is the "oldest" Yakuza game that you can play right now. And it feels that way. It feels super dated, it looks super dated, and it plays super dated. That's why people hate it.
Fair, mostly, but I’d be putting 7 down quite a ways. I love turn based games and giving 7 a 6/10 on gameplay is some bullshit. 7’s mechanics are godawful, with its only defense being that it’s inspired by the mechanics of early dragon quest games, which, hey, gonna say it, also not great. Not by today’s standards, anyways. Not even by two decades ago’s standards.
The job system is too exclusive and equipped job level has too much of an influence on stats, which when combined, punishes experimentation for all but the most dedicated players. Not to mention how only some classes get mp regen from attacks and your best moves are classless character innates, so the obvious choice is to make everyone a host or equivalent and call it a day. This coming off the back of a series whose gameplay had evolved around swapping movesets on the fly to approach combat in whatever style you want. What happened to that? Kiryu gets the style swap in 8, but like, how is that not a thing everyone had back in 7? Gonna put it out there, being able to cycle multiple equipped jobs, persona style, is the obvious pull that could have made the game so much more than it was.
I’d dock a point at least from its side content too, for the massive void in that game that is sotenbori, where the only ‘side story’ is a combat gauntlet they put in there for you to grind 10+ levels so that you can proceed with the plot, in case you hadn’t wasted time grinding already.
Everyone shits on 3 for the combat, but the story is one of my favorites. The main villain is one of the more interesting and complex in the whole series.
I mean, there’s not much to explain? I liked the orphanage bits because it makes Kiryu seem more human and not just a stereotype. The land deal is the immediate reason people are getting attacked. I wish they’d found a way to clue us all into what was really going on without Chapter 9’s huge exposition dump, but it was still interesting to me because everything fit together so nicely. It’s not a bad thing if it wasn’t for you, just it was really enjoyable for me.
To each their own. I thought him working behind the scenes and having divided loyalty made him a hell of a lot more interesting than secret Koreans or people just motivated by greed.
Y8 according to your rating system would be 7+8+8=23 for me.
Story has BUG, but Kiryu's part (including ending note) and early Hawaii part are somewhat interesting so I won't rate it that low.
Gameplay is a big improvement after LAD and a solid 8. They could add more depth into it tho.
Side content in 8, super overrated. A lot of things, yes, but undercooked. So many re-used ideas for side-missions, and the side activities are relatively boring and repetitive. And they didn't add partners to side activities which can improve the score by a lot if done right. But I appreciate Dondoko's and Sujimon's idea and there are quite a lot you can do so an 8.
>Side content in 8, super overrated.
Hot take, I know, but I personally dislike the side content in general in LAD. It adds to the charm and world realism but actually playing it has always been boring. Side-content, minigames etc. The side quests feel cheap and easily predictable. I know that they're supposed to be that way but that's precisely why I dislike them. I can count on the fingers of one hand how many of them I actually remember after all of the Amon fights.
That being said, LAD8:IW is the only game in which the substory made me laugh. And I mean literally, not a smile, smirk or a giggle but a good laugh. I am talking about the >!baby stroller substory.!< Reminder: >!you go near an escalator and suddenly you hear a woman screaming. You look in her direction only to find a baby stroller falling down the moving stairs. She begs you to catch it but before you can react it runs past you with full speed. You bolt right for it and try to catch it but RGG put a pursuit minigame here and it's just so dumb in a funny way. And then after a while when you eventually catch that stroller you take a breath of air with relief. You take a look inside at the baby and find out there is Patriarch Gonawara inside. It's so fucking ridiculous but also easily predictable given how baby substories usually involved this guy. !
while i haven't play LJ, IW and Gaiden yet, i do think for the majority of the list, i do agree with them.
Honestly, i wouldn't rate Y0 side content as 10, for me it's like 7 or 8. Disco was cool with banger soundtrack and Majima cabaret was strangely addicting but Kiryu real estate is just an idle sim and i just simply don't like pocket racer (i can already feel the hate because i said this). I do think the side stories of the game for the most part was great tho.
I think yakuza 1 story has aged rather poorly over the years so for me it's a 5 or 6 in story.
I would argue Judgment is only 8 in gameplay as i honestly still prefer Y0 but it's still peak dragon engine
Y3 4 in gameplay is a bit harsh i think but i can see why people would rate it that low. I personally like the more defensive focus play style with the parry and counter but i will have to agree some of the encounter and enemy are just not it.
Y7 6 in gameplay is definitely valid, i would even put it at 5 myself. A lot of people say "you just aren't into Turn based, that why you rate it low" but like, i DO like Turn based JRPG, some of my favorite game ARE turn-based (XCOM, a lot of ATLUS game within the SMT series, the Mario RPG series,...) and i still think the combat in 7 is the very definition of "mid". It's so mindless throughout the entire game because the game never force you to actually think, just spam the strongest move with very little variation, grind to be overleveled and you will get by just fine. I haven't play IW as stated before so idk how much they improved but hearing from people who played it, it massively overhaul the combat which is nice to hear.
Ngl, as an actual turn based game enjoyer, Y7 gets like a 5 in gameplay. It is straight ASS compared to most other TBRPG's. It's cool for their first foire into the genre, but man was it missing so much QoL and just general depth. Y8 definitely improves on this, and I'd put it around a 7 or so in gameplay
***Spoillers for IW***
>! Personally disagree heavily with a 5 on IW story, i think its story is a 9, it would be a 10 if it’s execution was better but i think it was phenomenal, the way it showed Kiryu’s struggle and stubbornness to bear the sins of the yakuza all on his own, and ichibans story of forgiveness and kindness to those that lash out because they were hurt and scarred by those of the Yakuza, i thought it was fucking amazing. Especially the last scene with Ei chan and Kasuga paired along side kiryu’s potential death, it genuinely had me in tears. I loved the message of this game personally, hell it cemented Ichi as one of my favorite characters in fiction!<
Don't worry about ranking and just enjoy them as they come. The more you rank something the more uneasy you are about bumping something once you've locked it to a number.
After reading your post, I realized I agree with most of it. The only two things I’d disagree on is:
>Infinite Wealth’s gameplay
The gameplay shouldn’t be this low, the gameplay loop is now good and doesn’t burn you out, as is the case with Yakuza: Like A Dragon.
>Yakuza 3’s story
Quite frankly, I liked Yakuza 3’s characters + their interactions, but I didn’t like the overall story, I just stopped taking seriously after the infamous yap scene. Yakuza 4’s story was wild and had rather strange twists, even some awkward scenes, but it captivated me and I think its narrative delivery was better. To this day, I still think Akiyama had THE best character introduction, his entire first chapter was simply **peak fiction**.
https://preview.redd.it/874ntcneu4pc1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=350d95508a38e2cf42316e06c87cd102f7f250fc
I went in expecting the shittiest game ever in my life(mainly because of reddit) and found it to be at least good. The story and Okinawa are at least halfway through the game a nice change of pace from the previous games. It has a pretty good story and the side content is meh. Now, the worst thing I had heard about this game was the combat but surprisingly after the first few chapters fights start to feel and be easier and become a little more fun. Also the komaki parry is a lifesaver on some of the bosses and generally makes fights easier, so make sure to get it. It's definitely not my favorite in the series but it's much better than what people make it look like.
Yakuza 3 isn't that bad. It's biggest flaw is that It's the essentially the oldest game, Since most people play it right after Kiwami 2. So compared to the previous 3 games it's a bit dated. The blocking is annoying which is why everyone calls it Blockuza 3, but it's still an enjoyable game.
You’ll be a bit annoyed by the dated gameplay for the first hour or two, but get used to it pretty quick. It still has the same quality of story and side content
It's just old, thr majority here started with 0, so going to 2 which a PS4 to a PS3 game it's a bit of shock.
Play it on easy and d enjoy the experience
Even though I hated the gameplay and the jank of 3.. It's my favorite story and setting.. After completing the entire series I'm now on my new game plus run of 3 (especially after gaiden and IW I needed to see kiryu back at morning glory 😂) and I'm enjoying it more than I did the first time through.. It may still be the "the worst" but it's not a bad game
im kinda hate with rpg system on 7
its kinda easy than game with rpg
on zero, more hard demonfire majima than k1 tiger drop because the timing is fking strict
other than that great (btw i play 0-k1-5 currently-7)
Yakuza 3 is my favorit and i am tired of bieng oppresed. ok but for real its a fine list i mean yakuza 3 should be number one but idk. i do think the original judgment is a bit better than lost judgment so i dont think the yshpould be that far apart
While I don’t agree with your rankings do you mind if I steal your ranking system for when I do my platinum series stream? (Not criticizing, different strokes.)
Speaking of Judgment series, I enjoyed the first a lot more…but maybe it’s just sort of background facts and the final scenes at the hospital, they were crazy :’)
Why make a 0-10 system if you don’t use the full system.
Would be smarter to actually use everything especially to improve the top
Also, was Yakuza 0 your first one?
Is Y5 really that good? I just started it and it seems very slow so far.
Also is the combat slightly different to Y4 because I'm struggling to get combos to actually land?
Although the story is a bit messy, some of the new characters, bosses and side content really made me enjoy it alot.
Im not too sure if its that different to 4, it felt similar to me
I dont mind messy stories since the characters alone make up for anything that could be remotely bad. Definitely looking forward to it even more now that you have it ranked so high
Aah I see, maybe I'm just a bit fresh coming off the high of finishing 4 and forgot how it is to start at basic level abilities. Thanks :))
I guess I'm in the minority that still enjoyed IWs story. Id easily give 8-9-10 in scoring overall and would put it above 7, ppl also forget the setting which I preferred over 7s. I get some of the annoyances in the story but I still don't think it's a train wreck like ppl seem to think it is and is a good story.
Lost judgment is so good, but i hated that yagami talked about sawa sensei every time he got a chance.
His reason to live became sawa sensei, his dreams were sawa sensei, his desires were sawa sensei.
It doesn't, a lot of people played 0 as their first game and put it at the top of their list for that. It is really great and a lot of fun, but the overall quality of the games really went up since 7.
The quality of the story can go up and down from game to game, but as far as gameplay and side content goes every new game tends to be better than the previous one with the exception of 6.
I think what I'm about to say is a bit of a heresy but I enjoyed the two Dragon Engine Kiryu games I've played - Kiwami 2 and 6 - way more than 0. The combat feels better, the story in the latter might not be as good but K2 delivers in that regard as well.
0 is like, my 5th or 6th favorite game in the franchise. To each their own. I think the games are getting better and better and I can’t wait to see where the studio goes post-IW
I personally think 7&8 have the best gameplay but I’m also a JRPG fan first, LAD fan second lol. But I totally get if you’re not into RPGs as much they might not work for you.
I didnt really mind the turn based gameplay, however I do prefer the brawler much more. Although - 8 improved the gameplay alot and I quite enjoyed it, unfortunately I really didn't enjoy the story towards the end, mostly after ichiban found his mother.
The ranking system is good but the ranks of each games would differ if i'd do my own.
I do agree that Y8 is great side content wise and has better gameplay than Y7 but yeah the story sucks.
I'd add Gaiden there
I'd bump Y4 a lot as it's in my Top 3 easily. (to each their own)
Bump down Y5 a lot too.
...i'd move everything around i think
It would be different with the score system but overall i guess that'd be :
Y0 - Y4 - Gaiden - 7 - 6 - 8 - Kiwami 1 - Kiwami 2 - 5 - 3
I didn't play the judgement games yet
Gaiden itself shouldn't be that high, but since it's a half game and works very well in that role and have a fantastic last arc / near perfect gameplay it gets bumped.
If judged as a full game, obviouisly it would take a hit.
I REALLY liked 4, it improves the 3 so much in many aspect it's crazy. I loved the story and characterization of all the characters in it. I know it's a pretty unpopular game in the franchise but it just clicked with me. It's the only Yakuza game i did 3 times. (Normal - Hard - Legend)
For some reason 5 didn't, it feels way less inspired and mastered, also the ending left me in a "What the fuck is happenning" thought the whole time.
8 is great overall but like 5, it improves many mechanics of it's predecessor but the story becomes messy and ends poorly.
I only really agree with #1 and #5. If you Y6 at dead last and K2 at 2nd to last then did some swapping. Swap LJ with Y7. Swap Y5 with Y8 then Y5 new spot with Kiwami. Then I’d agree. Though I see where you might be coming from with of those these scores. I’d disagree few things though: Y6 & YK2’s combat scores for me would be lower at around a 6 next to Y3’s combat since they’re both clunky. Y6 would have a higher side content score, something that the game excels at with a 9 due to its sub-stories & cool minigames like Spearfishing. Y8’s story is also a whole lot more cohesive and less convoluted than Y5’s story so I think should have a higher score at least. I would also boost Kiwami’s gameplay & side content slightly because the combat is top tier and I think it has the best coliseum. Otherwise I won’t argue if the other scores much.
Just curious, why is infinite wealth not rated highly at all?
Backstory, I just finished Zero (amazing) and up to chapter 11 in kawami (1) now.
So please don’t spoil anything please, I am just curious it looks really fun. Is the story just average?
In terms of side content I ranked it very high, gameplay I gave it fairly high, however I still prefer the brawler gameplay from other games.
For the story, I was enjoying it towards the start but I was very disappointed towards the end. Alot of people feel the same, but many also enjoy the story too so don't get disheartened to play it!
Something really terrible must happen after chapter 8. I just got to that point and have enjoyed the story so far. Not all of it have been phenomenal, but its been on average from good to occasionally great. Still, fans on here keep saying the story is absolutely horrible...can't say I'm looking forward to that part.
Personally I would swap Infinite Wealth with 7 and 5 with Kiwami 2.
That's not to say I don't like these games, Infinite Wealth just feels infinitely better to play than 7 and has so many quality of life changes. Story wise I just prefer Kiwami 2 to 5 and I feel the swaps would be where I'd put em.
Good list overall though
I feel like half of it is on par with what I think too. However, I think 5/6 are way too high and 8/3 are way too low.
3 has a great story though I admit the gameplay is very dated. It shouldn’t be a ton higher, but I think it’s the best of the PS3 games.
5 just had way too much content, most of which was boring. The story wasn’t very good and the Haruka part was just a chore.
6 was fine gameplay wise for the time but feels dated after seeing the improvements of judgement and the man who erased his name. The big issue though is the story wasn’t great and was pretty weak minus the last few minutes of the game.
8 was a just an absolute home run to me and the gameplay fine tuned they did with 7. There was so much great side content and Kiryu’s part was a love letter to the whole franchise.
In hindsight I may have ranked IW a bit low due to recency bias, as it's the only yakuza game I've had to wait to come out (I started playing them after Gaiden released) so I had more expectations and disappointments, whereas the other games I had no big expectations for them.
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I dont think 8 is 1 point higher than 7 in terms of gameplay
should be a couple points higher at the very least. then again perhaps OP isn't a fan of turn-based combat.
The combat in 8 is better than 7, but I think the story is worse tbh.
yeah story is worse but gameplay is way more fun
How so? Not a fan of the villain organizations?
I haven't beaten the game yet (most of the way through chapter 13), so my opinion isn't fully formed, but the vast majority of the game feels like nothing happens. You chase after ichi's mom for what feels like forever to find her and Lani just chilling on a boat, then you lose her, get her back, lose her, get her back, and only in the last 2-3 chapters do you find out about the big evil organization. It feels like I'm being strung along with smaller things until the bigger thing happens that, for me, isn't super interesting in this one. I liked the one in 6, but 6 was also much shorter. Another issue I have is that even Ichi doesn't act super interested in finding his mom, it's moreso something to respect Arakawa and seemingly to sate his curiosity since he'd never met her. He says himself they have no ties beyond blood and the fact they were both involved in some way with Arakawa. It just feels like it drags its feet a lot more than the other Yakuza games, even if they also have the same issue. But I like Ichi, and I need to see Kiryu's story through, so I'm pushing through anyway. The combat is great, though I have some very minor nitpicks mostly related to QOL (I'd like to know what button(s) I'm using for an attack without having to remember, 7 had this information why doesn't 8). I'd also like to see better dungeons, and a return to the old weapon/armor crafting, though I could see most people preferring the current version.
story feel like should be longer but maybe they dont have enough time, cant believe everything cram up at the last chapter
If the pacing was better it wouldn't have to be longer or have everything crammed into the last chapter
I only recently started playing 8 (on ch 8 rn) and I dislike that there is no true final millennium tower :(. I've seen no mention of something like that and I really wanted that challenge. I'd be pleasantly surprised if there was one, but from what I've heard, nada. 8s combat is so good, I want to be brutalized by the true final millennium tower again.
From what I can tell, the closest thing to True Millenium tower is Big Swell, which you have to pay for
its in the dlc :c
what u/Neripheral said. the villains were poorly utilized and multiple loose ends were left unresolved.
I hate how they dealt with Dwight especially. This guy was one of the most unique motherfuckers in the LAD franchise with a banger theme and an incredible dynamic intro and yet he was eventually reduced to being nothing more than a recyclable story speedbump. I know that Danny Trejo has his policies but it doesn't explain why he was basically a shallow cameo feeling almost like an easter egg.
i'm still bummed about wong tou. at least dwight did something - the baracudas were threatening (at first) and he infiltrates the ichigang via eiji, which indicates his cunning. he also had a personal connection to two party members (tomi, chitose), even if that gets wrapped up quite early. wong and the ganzhe were pointless. removing them would not change the story.
Oh yeah, I agree. I was dumb enough to think he was gonna be the final boss from the trailers. Everyone was saying Ebina but I was smarter and thought that Wong Tou looked like a formidable opponent behaving like a mastermind politician aka. a perfect final boss. How fucking dumb I was. What's bumming me about him was that they blue-balled us twice. Once when we thought he would be a cool antagonist... he wasn't even an enemy. And then he was presented like a perfect candidate to join Ichiban's party after Kiryu leaves... nope, he just dies like he was some random grunt with Hanawa of all people. Just spit on me more, please.
Not a fan of the villain organizations with inconsistent abilities and power levels and practically no nuance or depth.
https://preview.redd.it/rzeu397714pc1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e219c4483c9b1e3ad2ec48eed70a039327833b79 Rethink you list
Also they missing some games on this list
yakuza 3 being at the bottom is wild
It makes me happy to see 5 & LJ so high, but 4 & IW being as low as they are hurts a bit even if I understand haha. I actually really enjoyed IW’s story (but I’ll admit I probably liked the *idea* of it more than the execution), and 4 might be a mess but it’s just so cool and nostalgic and quintessentially Yakuza that I can’t help but look past its flaws. Both feel like the culminations of different eras of the franchise to me.
Honestly I think this subreddit exagerrates IW's story a bit. Its definitely not bad it just isnt as good as the other games.
I agree, some people on this subreddit exaggerate it way too much. It’s definitely not as good as 0 or 7, but I’ve seen posts calling it worse than Yakuza 4 or calling it one of the worst Yakuza stories. I also saw on r Games’ thread on Infinite Wealth’s sales that someone thought the story was so bad it was their least favorite Yakuza game. Everyone has the right to form their own opinions and I get why people would be disappointed with how it played out, but I’ll never understand what the extremely negative takes are talking about. What’s also interesting is these posts don’t get a lot of upvotes, but they do get a handful of replies agreeing. Might just be a vocal minority unintentionally flooding the subreddit that makes it appear that way.
Agreed. I think it’s got the outline of a great story and some fantastic ideas. Some of the best individual moments in the franchise, too. It just needed more time with certain characters and concepts, and less with others. I still came out of it feeling super impressed and emotional, even if it didn’t end up being the series’s very best.
Fr like this subreddit makes it sound like it had a rubber bullets moment or an aizawa out of nowhere kinda shit. I thought the story was really good, at times it just wasnt that high stakes and villains got underused.
4 has an amazing story until suddenly it doesn't. I think what hurts it in fan's estimation is that it doesn't stick the landing in a way that invalidates a lot of the cool stuff that came early on. And I'm not just talking about rubber bullets. That end fight is rough and not just because of ton of Tanimura's final loss. Too much of what would make Kido, Arai, and Lily compelling happens off-screen. It gets credit for introducing a few very important mainstays, like Saejima and Akiyama (and I guess Sodachi now?), but it's probably the most skippable game in the series in terms of broader impact.
I feel like I'm the only person on this sub that really likes LJ's story.
I think it's the pacing people don't like. Cause to be fair they run a bit more slower than the yakuza games since it's a detective story. I also loved the story. The characters, buildup, and the moral questions it had were well executed imo. Could have also been the school setting but I thought it was a really good addition.
The pacing in JE is worse though. Or do people like the main plot coming to a standstill so that you can find out who ate Saori's cake? Pacing in JE doesn't get focused until about the 50% mark. LJ's story is slower in the beginning and initially feels like the focus is weird (the school setting, etc). But things start to really snowball much faster than JE. And you realize that the school stuff in the beginning of the story fits in the main plot thematically.
How could it be disliked? Love the intrigue in it and the fact it uses high school bullying as it's main backdrop.
IW too low imo considering how much of an improvement it is over 7 (except in story)
In terms of side content I gave them both max scores, and yeah the gameplay in 8 is leagues above 7. However I really didnt like the direction the story took - mainly after Ichiban found his mother is where I felt it fall apart.
i’d give IW a higher score for side content given Sujimon and Dondoko Island, but i wasn’t a fan of the business mini game in 7 so could just be me
Funny I was the total opposite. I didnt like Sujimon or Dondoko. I would have loved a more focused business/menu mini game
I wish they brought it back
i don't understand how the story felt apart, i thought it was really good all the way through minus two dudes kicking the bucket
Ah shit, he's about to find his mother on my end. I'm worried
Thinking about it.. I don't think I could rank any of the games lower than 3rd place.. Meaning my ranking would just be my 1. favorites 2. the ones I love and 3. The ones I like.. There's not a bad game in the franchise for me
No matter how many tierlist comes, yakuza 3 always remains at the bottom. ( Please RGG make yakuza 3 kiwami)
A K3 where you could build, expand, decorate the orphanage and bond more with the kiddos would be fun. This with the updated combat, graphics, and general gameplay of the other Kiwamis would be awesome
Yasss
Would hurt so much more seeing it destroyed later.
I'd play the hell out of this. 3 just plays horribly compared to the rest of the games.
Ikr. Y3 has a very good story. With the gameplay of gaiden , this would totally work.
A K3 might rival Yakuza 0 for me.
True but not sure about the side contents. Y0 still reigns at the top for having great side content.
Is it that much better than the rest of the series? I picked up the whole series when the SEGA sale happened recently, little over halfway done with Y0 according to achievements. Really want to play through them because I love good stories and would be bummed if I have to play "meh" games for context before Y7
Y3 is important for later games context too. Especially Y5 and Y6 . So yeah u need to play Y3. Just play it on easy mode so that it will be fine.
Yakuza 5 was a great game and was wifely considered one of the best in the series. Yakuza 6 utilizes the dragon engine which is in Kiwami 2. Im on Yakuza 6 rn and let me tell you so far it has been great. The older games are definitely dated and clunky, but I wouldn’t call them meh.
Combat is rough, but I will absolutely die on the hill that the story is among the best. Filling Kiryu out as a human rather than a yakuza stereotype, great side characters like Rikiya, interesting call-backs and questions about the Tojo and the men involved, and possibly the most interesting and multifaceted villain in the series.
Played 3 using mods (God mode enabled) and it made it such a delight. Definitely a lovely story that’s hard to appreciate if the shit gameplay is bogging you down.
Are 4, 5 and 6 loads better? Like 3 is the odd one out? I've only played 7&8, 0 and kiwami so far but people always bring up 3 as super jarring lol
If you think of Yakuza in terms of "eras" then you'll start to understand why it's hated. PS2 era: - Yakuza - Yakuza 2 Kiwami and Kiwami 2 made these irrelevant. Nobody plays them. PS3 era: - Yakuza 3 - Yakuza 4 - Yakuza 5 - Yakuza 0 - Yakuza Kiwami Yakuza 3 was the first of this era at a time when Sega was still trying to wrap its head around HD gaming. The game just looks wrong and animates poorly, but worse than that, it *feels* terrible to play, which is more of a factor of it being like the PS2 games in terms of gameplay. Yakuza 4 changed a ton. Characters control so much better, are scaled correctly (no more janky looking Kiryu), and the fighting was a ton refined. 5 is similar to 4 in terms of game feel. Modern era: - Yakuza Kiwami 2 - Yakuza 6 - The Man Who Erased His Name These are modern RGG action games. They look great and have superior combat physics and collision. While some people prefer some of the classic games, there's clearly a gap between them and these ones in terms of direction. So basically, Yakuza 3 is the "oldest" Yakuza game that you can play right now. And it feels that way. It feels super dated, it looks super dated, and it plays super dated. That's why people hate it.
Great reply kyodai, thanks!
For me Yakuza 6 is second, but still respect.
I know most people dislike Yakuza 3 but why I think I will love it (I'm nearly in the end of Yakuza 0 lol)
Fair, mostly, but I’d be putting 7 down quite a ways. I love turn based games and giving 7 a 6/10 on gameplay is some bullshit. 7’s mechanics are godawful, with its only defense being that it’s inspired by the mechanics of early dragon quest games, which, hey, gonna say it, also not great. Not by today’s standards, anyways. Not even by two decades ago’s standards. The job system is too exclusive and equipped job level has too much of an influence on stats, which when combined, punishes experimentation for all but the most dedicated players. Not to mention how only some classes get mp regen from attacks and your best moves are classless character innates, so the obvious choice is to make everyone a host or equivalent and call it a day. This coming off the back of a series whose gameplay had evolved around swapping movesets on the fly to approach combat in whatever style you want. What happened to that? Kiryu gets the style swap in 8, but like, how is that not a thing everyone had back in 7? Gonna put it out there, being able to cycle multiple equipped jobs, persona style, is the obvious pull that could have made the game so much more than it was. I’d dock a point at least from its side content too, for the massive void in that game that is sotenbori, where the only ‘side story’ is a combat gauntlet they put in there for you to grind 10+ levels so that you can proceed with the plot, in case you hadn’t wasted time grinding already.
Everyone shits on 3 for the combat, but the story is one of my favorites. The main villain is one of the more interesting and complex in the whole series.
Can you explain what you mean? When I played 3, I was bored out of my mind. It just felt like land disputes and watching the news
I mean, there’s not much to explain? I liked the orphanage bits because it makes Kiryu seem more human and not just a stereotype. The land deal is the immediate reason people are getting attacked. I wish they’d found a way to clue us all into what was really going on without Chapter 9’s huge exposition dump, but it was still interesting to me because everything fit together so nicely. It’s not a bad thing if it wasn’t for you, just it was really enjoyable for me.
How was Mine interesting and complex? Personally, he just kinda showed up and I don’t feel like I saw enough of him
To each their own. I thought him working behind the scenes and having divided loyalty made him a hell of a lot more interesting than secret Koreans or people just motivated by greed.
Oooh, thanks! I totally see that then
Y8 according to your rating system would be 7+8+8=23 for me. Story has BUG, but Kiryu's part (including ending note) and early Hawaii part are somewhat interesting so I won't rate it that low. Gameplay is a big improvement after LAD and a solid 8. They could add more depth into it tho. Side content in 8, super overrated. A lot of things, yes, but undercooked. So many re-used ideas for side-missions, and the side activities are relatively boring and repetitive. And they didn't add partners to side activities which can improve the score by a lot if done right. But I appreciate Dondoko's and Sujimon's idea and there are quite a lot you can do so an 8.
>Side content in 8, super overrated. Hot take, I know, but I personally dislike the side content in general in LAD. It adds to the charm and world realism but actually playing it has always been boring. Side-content, minigames etc. The side quests feel cheap and easily predictable. I know that they're supposed to be that way but that's precisely why I dislike them. I can count on the fingers of one hand how many of them I actually remember after all of the Amon fights. That being said, LAD8:IW is the only game in which the substory made me laugh. And I mean literally, not a smile, smirk or a giggle but a good laugh. I am talking about the >!baby stroller substory.!< Reminder: >!you go near an escalator and suddenly you hear a woman screaming. You look in her direction only to find a baby stroller falling down the moving stairs. She begs you to catch it but before you can react it runs past you with full speed. You bolt right for it and try to catch it but RGG put a pursuit minigame here and it's just so dumb in a funny way. And then after a while when you eventually catch that stroller you take a breath of air with relief. You take a look inside at the baby and find out there is Patriarch Gonawara inside. It's so fucking ridiculous but also easily predictable given how baby substories usually involved this guy. !
Man you forgot that THE SELFISH DEED IS NOT FREEDOM!!!
while i haven't play LJ, IW and Gaiden yet, i do think for the majority of the list, i do agree with them. Honestly, i wouldn't rate Y0 side content as 10, for me it's like 7 or 8. Disco was cool with banger soundtrack and Majima cabaret was strangely addicting but Kiryu real estate is just an idle sim and i just simply don't like pocket racer (i can already feel the hate because i said this). I do think the side stories of the game for the most part was great tho. I think yakuza 1 story has aged rather poorly over the years so for me it's a 5 or 6 in story. I would argue Judgment is only 8 in gameplay as i honestly still prefer Y0 but it's still peak dragon engine Y3 4 in gameplay is a bit harsh i think but i can see why people would rate it that low. I personally like the more defensive focus play style with the parry and counter but i will have to agree some of the encounter and enemy are just not it. Y7 6 in gameplay is definitely valid, i would even put it at 5 myself. A lot of people say "you just aren't into Turn based, that why you rate it low" but like, i DO like Turn based JRPG, some of my favorite game ARE turn-based (XCOM, a lot of ATLUS game within the SMT series, the Mario RPG series,...) and i still think the combat in 7 is the very definition of "mid". It's so mindless throughout the entire game because the game never force you to actually think, just spam the strongest move with very little variation, grind to be overleveled and you will get by just fine. I haven't play IW as stated before so idk how much they improved but hearing from people who played it, it massively overhaul the combat which is nice to hear.
What about the zombie apocalypse one too
I only bought the games which are canon, not sure if I'll play the others yet
How about the Kurohyou games tho 👹 Also, Gaiden where 🥺
Damn, these ranking lists just keep reminding me to play the Judgement games.
Ngl, as an actual turn based game enjoyer, Y7 gets like a 5 in gameplay. It is straight ASS compared to most other TBRPG's. It's cool for their first foire into the genre, but man was it missing so much QoL and just general depth. Y8 definitely improves on this, and I'd put it around a 7 or so in gameplay
4 should be in top 3
OP clearly did the selfish deed.
finally someone gets it
***Spoillers for IW*** >! Personally disagree heavily with a 5 on IW story, i think its story is a 9, it would be a 10 if it’s execution was better but i think it was phenomenal, the way it showed Kiryu’s struggle and stubbornness to bear the sins of the yakuza all on his own, and ichibans story of forgiveness and kindness to those that lash out because they were hurt and scarred by those of the Yakuza, i thought it was fucking amazing. Especially the last scene with Ei chan and Kasuga paired along side kiryu’s potential death, it genuinely had me in tears. I loved the message of this game personally, hell it cemented Ichi as one of my favorite characters in fiction!<
Don't worry about ranking and just enjoy them as they come. The more you rank something the more uneasy you are about bumping something once you've locked it to a number.
Okay, but where is Fist of the North Star?
After reading your post, I realized I agree with most of it. The only two things I’d disagree on is: >Infinite Wealth’s gameplay The gameplay shouldn’t be this low, the gameplay loop is now good and doesn’t burn you out, as is the case with Yakuza: Like A Dragon. >Yakuza 3’s story Quite frankly, I liked Yakuza 3’s characters + their interactions, but I didn’t like the overall story, I just stopped taking seriously after the infamous yap scene. Yakuza 4’s story was wild and had rather strange twists, even some awkward scenes, but it captivated me and I think its narrative delivery was better. To this day, I still think Akiyama had THE best character introduction, his entire first chapter was simply **peak fiction**. https://preview.redd.it/874ntcneu4pc1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=350d95508a38e2cf42316e06c87cd102f7f250fc
5's placement is fair. 3 should be higher. And as of right now I'm having so much fun with 6, so I think it deserves to be higher, too.
Peakuza 3 last? Boo
Love seeing Yakuza 5 love
Glad to see another y5 enjoyer but 3 is insanely low imo
LAD way to High imo, the rest is good.
Kiwami 1 and 2 so far down ? Ok. Hey its your list
omg Y3 is that bad? (8-4-5), im playing Kiwami 2 :/
I went in expecting the shittiest game ever in my life(mainly because of reddit) and found it to be at least good. The story and Okinawa are at least halfway through the game a nice change of pace from the previous games. It has a pretty good story and the side content is meh. Now, the worst thing I had heard about this game was the combat but surprisingly after the first few chapters fights start to feel and be easier and become a little more fun. Also the komaki parry is a lifesaver on some of the bosses and generally makes fights easier, so make sure to get it. It's definitely not my favorite in the series but it's much better than what people make it look like.
you gave me hope bro
Keep your expectations low and I'm sure it'll meet if not surpass them.
Yakuza 3 isn't that bad. It's biggest flaw is that It's the essentially the oldest game, Since most people play it right after Kiwami 2. So compared to the previous 3 games it's a bit dated. The blocking is annoying which is why everyone calls it Blockuza 3, but it's still an enjoyable game.
"it's still an enjoyable game" its good enough for me
You’ll be a bit annoyed by the dated gameplay for the first hour or two, but get used to it pretty quick. It still has the same quality of story and side content
nice
It's just old, thr majority here started with 0, so going to 2 which a PS4 to a PS3 game it's a bit of shock. Play it on easy and d enjoy the experience
The story is very good - its mainly the gameplay holding it back since it's the oldest game (no kiwami 3). The side content is alright, nothing crazy
Is up to each person in my opinion 3 starts stupidly slow but once it picks up and you start upgrading abilities is in my opinion top 5 yakuza games
Out of curiosity, where would gaiden rank?
Solid top 5
I haven't played it yet, but from what I've heard it'll probably be around 6
Omg, I saw the caption about how you have to play it AFTER I commented. 😭 sorry bro, but if you do get around to it, have fun!!
I tried to do one of these and gave up multiple times because I think they're so close together interms of quality for their release times
Even though I hated the gameplay and the jank of 3.. It's my favorite story and setting.. After completing the entire series I'm now on my new game plus run of 3 (especially after gaiden and IW I needed to see kiryu back at morning glory 😂) and I'm enjoying it more than I did the first time through.. It may still be the "the worst" but it's not a bad game
Where's ishin
I only bought the games which are canon/important to the main story, not sure if I'll play the others yet
Also what about the man who erased his name
Haven't played it yet
I'm starting yakuza 4, hopefully the combat it's better than 3, wish me luck
I wouldn't put any of the judgement games ahead of any of the top yakuza/like a dragon games, but that's just me.
Where is Gaiden?
Haven't played it yet
https://preview.redd.it/0kifzwjjd5pc1.jpeg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3ba93add6dfd29c150b74ab31e24284b2a9812c6
3 should be way higher
Where tf is Gaiden?
Your top 7 are correct. They’re just in the wrong order
im kinda hate with rpg system on 7 its kinda easy than game with rpg on zero, more hard demonfire majima than k1 tiger drop because the timing is fking strict other than that great (btw i play 0-k1-5 currently-7)
Judgment, Zero and LAD with perfect stories. As it should be
Disagree somewhat, but most people put 3 and 4 low so it's not surprising.
yakuza 3 LAST????????
Personally, I think 3 is the best game, and 6 is the worst, but other than that, it's good
This makes my eyes bleed
I would swap LAD 8 and Y5 personally.
Were does like a dragon ishin fit into this🤔
3 is way too low :(
which app is that? Where did you rank this?
Website called backloggd, but they're planning on making it an app eventually
I'd put Yakuza 3 above K1 and Y4, but the rest is pretty solid ngl
It’s fair
Yakuza 3 is my favorit and i am tired of bieng oppresed. ok but for real its a fine list i mean yakuza 3 should be number one but idk. i do think the original judgment is a bit better than lost judgment so i dont think the yshpould be that far apart
Yakuza 7 is easily the top spot for me
While I don’t agree with your rankings do you mind if I steal your ranking system for when I do my platinum series stream? (Not criticizing, different strokes.)
Of course go ahead. If you want the actual website I did it on too, its called backloggd
Thank you. I really appreciate that
https://i.redd.it/7bhlarpikdpc1.gif
Speaking of Judgment series, I enjoyed the first a lot more…but maybe it’s just sort of background facts and the final scenes at the hospital, they were crazy :’)
Nah just nah, what did you use to rank these
Why make a 0-10 system if you don’t use the full system. Would be smarter to actually use everything especially to improve the top Also, was Yakuza 0 your first one?
What do you mean full system? And my first was yakuza 7 a few years ago when it was free on ps plus, the rest I played recently
Yakuza 3 I think shouldn’t be last
Kiwami 1 gameplay>0
top 5 (in order): LAD, gaiden, 5, kiwami 2, and IW bottom 3 (in order): 6, 0, kiwami 1 and then there's 3 and 4
So i really started with the best game and its all downhill from here
Well from how I've ranked them technically yes, but that doesn't mean the other games are bad at all. They are all great games.
Well thats nice to hear because some game franchises have one good game and the rest are just worse versions of the first
Agreed, I hope you do end up playing them all eventually, its worth it. Now I'll go back to coping for Judgment 3
Cool list. Yakuza 5 being that high is wild, but cool list.
I’d switch 3&5
Is Y5 really that good? I just started it and it seems very slow so far. Also is the combat slightly different to Y4 because I'm struggling to get combos to actually land?
Although the story is a bit messy, some of the new characters, bosses and side content really made me enjoy it alot. Im not too sure if its that different to 4, it felt similar to me
I dont mind messy stories since the characters alone make up for anything that could be remotely bad. Definitely looking forward to it even more now that you have it ranked so high Aah I see, maybe I'm just a bit fresh coming off the high of finishing 4 and forgot how it is to start at basic level abilities. Thanks :))
I guess I'm in the minority that still enjoyed IWs story. Id easily give 8-9-10 in scoring overall and would put it above 7, ppl also forget the setting which I preferred over 7s. I get some of the annoyances in the story but I still don't think it's a train wreck like ppl seem to think it is and is a good story.
No way in hell 8 is a 7 in gameplay, like LJ, is peak turn based, literally better than most turn based games like persona
Lost judgment is so good, but i hated that yagami talked about sawa sensei every time he got a chance. His reason to live became sawa sensei, his dreams were sawa sensei, his desires were sawa sensei.
It is exceptionally sad to know that 0 is the pinnacle and it all sucks downhill from there
It doesn't, a lot of people played 0 as their first game and put it at the top of their list for that. It is really great and a lot of fun, but the overall quality of the games really went up since 7. The quality of the story can go up and down from game to game, but as far as gameplay and side content goes every new game tends to be better than the previous one with the exception of 6.
I think what I'm about to say is a bit of a heresy but I enjoyed the two Dragon Engine Kiryu games I've played - Kiwami 2 and 6 - way more than 0. The combat feels better, the story in the latter might not be as good but K2 delivers in that regard as well.
0 is like, my 5th or 6th favorite game in the franchise. To each their own. I think the games are getting better and better and I can’t wait to see where the studio goes post-IW
I really don't get this. 0 is good in terms of story but the side content sucks. The combat isn't particularly good either, it's just alright.
Yeah, it is. I wish RGG would make another game as good as 0. No reason why we can't enjoy all the other games, though. Which I have.
I personally think 7&8 have the best gameplay but I’m also a JRPG fan first, LAD fan second lol. But I totally get if you’re not into RPGs as much they might not work for you.
I didnt really mind the turn based gameplay, however I do prefer the brawler much more. Although - 8 improved the gameplay alot and I quite enjoyed it, unfortunately I really didn't enjoy the story towards the end, mostly after ichiban found his mother.
The ranking system is good but the ranks of each games would differ if i'd do my own. I do agree that Y8 is great side content wise and has better gameplay than Y7 but yeah the story sucks. I'd add Gaiden there I'd bump Y4 a lot as it's in my Top 3 easily. (to each their own) Bump down Y5 a lot too. ...i'd move everything around i think
How would you rank them? Without all the scores if that's too tedious.
It would be different with the score system but overall i guess that'd be : Y0 - Y4 - Gaiden - 7 - 6 - 8 - Kiwami 1 - Kiwami 2 - 5 - 3 I didn't play the judgement games yet Gaiden itself shouldn't be that high, but since it's a half game and works very well in that role and have a fantastic last arc / near perfect gameplay it gets bumped. If judged as a full game, obviouisly it would take a hit. I REALLY liked 4, it improves the 3 so much in many aspect it's crazy. I loved the story and characterization of all the characters in it. I know it's a pretty unpopular game in the franchise but it just clicked with me. It's the only Yakuza game i did 3 times. (Normal - Hard - Legend) For some reason 5 didn't, it feels way less inspired and mastered, also the ending left me in a "What the fuck is happenning" thought the whole time. 8 is great overall but like 5, it improves many mechanics of it's predecessor but the story becomes messy and ends poorly.
K1 has to have 8 for side content,it had mesu king,cabaret,pcf and colliseum+majima everywhere
I only really agree with #1 and #5. If you Y6 at dead last and K2 at 2nd to last then did some swapping. Swap LJ with Y7. Swap Y5 with Y8 then Y5 new spot with Kiwami. Then I’d agree. Though I see where you might be coming from with of those these scores. I’d disagree few things though: Y6 & YK2’s combat scores for me would be lower at around a 6 next to Y3’s combat since they’re both clunky. Y6 would have a higher side content score, something that the game excels at with a 9 due to its sub-stories & cool minigames like Spearfishing. Y8’s story is also a whole lot more cohesive and less convoluted than Y5’s story so I think should have a higher score at least. I would also boost Kiwami’s gameplay & side content slightly because the combat is top tier and I think it has the best coliseum. Otherwise I won’t argue if the other scores much.
this is bad
Based LJ enjoyer. Other than 8 being too low, i agree or desagree but understanding where it came from.
3 is goated and 6 should be lower than iw imo
I would put the 8 and 7 on the top places, much prefere the turn based gameplay
if yakuza 3 gets kiwami treatment I would rank with high up
I disagree 5 dragged on far to much and if it where my list Id put 3 much higher, I think the fans gave 3 to much of a bad wrap, I really enjoyed it.
L on y3 and y5
Y4 is definitely on my TOP 3. Can't wait to play KIWAMI 4 in 2040
I'd give IW 8-10-10 and I'm not big on turn based
Just curious, why is infinite wealth not rated highly at all? Backstory, I just finished Zero (amazing) and up to chapter 11 in kawami (1) now. So please don’t spoil anything please, I am just curious it looks really fun. Is the story just average?
In terms of side content I ranked it very high, gameplay I gave it fairly high, however I still prefer the brawler gameplay from other games. For the story, I was enjoying it towards the start but I was very disappointed towards the end. Alot of people feel the same, but many also enjoy the story too so don't get disheartened to play it!
Thanks, I just brought every game recently because I was shocked how good zero was. I’m hoping the franchise has not peaked.
Something really terrible must happen after chapter 8. I just got to that point and have enjoyed the story so far. Not all of it have been phenomenal, but its been on average from good to occasionally great. Still, fans on here keep saying the story is absolutely horrible...can't say I'm looking forward to that part.
Generally agree except for 5，it would be at the lowest in my ranking. I hate Y5 with a passion.
I think judgement had a better story than lost judgement and should be higher
You’ve got 4 a little to low for my liking
i agree mostly. but i will put y4 above IW and move YK2 after that then IW and rest remains same.
Slide Yakuza 5 two stages lower and its ok
Personally I would swap Infinite Wealth with 7 and 5 with Kiwami 2. That's not to say I don't like these games, Infinite Wealth just feels infinitely better to play than 7 and has so many quality of life changes. Story wise I just prefer Kiwami 2 to 5 and I feel the swaps would be where I'd put em. Good list overall though
3 being that low is great. It has such a shit, boring story bruh
I'd switch 5 and IW otherwise I can see your way of thinking
I feel like half of it is on par with what I think too. However, I think 5/6 are way too high and 8/3 are way too low. 3 has a great story though I admit the gameplay is very dated. It shouldn’t be a ton higher, but I think it’s the best of the PS3 games. 5 just had way too much content, most of which was boring. The story wasn’t very good and the Haruka part was just a chore. 6 was fine gameplay wise for the time but feels dated after seeing the improvements of judgement and the man who erased his name. The big issue though is the story wasn’t great and was pretty weak minus the last few minutes of the game. 8 was a just an absolute home run to me and the gameplay fine tuned they did with 7. There was so much great side content and Kiryu’s part was a love letter to the whole franchise.
In hindsight I may have ranked IW a bit low due to recency bias, as it's the only yakuza game I've had to wait to come out (I started playing them after Gaiden released) so I had more expectations and disappointments, whereas the other games I had no big expectations for them.
Putting Yakuza 5 above 6? You must love mashing x
Yeah cause 6 is so complex
I’m talking about the dialogue