Well , he put 5 above 4 , which 4 has better story ,... maybe he is kinda subjective and clearly his taste of climax story is different As for two judgement games story and minigames, well I prefer the first one
This is a great video and it’s fun to watch and hear about how other people rank the series. I just have a small note. -Stop saying “this is just a hot take” or other stuff like that. It is a lazy way to describe your difference of opinion. Stand by what you’re saying and justify it. Everyone’s order for a series like this will be different at least stand tall in yours.
Man, we vary greatly hahaha. I absolutely loathe the turn based gameplay so those 2 go near the bottom for me with Yakuza 3. I can’t for the life me figure out how people enjoy the turn based Yakuza games which is a negative departure as far as I’m concerned from the brawler gameplay. I got around 50 hours into like a dragon and couldn’t finish it. The latest release I’ll sadly only grab at a heavy bargain sale. To each their own I guess.
From beating 9 yakuza games in 4 months, I have not got burned out from it. I put in 55 hours in infinite wealth, only at chapter 6. Did over 40 plus side missions easily the best game in the series.
EDITED TO ADD MY THOUGHTS ON ISHIN: Infinite Wealth completely exceeded my expectations somehow and has easily become my favorite in the series. I have 70 hours in the game and haven’t even beaten the actual story yet. There’s just so much to see and do, from the amazing story to the crazy delivery mini game to Dondoko Island to the dungeons to the wild as usual substories to some genuinely fantastic fanservice for longtime fans… it just has everything a Yakuza/Like a Dragon game should have and I’m so happy to see that it is getting a lot more attention. Other games I have these thoughts. Mind you, I’ve never been able to play the original PS2 Yakuza games, although I’d love to do so at some point Yakuza 0- Perfect starting point for those just getting into the series, although it’s even better playing it as a fan and seeing the fanservice sprinkled throughout. The two cities of Kamurocho and Sotenbori feel great to explore here, this being maybe my favorite iteration of Sotenbori. The story was great, seeing the origins of Kiryu and Majima respectively felt satisfying, and this game gave a perfect first impression for what to expect going forward with this series. Majima is probably the best part of this game, as his arc is a little more interesting to me than Kiryu’s. But both get plenty of time to shine and I love this game for that. Yakuza Kiwami- Incredibly solid remake of the first game, adding in context from 0 to make this a satisfying follow-up to that game, as well as a good remake of a classic game. It has some of the flaws that come from being a remake of the earliest game in the series, with the story not quite feeling as well paced or written as later entries would end up being. But I thought it was a great game, even if I prefer Zero Kiwami 2- GREAT game I loved it. I know a lot of fans are mixed on this one for differing from the original, although I wouldn’t know anything about that. I personally found the game to be extremely fun, the graphics are BEAUTIFUL, and the story is pretty decent. Ryuji is probably my favorite villain in the series, or at least one of my top three. Really cool to have a villain that truly feels like an equal to peak Kiryu. Yakuza 3- Not as bad as people say. It’s kinda rough going to this after Kiwami 2, but it also feels weirdly nostalgic in that way. I like the story for three quite a bit, mostly because it gives Kiryu something to lose and really makes you empathize with his plight in trying to keep the orphanage running. The Kazama twist is peak soap opera, but I kinda didn’t really mind it lol. Gameplay has aged but it’s still very doable as long as you do the revelations and get the two finishers perk. Yakuza 4- Mixed bag, tbh. Did not care for the story and didn’t think the four protagonists gimmick worked as well as they probably wanted it to feel. Instead of feeling like they were separate pieces of a puzzle all coming together at the end, it just felt unnecessarily complicated and convoluted. The final boss was kinda cool, but the context for them mostly felt like… passable at best. But still, this game brought us Akiyama and I will always love that. On the other hand… I HATE Saejima’s section and legit think it drags the game down a ton. I love his speech and it legit made me tear up, but it doesn’t make up for probably some of the least fun gameplay we’ve had in a Yakuza game Yakuza 5- Vast improvement from 4, although it still has a very overly hard to follow plot. The multiple cities concept was cool, but it definitely felt like a quantity over quality thing. I feel like RGG was right to scale back in later entries, having no more than two protagonists per game going forward. Having said that, I did at least like nearly every characters section. Even Saejima’s was passable, but dear GOD am I tired of prison sections. Shinada steals the show for me, I’m amazed at how much I enjoyed it. I remember not really being that enthused about him getting a full section while Akiyama and Haruka had to share one, but I shut the hell up about it as soon as Shinada’s section got rolling. Honestly, I can kinda see glimpses of what would help form Ichiban in Shinada’s section. Being broke but still optimistic, struggling with a big conspiracy right in his own backyard, forming unlikely friendships with antagonists… IDK I just really feel like this part was almost like a small taste of what we ended up getting with Ichiban later down the line. The final boss is kinda random, but the fight itself is AMAZING. And the ending is a pretty bittersweet moment, glad to see Haruka and Kiryu truly do love one another Yakuza 6- Great game only held back by being the original supposed swan song for Kiryu. As its own game, I think it’s super fun with a lot of interesting sections and cool gameplay. Onomichi is a great location and the Hirose family has some cool characters for Kiryu to bounce off of. It almost feels like Yakuza 3 upgraded. But, as a finale for Kiryu, just feels very underwhelming. Outside of trying to find the father of Haruka’s child, it doesn’t really feel like this story is fully building up the concept of ‘this is Kazuma Kiryu’s final outing’ as much as I wish it could. Luckily Infinite Wealth did a much better job of truly selling itself as a finale for Kiryu, but this game just feels underwhelming a way to end a character as epic as Kiryu’s story. I like the idea of him faking his own death and the actual final scene is super bittersweet to the point I cried, but everything else doesn’t feel like it should be his ending. Yakuza 7- SO SO SO GOOD! Probably my favorite game next to Zero that isn’t Infinite Wealth. Ichiban is my favorite video game protagonist and this was a much needed breath of fresh air for the series. Going turn based felt awkward at first, but is perfectly fitting for a game series like Yakuza. And the explanation being Ichiban is obsessed with Dragon Quest giving an in universe reason for the combat change is genius. The story is probably the best in the series, next to 8. The party is full of great characters and Ijincho is a great new city to explore. Nothing will ever replace Kamurocho, but I don’t think Ijincho feels like a replacement as much as a new direction. Kinda same way Ichiban is, in a way. No, he isn’t a replacement for Kiryu, he’s merely a new direction for the series to go in. He feels like his own character with his own story and conflicts separate from the Dragon of Dojima. Also another game that made me cry haha. Judgment- Amazing spin-off. Story wise, it’s the best RGG game imo. I love the mystery and how it unravels throughout each chapter. RGG always seems to insert mysteries into Yakuza, so it made perfect sense to make a detective game. This mystery felt satisfying to learn the true nature of, and the final boss was a climactic battle that deserves more praise. Yagami and his crew feel like welcome additions to the world, but I’m glad they restrain themselves from tying them too closely to the Yakuza characters. Makes this feel like its own thing. Was amazed we didn’t even get a Kiryu cameo or anything like that, but honestly happy we didn’t do it didn’t feel like just a spin-off. Lost Judgement- Better gameplay and ALMOST as good a story as the first Judgment. The high school was a cool new location and I loved that they sorta gave it a slice of life anime vibe with the substories taking place there. The villain in this is also one of my favorites in any Yakuza game, a genuinely great example of a villain where you can’t fully disagree or hate them for what they do, even if you know it’s wrong. Sucks this may be the last we ever see of Yagami, I’d love for them to find a way to get a proper Judgment 3 made. Kaito becoming the new protagonist wouldn’t be BAD, but things just wouldn’t feel the same without Takayuki Yagami. Gaiden- Surprisingly solid spin-off game. Perfectly paced for a shorter story and found the gameplay to be great. It’s cool seeing the LAD story from Kiryu’s perspective, although I would have legit gone into shock if they let us do the Kiryu vs Ichiban fight from Kiryu’s POV too… ah well, still cool to see their paths cross in this game. Not only that, but hearing more about the Daidoji was cool and the villain in this one feels like they just improved on what they attempted to do with Yakuza 5. Also the ending legit had me ugly crying. Anyone who says you can skip Yakuza 3 is lying, the ending to Gaiden is legit poetic art if you know the context from that game. Ishin- Forgot to put this one, but not because it wasn’t good. Just didn’t know if I should count it, but I suppose I will. This game is great and a wonderful samurai game. Story is very solid and I love seeing the classic yakuza characters taking up these samurai roles. The combat is fun with a lot of experimentation at play. The samurai setting is quite interesting, samurai being one of my favorite aesthetics. Wish the remaster could have been a LITTLE more next gen, but still found the game to be quite fun and up there with some of my favorite Yakuza titles
Quite literally one of the worst rankings I’ve ever seen. To each their own, but wow the recency bias is on full display (and I love 7 and Infinite Wealth).
Personally i had a lot of issues with infinie wealth story even though it was still great, like when ichiban left kiryu it was so out of character, or how many stretches there were to connect things. But my biggest issue was that both big bads felt underwhelming especially hawai one and the story mostly didnt felt like its do or die, like in zero everything felt so important and life or death, and the enemies were much more badass. Akane and lani also seemed just to be plot device kinda like some evil characters there was very little we got to intereact with them especially lani. Also the story is very slow paced which is fine but both lad and zero kicked you into gears from the start while iw felt like it really started in like chapter 8.Also having 2 full parties felt a little too much to handle but it added a lot to story so i dont mind. Combat was big improvement it really was good. Which is why its my 3rd favourite i think both zero and lad were better but i still loved it, also ngplus as dlc kinda sours a little bit of it.
@@sgnox7781Akane & Lani ARE plot devices. Just like Makoto in 0. Also y'all gotta stop comparing every game in this series so heavily to 0. The big bad guys in that game aren't even very good either lol.
@@reallyhim410 Exactly my problems with Lani and akane they were just plot devices rather then actual characters that's not great. Also Makoto was way more of a character and we interacted and found out way more about her and her story etc. She was also someone with similar experiences to Majima. And yea the big bads were very lackluster compared to 0 or lad. Which is why the story wasn't as good for me then those games. Also when we are talking about best or favourite game in the series then you have to compare them to your previous favourite and see how it matches up
Agreed with sgnox : they have too much plotholes and weak connection for some characters relation , event one of the main antagonist is kinda meh to me .. aside from that -- gameplay, feature , improvement are quite great..! Nice one
Great video but saying Yakuza 4’s soundtrack was “forgettable” is wild 😭😭. Have you heard infinite handcuffs???? Massive Fire???? The myth??? FOR FAITH?????? Gotta be the #1 soundtrack in the series by far. Also I do gotta disagree on Kiwami 2 being a perfect remake as I have a lot of problems with the green filter, story differences and early dragon engine combat. Still fun video as always!
im just never gonna stop, it really is one of my favorite series of all time. I think this is the 4th ranking video ive done on this series. Lol even I am losing count at this point
For me my entry point to the yakuza games was 0. It had been sitting in my back catalogue for a few years. Barrier of entry seemed high so i didnt touch it, but when i finally got around to trying it i really got sucked in to Kiryu and Majimas characters and the world. Since then I’ve got pretty much all the games I could and played Kiwami 1 and 2, 3, 4 i have finished so far with 5 started, 7 im a good ways in and 6 untouched. Now there’s like another three more and because they are such big time sinks I moved onto other game series for now.
Note: I know some people who love Yakuza 2's combat because they learnt how to break it and end up doing some ludicrous things, and so they found KIwami 2 a disappointment. But honestly, I think it's better to have something that works, than something that's fiddly and outdated but can be twisted to doing cool things with.
My favorite is Yakuza 3. Not even to be a contrarian, I just genuinely love it and can look past its flaws for the narrative and how much of an objectively massive leap it was from the PS2 era.
42 hours played on infinite wealth. story is alright for now but i'm expecting it to get even better. Also how the hell are both judgment games and gaiden below top 5?
So I literally watched this video to see if I would like infinite wealth. I really loved playing LJ and what I’m gathering is that if I liked LJ, I’ll marry IW. So here goes…
What is up with the yakuza 3 hate I’ll never understand people told me to skip it when i got into the series with 0 but I’m glad I didn’t I love 3 it’s easily one of my favorites. I even like the combat it challenges you and makes you do things different.
I finished like a dragon yesterday and Im 3 hours into infinite wealth. Im so impressed with how good both games are! I need rgg to make more full blown rpgs pleaseeee
Slime! I’m having a great time with Infinite Wealth. I’ve played all the main LAD games but never touched the side stuff (other than Gaiden). Seems like you still love Isshin 😃
The first one i tried is 4 on ps3. I got 3 and dead souls after that. If I got deadspuls first I dont know if I would of tried the other games after that. Dead souls isnt a terrible game but having played pretty every yakuza game it is the worst one. Yakuza deadsouls almost killed the franchise, luckily 5 put it back on track.
When a guy says Yakuza 2 has a great story show they don't know shit about story telling. Seriously, saying 3 is nonsensical, but saying 2 is one of the best stories is just wrong. But great list either way...
What I love about Yakuza 0 is they have side quests with a character called Magical Johnson, they call him Prince which is a nod to Michael Jackson and his director you wouldn't believe.😂 Really cool!
Slime, just got into Yakuza series last year with Yakuza 0. Love this series especially when they shifted to RPG gameplay. Been fan of JRpgs since the snes era.
You can always do a Souls game ranking: #5: Dark Souls 2 #4: Demon's Souls #3: Dark Souls #2: Dark Souls 3 #1: Yakuza Dead Souls. Farm that rage engagement
Most people don’t talk about the copied gameplay from 6. Which other Kiwami copies 0, not to mention the boss fights in both of them mostly just recycled from other games, and fighting reskins of other bosses is just lame and boring.
It's grown on me over time, but the Dragon Engine combat feels like a huge step down to me not only from the previous engine but notably even from Yakuza 2 itself. The progression system is the same way. Super overdone and not satisfying at all compared to almost every other entry in the series. The console version is STILL locked at 30fps as far as I know. There are ugly filters over pretty much most of the game. I don't even think Kiwami 2 or 6 even look better than the previous engine due to how technically odd they are and how different Kiryu looks. Also, the changes to the soundtrack and the silly sound effects they added in are horrible in some cutscenes.. It's still playable. Some things are cool, like weapon storing, but even that is done better in 5 and it's even in Yakuza 2. I just wish people could still buy Yakuza 2. It's a better game in almost every way. Age doesn't mean a game is worse.
Having 4 so low is a crime. Also having Lost Judgement so low is also a crime. I'm glad that Zero atleast made the top 3 but wow. lol. Glad to see others have differing opinions on these great games and glad you're able to articulate why one fits a certain spot for your thoughts and opinions. Good work as always!
You lost me when you started to glaze Yakuza 5. The only saving grace Yakuza 5 had was the gameplay and content. The story really dragged the game down for me. And you know a Yakuza game is bad if the story is bad. These games are half cutscenes half gameplay.
That first part was autocorrect but I’m not sure if you deleted your comment or if RUclips did it, but Like a Dragon is literally the Japanese name translated to English, and yakuza us just the old localized name.
''I'm gonna leave it at that'' Bro, it's obvious that a newcomer to the series would't watch a video like that, don't know why you such afraid of dropping spoilers.
Judgement at #12 is crazy to me, to each their own I guess
Lost judgement just way better in every way
@@JellyJman I 100% agree with you, but LJ being so good doesn't mean judgment is #12 when it deserves to at least be in top 10
@@rewpertcone8243 I probably put it 8 imo
@@JellyJman sounds reasonable to me, 12 is absurd
Well , he put 5 above 4 , which 4 has better story ,... maybe he is kinda subjective and clearly his taste of climax story is different
As for two judgement games story and minigames, well I prefer the first one
Great tier list as always! Slime!
This is a great video and it’s fun to watch and hear about how other people rank the series. I just have a small note.
-Stop saying “this is just a hot take” or other stuff like that. It is a lazy way to describe your difference of opinion. Stand by what you’re saying and justify it. Everyone’s order for a series like this will be different at least stand tall in yours.
37:15 you know WHY it's not very big, right? 😉😎🇺🇸🦅🎇🎆
I seriously don't think Dead Souls was that bad. Substories are just a bit too repetitive. It gave us Daigo in drag and the Majima allergies joke.
Am I the only one that enjoys Dead Souls.
No way u put yakuza 0 over 7😂
Opinions are what they are but Zero is by far the best Yakuza game and it is not even close at all. To me lol. Zero then 2 then 1 and then the rest.
Man, we vary greatly hahaha. I absolutely loathe the turn based gameplay so those 2 go near the bottom for me with Yakuza 3.
I can’t for the life me figure out how people enjoy the turn based Yakuza games which is a negative departure as far as I’m concerned from the brawler gameplay. I got around 50 hours into like a dragon and couldn’t finish it. The latest release I’ll sadly only grab at a heavy bargain sale. To each their own I guess.
From beating 9 yakuza games in 4 months, I have not got burned out from it. I put in 55 hours in infinite wealth, only at chapter 6. Did over 40 plus side missions easily the best game in the series.
This is the 1st time I've seen how you look how come ppl never look how they sound
He definitely looks like he sounds lol
Same
@@jonathanmather6897same lol
@@JellyJman I didn’t mean it as a diss, but I feel like it came off that way. Now I feel bad.
He looks good; but he 100% matches his voice.
WHERE IS HE MFs
My favorite game in the entire franchise is Yakuza 5, and again, great video as always.
EDITED TO ADD MY THOUGHTS ON ISHIN:
Infinite Wealth completely exceeded my expectations somehow and has easily become my favorite in the series. I have 70 hours in the game and haven’t even beaten the actual story yet. There’s just so much to see and do, from the amazing story to the crazy delivery mini game to Dondoko Island to the dungeons to the wild as usual substories to some genuinely fantastic fanservice for longtime fans… it just has everything a Yakuza/Like a Dragon game should have and I’m so happy to see that it is getting a lot more attention.
Other games I have these thoughts. Mind you, I’ve never been able to play the original PS2 Yakuza games, although I’d love to do so at some point
Yakuza 0- Perfect starting point for those just getting into the series, although it’s even better playing it as a fan and seeing the fanservice sprinkled throughout. The two cities of Kamurocho and Sotenbori feel great to explore here, this being maybe my favorite iteration of Sotenbori. The story was great, seeing the origins of Kiryu and Majima respectively felt satisfying, and this game gave a perfect first impression for what to expect going forward with this series. Majima is probably the best part of this game, as his arc is a little more interesting to me than Kiryu’s. But both get plenty of time to shine and I love this game for that.
Yakuza Kiwami- Incredibly solid remake of the first game, adding in context from 0 to make this a satisfying follow-up to that game, as well as a good remake of a classic game. It has some of the flaws that come from being a remake of the earliest game in the series, with the story not quite feeling as well paced or written as later entries would end up being. But I thought it was a great game, even if I prefer Zero
Kiwami 2- GREAT game I loved it. I know a lot of fans are mixed on this one for differing from the original, although I wouldn’t know anything about that. I personally found the game to be extremely fun, the graphics are BEAUTIFUL, and the story is pretty decent. Ryuji is probably my favorite villain in the series, or at least one of my top three. Really cool to have a villain that truly feels like an equal to peak Kiryu.
Yakuza 3- Not as bad as people say. It’s kinda rough going to this after Kiwami 2, but it also feels weirdly nostalgic in that way. I like the story for three quite a bit, mostly because it gives Kiryu something to lose and really makes you empathize with his plight in trying to keep the orphanage running. The Kazama twist is peak soap opera, but I kinda didn’t really mind it lol. Gameplay has aged but it’s still very doable as long as you do the revelations and get the two finishers perk.
Yakuza 4- Mixed bag, tbh. Did not care for the story and didn’t think the four protagonists gimmick worked as well as they probably wanted it to feel. Instead of feeling like they were separate pieces of a puzzle all coming together at the end, it just felt unnecessarily complicated and convoluted. The final boss was kinda cool, but the context for them mostly felt like… passable at best. But still, this game brought us Akiyama and I will always love that. On the other hand… I HATE Saejima’s section and legit think it drags the game down a ton. I love his speech and it legit made me tear up, but it doesn’t make up for probably some of the least fun gameplay we’ve had in a Yakuza game
Yakuza 5- Vast improvement from 4, although it still has a very overly hard to follow plot. The multiple cities concept was cool, but it definitely felt like a quantity over quality thing. I feel like RGG was right to scale back in later entries, having no more than two protagonists per game going forward. Having said that, I did at least like nearly every characters section. Even Saejima’s was passable, but dear GOD am I tired of prison sections. Shinada steals the show for me, I’m amazed at how much I enjoyed it. I remember not really being that enthused about him getting a full section while Akiyama and Haruka had to share one, but I shut the hell up about it as soon as Shinada’s section got rolling. Honestly, I can kinda see glimpses of what would help form Ichiban in Shinada’s section. Being broke but still optimistic, struggling with a big conspiracy right in his own backyard, forming unlikely friendships with antagonists… IDK I just really feel like this part was almost like a small taste of what we ended up getting with Ichiban later down the line. The final boss is kinda random, but the fight itself is AMAZING. And the ending is a pretty bittersweet moment, glad to see Haruka and Kiryu truly do love one another
Yakuza 6- Great game only held back by being the original supposed swan song for Kiryu. As its own game, I think it’s super fun with a lot of interesting sections and cool gameplay. Onomichi is a great location and the Hirose family has some cool characters for Kiryu to bounce off of. It almost feels like Yakuza 3 upgraded. But, as a finale for Kiryu, just feels very underwhelming. Outside of trying to find the father of Haruka’s child, it doesn’t really feel like this story is fully building up the concept of ‘this is Kazuma Kiryu’s final outing’ as much as I wish it could. Luckily Infinite Wealth did a much better job of truly selling itself as a finale for Kiryu, but this game just feels underwhelming a way to end a character as epic as Kiryu’s story. I like the idea of him faking his own death and the actual final scene is super bittersweet to the point I cried, but everything else doesn’t feel like it should be his ending.
Yakuza 7- SO SO SO GOOD! Probably my favorite game next to Zero that isn’t Infinite Wealth. Ichiban is my favorite video game protagonist and this was a much needed breath of fresh air for the series. Going turn based felt awkward at first, but is perfectly fitting for a game series like Yakuza. And the explanation being Ichiban is obsessed with Dragon Quest giving an in universe reason for the combat change is genius. The story is probably the best in the series, next to 8. The party is full of great characters and Ijincho is a great new city to explore. Nothing will ever replace Kamurocho, but I don’t think Ijincho feels like a replacement as much as a new direction. Kinda same way Ichiban is, in a way. No, he isn’t a replacement for Kiryu, he’s merely a new direction for the series to go in. He feels like his own character with his own story and conflicts separate from the Dragon of Dojima. Also another game that made me cry haha.
Judgment- Amazing spin-off. Story wise, it’s the best RGG game imo. I love the mystery and how it unravels throughout each chapter. RGG always seems to insert mysteries into Yakuza, so it made perfect sense to make a detective game. This mystery felt satisfying to learn the true nature of, and the final boss was a climactic battle that deserves more praise. Yagami and his crew feel like welcome additions to the world, but I’m glad they restrain themselves from tying them too closely to the Yakuza characters. Makes this feel like its own thing. Was amazed we didn’t even get a Kiryu cameo or anything like that, but honestly happy we didn’t do it didn’t feel like just a spin-off.
Lost Judgement- Better gameplay and ALMOST as good a story as the first Judgment. The high school was a cool new location and I loved that they sorta gave it a slice of life anime vibe with the substories taking place there. The villain in this is also one of my favorites in any Yakuza game, a genuinely great example of a villain where you can’t fully disagree or hate them for what they do, even if you know it’s wrong. Sucks this may be the last we ever see of Yagami, I’d love for them to find a way to get a proper Judgment 3 made. Kaito becoming the new protagonist wouldn’t be BAD, but things just wouldn’t feel the same without Takayuki Yagami.
Gaiden- Surprisingly solid spin-off game. Perfectly paced for a shorter story and found the gameplay to be great. It’s cool seeing the LAD story from Kiryu’s perspective, although I would have legit gone into shock if they let us do the Kiryu vs Ichiban fight from Kiryu’s POV too… ah well, still cool to see their paths cross in this game. Not only that, but hearing more about the Daidoji was cool and the villain in this one feels like they just improved on what they attempted to do with Yakuza 5. Also the ending legit had me ugly crying. Anyone who says you can skip Yakuza 3 is lying, the ending to Gaiden is legit poetic art if you know the context from that game.
Ishin- Forgot to put this one, but not because it wasn’t good. Just didn’t know if I should count it, but I suppose I will. This game is great and a wonderful samurai game. Story is very solid and I love seeing the classic yakuza characters taking up these samurai roles. The combat is fun with a lot of experimentation at play. The samurai setting is quite interesting, samurai being one of my favorite aesthetics. Wish the remaster could have been a LITTLE more next gen, but still found the game to be quite fun and up there with some of my favorite Yakuza titles
Wow, what a lengthy comment. I actually read through it all, found comments interesting and fair.
The Judgment series is continuing. Yokoyama confirmed last year during an interview that Judgment 3 is something they’re planning on starting soon
Quite literally one of the worst rankings I’ve ever seen. To each their own, but wow the recency bias is on full display (and I love 7 and Infinite Wealth).
Yeah I have to agree with you about Infinite Wealth. The story really surprised me. I was expecting it to be good but....wow.
Personally i had a lot of issues with infinie wealth story even though it was still great, like when ichiban left kiryu it was so out of character, or how many stretches there were to connect things. But my biggest issue was that both big bads felt underwhelming especially hawai one and the story mostly didnt felt like its do or die, like in zero everything felt so important and life or death, and the enemies were much more badass. Akane and lani also seemed just to be plot device kinda like some evil characters there was very little we got to intereact with them especially lani. Also the story is very slow paced which is fine but both lad and zero kicked you into gears from the start while iw felt like it really started in like chapter 8.Also having 2 full parties felt a little too much to handle but it added a lot to story so i dont mind. Combat was big improvement it really was good. Which is why its my 3rd favourite i think both zero and lad were better but i still loved it, also ngplus as dlc kinda sours a little bit of it.
@@sgnox7781Akane & Lani ARE plot devices. Just like Makoto in 0. Also y'all gotta stop comparing every game in this series so heavily to 0. The big bad guys in that game aren't even very good either lol.
@@reallyhim410 Exactly my problems with Lani and akane they were just plot devices rather then actual characters that's not great. Also Makoto was way more of a character and we interacted and found out way more about her and her story etc. She was also someone with similar experiences to Majima. And yea the big bads were very lackluster compared to 0 or lad. Which is why the story wasn't as good for me then those games. Also when we are talking about best or favourite game in the series then you have to compare them to your previous favourite and see how it matches up
Agreed with sgnox : they have too much plotholes and weak connection for some characters relation , event one of the main antagonist is kinda meh to me .. aside from that -- gameplay, feature , improvement are quite great..! Nice one
Great video but saying Yakuza 4’s soundtrack was “forgettable” is wild 😭😭. Have you heard infinite handcuffs???? Massive Fire???? The myth??? FOR FAITH?????? Gotta be the #1 soundtrack in the series by far. Also I do gotta disagree on Kiwami 2 being a perfect remake as I have a lot of problems with the green filter, story differences and early dragon engine combat. Still fun video as always!
maybe not the best but y4 music is probably the best thing in the game
Idk how many times I’ve heard you talk about these games but I’m gonna do it again haha
im just never gonna stop, it really is one of my favorite series of all time. I think this is the 4th ranking video ive done on this series. Lol even I am losing count at this point
1:24:44 I didn't like the loony troony lesbo in that one substory in the English dub
14:49 ..... Pray Face ?? ...Uhhhh n BTW ....Why Are U Reviewing Fist ??.... What Jus Cuz It's Similar ??
For me my entry point to the yakuza games was 0. It had been sitting in my back catalogue for a few years. Barrier of entry seemed high so i didnt touch it, but when i finally got around to trying it i really got sucked in to Kiryu and Majimas characters and the world.
Since then I’ve got pretty much all the games I could and played Kiwami 1 and 2, 3, 4 i have finished so far with 5 started, 7 im a good ways in and 6 untouched. Now there’s like another three more and because they are such big time sinks I moved onto other game series for now.
I am never watching the game awards again if infinite wealth isn’t nominated for goty
Game awards is just one giant circle jerk between the nominees on who can kiss Geoff’s ass.
damn, FOTNS didnt even cross my mind
also slime
And I love all Yakuza expect dead souls my personal favorite is zero
Any time they announce a new Yakuza game, I'm instantly pre-ordering the deluxe edition. You can never get enough of this series.
I dont really agree with this ranking but each one of has has their own opinions
just finshed 8. less cohearant then 7
Just FYI, Yakuza Gaiden from Japan does have English sub if you want a physical copy of the game. Great list.
Note: I know some people who love Yakuza 2's combat because they learnt how to break it and end up doing some ludicrous things, and so they found KIwami 2 a disappointment. But honestly, I think it's better to have something that works, than something that's fiddly and outdated but can be twisted to doing cool things with.
I can't pick a favorite. They're literally all perfect masterpieces and anyone who says there's a bad one is objectively wrong
Dynasty Warriors mentioned? Need a Warriors ranking list!
My favorite is Yakuza 3. Not even to be a contrarian, I just genuinely love it and can look past its flaws for the narrative and how much of an objectively massive leap it was from the PS2 era.
Question to the fans:
Can I jump into any game and understand whats going on?
42 hours played on infinite wealth. story is alright for now but i'm expecting it to get even better. Also how the hell are both judgment games and gaiden below top 5?
So I literally watched this video to see if I would like infinite wealth. I really loved playing LJ and what I’m gathering is that if I liked LJ, I’ll marry IW. So here goes…
What is up with the yakuza 3 hate I’ll never understand people told me to skip it when i got into the series with 0 but I’m glad I didn’t I love 3 it’s easily one of my favorites. I even like the combat it challenges you and makes you do things different.
I finished like a dragon yesterday and Im 3 hours into infinite wealth. Im so impressed with how good both games are! I need rgg to make more full blown rpgs pleaseeee
Slime! I’m having a great time with Infinite Wealth. I’ve played all the main LAD games but never touched the side stuff (other than Gaiden). Seems like you still love Isshin 😃
I wanna play Dead Souls so fucking bad.
When someone asks me how to destroy Yakuza 8 lol 1:18:36
I think dead souls was trying to be undead nightmare but it became a failure
Yakooza
what is your top 5 Yakuza characters?
For me:
1. Ichiban
2. Majima
3. Kiryu
4. Shinada
5. Threeway tie between Akiyama, Takasugi, and Sagawa
Judment is top 5, probs top 2
The first one i tried is 4 on ps3. I got 3 and dead souls after that. If I got deadspuls first I dont know if I would of tried the other games after that. Dead souls isnt a terrible game but having played pretty every yakuza game it is the worst one. Yakuza deadsouls almost killed the franchise, luckily 5 put it back on track.
When a guy says Yakuza 2 has a great story show they don't know shit about story telling. Seriously, saying 3 is nonsensical, but saying 2 is one of the best stories is just wrong. But great list either way...
What I love about Yakuza 0 is they have side quests with a character called Magical Johnson, they call him Prince which is a nod to Michael Jackson and his director you wouldn't believe.😂 Really cool!
I disagree with just about everything you said about Yakuza 3 but otherwise good list!
"Gayden" 🗿
Loved lost judgement, the series is amazing. Kiwami 2 is so much fun. And infinite wealth is the best of Like a dragon turn based rpg game 🎉
Slime, just got into Yakuza series last year with Yakuza 0. Love this series especially when they shifted to RPG gameplay. Been fan of JRpgs since the snes era.
I’m glad that infinite wealth is good. I’m legit thinking of just using my vacation days to only play it lol. Slime
I’m thinking I’m gonna start with either 0 or like a dragon, but I’m having a hard time.
You're a handsome guy
You should watch fist of the north star it's the best anime ever made
Your list is good but damn.... to put the newest game 1st is sketchy
Nice work, Tubular Jonathan!
wtf dead souls should be number one
shit.. you are right looks like im gonna have to redo
You can always do a Souls game ranking:
#5: Dark Souls 2
#4: Demon's Souls
#3: Dark Souls
#2: Dark Souls 3
#1: Yakuza Dead Souls.
Farm that rage engagement
Is TMWEHN worth playing ?
This is my first time seeing your face
This shit stinks bro I'm ngl
I heard Dead Souls is canon, now
Great review man, really helpful 👍
I take it persona game are next too
Yakuza 1+2❤
Best of Best
❤love it
IW became my fav
also yeah Kiwami 2 gets a LOT of hate nowadays and I don't know why lol.
Most people don’t talk about the copied gameplay from 6. Which other Kiwami copies 0, not to mention the boss fights in both of them mostly just recycled from other games, and fighting reskins of other bosses is just lame and boring.
It's grown on me over time, but the Dragon Engine combat feels like a huge step down to me not only from the previous engine but notably even from Yakuza 2 itself. The progression system is the same way. Super overdone and not satisfying at all compared to almost every other entry in the series. The console version is STILL locked at 30fps as far as I know. There are ugly filters over pretty much most of the game. I don't even think Kiwami 2 or 6 even look better than the previous engine due to how technically odd they are and how different Kiryu looks. Also, the changes to the soundtrack and the silly sound effects they added in are horrible in some cutscenes.. It's still playable. Some things are cool, like weapon storing, but even that is done better in 5 and it's even in Yakuza 2. I just wish people could still buy Yakuza 2. It's a better game in almost every way. Age doesn't mean a game is worse.
Slime
Slime
Thanks for the review for the whole series
Are there story spoilers in this video?
Negative
First.
Ok ✅✌🏼
Yakuza game yes
Last
Awesome video my guy! I've been slowly making my way through the mainline games in release order (doing 5 soon) and this has me even more hyped!
If Infinite Wealth or Lost Judgement aren't number one, you're wrong.
Having 4 so low is a crime. Also having Lost Judgement so low is also a crime. I'm glad that Zero atleast made the top 3 but wow. lol. Glad to see others have differing opinions on these great games and glad you're able to articulate why one fits a certain spot for your thoughts and opinions. Good work as always!
Worst take, how dare you put turn based cr@p in top 2 which literally ruined the franchise?
You lost me when you started to glaze Yakuza 5. The only saving grace Yakuza 5 had was the gameplay and content. The story really dragged the game down for me. And you know a Yakuza game is bad if the story is bad. These games are half cutscenes half gameplay.
Ishin is not a good game. I struggled to get through it.
Why do you keep calling Yakuza games “Like A Dragon” games? Haha Like A Dragon is the spinoff series.
Your comment let’s me know you don’t know what you’re talking about. Way before I even played these games I already knew this.
That first part was autocorrect but I’m not sure if you deleted your comment or if RUclips did it, but Like a Dragon is literally the Japanese name translated to English, and yakuza us just the old localized name.
Bruh, turn-based games at the top? Wtf. You've gotta be kidding...
''I'm gonna leave it at that''
Bro, it's obvious that a newcomer to the series would't watch a video like that, don't know why you such afraid of dropping spoilers.
I don’t like to spoil like anything at all for these games the less said about said the better so I’m gonna leave it at that
@@TotallyTubularJonathan Still doesn't make sense.