Yakuza series

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Re: Yakuza series

Postby Henry Spencer » Sat Sep 02, 2017 11:55 am

I'm really enjoying Kiwami so far, only downside was the boss battle at the end of Chapter 3. Talk about a long battle (and a real slog as well)!

Loving the "Majima Everywhere" system, leads to some hilarious scenarios. I really like the remixed music as well. Shame there isn't more of it though (feels like 0 had way more music in it, especially for combat).
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Re: Yakuza series

Postby Crimson Ryan » Sun Sep 03, 2017 3:25 am

The boss battles really do spike in difficulty on hard mode. Had a boss fight take me 20 minutes last night. Was getting to the point of frustration..
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Re: Yakuza series

Postby Truck_1_0_1_ » Fri Sep 08, 2017 9:35 am

Henry Spencer wrote: I'm really enjoying Kiwami so far, only downside was the boss battle at the end of Chapter 3. Talk about a long battle (and a real slog as well)!

Loving the "Majima Everywhere" system, leads to some hilarious scenarios. I really like the remixed music as well. Shame there isn't more of it though (feels like 0 had way more music in it, especially for combat).


Music is hit and miss, for me;

Nagoshi had said that he wanted to make the music more modern, but both Funk Goes On and Scarlet Scar (the two best pieces from the first game, IMO), sound worse, IMO.

Majima Everywhere is hilarious indeed, but it gets a bit tiresome when he doesn't show up when he's supposed to, in regards to upping the skill circles..

0's music, I'd say, is on par with 3 and 5 for the best music in the entire series; my iPod has:

8 from Kurohyo
10 from 1
11 from 3
11 from Kiwami
13 from 5
16 from Ishin!
20 from 0

Everything else has 3 or less tunes, but yeah, La Di Da and Zenta's tracks from 0 are the absolute bomb.
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Re: Yakuza series

Postby Henry Spencer » Fri Sep 08, 2017 2:48 pm

Yeah 0 definitely has my favourite music in the series. Top to bottom it's great all around, think it's Hidenori Shoji's best work next to 3 (joint favourite OST for the series). I enjoy a couple of the tunes from Kenshin as well.

Biggest weakness I've noticed with Kiwami vs. 0 is the side quests - think 0 has the best collection of subquests in the series, whereas Kiwami so far might have the weakest in comparison (since it's including a lot of the ones from OG 1 so it's outdated in comparison). Still enjoying the game greatly. Really need to go back to 5 and finish it before 6 comes out!

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Re: Yakuza series

Postby Your Boy Leroy » Mon Sep 11, 2017 2:01 pm

The soundtracks from 0 and 2 are my favorites, although it was really only the licensed tracks from Crazy Ken Band for 2 that I really dug. I'm so glad that those tracks remained intact with the US release.

I'm playing through Kiwami right now. I beat the Japanese version when it came out last year, and I was really just kinda "eh..." on it, despite the gameplay and engine being the identical to 0. I guess I never really liked the original Yakuza. I remember being so pumped for it when it was first being released on PS2 back in like, 2005. But when I played it, I thought the combat was terrible. The voice-acting was bad, despite having Hollywood "celebrities doing the dubbing, and the combat mechanics didn't get serviceable until Yakuza 2.

With Kiwami, all of that is fixed. I'm still not a fan of the story, but the new parts about Nishiki's story are great. My biggest gripe though, would have to be the cutscenes. The graphics are just as good as they were in 0, but the developers didn't bother to redo any of the cutscenes (aside from the ones that weren't in the original Yakuza). What you get are these fantastic character models with 2005 PS2 animation. I never thought that the animation in any of the Yakuza series' cutscenes were bad, but maaan...seeing the original animation now with these newer models just hurts and makes Kiwami seem like it was developed and released before 0 (which it kinda was, technically).

The Majima Everywhere System is fun, but it makes no Goddamn sense in relation to the narrative. I get it, Majima is an awesome character, and after being such a major part of Yakuza 0's story, it's understandable that the developers would want to include him more in Kiwami. But Christ, his impact as a character is incredibly diminished by having him pop up so randomly. Not to mention that his behavior in the cutscenes and his behavior in practically everything else (which wasn't part of the original Yakuza) almost contradicts each other. I always remembered Majima being more of an enemy than a friend to Kiryu in the original, although he wasn't a straight-up villain either. This was something that gradually evolved into the odd friendship seen between the two characters from Yakuza 2 and on. That's why they're relationship in the original was important, as this was the starting point for their growth. In Kiwami though, he's like Kiryu's best friend from the beginning. What a shame :-({|=

All that being said though, I'm really enjoying my playthrough of Kiwami much more this time than my first time. It's probably because I can understand everything now, but still, it feels like a wasted opportunity. Even for a "budget series" such as this.

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Re: Yakuza series

Postby south carmain » Mon Sep 11, 2017 10:58 pm

I've yet to play it but from all the reviews and fan feedback I've seen for it so far I'm really going to go in to it with the mindset of it being a budget title and to enjoy it for what it is like I did with dead souls. I do have high expectations for Kiwami 2 and 6 though. If those two end up mediocre I will be a bit irked.
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Re: Yakuza series

Postby OL » Tue Sep 12, 2017 2:22 pm

^^It sounds to me likes it's not so much about the Kiwami being mediocre, but rather that old fans (the ones no doubt most excited about any entry in the series) have already basically played the game, being that it's a remake. The stuff I'm hearing doesn't seem so much like the game itself is poor, just that it's nothing new or particularly exciting.
But yeah, should be easy to adjust expectations based on that. I've played through the original game... twice, I think? And no, it's not the greatest game in the series, but I still like the story, and finally playing it in Japanese will be nice (much as I like Mark Hamill, hearing him as Majima was never anything but distracting; I did always think Michael Rosenbaum was a surprisingly good Nishiki, though).
If anything, I'll probably find the major changes to be the worst part; the excess of Majima, for example, seems like too much (like Leroy was saying). Majima has always struck me as a bit of a Jack Sparrow type of character; the one who steals the show when he's around, but probably shouldn't be milked too much. And he's definitely being milked by this point. In the original game, his presence was minimal but memorable. And that's really how it should have stayed.

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Re: Yakuza series

Postby Axm » Thu Sep 14, 2017 8:54 am

I just got 0 cause it was on sale and im interested in the late showa era.
But you all know what this means again..
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Re: Yakuza series

Postby Truck_1_0_1_ » Mon Sep 18, 2017 8:47 am

Henry Spencer wrote: Yeah 0 definitely has my favourite music in the series. Top to bottom it's great all around, think it's Hidenori Shoji's best work next to 3 (joint favourite OST for the series). I enjoy a couple of the tunes from Kenshin as well.

Biggest weakness I've noticed with Kiwami vs. 0 is the side quests - think 0 has the best collection of subquests in the series, whereas Kiwami so far might have the weakest in comparison (since it's including a lot of the ones from OG 1 so it's outdated in comparison). Still enjoying the game greatly. Really need to go back to 5 and finish it before 6 comes out!


Indeed! I'll write about 6 below...

Your Boy Leroy wrote: The soundtracks from 0 and 2 are my favorites, although it was really only the licensed tracks from Crazy Ken Band for 2 that I really dug. I'm so glad that those tracks remained intact with the US release.

I'm playing through Kiwami right now. I beat the Japanese version when it came out last year, and I was really just kinda "eh..." on it, despite the gameplay and engine being the identical to 0. I guess I never really liked the original Yakuza. I remember being so pumped for it when it was first being released on PS2 back in like, 2005. But when I played it, I thought the combat was terrible. The voice-acting was bad, despite having Hollywood "celebrities doing the dubbing, and the combat mechanics didn't get serviceable until Yakuza 2.

With Kiwami, all of that is fixed. I'm still not a fan of the story, but the new parts about Nishiki's story are great. My biggest gripe though, would have to be the cutscenes. The graphics are just as good as they were in 0, but the developers didn't bother to redo any of the cutscenes (aside from the ones that weren't in the original Yakuza). What you get are these fantastic character models with 2005 PS2 animation. I never thought that the animation in any of the Yakuza series' cutscenes were bad, but maaan...seeing the original animation now with these newer models just hurts and makes Kiwami seem like it was developed and released before 0 (which it kinda was, technically).

The Majima Everywhere System is fun, but it makes no Goddamn sense in relation to the narrative. I get it, Majima is an awesome character, and after being such a major part of Yakuza 0's story, it's understandable that the developers would want to include him more in Kiwami. But Christ, his impact as a character is incredibly diminished by having him pop up so randomly. Not to mention that his behavior in the cutscenes and his behavior in practically everything else (which wasn't part of the original Yakuza) almost contradicts each other. I always remembered Majima being more of an enemy than a friend to Kiryu in the original, although he wasn't a straight-up villain either. This was something that gradually evolved into the odd friendship seen between the two characters from Yakuza 2 and on. That's why they're relationship in the original was important, as this was the starting point for their growth. In Kiwami though, he's like Kiryu's best friend from the beginning. What a shame :-({|=

All that being said though, I'm really enjoying my playthrough of Kiwami much more this time than my first time. It's probably because I can understand everything now, but still, it feels like a wasted opportunity. Even for a "budget series" such as this.


Get so much of what you're saying; 1 is still one of my main favourites in the series, mainly because of soundtrack, story and the feels (plus, Eliza Dushku's voice makes Yumi MUCH sexuer, IMO ;)) and I agree that Majima Everywhere is too much; its an awesome mechanic, no doubt, but I think it would've been better left for another entry in the series.

Slot car racing was a nice addition, though it is maddeningly frustrating in Japanese. Mushi King is also an awesome addition and it isn't the broken mess that it was in 0.

Just wanted to say that I started 6 over the weekend (my PS4 FINALLY came in) and, while I'm still in the first chapter, I've done a TON of things thus far, relative to the first chapter in earlier entries (finished all the hostesses in Kamurocho, for example and they are significantly easier this time), further proven by the fact that I've gotten quite a few trophies at this point.

That tells me that the midgame will be all about story and character development/area exploration (Hiroshima), which according to (some of) the hardcore guys on gfaqs, is not good (but it doesn't seem like that so far), but since stories affect us and change our perception so much, I guess its down to the individual (see my comments on 2 and 4, compared to everyone else's lol); for years I've been hoping for a story that involves the Chinese mafia/Triads in some respect (big Lau ka Long fan here!) for more than a chapter or 2 and 6 FINALLY incorporates this.

Combat is good, despite many people crapping on it (its seriously ok, I don't see why people were up in arms) and the graphics are lovely, though I think they'll be even better in the upcoming titles.

Soundtrack is boss too, so far.

Exciting times are ahead!
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Re: Yakuza series

Postby south carmain » Mon Sep 18, 2017 4:07 pm

^ I didn't know people had a problem with 6's combat. From what I've seen it looks awesome and I can't wait to front kick street trash off of rooftops.

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Re: Yakuza series

Postby Truck_1_0_1_ » Tue Sep 19, 2017 8:17 am

People say its broken and not as polished; I'll give them that it isn't as smooth and there are less heat actions than previous games, but it is indeed awesome from a fun standpoint and its REFRESHING; while I adore Kiryu's fighting style (always have), it is awesome to have a different fighting style for once, to use.

I think that is the paramount issue; the engine was refined and tweaked to death, that now there is something new and people aren't happy. Whatever, it works just fine!

Off of rooftops is awesome; it saves a ton of time getting around lol
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Re: Yakuza series

Postby Your Boy Leroy » Tue Sep 19, 2017 9:26 am

I don't think there's anything really wrong with 6's combat either, although I feel it may be a bit simplified compared to previous entries. But I haven't played enough of it to be sure. It really does look awesome though, and I think fending off multiple enemies works better with this system.

One nitpick I do have is the seamlessness of the exploration into the fighting. It sounds weird, I know. I guess I'm just so used to the very minor loading sequences that would take place before and after random battles. In 6, you're ready to fight enemies at anytime. It feels more like GTA, Sleeping Dogs, or the Arkham games. In other words, it feels really open world as opposed to like a JRPG. Because of that, the random fights in 6 don't have that "event" quality that I dug from the rest of the series, or even Shenmue. I don't expect anyone to feel the same way as I do about it, because it really doesn't make too much sense to have a minor gripe with this.

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Re: Yakuza series

Postby Truck_1_0_1_ » Tue Sep 19, 2017 9:54 am

I'm telling you, the seamlessness works VERY well, especially when going in and out of buildings; saves a ton of time.
I think that's what the devs were going for; seamless, less time-consuming and getting you back to the action quicker.

Fending off multiple enemies indeed is better with this sytem; I'm not getting ganged up on like I used to.

The story is good so far too; don't know why that got a lot of hate as well, though many veterans did say that the story starts to fall off in the midgame.

Then again, all of the comments I'm reading aren't objective, so it just may come down to taste. We'll see!
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Re: Yakuza series

Postby Your Boy Leroy » Tue Sep 19, 2017 10:26 am

Oh yeah, I absolutely love the fact that going in and out of stores is seamless now. It's fantastic. It's just going in and out of "battle mode" that just slightly disappointed me. Other than that, it's all good.

And I'm really unsure whether to continue playing the Japanese version of 6, or just hold off and wait for the US release. Got that mega thunder awesome edition on preorder!

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Re: Yakuza series

Postby Truck_1_0_1_ » Tue Sep 19, 2017 12:22 pm

I gotcha. Yeah, I see where you're coming from; for me, its really not an issue, but I completely understand :).

Yeah, I dropped the ball on pre-ordering... looks like I'll need to get the extras on resale :(

However, I want to see the story unfold and I bought the game in the first place (I would've had it completed months ago, if not for the PS4 issue lol), so I'm going to stick it out until the end! I've played all of the games since 5, in Japanese anyways (and Kenzan!) so I'm used to it ;)
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