Absolutely love these kinds of videos. Og Yakuza 1 is something you'll need to get used to but I liked it as well and found it more entertaining and immersive for me than some of the later games that aren't 0. The game's as old as me (17) yet still holds up in my eyes. I can't wait to try og yakuza 2 since everyone tells me it's fun and improves combat from 1
I must be one of the few that agrees with Leon on Y5. It's good, but bloated as fuck, and Saejima if often the weakest link despite being one of my favorite to play as. Shinada's part is really cool and really my favorite section of the game. Also Broseph Watase's addition is a highlight! But definitely a drag over all. Getting through all the bloat is a pain.
Yakuza 4's story was ok. Fight meeeeeeeeeeeee! Imho the entire point of story was that backstabbing, disorganized villain had no chance to begin with against the 4 protagonist. That's the mood of the final fight 4 vs 4: it's not an uphill battle, you are there to completely kick their asses!
It's an extreme shame that the Batting Cages in Y0 were the dogsh*t earlier version (the one that's aggressively unfun and doesn't feel like batting at all). If it had the Dragon Engine version from Y7 and LJ, omg we'd be in *business*. Every RGG game has that one unfortunate thing that holds it back from being THE perfect one for me - the unremovable controls guide in Lost Judgment (single worst mistake in the entire series), the encounter rate in Y5, the blocking in Y3, the unfinished Kamurocho in Y6, etc. But the beautiful thing is that you can always just load up your premium adventure save in whichever game you want and mess around for a quick session.
I absolutely hated Yakuza 7. Mostly because of the story and how they handled the og characters, but I am really glad that a lot of people found it really enjoyable)
Honestly, my problem with 3’s combat isn’t the blocking, but how pitiful your damage is. If you did like double damage in the remaster I think it would fix a lot of my problems.
Eh, it only applies to bosses. Damage to normal goons is relatively the same. To me personally it's a nice change of pace and gives the bosses some weight. I prefer it to molly whopping bosses in some other games in like 2 min
The boss defenses in 3 are absolutely through the roof. I don't know if they increase even more on higher difficulties, but I know for a fact that heat actions done on boss enemies in Legend Mode somehow, for some reason, do less damage than a standard full rush combo. That's just absurd when you stack that with bosses being absolute stone walls that block most stuff you try unless it's as a punish to their attacks
Besides the over use of rubber bullets I really don't understand the hate for the general story of 4. Like I think the finale is really the only time the narrative really fumbles because it doesn't know what to do with the characters, but the ueno seiwa feud, the prison break, tanimura finding out his father's killer, etc were quite great. The rubber bullets all though not the best makes sense in the context of the 80s hit but admittedly they do over stay their welcome in the latter half
I never really saw it as overuse when it’s a central part of a villain’s plan, my brain broke personally as soon as Saejima turned his back on Katsuragi, that part was actually the worst part of the game for me
@@IvanDubsK7 ya i kinda worded it wrong but like for the 80s hit it makes sense since it was expiremental tech at the time and sugiuchi was the only middle man who made that plan possible, and it worked. But when arai shoots munakata and shit it's like 😐 nice try buddy. But ya katusragi although being a dope character had a shit ass death similarly to yasuko. Could've been a satisfying final boss imo
that "baba-chan" impression when talking about saejima made me commit tiny laugh. those chapters in 5 where unfortunately a slog, but the game is alright
Just to compare changes to the last list: Yakuza 1: A >> S // Yakuza 2: C >> B // Kenzan: D >> C // Yakuza 3: B >> A // Yakuza 4: C >> THE SELFISH DEEEEEEEEEE // Dead Souls: B >> S // Yakuza 5: D = D // Kurohyou: A >> B // Kurohyou 2: B >> C // Ishin: D >> C // Yakuza 0: S = S // Kiwami 1: C >> B // Yakuza 6: A = A // Kiwami 2: C >> B // Lost Paradise: C >> B // Yakuza 7: A >> poopoo... Uh.. what.. (lol) >> S // Judgement: S = S // Lost Judgement: TBA >> SAWA SENSEI Almost everything went up or stayed, except for both Kurohyou games. Which was a pleasant surprise. Btw, been wondering, are there some games in the same Tier you could still easily place over the other? Like would OG 2 be higher or lower than K2 for instance? (And finally, what was the song called during the Dead Souls part, really loved that one) Anyways, loved the streams you were doing. Really can't wait for Ishin!
I started played Lost Judgement yesterday. Massive gameplay improvements. Adding a more styles is excellent. My personal favorites are Y0 and Y7. I still need to beat Lost Judgement though and the samurai game.
I still think of Funk Goes On as the definitive Kamurocho street fight theme. I have it modded in as the street song in K2, 4, 5, and LJ as Kiryu’s/Kamurocho’s/Yagami’s Tiger theme. It just goes so hard beating up hooligans in Kamurocho, especially at night.
For me I did enjoy Yakuza 3's story, mostly cause it made Kiryu fully transition into Dragon Dad. There were shades of it in 1 and 2 but 3 is when Kiryu goes into it.
I just started yakuza series this year, and i started from 0 then to kiwami and kiwami 2 then to yakuza 3, and I just couldnt stand the combat, i get that the other games that i played are way newer but god, that combat was awful, i shouldve just selected easy mode it was so painful to play through on hard mode. S- Kiwami 2, Kiwami 1, Yakuza 0, Yakuza 4 (in that order, combat in Kiwami 2 was so much fun and story was great.) A- Yakuza 5 (havent played much so this will probably go S tier but so far kiryu part is very boring.) B- Yakuza 3 (I loved the last 4 chapters in this game but the beginning was slow and the combat made it painful to play through.) Looking forward to Yakuza 6 because I've heard its on same engine as kiwami 2.
I'm playing through Yakuza OG 1 now and it is a rough start. I'm struggling a bit with Kiryu targeting the right enemies, but that's mainly the one thing i need to get used to. I personally wouldn't rate it very high but I'm happy to play it for the experience. It's still a lot of fun and the game is definitely good looking for the time it came out.
Rewatching the stream as we speak. All valid points. Even if a viewer would disagree with some of the placements, it's clear you gave every game a genuine fair shot and praised them accordingly. Amazing job, as always! 👍
Of all the yakuza 7 bosses i really liked Reiji Ishioda and Jo Sawashiro the most. Hard to say theres been many side villains in the position of liutenants that i've liked in this franchise besides Kuze (i know Jo is a captain but roll with it). Jo i always felt had the most meaning in the latter half of the game holding onto a very crucial theory and the lengths he would go to to keep it at bay or die with it altogether. His game track also perfectly complements his cold nature with a hint of unsureness as to whether he could live with this shame forever or not especially when it got his boss killed for not stepping in. And Ishioda, a piece of shit modern-ish yakuza. This guy came back atleast like 3 or 4 times. He never gives much to say about his character besides being an Omi asskisser as long as he benefits and just a crazy dude in general. He embodies a yakuza that's only in it for profits and nothing more but his persistence and track are so awesome.
I’m probably the only one with this opinion but I totally vibed with Saejima’s hunting side story. It was nice having a somewhat in-depth side activity that’s more laid-back and not reaction-based. Also a great way to grind for money, as opposed to slogging through the terrible hostess club management in Y3 and 4
i remember telling my friend that lost paradise was a yakuza game and he would just not believe me, i had to bring so much proof just to convince him so hard and he refused to believe, also this tier list is good
also how do you feel about people complaining about ishin kiwami but just cause they want the original experience preserved, like they want the option to experience the game with the old and new faces
I recently finished all the Kiryu saga games and went back to try to 100% some of them. Did anyone else lose motivation when checking some of the requirements? I'd like to hear your thoughts, I could just be a baby on this one.
I platinum all of the games + spin-offs . Not all of them require 100% so I didn’t 100% all but most of them. The requirements are pretty intense in some of them, especially if you don’t like mahjong. Also took me 1 year of only playing yakuza and the burnt out is very real. In the last games I was just skipping some substorys
I platinum all of the games + spin-offs . Not all of them require 100% so I didn’t 100% all but most of them. The requirements are pretty intense in some of them, especially if you don’t like mahjong. Also took me 1 year of only playing yakuza and the burnt out is very real. In the last games I was just skipping some substorys
I platinum all of the games + spin-offs . Not all of them require 100% so I didn’t 100% all but most of them. BThe requirements are pretty intense in some of them, especially if you don’t like mahjong. Also took me 1 year of only playing yakuza and the burnt out is very real. In the last games I was just skipping some substorys
One thing that stands out about 3 in the current lineup of games (with the kiwami games replacing 1 and 2) is that 3 is currently the only game you spend the whole time playing as kiriyu with his dragon of dojima style and thats kind of why i don't want a kiwami 3, i think kiriyus old style feels really good
Watched most of this vid, great stuff, Leon. I have to say though, I'm not a fan of the redesign or performance of the revised Lao Gui - he just looks like Boris Karloff as a monster to me. I'm a huge old school HK cinema and while he rose to a degree of prominence at the start of it's decline, I'd always prefer the Sam Lee (he was great in Beast Cops & Dog Bite Dog, two decent HK films) model over what we received here in the West.
Seriously. I've been in JRPG communities and talked to a lot of ppl who play JRPGs a lot and none of them talk about this game. Even though it's probably the most unique one out there and has one of, if not the best combat system in the market
Tekken should do a spinoff like Yakuza. Not just a fighter but like Street fighter 6 campaign! Also Kiryu if you think about it would be in his mid 60s and he's still a badass!
I agree with all the things about what you said about LAD, wish other JRPG made you play grown up adults. Not always teenagers, you earn my subscribtion.
>Yakuza 4 in S >Yakuza 5 lowest ranked HOLY HELL, THIS GUY IS BASED. Going from Yakuza 4 and into 5 felt like such a let down. Saejima and ESPECIALLY Akiyama just didn't feel the same...For a casual player who just mashes the whole game 5 probably had amazing combat, but for me, the good part were just hype moments.
I feel like if I hadnt got the boxer style I would have felt missing it is bullshit... But having played with the boxer style, I realized how my experience would have been pretty much the same without it
Big brained realizing that Sawa-Sensei tier is basically SS tier. Lost Judgment officially clears.
Absolutely love these kinds of videos. Og Yakuza 1 is something you'll need to get used to but I liked it as well and found it more entertaining and immersive for me than some of the later games that aren't 0. The game's as old as me (17) yet still holds up in my eyes. I can't wait to try og yakuza 2 since everyone tells me it's fun and improves combat from 1
I must be one of the few that agrees with Leon on Y5. It's good, but bloated as fuck, and Saejima if often the weakest link despite being one of my favorite to play as. Shinada's part is really cool and really my favorite section of the game.
Also Broseph Watase's addition is a highlight!
But definitely a drag over all. Getting through all the bloat is a pain.
The guy in chat with the fancy font for his name trying to act all slick and cool was fucking hilarious.
Yakuza 4's story was ok. Fight meeeeeeeeeeeee!
Imho the entire point of story was that backstabbing, disorganized villain had no chance to begin with against the 4 protagonist. That's the mood of the final fight 4 vs 4: it's not an uphill battle, you are there to completely kick their asses!
1:56:07 I literally heard Bawkbasoup say the EXACT. SAME. THING! And I'm happy for that.
It's an extreme shame that the Batting Cages in Y0 were the dogsh*t earlier version (the one that's aggressively unfun and doesn't feel like batting at all). If it had the Dragon Engine version from Y7 and LJ, omg we'd be in *business*. Every RGG game has that one unfortunate thing that holds it back from being THE perfect one for me - the unremovable controls guide in Lost Judgment (single worst mistake in the entire series), the encounter rate in Y5, the blocking in Y3, the unfinished Kamurocho in Y6, etc. But the beautiful thing is that you can always just load up your premium adventure save in whichever game you want and mess around for a quick session.
🔥
I absolutely hated Yakuza 7. Mostly because of the story and how they handled the og characters, but I am really glad that a lot of people found it really enjoyable)
No i missed it!!!😢
Honestly, my problem with 3’s combat isn’t the blocking, but how pitiful your damage is. If you did like double damage in the remaster I think it would fix a lot of my problems.
Eh, it only applies to bosses. Damage to normal goons is relatively the same. To me personally it's a nice change of pace and gives the bosses some weight. I prefer it to molly whopping bosses in some other games in like 2 min
The boss defenses in 3 are absolutely through the roof. I don't know if they increase even more on higher difficulties, but I know for a fact that heat actions done on boss enemies in Legend Mode somehow, for some reason, do less damage than a standard full rush combo. That's just absurd when you stack that with bosses being absolute stone walls that block most stuff you try unless it's as a punish to their attacks
Yakuza 5 is in D tier for "Dreams"
Besides the over use of rubber bullets I really don't understand the hate for the general story of 4. Like I think the finale is really the only time the narrative really fumbles because it doesn't know what to do with the characters, but the ueno seiwa feud, the prison break, tanimura finding out his father's killer, etc were quite great. The rubber bullets all though not the best makes sense in the context of the 80s hit but admittedly they do over stay their welcome in the latter half
100% agree
I never really saw it as overuse when it’s a central part of a villain’s plan, my brain broke personally as soon as Saejima turned his back on Katsuragi, that part was actually the worst part of the game for me
yes, Yasuko's death was stupid as hell
@@IvanDubsK7 ya i kinda worded it wrong but like for the 80s hit it makes sense since it was expiremental tech at the time and sugiuchi was the only middle man who made that plan possible, and it worked. But when arai shoots munakata and shit it's like 😐 nice try buddy. But ya katusragi although being a dope character had a shit ass death similarly to yasuko. Could've been a satisfying final boss imo
Arai is completely wasted, he’s given so much buildup during the early chapters just to be discarded by the end
that "baba-chan" impression when talking about saejima made me commit tiny laugh. those chapters in 5 where unfortunately a slog, but the game is alright
I still have to play Yakuza 5 but I immediately recognized Saejima's accent xD Leon legit nailed it
Just to compare changes to the last list:
Yakuza 1: A >> S // Yakuza 2: C >> B // Kenzan: D >> C // Yakuza 3: B >> A // Yakuza 4: C >> THE SELFISH DEEEEEEEEEE // Dead Souls: B >> S // Yakuza 5: D = D // Kurohyou: A >> B // Kurohyou 2: B >> C // Ishin: D >> C // Yakuza 0: S = S // Kiwami 1: C >> B // Yakuza 6: A = A // Kiwami 2: C >> B // Lost Paradise: C >> B // Yakuza 7: A >> poopoo... Uh.. what.. (lol) >> S // Judgement: S = S // Lost Judgement: TBA >> SAWA SENSEI
Almost everything went up or stayed, except for both Kurohyou games. Which was a pleasant surprise.
Btw, been wondering, are there some games in the same Tier you could still easily place over the other? Like would OG 2 be higher or lower than K2 for instance?
(And finally, what was the song called during the Dead Souls part, really loved that one)
Anyways, loved the streams you were doing. Really can't wait for Ishin!
I would definitely take original 1 over Kiwami just because of the soundtrack, the dub and how much more fun it is to replay. Not sure about 2 though.
@@devilleon7 original y2 ryuji yo mama joke takes everything over remake
I started played Lost Judgement yesterday.
Massive gameplay improvements. Adding a more styles is excellent.
My personal favorites are Y0 and Y7. I still need to beat Lost Judgement though and the samurai game.
How would rate LJ now? Up there with 0 Y7 for you?
Lost Judgment might be my favourite because of how polished it is. The combat is just too much fun
@@SpinningTurtle66side content is amazing too. School stories is basically a whole new game by itself lol.
I'm starting to think that I'm the only one who enjoyed Saejima's chapter in Yakuza 5.
You're not alone brother, I too enjoyed the BABA-CHAN chapters thoroughly
I still think of Funk Goes On as the definitive Kamurocho street fight theme. I have it modded in as the street song in K2, 4, 5, and LJ as Kiryu’s/Kamurocho’s/Yagami’s Tiger theme. It just goes so hard beating up hooligans in Kamurocho, especially at night.
5 Would be so much better if they changed Saejima to just... not be back in prison again lol
For me I did enjoy Yakuza 3's story, mostly cause it made Kiryu fully transition into Dragon Dad. There were shades of it in 1 and 2 but 3 is when Kiryu goes into it.
I appreciate the story of Yakuza 3 and I actually enjoyed but the combat was bad for me
I just started yakuza series this year, and i started from 0 then to kiwami and kiwami 2 then to yakuza 3, and I just couldnt stand the combat, i get that the other games that i played are way newer but god, that combat was awful, i shouldve just selected easy mode it was so painful to play through on hard mode.
S- Kiwami 2, Kiwami 1, Yakuza 0, Yakuza 4 (in that order, combat in Kiwami 2 was so much fun and story was great.)
A- Yakuza 5 (havent played much so this will probably go S tier but so far kiryu part is very boring.)
B- Yakuza 3 (I loved the last 4 chapters in this game but the beginning was slow and the combat made it painful to play through.)
Looking forward to Yakuza 6 because I've heard its on same engine as kiwami 2.
@@controversialgaming1364 get the kiwami training abilities and get all revelations. It will dramatically improve the combat
@@pegasuskiller9905 komaki parry (circle button) = ez win
I'm playing through Yakuza OG 1 now and it is a rough start. I'm struggling a bit with Kiryu targeting the right enemies, but that's mainly the one thing i need to get used to. I personally wouldn't rate it very high but I'm happy to play it for the experience. It's still a lot of fun and the game is definitely good looking for the time it came out.
Im played finished it yesterday , its a great game, but Yakuza 2 is better really (its a sequel duh) both games solid A tier
Rewatching the stream as we speak. All valid points. Even if a viewer would disagree with some of the placements, it's clear you gave every game a genuine fair shot and praised them accordingly. Amazing job, as always! 👍
Of all the yakuza 7 bosses i really liked Reiji Ishioda and Jo Sawashiro the most. Hard to say theres been many side villains in the position of liutenants that i've liked in this franchise besides Kuze (i know Jo is a captain but roll with it). Jo i always felt had the most meaning in the latter half of the game holding onto a very crucial theory and the lengths he would go to to keep it at bay or die with it altogether. His game track also perfectly complements his cold nature with a hint of unsureness as to whether he could live with this shame forever or not especially when it got his boss killed for not stepping in. And Ishioda, a piece of shit modern-ish yakuza. This guy came back atleast like 3 or 4 times. He never gives much to say about his character besides being an Omi asskisser as long as he benefits and just a crazy dude in general. He embodies a yakuza that's only in it for profits and nothing more but his persistence and track are so awesome.
I’m probably the only one with this opinion but I totally vibed with Saejima’s hunting side story. It was nice having a somewhat in-depth side activity that’s more laid-back and not reaction-based. Also a great way to grind for money, as opposed to slogging through the terrible hostess club management in Y3 and 4
I definitely agree with you. It was strangely engaging lol. Was way better than anything Haruka brought to the table
I’m not even mad at your list, but Yakuza 6 is top tier to me and I have Judgement and Lost Judgement flipped 😄
i think 3 is the most underrated game in the series, it has its flaws, but overall it was awesome, especially the Okinawa setting!
i remember telling my friend that lost paradise was a yakuza game and he would just not believe me, i had to bring so much proof just to convince him so hard and he refused to believe, also this tier list is good
also how do you feel about people complaining about ishin kiwami but just cause they want the original experience preserved, like they want the option to experience the game with the old and new faces
I recently finished all the Kiryu saga games and went back to try to 100% some of them. Did anyone else lose motivation when checking some of the requirements? I'd like to hear your thoughts, I could just be a baby on this one.
I platinum all of the games + spin-offs . Not all of them require 100% so I didn’t 100% all but most of them. The requirements are pretty intense in some of them, especially if you don’t like mahjong. Also took me 1 year of only playing yakuza and the burnt out is very real. In the last games I was just skipping some substorys
I platinum all of the games + spin-offs . Not all of them require 100% so I didn’t 100% all but most of them. The requirements are pretty intense in some of them, especially if you don’t like mahjong. Also took me 1 year of only playing yakuza and the burnt out is very real. In the last games I was just skipping some substorys
I platinum all of the games + spin-offs . Not all of them require 100% so I didn’t 100% all but most of them. BThe requirements are pretty intense in some of them, especially if you don’t like mahjong. Also took me 1 year of only playing yakuza and the burnt out is very real. In the last games I was just skipping some substorys
I've 100% completed 0, K1, K2, 3 and 7
0-2 honestly weren't that bad but 3 was genuine CIA torture levels of awful to 100%
One thing that stands out about 3 in the current lineup of games (with the kiwami games replacing 1 and 2) is that 3 is currently the only game you spend the whole time playing as kiriyu with his dragon of dojima style and thats kind of why i don't want a kiwami 3, i think kiriyus old style feels really good
just occurred to me that both main judgment final bosses jump over Yagami's slide kick at some point xD
Ironically, the only opinion i agree with is the most controversial one: Y5 was a chore to finish
32:03 music in the background?
Watched most of this vid, great stuff, Leon. I have to say though, I'm not a fan of the redesign or performance of the revised Lao Gui - he just looks like Boris Karloff as a monster to me. I'm a huge old school HK cinema and while he rose to a degree of prominence at the start of it's decline, I'd always prefer the Sam Lee (he was great in Beast Cops & Dog Bite Dog, two decent HK films) model over what we received here in the West.
I beat Lau Ka Long without any of Komaki's moves.
Yakuza Like a Dragon is a masterpiece. It's sad to see it being underrated by the Yakuza community as well as the JRPG community.
Seriously. I've been in JRPG communities and talked to a lot of ppl who play JRPGs a lot and none of them talk about this game. Even though it's probably the most unique one out there and has one of, if not the best combat system in the market
Are you joking? If anything, it’s overrated by the Yakuza community. Good game but I see way too much praise for it sometimes.
I just watched your old ranking yesterday, the timing is impeccable
Tekken should do a spinoff like Yakuza. Not just a fighter but like Street fighter 6 campaign! Also Kiryu if you think about it would be in his mid 60s and he's still a badass!
You should do a dynamic intro tier-list.
Saejima wasn't the worst part for me I didn't like Haruka's part at all I wish we got more Akiyama instead
The same for me, when my dad bought ps2 with games, yakuza 1 was in that box. Love at first sight.
Sawashiro enjoyer
Favorite intro is the lost judgment melee with the kidnapped girls
Now I wish we got remaster dead souls..
Wait, I have a question, is Lost Paradise a yakuza game? Ik its made by RGG studios but does that make it a yakuza game?
References the series MULTIPLE times, same VA, same engine, similar combat, same intros, same composers, same director
How is it not?
Music name in objective ranked?
You made me wanna make a tier list so I for sure will soon..before ishin comes out or after I'm not sure yet
Name of the soundtrack in the intro?
Why don't you play ff7r ? For a change after yakuza marathon huh?
Wait for like a dragon isshin .
I agree with all the things about what you said about LAD, wish other JRPG made you play grown up adults. Not always teenagers, you earn my subscribtion.
No way leon put Yakuza 5 in S tier, is the world comming to an end? Lmao
I dont get it why is yakuza 3 A Tier. It was way worser than 2
What about online?
Tank top Ryuji tier
This is a truly cursed rating system.
Putting dead souls as S is no bueno
I love all the games but 4 > 5 easily
I always think of Yakuza 5 as the game were RGG jumped the shark.
Gotta disagree with Y1 being different to everything. The game played a lot like Way of the Samurai and Shenmue.
>Yakuza 4 in S
>Yakuza 5 lowest ranked
HOLY HELL, THIS GUY IS BASED.
Going from Yakuza 4 and into 5 felt like such a let down. Saejima and ESPECIALLY Akiyama just didn't feel the same...For a casual player who just mashes the whole game 5 probably had amazing combat, but for me, the good part were just hype moments.
What about Streets of Kamarocho
I feel like if I hadnt got the boxer style I would have felt missing it is bullshit... But having played with the boxer style, I realized how my experience would have been pretty much the same without it