Yakuza series

I think Tehsnarker's Yakuza 4 video was the first time I ever heard about him, but I held off watching it until I beat 4 myself. He's one of my favorites in the video essay side of youtube now so I can't wait.

Yeah. He even managed to turn around everyone's opinion of the rubber bullets twist.

although I gotta wonder just how long the Y5 video is going to be. Remember, his Y4 vid omnibus was 3 and a half hours long.

I agree they aren't an Ass Pull, but I still don't like the rubber bullets. Plot twists like that live and die for me on one principle; Are the story and any new plot threads we got as a result of it more interesting than the initial story beforehand? In my opinion no, but that's mainly because the twist doesn't really affect how the rest of the story would have played out if it never came up. Not much in 4, and not a whole lot in 5 or 6 either.

It also directly led the existence of the worst Big Bad in any Yakuza game so far, even more than the guy in 6, so that's another knock against the rubber bullets to me.

Iget that. On a smalle rmore personal basis the rubber bullets twist is at least decent, and its not as if it totally sanitizes Saejima's character and morality, since he still went into the noodle shop fully intending to either die or come out of it a mass murderer.

Is he even worse than the super forgettable Big Bad of the first game that wasn’t Nishiki?

I foudn Jingu noteworthy, if only because of him being Haruka's father, his actions snowballing into the events of 4 and both of his voices being funny. Either Downes inappropriately uses his light Travis Touchdown voice and he sounds like a pillock, or his Japanese VA, kudos to him reprising it btw, does this really loud throaty horse laughs that I laugh with.

Edited by MightyKombat on Apr 22nd 2021 at 8:21:03 PM

Plus, Jingu can be forgiven because he's one of the first major antagonists ever created for the franchise. Munakata is just him again but with even less character after games with Ryuji Goda, Daejim Kim, Yoshitaka Mine, and Go Hamazaki as major villains.

Oh, and Munakata's boss fight is the actual Final Boss fight, and it's just him surrounded by waves of mooks against Tanimura, who isn't actually designed to fight this type of boss to begin with. So going in blind is going to be a pain.

Edited by VeryMelon on Oct 25th 2021 at 6:24:29 AM

Its funny, as many people originally felt Yakuza 3 as the overall weakest game, and to some degree, gameplay wise, it is, but in terms of overall narrative, 4 is slowly becoming more and more disliked over time, especially when the remaster came out, in spite of laying the ground work for 5 and 0 as well Kiwami 1 to improve on in terms of visuals and combat situations.

I'm definitely looking forward to the Yakuza 5 review because having Platinum'd that game last year I'm interested to hear his thoughts on a few things. Specifically:

1) Shinada's Arc and its surprising connection to the overall themes of the game.

2) Kiryu's taxi driving side story

3) Playing as Haruka

4) how they ruined my boy akiyama's combat what the fuck how is he worse in this game god fuckin da-

5) The final boss fight, which in my opinion is my favorite gameplay wise, though in terms of story and music I love 3's more.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Snakerer's twitter did imply maybe this week ro next or so but I doubt it'll be before April is up. Still, with the Remasters and 6 having recently made the jumpto Xbone and PC, now's as good a time as any. I think he also said it wouldn't be as long as Y4's vido was but you never know. Personally tho, I'm excited as fuck.

Also shoutout to him wanting to rip one of Goda's teeth out for every Tojo boy his men put in the ground. Sadly original 2 forbade that but Kiwami 2 at least let you get at his fingernails.

While Munakata isn't all that great, I appreciate that the very first on-screen thing he does is dissecting Katsuragi's master plan like it was made by a roomba with fingers.

Yeah. It serves just how much more use experience, age and brains has over brawn and pure, ambition if a man lets it straitjacket him. Munakata picks apart every single hole that Katsuragi wasn't able to or didn't care to notice in his ego. More than just plain "lampshading" it.

I might have felt the same why you both do if there was more to Munakata than that scene. As it stands it's a rather hollow "good for him" for me.

Playing through Like a Dragon Shangri-la's destruction hits different once you learn it's where Ichiban grew up.

Sounds like they're counting down to some kind of Judgment related announcement.

Just saw... could this be Judgment 2?

It’s either that or just a PS5 port of the first Judgment.

Didn't that just get a PS 5 remaster tho?

Then in that case, yeah, Judgment 2 is coming.

Could be a good way for them to get more reuse mileage out of, say, their Dragon Engine Sotenbori, or even Ijincho/Onomichi.

Not sure they'd do a big countdown like this just to announce a port, so Judgment 2 seems more likely

Either way we'll just have to wait and see.

Would like to see Yagami running around most of the old haunts tho.

Reminds me, are we ever gonna get Dragon Engine renditions of places like, say, Downtown Ryukyu or Nagasugai?

Edited by MightyKombat on Apr 27th 2021 at 12:42:20 PM

Apparently some stuff from Tommorow's Judge Ment Day event got leaked.

I wish we got a Yakuza game where we got to Build, Lead, and Manage the Yakuza Clan we are apart of. That could be fun as hell.

Nagoshi and Hosokawa: the Yakuza series will remain turn based going forward with Judgement series being action based.

Also, Lost Judgement trailer. Launches September 24th on Xbox Series, PS 5, and PS 4.

Edited by tclittle on May 7th 2021 at 9:35:21 AM