It really should be noted, nagoshi put his entire career on the line for these games, and now he is currently the head of sega's entire game's division. The dude made it.
“While typing like an idiot” The man is literally a boomer and was in jail during both tech booms in the late 90s and mid 2010s. *And he’s canonically 52.*
@@revi6482 You know these comments are like genghis khans children! Probably made a lot of them under intoxication, and half of them I’ll probably never see again. But children are less likely to out you while you’re drunk then yourself!
"He is a fantasy. A respected, powerful, *softens voice* very attractive fantasy" I totally loved this sentence cause let's be honest, it's a perfect description all around. Great video as always!
Although now that I've finished Yakuza 6 and know the context for that clip of Daigo, calling him "small child" is more appropriate and funny than ever.
What I love about yakuza is that these ridiculously dramatic animations for minigames are not only fun, but characterize Kyriu as well. It shows that he is a very passionate person who is determined to do his best no matter what. No matter what silly activity you perform, Kyriu hypes himself up and goes all in. It doesnt matter what it is, if Kyriu is doing it, he is giving it his all. I had to genuinely laugh out loud when I first saw Kyriu loose at pocket circuit racing in Yakuza 0 and his face shows so much genuine pain that you would think his best friend had just died.
And thats just the intro to a minigame that can branch out into the same but quite different substories, and you can hangout with a person you met in that substory in other specific minigames. I love this game LMAO
"every action we can take is something Kiryu would actually do" well yeah, because as badass as he is, Kiryu is also a MASSIVE FUCKING DORK. And I love him for it.
You should've pointed out in the Someya fight that not only does he have no tattoos, but also Kiryu keeps his jacket on for the fight. As if he thought Someya wasn't worthy of seeing them.
I think it's always important to point out that for 99% of the entire franchise that we see and play, Kiryu is actually ex-Yakuza (or temporarily left it in 0). The only time he was a proper Yakuza is the era we never play. It's because Kiryu, the guy who idealizes Yakuza, cannot accept that life as it does not live up to his ideals. The reason he gets drawn back is that he has an intense desire to fix the Yakuza, but never can.
It’s funny if you think about it. Dude is either called the dragon of dojima, which is the family that is killed in the first ever game, or the 4th Tojo clan chairman, which he was for only a day. Which just speaks volume for the amount perspectives Kiryu had to deal with going through the games. If it was me, I’d be screaming trying to leave with Haruka to a different country entirely. Edit: I do not completely disregard he finds the nickname cool or not, after all he does use it for his blog in Yakuza 3. “A Day in the Life of the Dragon of Dojima”.
Well, the original title is "Ryuu Ga Gotoku" that literally means "Like a Dragon" and that's not a really interesting name for a game here in the west, "Yakuza" is more of adaptation title for making it interesting here
Yakuza is the only series where you can go from contemplating murdering a traumatised blind girl to playing bowling so you can win a chicken named Nugget to work in your real estate business with none of it feeling out of place
Yakuza 6 when you’re having a serious conversation about trying to find Haruto’s dad, just to instantly watch 2 people fall down some stairs and somehow switch bodies in the process
Kiryu is unironically one of the most human characters I’ve seen in video games. And as a lot of people have pointed out, it has to do with the ridiculous tones that the game throws at you outside its main story. Because think about it. When you’re serious and going through a bad situation, everything is tense. It has meaning, it’s methodical, and there’s no room for error. But outside of that, what do you do? What would you do if you lived in a bustling city district in the middle of a booming economy? You would have some fun, of course. You might sing karaoke, go to the arcade, hit some baseballs at the batting cages, dance at the disco club. You might even really get into stock car racing. But you wouldn’t go around and rob convenience stores and hurt random people on the streets. And that’s what makes Kiryu so human. That despite all of the serious yakuza business he has to deal with, he lives his life outside of it, another citizen of Kamurocho.
it gives a ton of personality specialy when you consider that the legendary dragon of shimano is the same guy that casually eats in your local restaurant and politely thanks for it, he helps people in need resulting most of the time it gets him in hilarious situations, like the Ono Michio quest, Stephen spinning, Zombie Majima, the list goes on, and other times just going around the city, taking a taxi to go to the arcade, play pool and darts, with all that he is still know in the city, the amount of people that know about Kiryu and appeared in Yakuza Like a dragon is outstading, even the ono michio kept his voice
@@JackgarPrime I think doing the right thing, even when it doesn't make you happy, is more important. For all the frivolity and indulgence the Yakuza characters enjoy, Majima and Kiryu repeatedly choose to do the right thing despite what it means for them.
A subtle detail about it, it's that everyone ssys 20 years ago or long time ago but it's only Majima that gets the events of Zero a specific time pass (18 years from 0 to K2). It really shows how those events made him who he is but also were never off his mind until that point of closure
I wish Majima Saga spent some more time in the oven, or had been a full DLC of its own, much like, say Dishonored's Knife of Dunwall and The Brigmore Witches DLCs. A good deal shorter than the base game, but still packing a comparably solid story and with mechanics just as deep. Majima Saga unfortunately has neither of those, save for brief scenes in the case of the former.
@@ikariyabiollante867 There is a timespan where you could make a Majima DLC Saga and that's the time where he meets Mirei Park and Katsuya and the three of them becoming entertainment giants. It's a backstory that literally happened in the background while we were focused on the story of Kiryu but we get to know in 5. Majima had a new life too after his new and added arc with Makoto. So Majima could have some time for his own arcs between Yakuza 2 and 5 without disregarding the times where he was sold off to the Police like in 4.
@@ИгорьДушкин-ш1к Actually they never get up in Kiwami 2 (and I guess in Yakuza 6 too, since it's the same engine), which I like to interpret that those people actually died.
Downloaded 0 on a whim from game pass. My only thought was, it's that game that looks like Shenmue. Several hours in and I gotta say. I haven't been this enamored with a game since Witcher 3. That moment where you go the karaoke bar just hit me like a train. This serious Yakuza crime story became... A sweet and goofy moment between two brothers. Which led to this man I thought was just an unrelenting badass to someone who looks out for the little guy. That sees injustices and rights them. Who becomes a disco king out of nowhere and can hit home runs in a baseball simulator. To tracking down a video game for a kid who had his stolen. It's so wonderful. In times where it feels like every game/movie/show has to be grim and dark. Yakuza wants to tell a serious story while putting a smile on your face. Man. This is just a great game.
I genuinely spent a solid chunk of play time bowling and collecting income from real estate lol, And beating up goons that were harassing the civilians. It’s such a fun game to play and I like that the world is easy to navigate while also have really addictive mini games like poker and bowling’. The voice acting is also top notch
@@adaalonso my main problem with Persona 5 is the HEAVY dating sim elements, that are mandatory and part of the story. It becomes very annoying very fast
@@Blackmorerainbowcatch Gta isn't bad, but Rockstar have lost their way. Releasing the same gta across 3 systems, when they used to be industry innovators is a sad inditement of them. They saw the live service cash cow and ran with it. Oh well.
@@Blackmorerainbowcatch Saints Row is pretty much in the same category as GTA. Its GTA but with a "quitky" paint - large world, able to mow down civilians, etc. The focus outside of stories is on driving around, causing mayhem. Those kinds of games aren't bad by any means. I've spent dozens of hours on GTA Online. Sandboxes are fun. Yakuza is different. Because of the smaller scale of the locations, the focus outside of the story is on doing side stories, discovering new facets of the cities, playing minigames. Sleeping Dogs is like neither of these games. It has a great story, and there's an open world, but relatively little side content. You can go around causing mayhem outside of missions, but since you're conditioned not to attack civilians in missions anyway, you probably won't.
“The story revolves around the protagonists getting caught up in a Yakuza conspiracy revolving around money, land or a small child.”Haruka, Haruto and Daigo. You didn’t have to do Daigo dirty like that, my man.
I cried so hard during the scene when nishiki was going to kill kiryu in yakuza 0. Nishiki's crying felt so real, I felt his pain. I had to take a break after the save point, it left me shook.
@@The_Big_Jay It probably shouldn't be. I've only played two of the games so far and this appeared in my recommended. I had to pause it a few seconds in with the expectations of it being filled with spoilers I'd rather not see.
I remember playing yakuza after a bad day and I admired kiryu For his ability to be both strong and imposing yet selfless and noble, and at that moment I decided I would attempt to be more like kiryu. My life immediately improved
12:43 - _while showing a scene of 40-year old Daigo on screen:_ "...or in several cases, a small child" Wow, I actually almost spit my drink all over my laptop from laughing so hard. It's true though, Daigo is the biggest baby of them all and I love it.
@@yoursonisold8743 Except that... [Spoilers for Yakuza 6] By the ending of Y6, Kiryu and Daigo see each other as father and son even though it isn't said face to face since Kiryu dies (**cough**)
@@omnibeta1876 FUCK I ACCIDENTALLY READ THAT EVEN THO I'M ONLY PLAYING 0 NOW WHAT THE HELL MAN JEEZ I GUESS I'M A DUMBASS BUT I THOUGHT IT'S ONLY SOMETHING ABOUT DAIGO
I just beat Yakuza 0. It's my first Yakuza game ever. And im absolutely in love. I almost cried during multiple game moments. The story and passions just run so incredibly deep. I wish every game strived to be more like Yakuza.
Kartik Ayysola fuck yeah brother! I beat Kiwami 1 recently. Great game but not quite as good as 0 Imo. But I'm super pumped to play Kiwami 2. I'm playing fist of the north star now. Have you tried that? It's like a Yakuza sister game. But more cartoony and less grounded.
Haha right?? I equipped the Kiryu costume lol. I couldn't handle the insanely large arms of Kenshiro. Looked too absurd. Plus when he goes into burst mode and the shirt comes off, he's got that entire back tattoo ! So that's always a treat to see lol.
I too have recently beat Yakuza 0 (just today actually) and this game is the only one where I have ever come close to tears as I did. That ending was so bittersweet, that I now have to continue my journey with Kiryu. There is no way I'd ever let 0 be the end for me now
My mom passed away earlier this year, while I was still kind-of in the early stages of Yakuza 0. I'm honestly really fucking glad I started playing it because this world and these characters helped me get through the time without her and forget for just a brief second about the sadness of my everyday existence; I just now finished 6 and of course will play the others, but its' been one of the most interesting journeys I've ever gone through in a video game series. It's really hard to say if there will be a cast of characters that sticks with me like the ones in these games simply because you grow with them, see them through major parts of their life and such. Nagoshi thank god for your vision, it was this blend of crazy wild bizarre shit and genuine emotion that made 2021 not as shit as it could've been.
I initially bought Yakuza 0 on a whim.. wanted to see what this weird game was.. I now own all the Yakuza games and can’t imagine not playing this series that has become my all time favorite. It’s been such a rare and great surprise to just kinda fall into the Yakuza series. Great video explaining to others the reason these games are so amazing!
Chad The Gaming Dad apparently 7 carries on the tradition very well, both in style and substance. i’d recommend checking that out too even if the battle system has shifted genres!
I've played all 6 main games and about to start zero. Waiting on 7 too. Love the series. I've yet played a different game since 2. I've literally played them back to back. Too good to put down.
Never even heard of Yakuza 0 before I discovered it by pure chance while searching for games similar to Mafia 2. Needless to say, I went in Makoto-Style: completely blind. And it didn't just blow my expectations out of the water, it freaking nuked them. Over the course of the main story this game skyrocketed up my list of favorite games, blowing past some of my all-time favorites before crash-landing in the top 3. It was just that good and left me completely dumbfounded as to how it wasn't more popular.
"Conspiracy involving .... or in several cases, a small child" *shows 30-something Daigo* This was unexpectedly hilarious after playing through most of the series.
Majima's story in 0 I think had more meaning than Kiryu's in 0. Kiryu from the start was a man who followed his own beliefs and convictions, and he already seemed to understand he wanted to carve his own path, even though he somewhat wanted to follow Kazama, he was firmly footed in what was believed to be right or wrong. Majima on the other hand didn't know what he wanted to do, but eventually learned that he has to be his own man, and it was great and even inspiring to see him slowly decide to live his life the way he wanted.
I enjoyed Majima’s story more between the two of them but I think Kiryu’s story kind of tests how far he’s willing to go to stick with what he believes in which I found very cool to watch unfold over the game
@@Here-ForTheChaos That's really insightful, actually. Majima's story was about how far he could be pushed, before he finally changed and made that leap and became his own person. Kiryu's story was about just how much he could endure without changing and no longer being his own person.
Majima's story in 0 presents a weird problem for me in deciding which is the better game to start with. If you start with 0, I feel like the heel turn at the start of 1/Kiwami hits a lot harder, but the impact that SEW describes in this video of meeting young Majima and him being radically, comically different than he was in the previous games is completely lost on you. It also recontextualizes Majima for the rest of the series. I mean, at the end of the day it's really not that important, but I still wonder about it.
To me, the Yakuza series present itself has nothing more than video games. By that I mean that it's sole and unique goal is to make you have fun, that's all it cares about. And to make sure you will have fun, those games will culminate amazing stories, crazy side quests, funny side games, amazing characters, etc. This isn't a game that will shy away from trying new things, breaking its own immersion, delivering an emotional story and cathartic gameplay and in an age where AAA Games either strive to be gamble-filled MMOs or walking simulator to feel "immersive and cinematic", I'm so fucking glad this gem of a series exist to make me have fun by just holding my controller. Thank you Yakuza/Ryu Ga Gotoku series, I love you.
100% this. My favorite part is that the series doesn't throw out the over the top and massively fun gameplay to help "immerse you". It lets you interact with the world as you see fit, basically giving the access to the entire game's wide range of systems. It doesn't hold your hand or force you into slow bullshit like picking up a latter or rowing a boat a million times, the qte sequences are weaved in the gameplay seemlessly-making the player feel responsible and powerful, and it gives its combat a real sense of versatility and depth. Basically, this series does everything the new God of War wouldn't do and says "SEE, this is how you make a GAME. It's about having fun at its core, not hamfisting how 'deep' the story is". I cried more at the endings of Yakuza 0, 5, and 6 than any other games I've played, despite how silly these games out. The Yakuza dev team has shown up all western developers, and demonstrated how to balance all of the important aspects of making a compelling and fun game. Japan is killing it right now.
Completely agree with you. Having a story is important and all, but if the gameplay isn't fun, then what's the point? If I can only play the game for it's main story that goes on for 10 hours then what's the point? There are very few high-budget games that I can clearly remember and say with certainty that I loved them and would play them again.
I’ve played every mainline Yakuza game (and Judgment) and this is one of my favorite series of all time. Please someone explain to me why the hell am I watching this video for the third time with the same dumb smile on my face
i recently started playing yakuza with 0 and then proceeded to cruise through 1-6... i fell in love with the series so quickly it's absurd. these games are mahou shoujo BL crime soap operas with so much depth in them. they're also tourism propaganda and you should not play them if you're hungry. i love them. so much.
Cool, I fear I am a bad influence here but, you really must try "Sleeping dogs" if you havent already, and it is currently on sale for $3.00 on steam. While not a Yakuza game, it can best be described as a Chinese gta yakuza.
A friend recommended me Yakuza Like a Dragon, the last game and I felt in love with Ichiban. Highly reconsidering playing all the previous ones, specially if they are as ridicuosly funny as this one.
during covid when no one could go anywhere, i sometimes played yakuza and it would take me back to wondering around shinjuku at "kabukicho". Even today playing the newest yakuza "the man who erased his name", i still find one of the most enjoyable things about these games is just walking around the area.
I was watching a guy stream Yakuza 0 a while back, and he was absolutely hooked on Pocket Circuit Fighter. As gripping as the main story can be, the distractions along the way are equally so.
Was it JFJ? Or someone else? Cause I watched JFJ play this (which is how I found out about it) and he was hooked on the pocket racing for both 0 and kiwami 1
Yakuza 0 was my introduction to the series after hanging out with nishki so much I literally cried during the scene where he talks about putting kiryu down and kiryu just talks to him like it’s the only way out. Then Nishki can’t bring himself to putting down his own Bro. Then after that I played Kiwami and the struggle with him the whole game struck me that much harder.
Gaming on the whole likes to say "the world is a character", but it's only Yakuza that I feel actually conveys that. You only really get the feeling if you play at least two or three of the mainline games, where you get to see the evolution of Kamurocho. You play 30-50 hours of these games depending on how much you dive into minigames and substories. In that time you learn the streets, know where these little nooks are. Each time you return to Kamurocho you go to your old haunts, see if they're still there or how it has changed. I get a few plates from thugs and without even having to look at the map in a brand new Yakuza game, I can navigate my way to Ebisu pawn. For about five games many players could make a beeline to the Karaoke minigame as soon as the game would let them without having to look at the map. It's like coming back to your home town every few years and seeing how it's changed. The Yakuza series is the only series I feel lets the world it inhabits evolve and grow in what seems like a natural way.
Seriously one of the most original game series around, you really don't see anything else like it at all. It flies under so many radars but is honestly one of the best series ever made.
My name is Goro Majima. I'm 33 years old. My house is in the northeast section of Morioh, where all the villas are, and I am not married. I work as an employee for the Kame Yu department stores, and I get home every day by 8 PM at the latest. I don't smoke, but I occasionally drink. I'm in bed by 11 PM, and make sure I get eight hours of sleep, no matter what. After having a glass of warm milk and doing about twenty minutes of stretches before going to bed, I usually have no problems sleeping until morning. Just like a baby, I wake up without any fatigue or stress in the morning. I was told there were no issues at my last check-up. I'm trying to explain that I'm a person who wishes to live a very quiet life. I take care not to trouble myself with any enemies, like winning and losing, that would cause me to lose sleep at night. That is how I deal with society, and I know that is what brings me happiness. Although, if I were to fight I wouldn't lose to anyone.
If you go to the Sega arcade in Kabuki-cho they have Kiryu's voice playing over the speaker pretty much constantly. To be fair, that's just real life Kamuro-cho so he is the obvious mascot there.
How to play the series: 1. Play Yakuza 0 2. Play Yakuza Kiwami (Don't listen to the people telling you to play the original PS2 Yakuza. Its combat is so clunky, the English dub ruins it & the villain doesn't get any back story or character development. Yakuza Kiwami fixes all of those issues.) 3. Play Yakuza Kiwami 2 or the original PS2 Yakuza 2. Both of them are fine. Yakuza 2 doesn't have a terrible dub, its combat is much better than the first game & the villain is actually great. Kiwami 2 will obviously have much better graphics since it's a PS4 game. 4. Play the remastered version of Yakuza 3 when it come out. The original Yakuza 3 on PS3 had a lot of cut content and the localization was bad. The remastered version on PS4 will have a better localization, resolution, framerate and all of the content is left intact. 5. Play Yakuza 4. Both the original PS3 version and the remastered PS4 version are fine. The remaster will have better resolution and framerate. 6. Play Yakuza 5. Both the original PS3 version and the remastered PS4 version are fine. The remaster will have better resolution and framerate. 7. Play Yakuza 6: The Song of Life.
You missed a very important bit there. Between Kiwami and Kiwami 2. After playing Kiwami 1, go watch Devilleon7 's six part video of all the cutscenes in Kiwami... but with the english dub for hilarity sake! Good or bad, it's still a marvel of sorts.
Chad Benjamin Problem is that You have to get through yakuza 1 either way even if it's terrible at places Playing yakuza 0 or kiwami would pretty much spoil the fun out and you won't be able to play the series, these elitist you claim are telling you to start with 1 not because it's better then kiwami *but because it's a better start* kiwami was meant more as *IT'S ZERO BUT MORE* and not a replacement and there so many references to the sequels, if you want to ruin the series and start with 0 or kiwami be my guest
Yakuza. The Jojos Bizarre Adventure of video games. Both are goofy but serious, both have adult men do badass things while dressed like a supermodel and both are loved by Eyepatch Wolf.🐺
I know I'm VERY late to this but I just found this video and wanted to add my two cents. The thing that I find the most intrinsic beauty of Yakuza is the mundane. It allows the world to be grounded in a way that most games miss. Yes, there are absurd and bombastic moments, but it's in a way that doesn't wholly break the immersion because you come to expect it and it fits the world so tightly that it would cause the game to come apart at the seams and fall into the generic action/adventure/rpg trope. The mundane is what ultimately shows the protagonist being a deep and rich character, who is also a major badass and should not be fucked with. The side characters feel like main characters, or at least majorly supporting roles without stealing the spotlight. Some people will like other games in the series and not others but every game is beautifully written, acted and brought to life with the strong cohesion of the world it takes place in.
Kiryu should easily be in any top ten best video game protagonists. Throughout the entire series literally every facet of his character is explored and makes you so invested in him. For a game to make you confident thar Kiryu will prevail against all odds, yet at the same time make you want to protect his virtue is enthralling and these two things encapsulate two key factors about his character. He's an unfiltered badass who is the quintessential tough guy, but he's also insecure, loyal, and loving to a fault and it makes him constantly get into trouble.
Tip for Far Cry 3, tested by me and my gf, Bluff your ass off and always, ALWAYS raise. 7/10, everyone at the table will fold and you'll win with a pair of 2.
Jeremy Cote I know this pain well. I only played mahjong for the 100% competition and had to spend like 7 hours trying to brute force the game to work in my favor.
I've been playing Yakuza 0 for the last few weeks, since Steam put it out for PC. I haven't gotten close to the end yet, I'm enjoying every goddamn second of it, and I want to spend hundreds of hours on every other game in the series. This game is fucking genius, and after seeing this video, I am so grateful it was made at all. Incredible.
I actually like the Yakuza logic of not beating random civillians, because in GTA especially 5 and 4 you're pretty much just a petty criminal trying to make it big and stuff, in Yakuza you're an.. "honorable" man of.. high.. ranking... gang watchamacallits..
Super EyepatchWolf, this is a letter to you: I have followed your videos for about a year now, and each new video elicits a positivity that my life needs right now. More than that, though, you have brought me back into the anime scene after a decade away, your feature 'How Media Scares Us' being my first exposure to your channel. Like that feature, I've shared your videos repeatedly with specific friends in mind for each one. More than that even, there's a real passion and love in your content with wonderful insight and phrasing to get your point across while also bringing your own feelings along with it. I always express positive feelings when watching your content, even though I have very little interest in some things like wrestling. It's all synchronicity for me, but many of your videos arrive perfectly in my life. For instance, not a week after my first viewing of Akira, you launched your feature on Akira, and before your video, I only took from my viewing of Akira the stellar animation work. You educated me. Then you release this video on Yakuza, which is another piece of content I've been late to start. I've only played a handful of hours, but the game has me in no way another game has. I tear up and laugh and get mad on each story beat, and you have put words to my raw context. The only reason I found you in the first place is because my friend shared with me Ito's short, The Enigma of Amigara Fault, propelling me into searching for more of his work, and thus stumbling on your feature on Ito. From there, I've jumped into anime like I've never done before, podcasting with my site mates and really expanding my horizons in modern media. Thank you doesn't cut it. My life feels different, and it's all because you do what you love. Keep going. I'll be watching with bated breath and open mind. Cheers.
Tim Nunes sorry I’m not Super EyepatchWolf replying to this, but just another fan appreciating this comment. A nice endearing letter, which more or less sums up my feelings watching these videos. My first exposure was the Berserk 2016 anime debacle (as I was at the height of following that series avidly), and then the “How Media Scares Us”. I always found that SEPW always approaches his video essays in a more scholarly fashion, and less so as just a fan - giving it weight and legitimacy. But above all... an amazing storyteller. He got me crying over 2 men in speedos throwing each other around, then hugging it out!
This is the best yakuza review I found on youtube. The yakuza series is one of my favorite game in my childhood, really appreciate your investigation on history and explanation on the philosophy behind the story.
I just finished Yakuza 0 two days ago and also played through Kiwami 1 & 2 prior. I am madly addicted to these games, but that Majima/Makoto story arch will tear out any grown man's heart. The ending in Majima Saga had me crying, and as much as it was for the best, you still cannot help but feel bad for a love that will never happen that Majima pushed for to protect Makoto.
Before I watched this video, I thought Yakuza was another GTA styled game. Your video made me rethink my thoughts. Thank you. I'm going to buy Yakuza 0 and Yakuza Kiwami for my birthday. Edit: And now and I'm a big Yakuza fan. And it's all thanks to you, my buddy!
Some of the most heart-wrenching parts of Yakuza are some of the "villains" and opponents that Kiryu is forced to face. Nishkiyama and Ryuji Goda are the two I immediately think of. Unfortunate events, tragic circumstances and overbearing pride leads Kiryu to fighting people that are/were his best friends and people that could've been friends if things were a little different. And even the ones he does get close with will meet some kind of horrible end or get caught up in a struggle that will shake their personal foundations. I started with Yakuza Kiwami before moving to Yakuza 0 and I highly recommend taking that route as well. To start with turned Nishki and balls-insane Majima (everywhere) made me appreciate the time I got to better learn about them in 0. It also heavily added to the tragedy that are these characters. That scene with Nishki and Kiryu in the woods hit real hard on my first experience. Kazuma Kiryu is the most well-written character I think I've ever had the pleasure of learning about. The internal struggles and, as you mentioned, his duality of Yakuza and normal life puts him on paths that most people couldn't even begin to handle. He's tragic, he's badass, he's kind-hearted and while not the brightest, he's figured out how to push through life no matter how the deck's stacked against him. As he's portrayed by his friends in the later games, he's a symbol of hope. Not just for Kamurocho or the Tojo Clan, but for all of Japan. Even if they don't know who he is outside of the criminal underworld. And Goro Majima. We all know he's crazy. We all know he's fun. But wait until you see him "normal" and struggling.
same here. I am starting with Kiwami instead of 0 first, I didn't know the game had so many titles and 0 was before Kiwami. Kiwami was on sell on steam for $20 and I watched the trailer deciding to take a leap of faith on the game and behold it's a masterpiece I've played it for hours on end it's so addicting even the mini games and side quests, the mundane tasks are even cool like drinking at the bar or ordering food. I love the fact it's treated as reality especially an upright moral sense of reality aligning to Kiryu's values. He never takes advantage of nor sleeps with random women in the game minus a the cabret girls who are just touchy feely friends and some girls he gets scammed by as side quests. his heart remians on karuka's mom who gets killed. I'm gonna download 0 after I finish kiwami if I can ever stop playing it in the first place. Idk if I can handle nishki and kiryu woods scene.
@@60wwediva Even the Cabaret Girls are up to debate. Many people, myself included, believes Kiryu is actually a virgin. Kiryu himself says in one of the games that the only reason he visits Hostess Clubs is to have someone to talk to, so he can ease his loneliness a little bit. Kiryu really is a pure boi
It kinda broke me to see how Goro became the mad dog of shimano. I like Kiryu but i have to say, Goro is my favourite of the two just because of 0. /*GORO SPOILER IN KIWAMI 2 AHEAD, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED*/ And i almost cried and also laughed at Goros sidestory in Kiwami 2 when he gets to meet Makoto again and has to stay silent for her to not notice it was him only for her to realize it once shes on the plane away from japan. Contrast that with Majima Construction lol.
Everyone says "Start at Yakuza 0", meanwhile I binge-played ALL the Yakuza games EXCEPT for 0, yet... And boy do I love these series, and am happy to see such meticulous videos about 'em. Our dude Kiryu deserves way, way more attention, and this helps. Good stuff!
Its rather impressive that a game with advanced motion capture, reknowned actors, massive budgets and a focus on emotions could pack less emotions than a mid budget title with hand animated character models.
Man let me tell ya somethin about Yakuza 5. Haruka was literally my favorite character in the series with how she stood up to Kanai like a real G, and chasing her dreams. Then they end the game with her retiring mid concert, then in Yakuza 6 she becomes super weak willed. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW LONG I SPENT ON HER DANCE MINIGAMES AND SIDE CONTENT. JUST FOR HER TO RETIRE MAN, LIKE COME ON.
I first watched this video a little over a year ago and picked up Zero and the Kiwamis in a sale because of it. Having just now finished Kiwami 2, I can say with certainty that next summer when I get time again I'll definitely be trying to finish the rest of the Kiryu saga. Hot dang these games make me feel things I wish I could have felt when I was younger and taught me things I had to learn the hard way in my life. Also the ending to that bonus Majima Saga in Kiwami 2 is a real tearjerker, holy shit.
"You're not god here, you're just another person" Another person: Fights 2 tigers at once, beats up gangs for breakfast, gets surrounded by 100 men, beats most of them and gets saved by crazy 1 eyed hyena
I really appreciate this video! Some of my closest friends really adore this series, and this is helping me to understand not just their love of the games, but who they are and why it would resonate. It's truly beautiful to see such a loving exploration of Himbos who are truly of the world and in love with it: who will stop at no lengths to overcome, who give their all to everything, and who live because of (not for) crime.
Man I hated playing Virtua Fighter in Kiwami 2. I don't understand how anyone can happily go back to play that clunky fossil with really polished fighting games like Tekken 7 and Dragonball FighterZ out these days. Racing games and the like have their oldschool charm, but polygon fighting games look ugly on top of playing badly.
@@yoursonisold8743 while I prefer less clunky movement (hell, I think Tekken 7 is a bit too clunky for me to feel super comfortable with) I will have to disagree on the polygon art. Virtua fighter looks pretty good imo. Granted, I'm not super into 3d graphics so my opinion doesn't have a ton of weight
@@Lee-fw5bd Aside from nostalgia or a cubic art fetish, there is absolutely nothing that could make polygon graphics appealing. They have no detail, look goofy to the point of pathetic and make any martial art or even basic action look robotic. Back in the day people where impressed, these days its a joke. Clay figures or 2D sprites would look better than that garbage.
Your mini-documentary analysis are truly great, you know a lot about what you are talking about and you tell it in an absorbing way. I hope you can upload much more high quality material.
YAKUZA is the ultimate JAPAN simulator, haha. Also I feel western developers take their game worlds wayyyyy too serious these days, Japan still knows best, video games are above all meant to be FUN.
Western games have no memorable story plots. :: It’s kill this guy advance to the next section, collect power ups to kill another harder guy. Japan has more heart it seems, their culture bleeds in their games
This video got me into this absolutely incredible series. These games are like nothing I have ever experienced, these games have had me rolling with laughter and tearing up like a child. Thank you for making this video. These games have ended up meaning more to me than I thought games ever could.
It really should be noted, nagoshi put his entire career on the line for these games, and now he is currently the head of sega's entire game's division. The dude made it.
jsh020 can you explain that?
jsh020 badass
@James Franko I had skipped through that part the first time.
Nagoshi made it to the top
Toshihiro Nagoshi
Chief Creative Officer of Sega
A Sega Holdings Co. subsidiary
"Yakuza is tragic and hilarious, but life is tragic and hilarious" I felt that.
I come back to this video a lot and everytime... that line hits me
Dame da ne moment
Dame da ne moment
It truly is the human experience
I suddenly felt something awaken inside me after that line, most probably the realization just hit me
"A respected, very powerful, ᵛᵉʳʸ ᵃᵗᵗʳᵃᶜᵗᶦᵛᵉ, member of the yakuza."
_beautiful eyes_
*i mean he's not wrong-*
Hes not wrong
9:52
@@mishiraK Oof.
“While typing like an idiot”
The man is literally a boomer and was in jail during both tech booms in the late 90s and mid 2010s. *And he’s canonically 52.*
Damn! He’s hot for an old guy!
Never had a thing for DILF’s... until now...
@@redactedoktor dudes have the issue that Kiryu makes them question if they’re gay.
They make me question if I’m straight.
@@revi6482 You know these comments are like genghis khans children! Probably made a lot of them under intoxication, and half of them I’ll probably never see again. But children are less likely to out you while you’re drunk then yourself!
To be exact, he was 50 by LAD. He’s also not a boomer by definition. He’s a part of Gen X.
AND HE LOOKS 30
"He is a fantasy. A respected, powerful, *softens voice* very attractive fantasy"
I totally loved this sentence cause let's be honest, it's a perfect description all around. Great video as always!
I feel like that's exactly how Majima would describe him
when he says this?
A deep dark fantasy as Van Darkholm would say
Gay or straight, all the ladies want him, and all the guys want him too.
>A small child 12:44
Shows daigo
Come on man, his trying his best
Although now that I've finished Yakuza 6 and know the context for that clip of Daigo, calling him "small child" is more appropriate and funny than ever.
In his defense he does well in yakuza 5. If he didn't recruit Tatsuo our heroes would have lost and lost hard.
Yo its soo weird seeing him in 0
@@fictionarch yeah but if you think about it that kind of means that the twist is that for once Daigo was usefull
@@fictionarch Yep, Daigo did good by recruiting our favourite baseball player turned erotic writer to the team
What I love about yakuza is that these ridiculously dramatic animations for minigames are not only fun, but characterize Kyriu as well. It shows that he is a very passionate person who is determined to do his best no matter what. No matter what silly activity you perform, Kyriu hypes himself up and goes all in. It doesnt matter what it is, if Kyriu is doing it, he is giving it his all.
I had to genuinely laugh out loud when I first saw Kyriu loose at pocket circuit racing in Yakuza 0 and his face shows so much genuine pain that you would think his best friend had just died.
Which one?
You typed Kiryu's name wrong, good comment tho!
sounds like a good way to live
with the passion and thought put into each minigame, i'd say the developers are equally hyping themselves up and going all in, no matter what it is!
YES, THE POCKET CAR THING!!! I thought the same!
Over the top taking the phone and saying "Moshi Moshi" is just too fucking hilarious
And thats just the intro to a minigame that can branch out into the same but quite different substories, and you can hangout with a person you met in that substory in other specific minigames. I love this game LMAO
absolutely, ive seen it so many times now and i know exactly what to expect but it makes me cackle everytime i see it
you should see who he talks to and what they talk about after that O.o
"every action we can take is something Kiryu would actually do" well yeah, because as badass as he is, Kiryu is also a MASSIVE FUCKING DORK. And I love him for it.
Kiryu is the rare mix of a giga-chad and a hyper-virgin, it's truly magical to see
He's such a himbo and I love him
@@ashikjaman1940 idk, he gets laid A LOT in 0 if you're trying to do the phone club substories
@@Michael-bx8up Nah there's nothing is shown and I like to believe he wasn't sexually assaulted during the bad ones, so virgin route it is
@@ashikjaman1940 he was canonically so i mean technically he is not a virgin but just he didnt lose it in a good way
You should've pointed out in the Someya fight that not only does he have no tattoos, but also Kiryu keeps his jacket on for the fight. As if he thought Someya wasn't worthy of seeing them.
Well, he isn’t worthy
@Egg T Like ...c'mon man even Mine had a tattoo and the guy had money pumping in his veins
@@larsnyman2455 He is
He’s literally the embodiment of “The future is now, old man.”
@@larsnyman2455 Someya had a pretty good arc to be fair.
I think it's always important to point out that for 99% of the entire franchise that we see and play, Kiryu is actually ex-Yakuza (or temporarily left it in 0). The only time he was a proper Yakuza is the era we never play. It's because Kiryu, the guy who idealizes Yakuza, cannot accept that life as it does not live up to his ideals. The reason he gets drawn back is that he has an intense desire to fix the Yakuza, but never can.
It’s funny if you think about it. Dude is either called the dragon of dojima, which is the family that is killed in the first ever game, or the 4th Tojo clan chairman, which he was for only a day. Which just speaks volume for the amount perspectives Kiryu had to deal with going through the games. If it was me, I’d be screaming trying to leave with Haruka to a different country entirely.
Edit: I do not completely disregard he finds the nickname cool or not, after all he does use it for his blog in Yakuza 3. “A Day in the Life of the Dragon of Dojima”.
ah yes, I went through the same thing that time I went to prison for curb-stomping my moms new boyfriend.
Well, the original title is "Ryuu Ga Gotoku" that literally means "Like a Dragon" and that's not a really interesting name for a game here in the west, "Yakuza" is more of adaptation title for making it interesting here
@@Murakami2077 Dragon Among Man if you want it to sound more interesting.
@@Killer36661 maybe. Still doesn't sounds as good as "Yakuza" tho
Yakuza is the only series where you can go from contemplating murdering a traumatised blind girl to playing bowling so you can win a chicken named Nugget to work in your real estate business with none of it feeling out of place
And all that in just one game in the series
Also cram people's head in with a sign and then sing about your grandson
Yakuza, the only game where you can slam bicycles on people and play with rc cars
Yakuza 6 when you’re having a serious conversation about trying to find Haruto’s dad, just to instantly watch 2 people fall down some stairs and somehow switch bodies in the process
"Yakuza is a game about hardship."
*roll clip of Majima dancing in a pompous outfit*
Punching a tiger in the fucking facd
I mean, it's not exactly easy...
painfully_human those sparkly outfits are probably real uncomfortable
"It looks like you had a fight with a disco ball, and the disco ball won."
That's the joke, yes.
Super Eyepatch Wolf finally made a video on Yakuza?!
*rips off shirt*
Let's do this.
Just Some Guy with a Mustache You're that guy...
It's him! That guy famous for being famous!
EVERYWHERE!!!!
Dunkey did one on yakuza
Just Some Guy with a Mustache Go defend your position as everywhere commenter!!YAAAA
"subtleties of kiryu's personality" *shows him naming a LIVE chicken 'Nugget'*
Leave Nugget alone, he a good building managing boi.
@@GamerMinilla Isn't Nugget a girl? Or do am I that bad at chicken related biology?
@@fluffytowels1145 Nugget is beyond the concept of gender
It's like naming a pig "Bacon"
@@omegabet3912 lmao or a fish "fillet"
Kiryu is unironically one of the most human characters I’ve seen in video games. And as a lot of people have pointed out, it has to do with the ridiculous tones that the game throws at you outside its main story. Because think about it. When you’re serious and going through a bad situation, everything is tense. It has meaning, it’s methodical, and there’s no room for error. But outside of that, what do you do? What would you do if you lived in a bustling city district in the middle of a booming economy? You would have some fun, of course. You might sing karaoke, go to the arcade, hit some baseballs at the batting cages, dance at the disco club. You might even really get into stock car racing. But you wouldn’t go around and rob convenience stores and hurt random people on the streets. And that’s what makes Kiryu so human. That despite all of the serious yakuza business he has to deal with, he lives his life outside of it, another citizen of Kamurocho.
@@HelghastStalker well, normal guy who can beat 300 people to a pulp in a single day, and fight and beat a tiger bare-handed, but otherwise, yeah
@@mairidberz1450 and blow up a helicopter with a rocket launcher and not kill anyone
it gives a ton of personality specialy when you consider that the legendary dragon of shimano is the same guy that casually eats in your local restaurant and politely thanks for it, he helps people in need resulting most of the time it gets him in hilarious situations, like the Ono Michio quest, Stephen spinning, Zombie Majima, the list goes on, and other times just going around the city, taking a taxi to go to the arcade, play pool and darts, with all that he is still know in the city, the amount of people that know about Kiryu and appeared in Yakuza Like a dragon is outstading, even the ono michio kept his voice
what would you say to someone who says Kiryu is just a boring plank of wood with an angry face?
@@TrickyJebus I would say they haven't payed attention to the story
“He’d resign from his company, never to return”
*Kiryu Kazuma resigning just to prove him, and his father, innocent*
Fucking legend
Quote from the original Yakuza 1 dub that perfectly sums up the series
Random goon: "Kazuma-san, please. Don't interfere"
Kiryu: "fuck you"
And then Yakuza 3 onwards be like
Tojo members : "Kiryu san, please interfere"
Kiryu : "Fuck you"
"Kiryu-san, you're the fourth chairman now!"
"Fuck you."
"...discovering what really matters in life."
[shows manbabies wearing diapers rolling around the floor]
Honestly, is there anything more important in life than living the way that makes you happiest?
@@JackgarPrime amen.
Art
JackgarPrime what if what made someone happy was burning babies alive
@@JackgarPrime I think doing the right thing, even when it doesn't make you happy, is more important. For all the frivolity and indulgence the Yakuza characters enjoy, Majima and Kiryu repeatedly choose to do the right thing despite what it means for them.
In Majima's side campaign in Kiwami 2 where he says: "You worked out some knots Ive had for 18 years" really got to me
I played that story just this week, almost cried with it
A subtle detail about it, it's that everyone ssys 20 years ago or long time ago but it's only Majima that gets the events of Zero a specific time pass (18 years from 0 to K2). It really shows how those events made him who he is but also were never off his mind until that point of closure
I wish Majima Saga spent some more time in the oven, or had been a full DLC of its own, much like, say Dishonored's Knife of Dunwall and The Brigmore Witches DLCs. A good deal shorter than the base game, but still packing a comparably solid story and with mechanics just as deep. Majima Saga unfortunately has neither of those, save for brief scenes in the case of the former.
@@ikariyabiollante867 There is a timespan where you could make a Majima DLC Saga and that's the time where he meets Mirei Park and Katsuya and the three of them becoming entertainment giants. It's a backstory that literally happened in the background while we were focused on the story of Kiryu but we get to know in 5. Majima had a new life too after his new and added arc with Makoto.
So Majima could have some time for his own arcs between Yakuza 2 and 5 without disregarding the times where he was sold off to the Police like in 4.
Bro I cried
"Where they de-robe and fight until one of them are no longer evil."
And people were surprised when you said you love wrestling?
11:16
"Every action we can take is something Kiryu would actually do"
Yeah, like stabbing a person with a katana or heating them up in a microwave
No one died too, never, just beat up a lil.
@@ИгорьДушкин-ш1к every open road level. Cars exploded my dude
@@ssj4galactus rubber explosions
@@ssj4galactus there were dummys in those cars!
@@ИгорьДушкин-ш1к Actually they never get up in Kiwami 2 (and I guess in Yakuza 6 too, since it's the same engine), which I like to interpret that those people actually died.
Long story short:
Yakuza ask the question "what if shenmue was good"
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Shots fired
@@nero3948 i can't wait to see them come mate ;)
Dead body reporter
Nah, bro. Square up.
Downloaded 0 on a whim from game pass. My only thought was, it's that game that looks like Shenmue.
Several hours in and I gotta say. I haven't been this enamored with a game since Witcher 3.
That moment where you go the karaoke bar just hit me like a train. This serious Yakuza crime story became... A sweet and goofy moment between two brothers. Which led to this man I thought was just an unrelenting badass to someone who looks out for the little guy. That sees injustices and rights them. Who becomes a disco king out of nowhere and can hit home runs in a baseball simulator. To tracking down a video game for a kid who had his stolen.
It's so wonderful. In times where it feels like every game/movie/show has to be grim and dark. Yakuza wants to tell a serious story while putting a smile on your face.
Man. This is just a great game.
I genuinely spent a solid chunk of play time bowling and collecting income from real estate lol, And beating up goons that were harassing the civilians. It’s such a fun game to play and I like that the world is easy to navigate while also have really addictive mini games like poker and bowling’. The voice acting is also top notch
@@jamesgratz4771 which game are you talking about about? Yakuza? Has poker?
My favorite games are because the special experience they offered me.
I recommend you Persona 5 Royal if you haven't played it
and now you have the entire saga of kiryu just waiting in the game pass...
have fun.
@@adaalonso my main problem with Persona 5 is the HEAVY dating sim elements, that are mandatory and part of the story. It becomes very annoying very fast
You know what? FINE, I WILL! ... thank you.
"That's rad!" - Kiryu 1988.
Man i keep seeing all of the people i subscribe to around everywhere. Its like a nice mosh pit of good quality people
Your videos are incredible especially the evil dead one
Ryan Hollinger Dude, I JUST watched your Drag Me To Hell video!
Make sure to get the quality charcoal
"Why you should play Yakuza?"
*24 Hours Cinderella plays
I seen enough, I'm satisfied.
Then you should look up Get to the Top.
Goro Majima Top Idol!
Yakuza is the flipside to this open-world fad in gaming.
_"As wide as a puddle. But as deep as an Ocean."_
Up yours GTA.
an ocean deep puddle gives me Courage vibes...
Gta bad and quirky game good, totally not said by literally everyone like saints Row, and sleeping dogs fans
@@Blackmorerainbowcatch Gta isn't bad, but Rockstar have lost their way. Releasing the same gta across 3 systems, when they used to be industry innovators is a sad inditement of them. They saw the live service cash cow and ran with it. Oh well.
@@Blackmorerainbowcatch Saints Row is pretty much in the same category as GTA. Its GTA but with a "quitky" paint - large world, able to mow down civilians, etc. The focus outside of stories is on driving around, causing mayhem.
Those kinds of games aren't bad by any means. I've spent dozens of hours on GTA Online. Sandboxes are fun.
Yakuza is different. Because of the smaller scale of the locations, the focus outside of the story is on doing side stories, discovering new facets of the cities, playing minigames.
Sleeping Dogs is like neither of these games. It has a great story, and there's an open world, but relatively little side content. You can go around causing mayhem outside of missions, but since you're conditioned not to attack civilians in missions anyway, you probably won't.
@@Blackmorerainbowcatch GTA used to be great but I feel like it lost its identity a bit after GTA IV, it became less South Park and more Family Guy
“The story revolves around the protagonists getting caught up in a Yakuza conspiracy revolving around money, land or a small child.”Haruka, Haruto and Daigo. You didn’t have to do Daigo dirty like that, my man.
One reason to play yakuza:
Goro Majima.
That's all you need
aaaye your pic is Yoruichi noice
KIRYU CHAN
This game will let you GET TO THE TOP!
Yes
Aaaaah so refreshing to see a man of culture who appreciates chocolate anime chicks.
A pleasure to meet you.
I cried so hard during the scene when nishiki was going to kill kiryu in yakuza 0. Nishiki's crying felt so real, I felt his pain. I had to take a break after the save point, it left me shook.
Watch out for spoilers without warning, dood. Posting spoilers like this is a bad way to atract new fans.
@@neildrunkmaam7040 It's in the fucking video.
@@The_Big_Jay It probably shouldn't be. I've only played two of the games so far and this appeared in my recommended. I had to pause it a few seconds in with the expectations of it being filled with spoilers I'd rather not see.
If that got you crying your eyes out then I bet you really enjoyed Chapter 14's ending, huh?
What I'm gonna say is that the Yakuza game that got me crying was the third one.
Dude I'm so glad you added "very attractive" when you were talking about Kiryu
Nagoshi really do be the irl Kiryu risking everything for what he believed. The man took an insanely high risk, and it paid off
I remember playing yakuza after a bad day and I admired kiryu For his ability to be both strong and imposing yet selfless and noble, and at that moment I decided I would attempt to be more like kiryu. My life immediately improved
you sound like those ppl who want to sell an online fomation ( not complaining
Kiryu is a great role model, and the fact that he's a video game character doesn't diminish that.
Same but with Majima
Yeah he's an excellent role model for me :)
“Kills people non-leathly
Kazuma Kiryu is undeniably the most manliest, badass and the hardest video game character of all time.
Sung Moon with no PerSoNAlitY whatsoever
@food wich karaoke in zero did it for me. Got to play up to an hour in. I like the dude
@@amarson2322 this guy with a fucking dante pfp out here talking about personality lmao
@@sans_bear dante's bad? ok
Berserk tho
12:43 - _while showing a scene of 40-year old Daigo on screen:_ "...or in several cases, a small child"
Wow, I actually almost spit my drink all over my laptop from laughing so hard. It's true though, Daigo is the biggest baby of them all and I love it.
Seeing his evolution from Zero to the later games is hilarious, because he never stops treating Kiryu like that big bro.
@@yoursonisold8743 Except that...
[Spoilers for Yakuza 6]
By the ending of Y6, Kiryu and Daigo see each other as father and son even though it isn't said face to face since Kiryu dies (**cough**)
@@omnibeta1876 Jeez didnt have to take me quite so literally.
@@omnibeta1876 well kiryu acknowledges Daigo as his son in his dying letter, and Daigo does the same.
@@omnibeta1876 FUCK I ACCIDENTALLY READ THAT EVEN THO I'M ONLY PLAYING 0 NOW
WHAT THE HELL MAN JEEZ I GUESS I'M A DUMBASS BUT I THOUGHT IT'S ONLY SOMETHING ABOUT DAIGO
He is a fanasty, a respected, powerful, *ᵛᵉʳʸ ᵃᵗᵗʳᵃᶜᵗᶦᵛᵉ* , fantasy
I just beat Yakuza 0. It's my first Yakuza game ever. And im absolutely in love. I almost cried during multiple game moments.
The story and passions just run so incredibly deep. I wish every game strived to be more like Yakuza.
Exactly me when I played it a year ago. I literally picked it up on a whim and it's probably one of the my favorite games from the last five years.
Kartik Ayysola fuck yeah brother! I beat Kiwami 1 recently. Great game but not quite as good as 0 Imo. But I'm super pumped to play Kiwami 2. I'm playing fist of the north star now. Have you tried that? It's like a Yakuza sister game. But more cartoony and less grounded.
In the middle of it now! It's fucking great, and I love playing the "guess whose Yakuza VA that is" for each of the characters.
Haha right?? I equipped the Kiryu costume lol. I couldn't handle the insanely large arms of Kenshiro. Looked too absurd. Plus when he goes into burst mode and the shirt comes off, he's got that entire back tattoo ! So that's always a treat to see lol.
I too have recently beat Yakuza 0 (just today actually) and this game is the only one where I have ever come close to tears as I did. That ending was so bittersweet, that I now have to continue my journey with Kiryu. There is no way I'd ever let 0 be the end for me now
There are only 2 types of gamers in the world.
1. Who love the series and can't wait for the next one.
2. And those who have never played it.
I never played it but i watched the series and cant wait to see the next one
I've never played it but I plan to. Since it's on the Game Pass.
@@randomnerd3402 yeah. No reason not to play them.
3.Those that want to play it but can't run it
@@B0K0691 lol that’s me rn
My mom passed away earlier this year, while I was still kind-of in the early stages of Yakuza 0.
I'm honestly really fucking glad I started playing it because this world and these characters helped me get through the time without her and forget for just a brief second about the sadness of my everyday existence; I just now finished 6 and of course will play the others, but its' been one of the most interesting journeys I've ever gone through in a video game series. It's really hard to say if there will be a cast of characters that sticks with me like the ones in these games simply because you grow with them, see them through major parts of their life and such.
Nagoshi thank god for your vision, it was this blend of crazy wild bizarre shit and genuine emotion that made 2021 not as shit as it could've been.
cringe
@@rire6226 nice bait, dipshit
@@CrystalJupiter this is the side effect of having your bitch pass away i presume
My heart💔
It was pretty sad when Arthur Morgan died...
*To summarize this whole series in a nutshell*
Kamurocho: *exists*
Kazuma Kiryu: *ah shit, here we go again*
Kiryu: *exists
Majima: *Let me introduce myself*
@@soraakahymn9443 In various ways!
Kiryu : *existed*
Daigo/Tojoclan : “please Kiryu,come save us!”
Kiryu: **Wants to live a peacefull life**
Tojo Clan: "Oh no kiryu you need to help us-"
Kiryu: ruclips.net/video/YcAHHKY3Y0I/видео.html
I initially bought Yakuza 0 on a whim.. wanted to see what this weird game was.. I now own all the Yakuza games and can’t imagine not playing this series that has become my all time favorite. It’s been such a rare and great surprise to just kinda fall into the Yakuza series. Great video explaining to others the reason these games are so amazing!
Chad The Gaming Dad apparently 7 carries on the tradition very well, both in style and substance. i’d recommend checking that out too even if the battle system has shifted genres!
I've played all 6 main games and about to start zero. Waiting on 7 too. Love the series. I've yet played a different game since 2. I've literally played them back to back. Too good to put down.
Never even heard of Yakuza 0 before I discovered it by pure chance while searching for games similar to Mafia 2. Needless to say, I went in Makoto-Style: completely blind. And it didn't just blow my expectations out of the water, it freaking nuked them. Over the course of the main story this game skyrocketed up my list of favorite games, blowing past some of my all-time favorites before crash-landing in the top 3. It was just that good and left me completely dumbfounded as to how it wasn't more popular.
I just bought this game Rn I hope your right I got the game cuz your comment convinced me
Big Pops
Awesome!! Let me know what you think. If you wind up loving it like me and I helped get you into it..that would be great!
"Conspiracy involving .... or in several cases, a small child" *shows 30-something Daigo*
This was unexpectedly hilarious after playing through most of the series.
Majima's story in 0 I think had more meaning than Kiryu's in 0. Kiryu from the start was a man who followed his own beliefs and convictions, and he already seemed to understand he wanted to carve his own path, even though he somewhat wanted to follow Kazama, he was firmly footed in what was believed to be right or wrong. Majima on the other hand didn't know what he wanted to do, but eventually learned that he has to be his own man, and it was great and even inspiring to see him slowly decide to live his life the way he wanted.
a year after this comment and i ended up playing all the mainline games and both judgments lol
I enjoyed Majima’s story more between the two of them but I think Kiryu’s story kind of tests how far he’s willing to go to stick with what he believes in which I found very cool to watch unfold over the game
@@Here-ForTheChaos That's really insightful, actually.
Majima's story was about how far he could be pushed, before he finally changed and made that leap and became his own person.
Kiryu's story was about just how much he could endure without changing and no longer being his own person.
Majima's story in 0 presents a weird problem for me in deciding which is the better game to start with. If you start with 0, I feel like the heel turn at the start of 1/Kiwami hits a lot harder, but the impact that SEW describes in this video of meeting young Majima and him being radically, comically different than he was in the previous games is completely lost on you. It also recontextualizes Majima for the rest of the series. I mean, at the end of the day it's really not that important, but I still wonder about it.
"You're not God here you're just another person"
Level 999 Kiryu: *Are you sure about that?*
You mean canon kiryu
@@emiliianoportillo1311 yeah lv999 Kiryu is canon.
You're just a normal person, until you learn the Tiger Drop.
To me, the Yakuza series present itself has nothing more than video games. By that I mean that it's sole and unique goal is to make you have fun, that's all it cares about. And to make sure you will have fun, those games will culminate amazing stories, crazy side quests, funny side games, amazing characters, etc. This isn't a game that will shy away from trying new things, breaking its own immersion, delivering an emotional story and cathartic gameplay and in an age where AAA Games either strive to be gamble-filled MMOs or walking simulator to feel "immersive and cinematic", I'm so fucking glad this gem of a series exist to make me have fun by just holding my controller.
Thank you Yakuza/Ryu Ga Gotoku series, I love you.
I'm right there with you 🙋
Hell yeah. It feels like a pure undisturbed game by the industry. Legit, makes you smile every play session in one way or the other
100% this. My favorite part is that the series doesn't throw out the over the top and massively fun gameplay to help "immerse you". It lets you interact with the world as you see fit, basically giving the access to the entire game's wide range of systems. It doesn't hold your hand or force you into slow bullshit like picking up a latter or rowing a boat a million times, the qte sequences are weaved in the gameplay seemlessly-making the player feel responsible and powerful, and it gives its combat a real sense of versatility and depth. Basically, this series does everything the new God of War wouldn't do and says "SEE, this is how you make a GAME. It's about having fun at its core, not hamfisting how 'deep' the story is".
I cried more at the endings of Yakuza 0, 5, and 6 than any other games I've played, despite how silly these games out. The Yakuza dev team has shown up all western developers, and demonstrated how to balance all of the important aspects of making a compelling and fun game. Japan is killing it right now.
Completely agree with you. Having a story is important and all, but if the gameplay isn't fun, then what's the point? If I can only play the game for it's main story that goes on for 10 hours then what's the point? There are very few high-budget games that I can clearly remember and say with certainty that I loved them and would play them again.
I’ve played every mainline Yakuza game (and Judgment) and this is one of my favorite series of all time. Please someone explain to me why the hell am I watching this video for the third time with the same dumb smile on my face
Because it’s awesome
i recently started playing yakuza with 0 and then proceeded to cruise through 1-6... i fell in love with the series so quickly it's absurd. these games are mahou shoujo BL crime soap operas with so much depth in them. they're also tourism propaganda and you should not play them if you're hungry. i love them. so much.
You really must check out "Judgement" if you havent already.
@@FranWest. getting to it. i just marathon'd 7 games in a row hahaha.
Cool, I fear I am a bad influence here but, you really must try "Sleeping dogs" if you havent already, and it is currently on sale for $3.00 on steam.
While not a Yakuza game, it can best be described as a Chinese gta yakuza.
A friend recommended me Yakuza Like a Dragon, the last game and I felt in love with Ichiban. Highly reconsidering playing all the previous ones, specially if they are as ridicuosly funny as this one.
during covid when no one could go anywhere, i sometimes played yakuza and it would take me back to wondering around shinjuku at "kabukicho". Even today playing the newest yakuza "the man who erased his name", i still find one of the most enjoyable things about these games is just walking around the area.
"A small child"
*Shows Daigo*
No Lies Detected
He's doing his best :[
Poor guy XD
@@ashikjaman1940 Man at least gets better by Y7
@@ashikjaman1940 yeah 😭 kiryu made him to this even though he didn't want to in the first place 😭 should've given it to majima
@@bdsmgaming3627 Bruh, Kashiwagi is just standing right there
I was watching a guy stream Yakuza 0 a while back, and he was absolutely hooked on Pocket Circuit Fighter. As gripping as the main story can be, the distractions along the way are equally so.
Was it JFJ? Or someone else?
Cause I watched JFJ play this (which is how I found out about it) and he was hooked on the pocket racing for both 0 and kiwami 1
I spent hours yesterday playing beating all the race cups. I'm on my first play through on kiwami. My first time experiencing the series.
In Kiwami 2, you can literally spend hours inside the Cabaret Club Manager. And you can take in so much Yen from it.
@@j.vinton4039 .... please phrase that better XD. I know its a side activity but that threw me through a loop for a moment.
If I could summarize the Yakuza series with one statement. it would be "I'mma beat the evil out of you boy!"
_Su nao ni _*_I LOVE YOU_*
I love this series so much, can't wait for Kiwami 2 and the remasters
I see I wasn't the only one who broke into song upon seeing that footage.
Mr. Boppin 3 through 5 are getting remastered?
M1st3r_Luna Yep! For now it's gonna be Japan only, hopefully it'll come out very soon everywhere else.
Remasters? I thought they were just being ported over 😂
They're Remasters. Higher resolution/framerate.
Yakuza 0 was my introduction to the series after hanging out with nishki so much I literally cried during the scene where he talks about putting kiryu down and kiryu just talks to him like it’s the only way out. Then Nishki can’t bring himself to putting down his own Bro. Then after that I played Kiwami and the struggle with him the whole game struck me that much harder.
I feel that, playing 0 first then going to 1/kiwami does make the arc with Nishiki hit that much harder.
Dude, you could explain Teletubbies and you'd make me want to watch it.
Fate Mandouh ... That's a very good idea. Better wait for a year for the April fool's video then.
The Cthulhu mythos in Teletubbies: ruclips.net/video/uqgF26vzXuo/видео.html
Gaming on the whole likes to say "the world is a character", but it's only Yakuza that I feel actually conveys that. You only really get the feeling if you play at least two or three of the mainline games, where you get to see the evolution of Kamurocho.
You play 30-50 hours of these games depending on how much you dive into minigames and substories. In that time you learn the streets, know where these little nooks are. Each time you return to Kamurocho you go to your old haunts, see if they're still there or how it has changed. I get a few plates from thugs and without even having to look at the map in a brand new Yakuza game, I can navigate my way to Ebisu pawn. For about five games many players could make a beeline to the Karaoke minigame as soon as the game would let them without having to look at the map. It's like coming back to your home town every few years and seeing how it's changed.
The Yakuza series is the only series I feel lets the world it inhabits evolve and grow in what seems like a natural way.
Seriously one of the most original game series around, you really don't see anything else like it at all. It flies under so many radars but is honestly one of the best series ever made.
"I would recommend all of these games, maybe not one after the other, unless you have about 300 hours to kill." 2018 seems so long ago.
It's one of the more unique game series out there. Thanks for making a video about this series!
Justin Y. Found you
true
Right? I was so happy when I saw this in my subscription box!
YOU AGAIN
are you a bot?
Alternative Game Title:
Kiryu's Bizarre Adventure
I just call it “He’s Fine”
Was that a jojo reference
That was actually the working title of the fist of the north star yakuza game they made
Another:
Kiryu's wacky week out of prison... Again.
My name is Goro Majima. I'm 33 years old. My house is in the northeast section of Morioh, where all the villas are, and I am not married. I work as an employee for the Kame Yu department stores, and I get home every day by 8 PM at the latest. I don't smoke, but I occasionally drink. I'm in bed by 11 PM, and make sure I get eight hours of sleep, no matter what. After having a glass of warm milk and doing about twenty minutes of stretches before going to bed, I usually have no problems sleeping until morning. Just like a baby, I wake up without any fatigue or stress in the morning. I was told there were no issues at my last check-up. I'm trying to explain that I'm a person who wishes to live a very quiet life. I take care not to trouble myself with any enemies, like winning and losing, that would cause me to lose sleep at night. That is how I deal with society, and I know that is what brings me happiness. Although, if I were to fight I wouldn't lose to anyone.
9:56
'' Very attractive ''
I FELT THAT
"He is a fantasy, a respected, powerful, V E R Y A T R A C T I V E, fantasy"
I just love the way he says atractive
Watching this after the recent Shenmue 3 video just to hear how happy Wolf is here.
OMG, never have I clicked a video so fast LOL. Thank you so much for covering this series!!
It's you!
it's me!
Kiryu is a better SEGA mascot than Sonic.
Kiryu vs Mario at the Olympic Games when?
Kiryu for Smash 5 please.
If you go to the Sega arcade in Kabuki-cho they have Kiryu's voice playing over the speaker pretty much constantly. To be fair, that's just real life Kamuro-cho so he is the obvious mascot there.
Totally agree
Kiryu Heroes
Kiryu Adventures
Kiryu 06'
Kiryu X
Picking up a phone has the same energy as Light eating a potato chip
So true
How to play the series:
1. Play Yakuza 0
2. Play Yakuza Kiwami (Don't listen to the people telling you to play the original PS2 Yakuza. Its combat is so clunky, the English dub ruins it & the villain doesn't get any back story or character development. Yakuza Kiwami fixes all of those issues.)
3. Play Yakuza Kiwami 2 or the original PS2 Yakuza 2. Both of them are fine. Yakuza 2 doesn't have a terrible dub, its combat is much better than the first game & the villain is actually great. Kiwami 2 will obviously have much better graphics since it's a PS4 game.
4. Play the remastered version of Yakuza 3 when it come out. The original Yakuza 3 on PS3 had a lot of cut content and the localization was bad. The remastered version on PS4 will have a better localization, resolution, framerate and all of the content is left intact.
5. Play Yakuza 4. Both the original PS3 version and the remastered PS4 version are fine. The remaster will have better resolution and framerate.
6. Play Yakuza 5. Both the original PS3 version and the remastered PS4 version are fine. The remaster will have better resolution and framerate.
7. Play Yakuza 6: The Song of Life.
THIS!
I agree. Skipping a single game from this series is doing yourself a big disservice, even if they vary in quality.
You missed a very important bit there. Between Kiwami and Kiwami 2. After playing Kiwami 1, go watch Devilleon7
's six part video of all the cutscenes in Kiwami... but with the english dub for hilarity sake! Good or bad, it's still a marvel of sorts.
how do i save this comment.....
Chad Benjamin Problem is that You have to get through yakuza 1 either way even if it's terrible at places
Playing yakuza 0 or kiwami would pretty much spoil the fun out and you won't be able to play the series, these elitist you claim are telling you to start with 1 not because it's better then kiwami *but because it's a better start* kiwami was meant more as *IT'S ZERO BUT MORE* and not a replacement and there so many references to the sequels, if you want to ruin the series and start with 0 or kiwami be my guest
"Discovering what really matters in life"
*looks at grown men pretending to be babies*
Finally, A game series for me!
I read that last sentence with JonTron's voice, for some reason- XD
@@Omeyrolx_OhMayRolks i read tha sentence as Caddys voice for some reason lol
Yakuza. The Jojos Bizarre Adventure of video games. Both are goofy but serious, both have adult men do badass things while dressed like a supermodel and both are loved by Eyepatch Wolf.🐺
Ryan Carless I'd say it has more in common with Gintama than Jojo.
Ace20A That’s how exactly how I felt this entire video comparing Yakuza to Gintama and this made me now want to play the video game
I know I'm VERY late to this but I just found this video and wanted to add my two cents.
The thing that I find the most intrinsic beauty of Yakuza is the mundane. It allows the world to be grounded in a way that most games miss. Yes, there are absurd and bombastic moments, but it's in a way that doesn't wholly break the immersion because you come to expect it and it fits the world so tightly that it would cause the game to come apart at the seams and fall into the generic action/adventure/rpg trope. The mundane is what ultimately shows the protagonist being a deep and rich character, who is also a major badass and should not be fucked with.
The side characters feel like main characters, or at least majorly supporting roles without stealing the spotlight.
Some people will like other games in the series and not others but every game is beautifully written, acted and brought to life with the strong cohesion of the world it takes place in.
"discovering what really matters in life"
grown men in diapers
That is not far from happening in Yakuza HAHAHAHAA
I love how the actual yakuza praised the game for accuracy lol
I think they were shown Yakuza 3 actually, but not like there's that much difference.
I mean yeah it is positive propaganda of course they are going to say it's super accurate
Why you should play Yakuza
Every interaction with Goro Majima
Yo
KIRYU CHAN
Best Girl Goromi
Kiryu should easily be in any top ten best video game protagonists. Throughout the entire series literally every facet of his character is explored and makes you so invested in him. For a game to make you confident thar Kiryu will prevail against all odds, yet at the same time make you want to protect his virtue is enthralling and these two things encapsulate two key factors about his character. He's an unfiltered badass who is the quintessential tough guy, but he's also insecure, loyal, and loving to a fault and it makes him constantly get into trouble.
Did Pat put you up to this?
Because if so, he made the right call.
Love that intro, too!
I bought a used copy of Yakuza 0. I've spent 3 hours trying to figure out majong
R O N
Tip for Far Cry 3, tested by me and my gf, Bluff your ass off and always, ALWAYS raise. 7/10, everyone at the table will fold and you'll win with a pair of 2.
I've spent like a dozen hours trying to learn mahjong, and 0 has shogi too, which I'm even worse at. Can't even beat the easiest difficulty. T_T
Jeremy Cote I know this pain well. I only played mahjong for the 100% competition and had to spend like 7 hours trying to brute force the game to work in my favor.
+Boyzby Shogi isn't too bad it's like chess except with more different pieces
I've been playing Yakuza 0 for the last few weeks, since Steam put it out for PC. I haven't gotten close to the end yet, I'm enjoying every goddamn second of it, and I want to spend hundreds of hours on every other game in the series.
This game is fucking genius, and after seeing this video, I am so grateful it was made at all. Incredible.
In wich game you are now?
Of the series of course
"Yakuza has powerful men, tearing off shirts...slamming their fists into each other's bodies"
Kiryu's Depressing Adventure
Kiryus depressing adventure, il draco de aureo
I actually like the Yakuza logic of not beating random civillians, because in GTA especially 5 and 4 you're pretty much just a petty criminal trying to make it big and stuff, in Yakuza you're an.. "honorable" man of.. high.. ranking... gang watchamacallits..
Super EyepatchWolf, this is a letter to you:
I have followed your videos for about a year now, and each new video elicits a positivity that my life needs right now. More than that, though, you have brought me back into the anime scene after a decade away, your feature 'How Media Scares Us' being my first exposure to your channel. Like that feature, I've shared your videos repeatedly with specific friends in mind for each one.
More than that even, there's a real passion and love in your content with wonderful insight and phrasing to get your point across while also bringing your own feelings along with it. I always express positive feelings when watching your content, even though I have very little interest in some things like wrestling.
It's all synchronicity for me, but many of your videos arrive perfectly in my life. For instance, not a week after my first viewing of Akira, you launched your feature on Akira, and before your video, I only took from my viewing of Akira the stellar animation work. You educated me. Then you release this video on Yakuza, which is another piece of content I've been late to start. I've only played a handful of hours, but the game has me in no way another game has. I tear up and laugh and get mad on each story beat, and you have put words to my raw context.
The only reason I found you in the first place is because my friend shared with me Ito's short, The Enigma of Amigara Fault, propelling me into searching for more of his work, and thus stumbling on your feature on Ito. From there, I've jumped into anime like I've never done before, podcasting with my site mates and really expanding my horizons in modern media.
Thank you doesn't cut it. My life feels different, and it's all because you do what you love. Keep going. I'll be watching with bated breath and open mind. Cheers.
Tim Nunes sorry I’m not Super EyepatchWolf replying to this, but just another fan appreciating this comment. A nice endearing letter, which more or less sums up my feelings watching these videos.
My first exposure was the Berserk 2016 anime debacle (as I was at the height of following that series avidly), and then the “How Media Scares Us”. I always found that SEPW always approaches his video essays in a more scholarly fashion, and less so as just a fan - giving it weight and legitimacy. But above all... an amazing storyteller. He got me crying over 2 men in speedos throwing each other around, then hugging it out!
This is the best yakuza review I found on youtube. The yakuza series is one of my favorite game in my childhood, really appreciate your investigation on history and explanation on the philosophy behind the story.
I just finished Yakuza 0 two days ago and also played through Kiwami 1 & 2 prior. I am madly addicted to these games, but that Majima/Makoto story arch will tear out any grown man's heart. The ending in Majima Saga had me crying, and as much as it was for the best, you still cannot help but feel bad for a love that will never happen that Majima pushed for to protect Makoto.
Before I watched this video, I thought Yakuza was another GTA styled game. Your video made me rethink my thoughts.
Thank you. I'm going to buy Yakuza 0 and Yakuza Kiwami for my birthday.
Edit: And now and I'm a big Yakuza fan. And it's all thanks to you, my buddy!
Damn right.
Some of the most heart-wrenching parts of Yakuza are some of the "villains" and opponents that Kiryu is forced to face. Nishkiyama and Ryuji Goda are the two I immediately think of. Unfortunate events, tragic circumstances and overbearing pride leads Kiryu to fighting people that are/were his best friends and people that could've been friends if things were a little different. And even the ones he does get close with will meet some kind of horrible end or get caught up in a struggle that will shake their personal foundations. I started with Yakuza Kiwami before moving to Yakuza 0 and I highly recommend taking that route as well. To start with turned Nishki and balls-insane Majima (everywhere) made me appreciate the time I got to better learn about them in 0. It also heavily added to the tragedy that are these characters. That scene with Nishki and Kiryu in the woods hit real hard on my first experience.
Kazuma Kiryu is the most well-written character I think I've ever had the pleasure of learning about. The internal struggles and, as you mentioned, his duality of Yakuza and normal life puts him on paths that most people couldn't even begin to handle. He's tragic, he's badass, he's kind-hearted and while not the brightest, he's figured out how to push through life no matter how the deck's stacked against him. As he's portrayed by his friends in the later games, he's a symbol of hope. Not just for Kamurocho or the Tojo Clan, but for all of Japan. Even if they don't know who he is outside of the criminal underworld.
And Goro Majima. We all know he's crazy. We all know he's fun. But wait until you see him "normal" and struggling.
same here. I am starting with Kiwami instead of 0 first, I didn't know the game had so many titles and 0 was before Kiwami. Kiwami was on sell on steam for $20 and I watched the trailer deciding to take a leap of faith on the game and behold it's a masterpiece I've played it for hours on end it's so addicting even the mini games and side quests, the mundane tasks are even cool like drinking at the bar or ordering food. I love the fact it's treated as reality especially an upright moral sense of reality aligning to Kiryu's values. He never takes advantage of nor sleeps with random women in the game minus a the cabret girls who are just touchy feely friends and some girls he gets scammed by as side quests. his heart remians on karuka's mom who gets killed.
I'm gonna download 0 after I finish kiwami if I can ever stop playing it in the first place. Idk if I can handle nishki and kiryu woods scene.
@@60wwediva Even the Cabaret Girls are up to debate. Many people, myself included, believes Kiryu is actually a virgin. Kiryu himself says in one of the games that the only reason he visits Hostess Clubs is to have someone to talk to, so he can ease his loneliness a little bit. Kiryu really is a pure boi
@@artemis1993 I think in 6 he straight up says he's a virgin lol
It kinda broke me to see how Goro became the mad dog of shimano. I like Kiryu but i have to say, Goro is my favourite of the two just because of 0.
/*GORO SPOILER IN KIWAMI 2 AHEAD, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED*/
And i almost cried and also laughed at Goros sidestory in Kiwami 2 when he gets to meet Makoto again and has to stay silent for her to not notice it was him only for her to realize it once shes on the plane away from japan. Contrast that with Majima Construction lol.
12:44
The shade thrown at Daigo though, wew.
It's fitting because Kiryu explicitly states in his "final" letter to Daigo that he's the closest thing he's ever had for a son
Joshua Madoc i think its more a pun on how incompetent Daigo is and how we literally only have 3, 4, 5 and 6 as plotlines because Daigo is an idiot.
Joshua Madoc kiryu is still a virgin
In zero he's a literal small child
well he was a brat in yakuza 0 tho
Everyone says "Start at Yakuza 0", meanwhile I binge-played ALL the Yakuza games EXCEPT for 0, yet... And boy do I love these series, and am happy to see such meticulous videos about 'em. Our dude Kiryu deserves way, way more attention, and this helps. Good stuff!
Damn you gonna love Zero man, avoid RUclips.
I wonder if David Cage is even aware of how much better this series handles *'emotions'* than any of his games ever have, and probably ever will.
Its rather impressive that a game with advanced motion capture, reknowned actors, massive budgets and a focus on emotions could pack less emotions than a mid budget title with hand animated character models.
Dude. You're just being stupid right now. Your statement is just bullshit. BOTH VISIONS ARE VERY GOOD. NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM.
David cage did a much better work at his games than what you'll ever say. So gtfo
@@lackusshock Wrong again. Quantic dream games are very good
@@TheREALHugo4 Detroit is the only good Cage game lmao
"Yakuza is a game about hardship."
(shows a clip of a J-Pop concert scene)
Oh, there was a shitload of hardship in that storyline in Yakuza 5.
Man let me tell ya somethin about Yakuza 5. Haruka was literally my favorite character in the series with how she stood up to Kanai like a real G, and chasing her dreams. Then they end the game with her retiring mid concert, then in Yakuza 6 she becomes super weak willed. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW LONG I SPENT ON HER DANCE MINIGAMES AND SIDE CONTENT. JUST FOR HER TO RETIRE MAN, LIKE COME ON.
I mean, rhythm games are hard.
why do people keep commenting these things. The contrast is the joke. You all don't need to point it out.
I first watched this video a little over a year ago and picked up Zero and the Kiwamis in a sale because of it.
Having just now finished Kiwami 2, I can say with certainty that next summer when I get time again I'll definitely be trying to finish the rest of the Kiryu saga. Hot dang these games make me feel things I wish I could have felt when I was younger and taught me things I had to learn the hard way in my life.
Also the ending to that bonus Majima Saga in Kiwami 2 is a real tearjerker, holy shit.
When I saw Kiryu doing a power slide at a disco bar I was instantly sold.
"A bizarre Animal Crossing where you can kick the shit out of people" - a travesty they never used this tag line on the box
Kiryu is my husband.
Back off.
Get in line
Y’all can share
One of the only men that keep me bi
"You're not god here, you're just another person"
Another person: Fights 2 tigers at once, beats up gangs for breakfast, gets surrounded by 100 men, beats most of them and gets saved by crazy 1 eyed hyena
But also can't attack civilians, destroy the environment, steal, or basically do any of the things a typical crime sim allows.
I really appreciate this video! Some of my closest friends really adore this series, and this is helping me to understand not just their love of the games, but who they are and why it would resonate. It's truly beautiful to see such a loving exploration of Himbos who are truly of the world and in love with it: who will stop at no lengths to overcome, who give their all to everything, and who live because of (not for) crime.
"Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in" - Kiryu's entire existence.
Let's talk about the real draw of Yakuza 6.
Virtua Fighter and Puyo Puyo.
my man
I still cry over the loss of bowling and pool, though :(
Man I hated playing Virtua Fighter in Kiwami 2. I don't understand how anyone can happily go back to play that clunky fossil with really polished fighting games like Tekken 7 and Dragonball FighterZ out these days. Racing games and the like have their oldschool charm, but polygon fighting games look ugly on top of playing badly.
@@yoursonisold8743 while I prefer less clunky movement (hell, I think Tekken 7 is a bit too clunky for me to feel super comfortable with) I will have to disagree on the polygon art. Virtua fighter looks pretty good imo. Granted, I'm not super into 3d graphics so my opinion doesn't have a ton of weight
@@Lee-fw5bd Aside from nostalgia or a cubic art fetish, there is absolutely nothing that could make polygon graphics appealing. They have no detail, look goofy to the point of pathetic and make any martial art or even basic action look robotic. Back in the day people where impressed, these days its a joke.
Clay figures or 2D sprites would look better than that garbage.
Your mini-documentary analysis are truly great, you know a lot about what you are talking about and you tell it in an absorbing way. I hope you can upload much more high quality material.
You did a superb job of detailing this game without giving much of the story away. Gonna go buy Yakuza 0 because of this vid now.
Yakuza 0 now on Steam for 20 dollars. Thank you for the recommendation Eyepatch.
YAKUZA is the ultimate JAPAN simulator, haha.
Also I feel western developers take their game worlds wayyyyy too serious these days, Japan still knows best, video games are above all meant to be FUN.
which is why i enjoyed saints row 3 and 4.they were trying to be fun games.but i guess fun is no longer a thing over in america.
Lol this nonsense again
Western games have no memorable story plots. :: It’s kill this guy advance to the next section, collect power ups to kill another harder guy. Japan has more heart it seems, their culture bleeds in their games
@@jaulloa21 Fucking what? Have you seen some Triple A Western titles?
LJK401 call of duty?? Battlefield? Same grinding and combative gameplay. GTA is great but the story is depressing.
This video got me into this absolutely incredible series. These games are like nothing I have ever experienced, these games have had me rolling with laughter and tearing up like a child. Thank you for making this video. These games have ended up meaning more to me than I thought games ever could.
Every time i think you can't get any better. Every time i'm wrong