Yakuza - it's like Shenmue, but actually fun to play - The Bear and Badger

afgavinstan

Hey hey. Yeah gaiden day one. Amazing news.

afgavinstan

Okay so chapter 7-8 of Lost Judgement has some of the best story beats of any rgg game. Quality stuff. Great performances and twists all round. Happy to tune into lengthy-ish cutscenes when it's this good.

I struggle to pinpoint the level of acclaim I'm talking about too. They're in no way Oscar-winning things, but it's like a damn good BBC/hbo level type thing.

Anyway, another winner for this series.

optimark_prime

Made the mistake of watching the 10 minute Infinite Wealth story trailer.

One revelation genuinely upset me.

Wookienopants

optimark_prime wrote:

Made the mistake of watching the 10 minute Infinite Wealth story trailer.

One revelation genuinely upset me.

Oh don't tell me, I haven't seen the trailer.
I'm so excited for this, was going to preorder but then it's obviously going to be on Gamepass

b0r1s

Must finish YakLad. I recall I’m stuck on a particular end game boss that I tried three times before giving up. I’m pretty sure I’m right near the end. Can you drop the difficulty level as I’d be tempted to do so.

Wookienopants

b0r1s wrote:

Must finish YakLad. I recall I’m stuck on a particular end game boss that I tried three times before giving up. I’m pretty sure I’m right near the end. Can you drop the difficulty level as I’d be tempted to do so.

I have the same issue. Right near the end but can't beat a certain blast from the past

optimark_prime

b0r1s wrote:

Must finish YakLad. I recall I’m stuck on a particular end game boss that I tried three times before giving up. I’m pretty sure I’m right near the end. Can you drop the difficulty level as I’d be tempted to do so.

I believe you can drop the difficulty level mid game.

optimark_prime

Wookienopants wrote:

optimark_prime wrote:

Made the mistake of watching the 10 minute Infinite Wealth story trailer.

One revelation genuinely upset me.

Oh don't tell me, I haven't seen the trailer.
I'm so excited for this, was going to preorder but then it's obviously going to be on Gamepass

Don’t watch it.

I was looking at the special edition of Like A Dragon Gaiden, I may still buy it and then get the game on GamePass too. Because I’m an idiot

b0r1s

optimark_prime wrote:

b0r1s wrote:

Must finish YakLad. I recall I’m stuck on a particular end game boss that I tried three times before giving up. I’m pretty sure I’m right near the end. Can you drop the difficulty level as I’d be tempted to do so.

I believe you can drop the difficulty level mid game.

Cool… I have no pride, so can gladly do this.

afgavinstan

Yo I play almost all yak titles on Easy.

We are here for a good time, not a long time. This is what both Kiryu and Ichiban would have wanted.

afgavinstan

*lovely organ melody plays*

Because really guys, when we all play, everybody wins.

*gives thumbs up*

*banks 100k yen and a pack of pocket tissues*

Wookienopants

Ooooft, after many hours levelling my team, improving jobs, crafting armour and weapons, I've finally beaten him.

I might actually finish a Yakuza game before the next one arrives

regmcfly

I'm also Team Easy mode. Nothing to prove, Baka Me

Brooks

Decided I kinda want to see how well these games actually modelled central Shinjuku so have downloaded Yak0.

optimark_prime

YouTube reviews for Like A Dragon: Gaiden are starting to appear.

Unsurprisingly it’s good.

regmcfly

Brooks wrote:

Decided I kinda want to see how well these games actually modelled central Shinjuku so have downloaded Yak0.

If you hit Korea Town in Tokyo it's 1-1. Have a few photos of my last trip

Wookienopants

optimark_prime wrote:

YouTube reviews for Like A Dragon: Gaiden are starting to appear.

Unsurprisingly it’s good.

Can't wait!

optimark_prime

Wookienopants wrote:

optimark_prime wrote:

YouTube reviews for Like A Dragon: Gaiden are starting to appear.

Unsurprisingly it’s good.

Can't wait!

I hope it can be downloaded in advance, ready to play at launch.

afgavinstan

Yeah it's been one of those titles where we know it's coming to GP, MS have said so, but on the GP app/store there's nary a mention of that fact. Probably a contractual thing, Sega wanting preorders but it is slightly annoying. Hoping it "goes up" at a time where I can have it installed for coming home from work.

Almost time!

optimark_prime

afgavinstan wrote:

Yeah it's been one of those titles where we know it's coming to GP, MS have said so, but on the GP app/store there's nary a mention of that fact. Probably a contractual thing, Sega wanting preorders but it is slightly annoying. Hoping it "goes up" at a time where I can have it installed for coming home from work.

Almost time!

I knew it was coming to GamePass, but still ordered a physical copy on PS5 too.

hunk

My first Yakuza (yak0) and it's ....something something alright. It's the Shenmue template on 'roids with gta themes and a quest structure similar to mass effect/the Witcher. All the superfluous things that did not work in Shenmue have been stripped out; the gameplay's streamlined to perfection. Acting and writing are leveled up too big time, playing with the Japanese voice overs for max immersion and it's fabulous.

Yak0 is Japanese soap opera gangster drama at it's finest. One moment you're battling a group of tatoed Yakuza, the next you're singing karaoke, playing vintage arcade games, go out bowling or playing mah jong. Not to mention managing a cabaret club which involves a dating sim with lovely ladies. And that's just a selection of all the mini-games. The dev team went all in to make sure there's always something to do on every corner on the map. It's strength is the game doesn't take itself too seriously, there's comedy everywhere interspersed between the soap opera machismo melodrama.

Will finish this in the upcoming week. Good stuff.

Brooks

I am also nearly done with it. It's categorically better than Shenmue while doing all that shit, fair enough, even if Kiryu is the world's least 20-year-old 20-year-old and I'd actually rather play a game about the prunefaced Dojima lieutenants with their flamboyantly rolled Rs.

The facsimile of Kabukicho is disarming when I can spot how they've fudged the geography of an actual place I have spent a bunch of time in and usually stay around when I'm over there, and there are some very funny anachronisms but ultimately I like all attempts to render an actual place virtually in principle. And in this case I will probably hop straight on to the Kiwamis or Lost Judgement or whatever.

RamSteelwood

Is like a dragon ishin on game pass part of the yakuza games too. And related to gaiden i assume? Just odd both showing on gamepass and not having yakuza in the title so I'm confused

optimark_prime

RamSteelwood wrote:

Is like a dragon ishin on game pass part of the yakuza games too. And related to gaiden i assume? Just odd both showing on gamepass and not having yakuza in the title so I'm confused

Like a Dragon is the Japanese name for the Yakuza series.

When Yakuza 7 launched, it featured a totally different set of characters and game style. Its set a shift in the naming.

It looks like the Yakuza games are now being renamed as Like a Dragon in the west too.

Ishin is set in feudal Japan, so it’s Yakuza set in the past. Sort of.

RamSteelwood

Cheers.

optimark_prime

I’m already playing it on GamePass, but I do like a physical copy of a Yakuza game (missed out on the limited edition unfortunately)

afgavinstan

Ooooooh! Shiny!

regmcfly

Fuck I might need to get me that as I have everything else physical.

optimark_prime

regmcfly wrote:

Fuck I might need to get me that as I have everything else physical.

I got mine from Playasia

EvilRedEye

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