Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio (Yakuza, Judgment, Binary Domain + more!) Discussion Thread

[Vaarna_Aarne]

How can anyone say Judgment is the worst Yakuza when it features these heat actions

IMO the chopsticks heat action introduced in Yakuza 6 (and reappears in both Yakuza Kiwami 2 and Judgment) is the best heat action, but yea the drunken master and yakuza car ones are top tier.

 

[Misco Jones]

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2383596703

 

[Ivan]

So I reached the Ornstein and Smough equivalent in Like A Dragon

Spoiler

also, I totally thought the game was going to end at Ch 12 with that cliffhanger...but it's still GOING!

 

[flyingjohn]

Anyone prefer the kiwami games to the originals?
I know there is a lot of bad stuff about kiwami(cut content,massive asset reuse,bloat,etc) but playing the originals feels like a death of a thousand cuts in terms of annoyances( exploration is especially annoying thanks to the camera and loading).
Not to mention hat pcsx2 has annoying graphical issues with these games.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Every time I open up Kiwami to finish the story and I keep getting distracted because hunting Majima down is more fun.

 

[Deflowerer]

Anyone prefer the kiwami games to the originals?
I know there is a lot of bad stuff about kiwami(cut content,massive asset reuse,bloat,etc) but playing the originals feels like a death of a thousand cuts in terms of annoyances( exploration is especially annoying thanks to the camera and loading).
Not to mention hat pcsx2 has annoying graphical issues with these games.

Kiwami 1, yes, Kiwami 2, no.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Anyone prefer the kiwami games to the originals?
I know there is a lot of bad stuff about kiwami(cut content,massive asset reuse,bloat,etc) but playing the originals feels like a death of a thousand cuts in terms of annoyances( exploration is especially annoying thanks to the camera and loading).
Not to mention hat pcsx2 has annoying graphical issues with these games.

Yes to both for me. Especially with Kiwami 2, since I really like the Dragon Engine (whereas Kiwami does more critical plot improvements with the added Nishiki cutscenes) and it's more optimized in Kiwami 2 than in Yakuza 6 (I've talked about this a lot, but the biggest flaw in Yakuza 6 is slowdowns in Kamurocho if you're in a spot where you have several overlapping transparent windows).

 

[Great Deceiver]

I just found out yesterday that Yakuza 0, Kiwami 1 and 2 and 3-4-5 remastered are all available on Xbox Game Pass PC. Pretty good for a dollar!

edit: I'm all for supporting RGG Studio and purchasing the games. Just thought it'd be nice to give people a head's up.

 

[Ivan]

I just found out yesterday that Yakuza 0, Kiwami 1 and 2 and 3-4-5 remastered are all available on Xbox Game Pass PC. Pretty good for a dollar!

Yeah, thought about that, but I'm leaning on paying for the 3-5 collection just to show my support. But if you DO have gamepass, go for it. I would feel dirty going for another free trial just for it though.


Finished Yakuza 7 campaign (expanded thoughts in Watchu Playing thread)

I loved it. Ichiban is an awesome protagonist, the companions are a lovable bunch, and the gameplay is super over-the-top comedic dumb fun. Buy this shit, we definitely need more games that don't shy from celebrating the more ridiculous aspects of the medium

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Every time I open up Kiwami to finish the story and I keep getting distracted because hunting Majima down is more fun.

What the fuck I finished it.

 

[StaticSpine]

Bros, thanks a bunch for advising Like a Dragon. Enjoying it a lot so far.

 

[Fishy]

Finished 3 at the weekend, spoilers inbound...

Spoiler

It was a bit underwhelming overall, though the ending lifted it. Now, I don't mind the graphics, they're good enough for me, and stuff like the janky movement or door transitions were just a case of getting used to in in the first 20 minutes, so no big deal. But the combat somehow never felt good. There doesn't seem to be a big move variety, and heat actions seem in short supply too. This is aggravated by the constant blocking of NPCs, and I never managed to really get a proper timing on the dodge. Like, when I dodge in time, half the time the NPC just chains up his next attack while spinning towards me and I take the hit. So, meh. It was ok in heavy environmental areas, but otherwise, some fights felt more tedious than they should have.

But ultimately, it's the story which let me down a bit. It was ok, but never felt as dramatic and plot-twisty as in 0/K/K2/7. To the point where even a dramatic death like Rikiya's just didn't feel big. If anything, the big guy taking the hammer on the head was more impactful (and somehow he survived it too). I don't know, I guess the game spent too long to my liking on the orphanage kids. As a chill wholesome intro, it was fine, but I felt it started to really overstay its welcome as every single time the plot is about to move, yet another kid has its own drama session. Not to mention that nearing on the endgame, there's more unskippable kid stuff coming back... This seems to have taken its fair share of the writing/development effort too, as the rest of the story feels rather short, straight to the point, and lacking in big moments. Ok, Kashiwagi should have hit more, and here I have only myself to blame since I played 7 already so, well, he didn't exactly feel dead to me. Daigo is the same, I know he makes it, and he was off-screen all along anyhow. Then there's the baddies, and they fell a bit flat. The bald fattie was ok, with some background and a bit of development, but the rest? Kai Long just appears to be beaten up again, the other captain gets beaten off-screen, the one in Okinawa just feels random (not even a proper bull fight even), and the least said about immortal CIA guy the better. Oh about that, that plot-twist-I'm-not-unconcscious-and-I-got-my-gun-back is overplayed. As for Majima, he's been turned into too much of a comic relief to feel like anything more than a soulless "here is your traditional Majima fight". They almost nailed some drama with Kiryu getting knifed post-ending, but had to ruin it with the post-credit scene showing him recovering at the orphanage. Obviously, I knew he'd make it, but still, that seemed to defeat the moment.

On the positive though, the little area in Okinawa is neat, the beach was a nice sight compared to the otherwise urban setting, and while combat feels off, mobs are sparse enough to not overdo it. I thought the main storyline sort of redeemed itself with the final gauntlet and rooftop drama, though the second Mine becomes sympathetic, it's obvious that they're going to kill him. At least they made it a good death.

Overall it was fun. Not as good as the rest of the linup as far as I'm concerned, but entertaining and with its own more low-key vibe. And I'd likely have spent a lot more time on it were it not for having played 7 recently and not being in the mood for most of the returning minigames.

Got 4 downloaded, not sure if I'll hit it straight away or take a little break. Glad Sega ported the collection, I'd be devastated now if the sequels weren't there already!

 

[Jenkem]

fake news I was told that 3 has no jank and is the exact same game as 4 but w/ 1 protag

 

[distant]

Yakuza 3 is pretty cool so far, I like the low-key vibe and though it might feel like filler or a bridge-ep it's still pretty good and I'm glad I played it HOWEVER the passivity of the enemies coupled with insta-blocking every string makes some fights take forever ala Kau Long. Feel like I need to take breaks after boss fights because they become endurance challenges, poke, poke, dodge, chip damage, block, dodge, combo.

 

[Fishy]

Yakuza 3 is pretty cool so far, I like the low-key vibe and though it might feel like filler or a bridge-ep it's still pretty good and I'm glad I played it HOWEVER the passivity of the enemies coupled with insta-blocking every string makes some fights take forever ala Kau Long. Feel like I need to take breaks after boss fights because they become endurance challenges, poke, poke, dodge, chip damage, block, dodge, combo.

That one might have been the worst of the lot. I used all the boxes/bottles for damage and heat bursts, but still that wasn't enough. Think in the end it came down to triggering his stupid chain, then getting in for a single punch or possibly punch+kick before retreating and repeating.

Remember to slot weapons from inventory, they come in handy to chip at those health bars and for on-demand heat attacks.

 

[distant]

That one might have been the worst of the lot. I used all the boxes/bottles for damage and heat bursts, but still that wasn't enough. Think in the end it came down to triggering his stupid chain, then getting in for a single punch or possibly punch+kick before retreating and repeating.

Remember to slot weapons from inventory, they come in handy to chip at those health bars and for on-demand heat attacks.

Good to hear that's the worst of it. Seriously had to chip him down with a jab. Shit felt so anticlimactic.

 

[Jenkem]

Y3 is probably the worst mainline Yakuza game, all things considered.

Still fun though!

 

[Jinn]

Y3 is probably the worst mainline Yakuza game, all things considered.

Still fun though!

I have fond feelings for Yakuza 1, but there is no way it's better than 3.

I've really enjoyed my time with 3 so far. About half way through it at 20 hours right now.

 

[Terra]

Y3 kicked off a trend of dragging Kiryu back into things for some fairly contrived and farfetched reasons and secondly, its climax/end point for Kiryu sucks in comparison to his Y1/Y2 outings, which both had fantastic finales. Even putting aside pacing issues and cut content in the original Y3 release, I'd take Y1 over Y3 any day, it's a far better complete story, even if it now compares unfavourably to 0 as a series starting point. There was a reason why they switched up the formula for Y4 to go multi-protagonist so Kiryu wasn't the sole focus anymore.

 

[Jinn]

Y3 kicked off a trend of dragging Kiryu back into things for some fairly contrived and farfetched reasons and secondly, its climax/end point for Kiryu sucks in comparison to his Y1/Y2 outings, which both had fantastic finales. Even putting aside pacing issues and cut content in the original Y3 release, I'd take Y1 over Y3 any day, it's a far better complete story, even if it now compares unfavourably to 0 as a series starting point. There was a reason why they switched up the formula for Y4 to go multi-protagonist so Kiryu wasn't the sole focus anymore.

I can see how you might like Y1 over 3 if you play Yakuza games just for their story.

I don't. I like the stories, but they definitely aren't my major drive. Though, I think I'm one of the few people who really enjoyed the change of pace Yakuza 3 offered by putting Kiryu in the role of caretaker. And really, Kiryu has plenty of reason to become involved in the situation going on in 3. His home is being threatened,

Spoiler

there is someone murdering people with the face of the man he admired the most in the world

, and he really does miss Kamurocho and feels a constant pull from it despite him wanting to distance himself. It pushes the themes of trying to move into the next phase of your life, but simultaneously being drawn to your past. I can't speak on the whole story because I haven't finished it yet, but so far nothing seems any more ridiculous than what has happened in past games.

From a gameplay and mechanical perspective, there is objectively no way Yakuza 1 is a better game than Yakuza 3.

 

[HoboForEternity]

i can't stop watching this bread scene

it's probably the most satisfying animation i've ever seen in videogames and a poor animator probably missed his son's conception, pregnancy and birth making that bread so fluffy and yummy.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

i can't stop watching this bread scene

it's probably the most satisfying animation i've ever seen in videogames and a poor animator probably missed his son's conception, pregnancy and birth making that bread so fluffy and yummy.

A moment of silence for the loaf of bread that was sacrificed for this motion capture.

 

[HoboForEternity]

i can't stop watching this bread scene

it's probably the most satisfying animation i've ever seen in videogames and a poor animator probably missed his son's conception, pregnancy and birth making that bread so fluffy and yummy.

A moment of silence for the loaf of bread that was sacrificed for this motion capture.

is it physics simulation or motion capture? how would you mocap a bread?

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Whoa men this Kiwami 2 engine is quite impressive.

 

[Jenkem]

Dragon engine. First used in Yakuza 6.

*pushes up glasses and snorts*