Yakuza series

[Crimson Ryan]

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Looking like a similar package to Yakuza 5, no cut content with all the Japanese DLC included..

[jasonorme666]

Love these games.. If I had to rank them I'd say...

Yakuza 3
Yakuza 5
Yakuza 4
Yakuza 1
Yakuza 2

[AnimeGamer183]

I just watched the part of Saejimas chapter where it explains Majimas eye patch, brutal.

Also I think I finally understand why newbies to the series dont like 1 and 2 as much, because they are PS2 games and probably not the first games they played in the series.

[OL]

^^I've found that people mainly just don't like the first two games as much because of the pre-set camera angles while exploring the city. Less immersive, I guess.
A shame, because the second game's story is easily the best of them all in my mind.

Love these games.. If I had to rank them I'd say...

Yakuza 3
Yakuza 5
Yakuza 4
Yakuza 1
Yakuza 2

Just for kicks, I'd go:
Yakuza 2
Yakuza 4
Yakuza 1
Yakuza 3
Dead Souls
And in a surprisingly distant last place:
Yakuza 5

[FlagshipFighter]

Ah, so have you actually finished Y5 yet? I know you have stated your reservations with it here before. I also agree that Yakuza 2 has been the climax of the series so far, but there are awesome parts in each game. So far I am really enjoying the direction they have taken the series with Y4, the multiple characters has grown on me a bit too.

[OL]

Yeah, in picking a favorite, it was actually a bit of a toss-up between 2 and 4, but I go with 2 just because the story is a little more straight-forward as a crime yarn, a little less crazypants than some of the others. 4 is still surprisingly great despite being as convoluted as it is.

But no, I haven't finished 5 yet. The friggin game has partially wounded my usual excitement over the series. I mean, I'm glad as hell that we actually got the game at all, but it just feels so... forced and slapped together. Like they kind of lost their way and forgot what the point of making these games was. Yakuza Zero looks like a major comeback in that respect (really seems like they thought hard on it and got back to basics), but 5 is just... not a very good game so far.
The story feels so incredibly aimless, the second character's chapter feels almost entirely unrelated to anything, and being forced to play as Haruka in a bunch of embarrassing Jpop dance battles is just about the ugliest scar they could have put on the series. I'm up to the point of playing as Akiyama, but... I dunno man, most of the stuff up to that point has made me sigh and facepalm so much, I just have to leave it alone for a while.

[AnimeGamer183]

but dont you wanna help fulfill Harukas life long dreams of becoming a j-pop idol?? Cmon OL what could be more fun than that in a mafia game???

Okay but seriously, you dont actually fight with Haruka... right?

Maybe fans felt the lack of haruka in Y4 and complained/lobbyed for more Haruka in Y5... and this was what they came up with. I'm glad I dont really have to worry about Y5 for now considering my PS3 cant even play the Download for bullshit reasons, plus there is that possible limited Physical release that might happen, where i will surely grab a copy.

I am enjoying Tanimuras chapter of Y4 so far, anything to get around Saejimas where you are running from the cops all the time and while he might be one of my favorite characters in the series so far, his chapter was kind of annoying to get through because of all the sneaking around. So having help from the cops and being a young cocky detective is a great change of pace from saejima, this chapter is also reminding me just a tad of sleeping dogs as well. Im doing the police radio challenge when I can since I skipped most of saejimas side challenges and stuck to completing his substories and moving on.

[south carmain]

I managed to put over a hundred hours in to Y5. Would have probably platinum'd it if you didn't need to 100% the game to get platinum (in this case 100% was really 100% meaning you had to do absolutely every single thing the game had to offer)

[Crimson Ryan]

Maybe fans felt the lack of haruka in Y4 and complained/lobbyed for more Haruka in Y5... and this was what they came up with. I'm glad I dont really have to worry about Y5 for now considering my PS3 cant even play the Download for bullshit reasons, plus there is that possible limited Physical release that might happen, where i will surely grab a copy.

Physical release isn't happening. Apparently it's 'nigh impossible' according to John Harding, PR at SEGA.

[Riku Rose]

But no, I haven't finished 5 yet. The friggin game has partially wounded my usual excitement over the series. I mean, I'm glad as hell that we actually got the game at all, but it just feels so... forced and slapped together. Like they kind of lost their way and forgot what the point of making these games was. Yakuza Zero looks like a major comeback in that respect (really seems like they thought hard on it and got back to basics), but 5 is just... not a very good game so far.
The story feels so incredibly aimless, the second character's chapter feels almost entirely unrelated to anything, and being forced to play as Haruka in a bunch of embarrassing Jpop dance battles is just about the ugliest scar they could have put on the series. I'm up to the point of playing as Akiyama, but... I dunno man, most of the stuff up to that point has made me sigh and facepalm so much, I just have to leave it alone for a while.

I'll agree with you that this is the worst in the series (agree with your order 100% actually) but if you're that far into the game I'd say stick with it. Akiyama's chapter is the shortest one and the one after that where you play as the baseball player is the best in the game and the rest of the story doesn't drag it down.

One thing I do hope in the future is that they stop the multi character storylines. It was fun at first but with Yakuza 5 I was getting bored with having to start levelling up again and hearing the beginning to the same side stories for the 4th time.

[Truck_1_0_1_]

We all have different tastes, but after just beating 3 yesterday (still my favourite of the entire series), 5 is still tops for me; I've now replayed each of the games in the series (save for the Kurohyos, Kiwami, Kenzan! and 0, because we'll get it next year so I'll play it again then) and my original order doesn't budge; 2 is great but horrid in many parts, 1 has great parts and other parts that are easily the worst in the series, 4 is still overrated and crappy (especially when it comes to story and to my eyes, looks worse than 3) and Ishin! is one of the best pre-modern Japan games made on any platform, any genre, etc.

But 3 is just special in a ton of ways and 5 hits it out of the park (no pun intended) in every element. I still stand by:

Yakuza 5
Yakuza 3
Ryu ga Gotoku 0
Ryu ga Gotoku Ishin!
Kurohyo 2: Ryu ga Gotoku Ashura Hen
Ryu ga Gotoku: Kiwami
Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan!
Yakuza 2
Kurohyo: Ryu ga Gotoku Shinso
Yakuza 1
Yakuza 4
Yakuza: Dead Souls

But none of these are BAD games, not in the slightest. Different strokes for different folks!

[Crimson Ryan]

SEGA Europe interviews Toshihiro Nagoshi about Yakuza 0!

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[Let's Get Sweaty]

Favorite moments from the series so far?

Yakuza 1:

The final scene in Theater Square, viewed from above, as Kazuma takes responsibility for newly (re-)orphaned Haruka while 'Amazing Grace' plays.

Having access to Purgatory. Not a big deal in itself, but when the whole area becomes essentially fenced off or vacated in each subsequent game you come to miss it being a part of the town you can roam around and interact with.

Finally unlocking the ability to aim a kick behind you, so that you're not constantly combo-ing into thin air after an opponent has moved...

Yakuza 2:

The scene by the river/canal in which Kazuma is silently stabbed by a stranger, while a Spanish song plays.

The civil yet atmosphere-laden meeting between Kazuma and Ryuji Goda.

Also, the "Be My Baby" side quest...

Yakuza 3:

Rikiya pretending that he and a reluctant Kazuma are lovers in order to get past a hotel receptionist.

Haruka's defiant stance in front of the orphans to try and protect them from the burly villains.

In the same scene, Mikio sacrificing himself in a vain attempt to shield the dog house he built for Izumi's pet.

Yakuza 4:

Simply discovering the areas of Kamurocho that had always been inaccessible behind invisible walls (and in some cases, annoyingly, have been again since).

The mix of the title theme played in the final battle(s).

The way in which Kazuma helped Saejima on his way from Sunflower without expressly doing so.

Yakuza 5:

The taxi cab conversation between Kazuma/Suzuki and Daigo.

Coming to guiltily enjoy the hunting sub-game that I fully intended to hate.

Haruka's interactions with some of the kids from her school. (Shut up.)

[AnimeGamer183]

Physical release isn't happening. Apparently it's 'nigh impossible' according to John Harding, PR at SEGA.

Not in the UK, it will be a US release only if it happens. There is a company here called Limited Run Games that specializes in making physical copies of digital only games.

You can check out some of what they have already released here. https://limited-run-games.myshopify.com ... ions/games

Here is the link concerning Y5 http://www.seganerds.com/2016/05/03/lim ... -yakuza-5/

edit - after looking over their FAQ it looks like they ship "every where" so everyone can get on it if it ends up happening.

[AnimeGamer183]

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