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

Ivan

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Grampy_Bone

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Finished Yakuza 0. Eh.

Just eh. I know some people love it and swear it's the best in the series, and while I understand how they feel they are entitled to their wrong opinion. I enjoyed Kiwami 1 and 2 more, and even Yakuza 5 and 6 were better in most ways.

Best thing about the game is the combat styles and even those were better implemented in Kiwami 1. For Kiryu I never needed more than Brawler, though Beast is useful for the heat moves; Rush I hardly used at all. That's a sharp contrast to Kiwami where the bosses would destroy you if you weren't mastering every style, although it's possible I'm just better at these games now than when I played that one. Kiwami may have been the toughest Yakuza game in general so Zero being another mindless masher isn't too unusual. I did like how Dragon style was a refinement of many moves from the other styles that unlocked all at once. It felt like a nice reward compared to Kiwami where it was locked behind so many Majima battles it felt pointless. For Majima his Mad Dog style was basically a downgrade compared to Slugger, and while it was useful for crowd control he already had that covered with Breaker. It general it seemed like it was harder to get access to heat moves with Majima in every style except Slugger.

The gimmick of paying money to level up was kinda funny but falls apart at the insane upgrade costs making random fights pointless. Random battles being worthless is a general problem in several Yakuza games to be sure but this was the first game in the series where I just avoided most battles entirely. The only ways to level up were occasional bossfights, minigames, and Mr. Shakedown. Cabaret club was fine but since I already played that in Kiwami 2 I wasn't that interested in it, and Real Estate Royale was tedious beyond belief. You have to reinvest all your profits to make progress so it never feels like you're getting anything out of it until the very end; if it weren't the only way to unlock your styles I wouldn't have bothered. Mr. Shakedown was another funny idea but poorly implemented; he's got a boring moveset and basically one strategy of hit and run until you wear him down. It's kinda like how the best way to level up in Kiwami 1 is from Majima fights which get real repetitive but at least they are a challenge, Mr. Shakedown is worse in every possible way. In the end thanks to Deep Pockets I had 800 billion yen but I didn't level past Legend 3 for either character because the act of unlocking each ability in the menu was yet more tedium.

So the other thing the game has going for it is story, and well, eh. Didn't do much for me. It's the standard problem for all prequels; it has to struggle to find a reason to exist and this one failed. MGS3 it ain't. I went into this thinking I was playing the origin story for Kiryu and Majima but in the end they already have an origin story and it's called Yakuza 1. This is some kind of fan fiction added later that only raises dumb questions, like how did Kiryu go from being a real estate tycoon worth hundreds of millions of dollars to a mid-level bagman for a crime syndicate? The answer isn't even in *this* fucking game, as at the end he's apparently joining the Dojima family as a grunt while still owning half the fucking city. No one even mentions his side hustle despite being canon (its how he learned his signature fighting style!) and we're left to assume he just gave it all up to hassle shopkeepers like a common goon. Really though the fact this game's plot McGuffin is an empty lot is so boring it beggars belief. We're supposed to care so much about people fighting over real estate? GTFO. There's just no human element (for Kiryu anyway) to make me care. The only scenes that were mildly interesting were the ones with Nishki but only because I know what happens to him later. Overall it's yet another story of how Kiryu is super loyal to a bunch of backstabbing Tojo assholes for no apparent reason. THESE are the people who he was willing to go to jail for to protect in Yakuza 1? Fucking Kuze? I did like though how every new villain they introduce finds some way to die so there's no question why they never showed up in the earlier games.

Majima generally steals the show with his story of the disgraced yakuza desperate to regain his position even if it means murder, until he falls for his target. The only problem is the guy in this game isn't Majima. He's pretty much the same sort of aww-shucks nice guy boy scout as Kiryu, albeit a bit more relaxed and less serious all the time. He's not that wacky psychopathic maniac Majima from every other game. I was waiting to see how this calm and composed cabaret host becomes the Mad Dog but it just never happened. Even the most obvious moment of unhinging (you know who dying) never actually happens, like the game gets cold feet at the last minute, but he still goes nuts like they died anyway? He gets super sad and nihilistic for all of five minutes at one point so I guess that was it. I just didn't buy it, unless the game is trying to tell me that Majima's craziness is actually a façade for a deeply depressed broken shell of a man. I never got that sense from his other appearances where he seemed to be joyfully insane and loving it. Were they trying to ruin Majima with this game? Good job I guess?

Basically if you want to know how this guy:



Becomes THIS dude:



...Too fucking bad, because it's not in this game.

Probably the biggest blue balls misstep of the entire fucking SERIES is the fact that Kiryu and Majima
never even meet during the game! Not until the post credits scene where we get a "Kiryu-chan" that's totally unearned. He's only ever heard of this guy, they didn't get one single moment together for the entire story, and now they've spawned an enduring rivalry for the ages? WTF? I'm actually insulted at how inept this is. The storytelling in this series has generally been solid, if melodramatic. But making a game about Kiryu and Majima origins and not putting them together for even one single fucking battle is just such an unbelievable waste. Game would have been far better if they had interacted and actually played off each other in some way (or fought! just once!) Instead we get a Nishki battle that's actually really good but feels like a warmup for a Kiryu/Majima fight that never occurs. This is a game where dudes emote and become friends with their fists and I still just cannot believe they missed this.

Overall it was a fun game but the more I think about the more I see it as such a missed opportunity it makes me hate it. If you're thinking of playing these games I say start with Kiwami and forget Zero even exists. There's no point to it and you're not missing anything.
 
Last edited:

distant

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Finished Yakuza 0. Eh.

YES! Finally someone who felt the same way I did. I originally played Yakuza 1 and 2 on PS2 on release and never had a PS3 so I didn't touch another game until 0. When I heard that Majima was a playable character, damn I had a lot of expectations coming in, a deeper look into the pathology of his character, fleshing out the origins of the antagonistic relationship between him and Kiryu. I guess part of it was on me because I always imagined his backstory to be somewhat similar to a character like Kakihara in Ichi the Killer. Not donning his iconic outfit/becoming the Majima that we all know until the final cut scene? Come on dude. Barely bridged the gap between 0 and 1.

I don't disagree about the gameplay elements that you bring up but they didn't really bother me and felt the combat to be most interesting and diverse of the series. Narrative wise, was also pretty good (for what it is) when I let go of all my preconceptions and just went with it. Nostalgia aside it's definitely one of the best games in the series, they did so much right... but... yeah, deep down, wasn't the game I really wish it was.

Shit, got me feeling disappointed all over again after I spent the entirety of my playtime getting over it.
 

Broseph

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I just finished the main story of Yakuza 6 on XBone and now that’s the third game in the series I’ve beat after 0 and Like a Dragon. I’d put it between the two in terms of quality, with LAD being the best. Kiwami 1 I never finished cuz it seemed to me the most difficult of them.

The entire game was fairly easy except for the final chapter, which seemed like a massive difficulty spike. That aside, I have pretty much no complaints. Story and characters were exceptionally great as usual.

Which game should I play next, back to Kiwami or something else?
 

Broseph

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I finished 0 and LAD on normal difficulty and played all of 6 on normal save for the final chapter. The gameplay is somehow just consistently so fun even when it’s piss easy. Love everything about this series. With most vidya games nowadays I can’t sit down and play them for more than an hour or two at a time before losing interest, but with a Yakuza game I will literally sit and play for 6+ hours straight and the time passes by like it’s nothing.

LAD in particular was the game I’d been waiting to play my entire life: a turn-based beat-em-up RPG. Couldn’t be more thrilled with the direction they’re taking it.
 

Endemic

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LAD in particular was the game I’d been waiting to play my entire life: a turn-based beat-em-up RPG. Couldn’t be more thrilled with the direction they’re taking it.

I heard 7/LAD is quite grindy, what did you think of the skill\experience system?
 

TheImplodingVoice

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LAD in particular was the game I’d been waiting to play my entire life: a turn-based beat-em-up RPG. Couldn’t be more thrilled with the direction they’re taking it.

I heard 7/LAD is quite grindy, what did you think of the skill\experience system?
They aren't grindy at all. If you want grindy then play Yakuza 5 and Fist Of The North Star :) Judgment is pretty grindy as well. But I'd rather get the platinum trophy for Judgment than ever do a 100% run of Yakuza 5 again. Took me 184 hours to get the platinum. The only issue that LAD has is that it has maybe a bit too many random encounters. Dead Souls could get grindy as well. But the story was so batshit crazy you forgot about the grinding

I don't talk about Yakuza 0 because Yakuza 0 fags and newcomers ruined Yakuza. I miss the days that we had to beg Sega to release Yakuza games in the west
 

Rean

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Strap Yourselves In
--- Y0 rant ---

Most of what you state is correct. Regarding the story, it's all a big retcon and there's no actual continuity with the 'sequels'. It frustrated me too.

It's best to view the game as more of a what-if scenario that serves to elucidate some of the unexplained history, slightly detached from the rest of the series. I also think it helps to play it first, rather than after the other Yakuza games, although the feeling of having played a retcon will linger forever when you try to connect the stories, no matter what.
The gameplay and coolness factor in 0 are still off the charts and Kiryu and Majima's character development easily overtakes all other games in the series put together. It also can't be overstated how much better the Majima of 0 is in comparison to the unhinged retard throughout the rest of the series.
 

Broseph

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LAD in particular was the game I’d been waiting to play my entire life: a turn-based beat-em-up RPG. Couldn’t be more thrilled with the direction they’re taking it.

I heard 7/LAD is quite grindy, what did you think of the skill\experience system?

The grindiest part of the game doesn’t come until fairly late into the main story when you discover the Sotenbori Battle Arena. I had to run through all 50 floors a couple times to get my party up to level 50. Other than that, you can pretty much grind at your own pace without any issues.

I quite like the skill and experience system, it took me about 90 hours to max out all stats. For each stat you raise to 10 there’s a different female NPC you can romance and a special substory that unlocks after you’ve done each of the romance substories. 99% of players won’t see it, but it’s pretty hilarious.
 

distant

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Reasdost: 7514245 said:
... Majima's character development easily overtakes all other games in the series put together. It also can't be overstated how much better the Majima of 0 is in comparison to the unhinged retard throughout the rest of the series.

The series needs more anti-heroes... enough with this Yakuza with a heart of gold shit. 4 did a better job of fleshing out Majima's backstory (even though it kind of fell apart towards the end) while also remaining consistent with the rest of the series. That narrative had much more compelling beats,
the introduction of Saejima, the assassination mission, the confrontation after 30 years, the back story behind how he lost his eye.

I haven't played Kiwami 1/2 but I heard they doubled down on the insanity to play for laughs but in the originals he wasn't as ridiculously unhinged.
 

Broseph

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Finished the main story of Kiwami tonight. Overall I enjoyed it, but it didn’t compel me to play it further than 18 hours. For whatever reason I think the substories and other side content were more enjoyable in 0, 6, and LAD. I put in over 70 hours in 0, 30 hours in 6 and 93 hours in LAD. The combat system in 6 felt more streamlined yet also more consistently fun.

On to Kiwami 2! :positive:
 

Ezeekiel

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Dec 19, 2016
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cohhcarnage is doing a playthrough of Lost Judgement if anybody cares. Damn shame that it probably won't come to pc because of the talent agency which owns the MC actor's likeness or whatever...


Also... There's this radio song in the yakuza games (at least in 5 and both Judgements) I'm trying to identify and there's just no damn info.
Any codex bro got any leads? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBm...HR93De2SELMNHpgnyod3h7QMf6j&index=119&t=8361s <- Song 72 at 2:19:21, in case the video timestamp isn't working.
I've tried Shazam and audiotag.info already, no dice.

Maybe there's a list of the radio/pa songs in Japanese or something? Why don't they add that stuff to the credits damnit.
 

Silentstorm

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Apr 29, 2019
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Lost Judgment got out, i pre-ordered it but still have to play it, review scores are good but i sadly heard that the first-person parts where you search stuff are back and that sucks, is it there just to justify it's a spin-off?

Those add nothing and are simple enough that it's just you looking for something to focus on, then again, some of the mini-games in Judgment were annoying and felt shoved in like even using a damn key
 

Gerrard

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Nov 5, 2007
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In Yakuza 0, what is the point of the moves that are under the "Grab" button for styles that don't have a grab? Because I tried everything and it seems you cannot combo into them, out of them, they have awful amount of recovery, and aren't particularly powerful either.

Also... There's this radio song in the yakuza games (at least in 5 and both Judgements) I'm trying to identify and there's just no damn info.
Any codex bro got any leads? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBm...HR93De2SELMNHpgnyod3h7QMf6j&index=119&t=8361s <- Song 72 at 2:19:21, in case the video timestamp isn't working.
Where in the game can you hear this? Might be easier to find some info looking based on that.
 

Silentstorm

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Apr 29, 2019
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So, Super Monkey Ball:Banana Mania is being made by these guys, and Kiryu is playable in the game, so...anyone planning on buying the game?
 

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