Yakuza series

(Gaming discussion not related to Shenmue)

Re: Yakuza series

Postby Vyse Hazuky » Fri Jul 06, 2018 4:52 am

Vyse Hazuky wrote:
OL wrote:
Crimson Ryan wrote:
Vyse Hazuky wrote:BTW, any less obvious Shenmue references in Yakuza 0? I've only seen the "You Game" arcade signs on Tahei Blvd..

I swear there's an homage to Yu Suzuki in one of Majima's sub stories. He resembles the leader of a cult Majima has to infiltrate. See if you agree when you get to it..


Eeeehhh... I dunno on that one. The thin mustache, long hair, and lack of a cheek mole negates it in my mind, but I could be wrong. The cult leader definitely reminds me of someone (can't for the life of me put my finger on who, though) but I don't know that I'd point toward Yu Suzuki.


Well, the obvious reference would be Shoko Asahara, the actual doomsday cult leader of the Aum Shinrikyo, who did the sarin gas attacks in the Tokyo subway.

ImageImage


Could be a bit of both! The face and demeanor is Asahara, but the mole and name are more similar to Yu..

The sort of references I was expecting though would be more of .. you know.. some sort of thing that hinted of a shared gameworld, since Yakuza 0 takes place right during Shenmue's timeframe.. Maybe one of those Segatasanshiro posters you'd see near Abe store... or those Shen hua chocolates and crisps, if not one of the stores actually being a Tomato (or just have the jingle).. Just wishful thinking, I know.


Not really Yakuza news but seems Asahara was executed earlier today: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-43395483
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Re: Yakuza series

Postby Crimson Ryan » Fri Jul 06, 2018 6:01 am

By hanging? Isn't that a little barbaric?
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Re: Yakuza series

Postby Vyse Hazuky » Fri Jul 06, 2018 10:16 am

Not as barbaric as death by marlin cannon

Image

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Re: Yakuza series

Postby Crimson Ryan » Fri Jul 06, 2018 10:55 am

Funniest post I've read all year.
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Re: Yakuza series

Postby Crimson Ryan » Fri Jul 06, 2018 1:16 pm

phpBB [video]


Demo and preorder are now available!

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Re: Yakuza series

Postby FlagshipFighter » Wed Jul 11, 2018 6:44 pm

http://segabits.com/blog/2018/07/11/yak ... -xbox-one/

BEWARE: POTENTIAL SPOILERS FOR YAKUZA 6 IN THE ^ ARTICLE

Thoughts on this? I'm a bit surprised/gutted that we won't be seeing similar titles in the vein of the Kurohyou [Yakuza Black Panther] that was released for the PSP in Japan but now on the Switch (I don't own one but seems like an ideal platform for that), it could've been interesting imo to see more sidestories continue alongside the main games.

Imo testing the waters to expand their franchise on Xbox's audience is a good move (they consider as a different demographic but they've placed more effort in recent years. And the SEGA PR reps were really impressed with how much exposure MS gave to niche Japanese games @E3). Especially when they're on PC now and platform-wise there's little investment that goes into porting there (from PS4). SEGA as a whole have done a lot to support he consoles where they can (aside from atlus operating in their own manner). But I suppose much of this hinges on the Steam version doing well first (And I imagine other sega titles as well like Shenmue 1 and 2's performance)

They just seemed burned on the WiiU investment/situation (apparently it sold a couple thousand of units in it's first week, which is concerning low) but they ought to consider that 1&2 remaster just might not have sparked much interest and the platforms sales versus the Switch in Japan. Since Yakuza appeals so strongly to their domestic market it just appeared strange that they made such a brutally honest and upfront statement about that situation (instead of declining to comment). But won't doubt their insight.

I can see maybe for a platform specifically like the Switch that storage space concerns might be problematic for a game like Yakuza (as they range from around 35GB typically) especially if it remains to be on the same standard as the PS3 versions. They have expressed that they didn't want to spread themselves to thin due to staff shortage in general, the scale required to make their game (and annually i suppose) which is why they went down the route of porting Yakuza 3-5 instead of Kiwami (which imo is a sound decision).

I'm sure they know best for their franchise though. It's crazy how close Kiwami 2 is coming out alongside fist of the north star: lost paradise. There's certainly no shortage of games from them atm (not to mention 2 more to be announced/elaborated upon at TGS this year).
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Re: Yakuza series

Postby Truck_1_0_1_ » Thu Jul 12, 2018 10:43 am

Let's Get Sweaty wrote: There are one or two things in Yakuza 0 that might draw a double take from Shenmue fans.

I'm currently playing Yakuza 6. I've been playing the series since its debut on PS2, and it's a thrill to be able to explore parts of Kamurocho in more depth (5 had taken a step back from 4 in that respect). I find myself disappointed by the combat system now though. Whereas in past games I'd have used at least a couple Heat moves per battle, now the need to "activate" Heat mode with a lengthy animation that leaves Kazuma vulnerable means I'm rarely using them at all. As a result, the fights are pretty boring.


You don't need to be in Ultimate Heat, to do heat moves ;-)
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Re: Yakuza series

Postby Vyse Hazuky » Tue Jul 17, 2018 4:52 am

Over the past few days I have finally been playing the Yakuza 6 demo. Past the cutscenes and the short scene in Okinawa, I have to admit the first reaction when you start in Kamurocho was dropping jaws... The level of graphics (and I still don't use a full HD tv) and especially the immersion of the new first person camera is amazing for a japanophile like myself. NHK World has some shows like that. Finding the first soda machine was also a huge rush of Shenmue feelings.
However things seemed to cool off a bit, to the point the game starts to almost feel like it's made by a different team:

- Some of the first things I came across were the lack of analogic controls and the inclusion of dash button. I don't understand the logic of including this. Now you're either too fast or too slow, with the added bonus of tiring yourself out; perhaps this is to do with the new food and upgrade system (seriously, it's like every game in the series has a different upgrade system).

- One of the things I'm most annoyed with is the map and minimap. The buildings are huge but the icons are tiny, making it hard to identify places (unlike previous games). Having NPCs and enemies showing on the map and minimap, as well as soda machines is baffling too (for enemies at least you needed an item for it in previous games). I understand a common criticism from some players who weren't fans was the amount of "random" battles ... yet, that's the heart and soul of this series, which has its roots very much in the RPG genre. It's not like in the other games you couldn't avoid encounters either... Another thing which is quite prevalent these days is a level of visual pollution with big icons and arrows hovering over enemies, sidequests, shopkeepers, and even soda machines. The soda machines in particular, after the initial rush of feelings about Shenmue, they end up being so many that they're hard to miss - absolutely no point in having big arrows in screen and tiny lines in the minimap as more often than not you'll probably be facing one (I understand the immensitude of macihnes might be a realistic aspect of a japanese street, there's just no need to highlight them with ugly arrows). In first person especially, it makes me think that somehow Kiryu is wearing some sort of science-fiction lenses or Samus' helmet because there's no reason to have those graphics in a realistic environment - it's a definite immersion breaker for me.

- Perhaps the biggest evolution is the physics engine. While I have to say that I enjoy the fighting, which gets a lot more scrappy, having Kiryu go into a restaurant and trip over bar stools and smash into doors is ridiculous and against character. No load screens of course is a huge boon but I was disappointed you couldn't just pick the items you wanted in first person mode from shops (like in Shenmue I guess) and take them to counter to pay.
- Finally, perhaps the selection available in the demo wasn't the best but the substories felt pretty bland. There were no "substory tunes" playing in the background, the text skip option now skips animations too, making it pretty choppy, and they also feel like they're filmed differently (there were usually more close ups of facial reactions). This is a minor quibble as there are so few available in the demo.

To summarize, this experience felt a bit like the jump from GTA San Andreas to GTA IV. A huge step forward in some ways and some side or even backward steps in others. That said there's huge potential for improvement. I haven't tried Kiwami 2's demo so I hope to see some there. I will also probably start Kiwami 2 before 6.

Sorry about the huge (yuge!) rant but I needed to organize and put out these thoughts. I'd also appreciate your takes, even if I'm quite a bit late to the party
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Re: Yakuza series

Postby Let's Get Sweaty » Sat Jul 21, 2018 7:02 pm

Truck_1_0_1_ wrote:
Let's Get Sweaty wrote: There are one or two things in Yakuza 0 that might draw a double take from Shenmue fans.

I'm currently playing Yakuza 6. I've been playing the series since its debut on PS2, and it's a thrill to be able to explore parts of Kamurocho in more depth (5 had taken a step back from 4 in that respect). I find myself disappointed by the combat system now though. Whereas in past games I'd have used at least a couple Heat moves per battle, now the need to "activate" Heat mode with a lengthy animation that leaves Kazuma vulnerable means I'm rarely using them at all. As a result, the fights are pretty boring.


You don't need to be in Ultimate Heat, to do heat moves ;-)


There are two types, and the type that can be done without first activating Ultimate Heat feel somewhat unpredictable. I just mash the Triangle button at opportune times and they sometimes happen, whereas in previous games I felt more in control of when and how to make use of them.

I finished the main story today, and on the whole I don't have any real complaints with the game, although the "hunger" element seems to add nothing beneficial and I agree that Kazuma constantly smashing furniture just by walking into it comes across like a comedy scene in a Hulk movie. There also seems to be a paucity of subquests compared to previous games (especially after playing Yakuza 0, which arguably had too many), and those that exist have the annoying habit of triggering automatically when you happen to pass by, interrupting your urgent dash to a dramatic story point. But these are relatively minor issues.

I've no beef at all with the new take on "random" battles, nor the on-screen markers. And the only thing I'd really change about the map is to make it easier to locate specific businesses, as I seem to remember that being simpler in past games.

Oh, one thing about the story that became a cliche by the end was the repeated contradiction between the Hirose Family being low-ranking thugs who can scarcely believe Kiryu's ability to defeat larger or more numerous enemies, and then suddenly individual members telling him, "You go on ahead, I can handle this army/monster by myself!"
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Re: Yakuza series

Postby Vyse Hazuky » Sun Jul 22, 2018 3:53 am

Yesterday I tried Kiwami 2's demo for a little bit and thought it very much improved. Loads of sidequests, the text skip option is like it was (and should be) in the previous engines, not so many clusters of soda machines and a more functional and intuitive menu. I was teased about being able to play Virtua Fighter and Virtual On since you can actually go inside the arcade now (unlike 6's demo) but no luck. I only tried it about half an hour (didn't know you couldn't save the demo and resume it later) but it felt exciting. The next game to use this engine is going to be insane

As I'm still deep in Yakuza 0... is the breakdancer Arashi = Alex Kidd? Big ears and red tracksuit seems like it..

And if the "erotic" videos are imo a bit more awkward than embarassing, Mr. Libido's has to be up there in those moments where you hope no one goes in the room to see what you're playing. Good lord. He has a very specific face too, I wonder if it's a "Tingle-esque" sort of hommage to a team member
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Re: Yakuza series

Postby Crimson Ryan » Sun Jul 22, 2018 10:18 am

Believe it or not Mr. Libido is actually a real person who auditioned. Same with the Shakedown guys..
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Re: Yakuza series

Postby Vyse Hazuky » Sun Jul 22, 2018 10:41 am

^Haha wow..

Shortly afterwards posting that I remembered we're bound to get that substory in Kiwami 2 with
the baby diaper fetishists
so now I'm not so sure which will be more embarassing
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Re: Yakuza series

Postby OL » Thu Jul 26, 2018 4:12 pm

Weirdest thing here: I tried the demo for Kiwami 2, and was thinking I was going to be ridiculously overcome with nostalgia and ear-to-ear grins... but it just didn't really happen. Seeing everything in the newest engine just doesn't really do it for me like I thought it would. Turns out the original PS2 character models are a big part of the charm for me, I guess.

Which got me to thinking how awesome it would be if they included the original models as alternate costumes (sort of like how the PS1 model of Snake was available in MGSV: Ground Zeroes), even if only as DLC or something.
Won't happen, but that still would have been amazing to see.

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Re: Yakuza series

Postby xatruio » Thu Jul 26, 2018 5:17 pm

OL wrote: Weirdest thing here: I tried the demo for Kiwami 2, and was thinking I was going to be ridiculously overcome with nostalgia and ear-to-ear grins... but it just didn't really happen. Seeing everything in the newest engine just doesn't really do it for me like I thought it would. Turns out the original PS2 character models are a big part of the charm for me, I guess.


partially why I'm in less of a rush to buy Kiwamis than 0, 6 and 5 on PS4. Still play the originals through component; at that, on PS3, so quite nice video. Not only am I diehard fan of 6th gen, but also immensely appreciate analogue Y/C or YPbPR. Oh, yeah, and VGA is no slouch, either, which helps with RGB access in NA. Then again, I do love S-video. Very underrated compared to the superior SCART or component.
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