One thing I want to note: Sagawa's final scene is also supposed to be a complete parallel of his introduction. In the introduction scene, he makes Majima come to him with the lighter for his cigarette. In his final scene, he offers the cig first. Even lights it for Majima instead of having him light it himself. Not only is it a sign of respect as equals, it's a sign of respect as if though Majima really is a higher-up to Sagawa at this point.
@@pizzapatriot1769 in Gangland, one of the level intro texts for a mission on the docks, it says "the docks, better known as the docks". Since he reviewed the game, every time docks comes up as a location, he references that line.
@@sup3rkidd333 I don't wanna be "That Guy" (she said, right before being That Guy lawl) but there is at least *one* instance of "docks" coming up as a location and Snake did *not* utilize the reference: In his Greedfall video (section 008. Anatomy of a Quest), he walks us through a quest step-by-step - one of those steps is locating a particular NPC, known to "hang out at the docks". It stuck out to me because I was so prepared for him to make the inevitable reference, that I finished the sentence *out loud* - only to be surprised when he didn't actually say it. And I remember it so well because the Greedfall video is one of my "bedtime stories" - section 008 being the chapter I skip to most often to start it off. (Like, I've "watched" it so many times, I noticed there's a discrepancy between section 008's on-screen title versus what it says in the timestamp/chapter list). Anyway, all that is to explain why I'd have such detail at the ready but now that I've written it out, I'm starting to realize it doesn't make me sound any less weird.
When playing kiwami, I felt everyone being cartoonishly negative towards Nishiki was an intentional decision, to show his warped perspective of the world, (reinforced by his lieutenants), and as such better explain his resentment for Kiryu after the bonds established in 0.
I had a similar impression, like the scene where Kashiwagi wishes Kiryu were there instead of Nishikiyama, I got the impression that Nishiki imagined that because it would be so out of character for Kashiwagi to actually say that imo
I love that line about Kiryu's classic outfit: "It doesn't fit you". In one sense, it's ironic. Of course it fits Kiryu, it's his iconic white suit with red undershirt! It's like, his thing! It's on all the figures, merchandise, cover art, and so on. Kiryu has worn it at least once in every game. In the other, it's bang on. This lifestyle, represented by that suit, really does not fit Kiryu at all. He is not meant to be a Yakuza, and we see so many signs of this throughout the games. I feel that's why it's melancholic. Kiryu was given a huge lesson about why the Yakuza honor system and lifestyle is just one big lie... and he doesn't get it. He still wants to believe in that lifestyle even after all he's been through. There's honor in forging your own path for sure, but it will be one of pain and loss as much as strength and honor. Kiryu putting on that jacket starts to make him into the man we will come to know by the first game, with all the tragedy that will follow him. The Dragon of Dojima is born.
49:21 What I always enjoyed about that part of Shimano's plan is how he didn't tell Sagawa, who has been trying and threatening to fuckin' murder Makoto the moment he sees her. Sagawa must've felt really stupid in that moment. Imagine you do everything to fulfill your blood brother's plan and beating the shit out of Majima for not following orders, then finding out that was all as planned and he was as much of a pawn as Majima.
I feel like zero ending on Majima and Kiryu finally meeting while playing 1’s version of Receive You was the best ending in the series, like it was saying “now the story truly begins”
I would also argue that a central theme of Y0 , particularly in Kiryu’s story, is what it means to wield power. Each one of the antagonists has a different take on why one should seek power: Kuze wants to be powerful because power attracts challengers he can face to make himself even more powerful; Awano wants power because its a means to enjoy the high-life; Shibusawa wants power because it’ll give him the status and respect his father never had; and Dojima just wants it because he’s a sadist who enjoys imposing himself on others. Kiryu’s story is confronting all these ideas on why one should seek strength and rejecting them all, instead coming to see power as a responsibility, something one should seek to help others with it.
What also makes Majima vs Awano even more thematically interesting is that Majima has a Hannya on his back, a demon that went through hardship and pain to become what they are. While Awano has Momotaro on his back, a hero who if you check the myth the victories came easy and Momotaro never had to struggle yet is hailed as a great figure.
And in the modern age mometaro is a very 'cutesy' character in japan, associated with restaurants and other similar leisure venues that have defined Awano since he learned how to live easy.
You have no idea how happy I am that you brought up “for whose sake” and “for Buddy”. When I first went through the soundtrack and saw the name of those songs I genuinely teared up because it just hit so hard.
Here's a fun extra detail (that you might already know since you put so much research into these videos): When you hear a character say "gokudo" when talking about the yakuza lifestyle, the word they're using is 極道. 極 means extreme (yes its literally the same kanji lol. Its really cool to me that they can use it for the double meaning of tying into the japanese underworld, and just being really fuckin cool). And 道 means "road" or "path". So 極道 is the "Way of Extremeness" in the same way kendo is the "way of the sword". Kiryu gets so much respect because following rules and deferring to the yakuza power structure isn't extreme. Taking life by the horns and forging your own destiny by whatever means necessary IS. As a certain man who dedicated his life to The Path put it: Ya gotta go balls out.
Sagawa makes me sad. I think somewhere under all the scariness and weird jokes he actually wanted Majima to make it out alive. It makes Shimano all the more evil in retrospect.
"The two escape to the underground parking, due to open 2010" ffs, man, two and a half minutes into a two and a half hour video and im already laughing. Seriously impressive pace with these videos. Hope you're looking after yourself, because these are so consistently high quality and so rich in replay value that I can't imagine its even slightly easy
I personally think Yakuza being perceived as "Whoa Bonkers Japanese Series" is a boon. People think it will be funny haha all the way with a lot of badass moments but when said "PAIN" moments arrived it is so written well it shocked people and left a huge mark in their memories, the value of subversion i guess. Boy it's a subversion done well.
the thing is like a dragon went and embraced the more silly side instead of having a balance so now the series has a severe tone problem that was not there in the kiryu games.
Yeah by the time kiryu looks at haruka and the kids at the orphanage one last time before walking away into the (not so happy) sunset i had cried multiple times for him. Worst of all was when I realised that if you play these games in release order, 0 at least the kiryu side of it can be interpreted as kiryu, in his coma, remembering where it all began for him or where his life started turning around, evidenced by substories like where he gets his fortune read and it’s literally references to the plot or something from every game until 5
@@megamike15 you say this but Yakuza 7 also had incredibly heartbreaking moments and especially its ending which I'd consider to be the most emotional in the series. It's definitely the most outwardly absurd but I'd argue it doubles down on emotional beats when necessary.
Ryu ga Gotoku studios is fascinating to follow not only because of how much they experiment, but actually seem to learn as they go on, and Kiwami kinda shows how much it is held back by their past. I’m glad the with Judgement and the new turn based style they are starting with a clean slate because much like Shinada’s part in 5, they can go so far without the baggage of older titles. This the first time I’ve watched one of your videos and have been actually been caught up with all the games (at least the ones we got in the west), these got me to give the games a shot and now they serve to give appreciation on how far this series and it’s studio have grown. This industry is saturated with franchises that for one reason or another have lost their way, yet Yakuza’s future looks bright and exciting. Thank you for hard selling me on my favorite franchise.
I find the interesting thing about Kazama is that he was an exceptional Yakuza, but seemed to fail in his dream. He wanted Kiryu, Nishiki and Yumi to see Sunflower as their home and not follow him into this life. But to the orphans, the rare times that Kazama visited cemented their view of him as a rolemodel in the Yakuza. For me, I cant praise the ending of Yakuza 6 enough because I believe that ending shows Kiryu succeed in that dream where Kazama did not, his kids all love the orphanage and each other, staying to support one another rather than trying to follow Kiryu into the Tojo. And I ultimately see Kiryu's success where Kazama failed as being that one element Kiryu called out in his letter to Daigo, there is no substitute for real time spent together. Kiryu didnt just visit the orphanage he made for them, he lived there and abandoned his old life to be a real parent to them. Whereas Kazama was an often distant father figure, and this gave an unrealistic image of him to the kids and made them want to get closer to his world.
They remind me of that trope of a comic book villain where everything is always going "just as they had planned!" as they're getting their ass kicked and somehow escape saying they've won.
Great series! I remember specifically playing through all the games during lockdown, and I love yakuza 0 in particular. These videos are a perfect addendum to the yakuza experience. You totally deserve this little splurge. A little late for the steam sale tho. Despite all of that I hope you take a long fun break before yakuza 6 because these videos do take a lot of effort. Yakuza 6 is a strange title. I hope you like ships in bottles. (I prefer yakuza 7 tbh, can't wait for that and judgement.)
Tbh, “For Buddy” is kind of an awkward name, “For His Sake.” would’ve been way better honestly I never found Kiwami that jarring compared to Zero, I just went with the flow thinking,”This isn’t the 80s anymore, shit is going to be way different.” I guess another thing to, is that the way people see certain events are different than how people experienced them. I mean people in the Tojo, even under Kazama, aren’t as privy to the series of events. They just feel that Nishiki is just the second banana instead of being just as important and I’m sure that needling gas lit Nishiki into thinking he was that useless. Tldr; People think Kiryu did everything himself while Nishiki didn’t do shit Though yeah, man Kazama, you gave your guy the worst possible subordinates considering his mental stability
I had the same vibe going from Zero to Kiwami, it felt like a different era. I think the only significant thing I noticed on the spot was "it feels like all these substories are scams, not much variety", but I was also aware it was a remake of an older game.
The Style Switching Mirror Boss from Ishin is probably the best the series has ever done in the rival fight department ...fingers crossed for that remaster
While the music in this game is absolutely incredible, I’ve noticed that my favorite ended up being Archnemisis (Lao Gui’s final boss theme), as it doesn’t feel like any other fight music in the series. This is a literal Hitman who wants Majima dead. There’s no honor or glory to be gained, just a job to be completed. Also is has a great base beat, and I’m a sucker for music that builds off of a good beat.
Also on another note... I feel like sagawa is basically just the older, even more mask wearing version of majima but from the omi, you can never get him because in the end... He's what majima could have been, an old man trying to play it like hes just some jokester, and i love that... Hes just an extreme version of majima built on bigger extremes. And thats what lets you know... Maybe majima will get it better, and when he finally dies... Maybe he'll see him again eye to eye, like he did at the end of 0
I feel like the less you get him the more you love him, because in all reality... He starts to feel like yakuza 1-early 3 majima, funny, charismatic and psychotic... But he also reveals who he really is deep down, and the fact they don't really show everything you'd think of sagawa makes it better, he still has this air of "what the fuck is he really... Did he play himself as this absolutely evil doer under it all as a final 'at em champ' to him so he can finally fuck up the tojo where it counts? Is his goofy side really him?" It all builds up to the end where, you kinda really glimps at him, hes just a nice old guy having to put an act, because he knew sooner or later shimano would have either killed him, the omi did... Or majima would just say fuck it and put him 6 feet under, hes cynical funny and good hearted, like what majima is extremely deep down
As someone that started with zero, kiwami’s substory’s always felt a bit off. I could kind of tell which ones were ported from the ps2 version, had new bits added, and which ones were added to the remake. I could cut them some slack, since it was a remake, and I always had a bit of soft spot for older games. But I did wish some were cut or maybe expanded a bit. It gets a bit boring when the next sub story I find is basically the monster of the week: scam edition My favorite sub stories were definitely the new ones, and the side stories that were originally in the game with full cg cutscenes
Zero's substories not having any cutscenes at all makes it jarring because they do whatever they want with Kiwami's ; Yayoi and Doctor substories keep their cutscenes like the original Y1 but not the pAres one *substory end music plays* Not so fun fact, a lot of the scam substories are added to the remake
0 is the only video game story where I was in the dark of 55% of what happened and still felt satisfied with the finale. The writing and the performances really hit that sweet spot of soap opera sentimentality, substance and sincerity that didn't need that much big picture comprehension to be impactful. It's sad to see that almost every other Triple A game with quadruple the budget barely manages to say the same cynical shit in each entry. Incredible video too, it's awesome how you deconstruct each and every single aspect of the game and glue it into a thematically relevant whole, it speaks volume of how engaged you are with the source material and that translates into quality.
Also thank you so much for pointing out the paradox of video game remakes They are sold to capitalise on brand recognition to mitigate risk of investment, but as a result the games remade are ones which were extremely solid and well received. This ends up with both 1:the games being remade are those which aren't in anyway improved or positively serviced by being remade, while also 2: the remakes are often worse then the original, which both lowers the brand value and alienates the fans of the original property who are *the* reason that the brand recognition is worth anything to begin with. This comes about from the primary driving force behind many failed business projects, which are the management behind the project having no understanding of the project beyond financial targets, who seek to serve themselves through short-sighted and self-defeating projects which ultimately only hurt the company and product
Been watching you since summer school 2016. I always leave your channel on and off for when I really need to cover long periods of time. Just finished your yakuza 0 video and this is just what I needed. Keep it up your content is hella appreciated
I don’t know if I’m alone on this but I actually like the nishiki stuff in Kiwami. As someone who started with 0 I feel like for me personally I actually like how it gave me more to show how nishiki turned. I get it feeling gratuitous to someone but I actually like how it adds to this mental battle of his and showing his fall. I might be alone on that but I do like those bits
I don't think you're alone, I'd heard a lot of good about it going in and was surprised by how little it did for me. I don't think it's wrong to enjoy it to be clear, these videos are my feelings and aren't meant to be representative of everyone elses.
I feel Yakuza 0 and Kiwami 1 are actually pretty great introductions to the series, albeit in an unintentional way, I find it to be a very good way to introduce one of the series' biggest issues: Very obvious inconsistent budgeting and writing, Yakuza 0 and Kiwami 1 existing on both extremes, Yakuza 0 having a good budget with great writing, and Kiwami 1 having a bad budget with... Well I won't get it if it's someone's favorite, unless it was their first video game, in which case I totally get it. But regardless, it's a window into what the rest of the series is going to be like, how high their highs will be and how low their lows are. It's kind of like a test in a way, going through 0 is the easy part, Kiwami 1 is the hard part, but if you end up walking away from both thinking "You know, these games are pretty cool!" then you know you'll probably like and can handle the rest. If someone is looking to jump into these games, I really want people to think of Yakuza 0 and Yakuza Kiwami 1 as a package deal rather than completely separate entities, it's pretty much two sides of the same coin, I really don't think they SHOULD be separated, at least when viewing them from the lenses of a first timer.
Zero can be seen as the peak of Yakuza all wrapped up, while Kiwami put some of the jank to the forefront. Plus looking back I don't hate Kiwami too much since it was RGG's first time trying to capitalize on the success of 0 but not knowing how to yet... So it can also be read as the usual RGG is trying to figure something out
I got a friend into Yakuza and told him to ABSOLUTELY start with 0. He loved it so much that he immediatly followed it up with Kiwami, which he *despised* beginning to end and I agree with him. I think it shouldn't be skipped, but to say that it is good is... just wrong. It has SO many questionable design choices it's like nobody tested it at all.
@@DrunkenCoward1 Ehhh, I dunno if I'd say it's bad or should be despised either. I guess Kiwami 1 just exists in this weird state of being for me, where I dislike a good portion of it but there's some good points that cause me to overlook the rest? No matter what you do though, I think people who try to play chronologically are gonna get the short end of the stick, I don't find both versions of Yakuza 1 to be the most fun.
@@DrunkenCoward1 alot of the fights have insanely broken ai that will stunlock you alot which is really stupid since almost every fight in the game is a crowd fight in a small space, also the pacing is really strange until the end of Chapter 4, all of Chapter 1 for example or the added Majima team fight in Chapter 11 which had no reason to be there other than the give a half assed explanation as to why Majima had a binding on his chest
Kazama is an interesting character because, while he wasn't exactly sympathetic to begin with, he's exposed as more and more of an asshole with every sequel he shows up in (he doesn't even try to help Nishiki or his sister despite almost certainly knowing about her health). Just an unfortunate consequence of retroactive writing
In all honesty, yakuza 0 has been one of my favorite experiences in gaming and story telling ever I might say. Thank you for another fantastic video snakey
1:25:20 back when I first played 0 two years ago, I had no idea how things would later turn out. I just figured that this was the foundation of a series long friendship and it made the next game sting really hard for me. Good on the writers for making me care so much about these two.
With him remembering oda in the end... Honestly i still feel how much the situation was fucked, to the point he had to trust a human traffecer just to actually be able to do anything
Kiryu put himself and others others at danger getting himself expelled in a bid to prove Kazama's innocence. Both men clung on to the oaths bitterly and saw others suffer for it by their own hand or through the response of their enemies.
Aaaah god damn it, the moment you started dissecting the later bit of Kurenai with the “I can’t cry so I’ll sing” bit, you just opened the damn waterworks. Who knew a game review of all things would make you cry more than the game itself? Wonderful, just wonderful.
Nishiki pushing the hair on his face back after stabbing that one guy in Kiwami feels like Vergil pushing his hair back after stabbing Dante in Devil May Cry 3. I can't help but see Nishiki as turning into Vergil now. Amazing video. This whole series of videos is really good.
Your videos somehow amplify my already burning love for this game and this franchise even further. Love your videos my dude. Edit: I’m of the opinion that if you have a really large amount of free time, the idea of playing the games in release order (remakes included) can provide an incredible experience on its own besides the standard 0 or Kiwami start point. There’s something about seeing the series history, combat and game design evolve alongside Kiryu while watching Kamurocho slowly degrade that I find indescribable, and this is as someone who started with 0 and the remakes himself. I believe 0 can definitely be played later down the line after 5, because it’s just as much a new era for the RGG franchise as it is a beginning to Kiryu’s legacy and a way to see the man from a different perspective after experiencing is adulthood.
To add on to the irony in the "corrupted bonds", segment I found it telling that Tachibana said he had no friend willing to risk their life for him, only for oda to give his life to save his sister, double irony (maybe) because oda was close to making the same mistake that made him feel ashamed of himself the first time he betrayed tachi
I gotta say this series of yours has become my favorite long-form content, not just on video games but on RUclips in general. You balance insightful analysis and situational gags incredibly. Glad to have this companion piece for my favorite game, and I can’t wait to glean some new appreciation for the future titles you cover. If someone can convince me yakuza LAD didn’t suck it’s this guy
The two dock one-liners spaced like 2 hours apart absolutely fucking got me. I'd say this is your best Yakuza video series yet! I agree 100% on the Kiwami vs original bit too, I dont think ive found a single game which can perfectly recapture that grungy PS2 vibe, it's a feeling completely unique to that console generation and it alone makes Yakuza 1 & 2 worth revisiting in their original states IMO (just wish they were more readily available lollllll).
Before i go into watching this video, i just can't help but mention the perfect timing, i just started watching these videos yesterday and now you dropped the follow up i waited for is nothing short of a coincidence i'm glad happened.
You've gotta be my favorite RUclipsr for the quality (and confidence) of your wordplay. You manage to sneak in so many subtle puns without immediately calling attention to them, that it makes rewatching your videos a pleasure. Oh fuck yes, please do a video on Colosseum: Road to Freedom!
I feel like going from 0 to Kiwami not knowing how the rest of the series goes really elevated my enjoyment of Kiwami. Nishiki's downfall in Kiwami felt like that, instead of 0 just showing how a bad person was good once to those playing 0 as a prequel. Kiwami is one of my favourite Yakuza games because of the tragedy that is Niskiyama as a villain after being built up as a character for a whole game before that, something as rule Yakuza villains do not get. Although I will agree some of the boss fights are a bit naff, looking at you Shimano fight 1, breakdanceing twins and Jingu.
My first Yakuza game was 0, and I surprisingly really liked Kiwami's substories. While I love the series overall goofiness, my favorite substories have always been the ones that flesh out characters, and enhance the overall story. Kiwami's Kamurocho felt hostile to me coming from the booming nightlife of 0, a feeling only 5's really matched. So I really liked how the constant crime, scams and mostly serious substories played into that. The pace you make these videos is honestly inspiring, this was fantastic from start to finish. Hope you aren't working yourself too hard, looking forward to whatever's next!
Awano shooting that girl in cold blood for no reason honestly felt like it was from a different/earlier part of the script that they forgot to amend once they hashed out where the plot was ending. It really was out of place and weird, complete character assassination for a character they were trying to give pathos to near the end. I think the writers dun goofed and forgot.
I started playing the yakuza games a little while ago after watching the start of money game. I heard you talking about how yakuza 0 changed your mind on prequels entirely and as a massive prequel > sequel truther (not in the annoying Star Wars fan way, just in the actual format) I wanted to play the series in release order. Your videos have been a great companion piece to my play through and I highly appreciate it! I can’t thank you enough for being what prompted me to play the games especially in release order instead of chronological order. I cant wait to watch you talk about 6 when I finish it :)
As someone who started the series having played 0 when it came onto Xbox Game Pass then Kiwami when it arrived as well, I've always thought of it as a companion piece to 0, just smaller in scope as it also functions as a remake of a PS2 title. The only part of it I really didn't enjoy being the bosses regenerating health and the final boss duo being an absolute slog with guns and a slightly less absolute slog that can regenerate whole health bars in seconds respectively. The fact that Nishki's healing can only be stopped by a specific legend style heat action, which would require me looking up a guide and grinding M.E. for an entire day to unlock it, drags it down a bit, but nothing that would drag it lower than around B on a Yakuza tier list for me. I wouldn't even touch the original with a 10 foot pole however, as I find fixed cameras to be the worst (non-microtransaction) game mechanic ever, and nothing the original could do better would make me suffer through that over Kiwami. That's likely also why I'll never play RE1/REmake and just stick to the modern Resident Evil remakes/games.
I started with 0 and then played Kiwami afterwards, and soon, the rest of the series after that. I enjoyed the hell out of the game due to its combat and smaller scale. I don't know if it's just me, but Kiwami has a really cool feeling of loneliness. The song that plays in the title screen/main menu kinda planted that idea in my head and I felt it through the whole game, since Kamurocho isn't something that Kiryu recognizes anymore. Cell phones, street punks out the ass, modern arcade games, everything feels alien to him and which resonated with me strongly. It's the one game where Kamurocho really doesn't feel like his town. As for Yakuza 1, I actually only got done playing the original a few days ago, and I enjoyed it. If there's one thing it definitely has over Kiwami, is its brisk pacing. No Majima Everywhere to worry about, no padded story beats, it just goes. Even after doing every substory to get Amon (with a guide), the game only took me a little over 20 hours to beat. Once you get the necessary upgrades, the combat is pretty enjoyable (aside from the quickstep). Going back to Kiwami, I think I disagree with the notion that it isn't different enough. The new combat system, Majima Everywhere, and the overall vibe makes both worth playing in my eyes. Same story, yeah, but as games, they're so different and they both have something valuable to offer. I'd definitely recommend playing both if you can, for anyone curious. One last thing: Kiwami's biggest crime is not playing Ideal for Violence during the Shindo fight. The fact that it plays in the piss easy bar fight before it and NOWHERE else in the game is just a kick in the dick. Great video as always.
I love the music playing during Majima and Sagawas last scene, it was an unreleased track called mad dog unleashed, I love it's soft melancholic guitar notes, they really set a somber tone to that scene.
Another fantastic video! Your deconstructions are always interesting to watch and listen to. I'm glad that you stuck to the Yakuza videos, knowing that games like these are large and there is a lot of story and game to dig through and make points about. It must have been difficult to decide what deserved screen-time and what could be glossed over. Of the three Yakuza games I've played, 0 was my favorite, and hearing other people talk about what made the game so wonderful is always a treat. My favorite part of the Serena bar fight is if you fail a QTE and get a bottle smashed on your head, you get an achievement. Shit had me giggling when I got it.
Even though this is probably the most covered game in the series u still managed to bring things up that I've never seen anyone else discuss about zero things I've never even noticed, amazing work man..I can't wait to see u talk about 6 its a vary polarizing game and I'm always interested to see what people make of it especially u, highly anticipate to hear your thoughts on song of life...
I've been eagerly waiting for this! I watched many reviews of this game and played it myself, but your content is still the best among them. Also gotta mention that I love how you actually pay attention to the OST's of these games. I think the music is not only amazing, but they also tell a story as well. I feel like a lot of others don't pay much deeper attention to them, so it's always great to hear you talk about it.
While the Yakuza 0 substories were fun and endearing. Most of the Kiwami ones felt stiff and boring. The reworks were welcome but they felt halfway sort of. I loved the Nishiki additions since they gave him more depth after 0. Pocket Circuit Fighter is the MVP
The absolute fucking madman, Tehsnakerer, drops this video just as I wake up from a bored as fuck nap and it's now 00:51 by the time I hit the 2:13:41 mark on the video. And I've sat utterly enthralled by the whole thing, I wasn't even playing elden ring in the background! Madlad.
The big thing I remember going through Kiwami's side stories after 0 was how...off many of them felt. They felt so bare bones to and straight forward to me after the absurd wackiness and fleshed out narratives that I ran into with 0. It actually made Majima Everywhere more appealing to me since it gave me back some of that wackiness I missed from 0, even with the other issues the mechanic had on the game. It also made some of the new ones they added like the Celebrity cameo extremely obvious in it's addition just due to how at odds it was with the rest of the game. Really, Kiwami to me just didn't really feel like a remake or even an expansion as much as it felt like a mod of 0, not helped either by the recycled enemy movesets. I appreciate it's existence since it's a more accessible way of playing Yakuza 1 for a lot of people, but I definitely didn't quite feel like I got the true Yakuza 1 experience from it.
Another Zero starter here. Some of the Kiwami additions were obvious to me, like the more elaborate substories or Majima Everywhere, but a lot of the more weaved-in stuff I only realized much later, like the weird pieces of padding or Majima's fate at the docks ("well, it's the first game, it's probably gonna be janky"). I did pick out the entirely new cutscenes, mostly from them having way higher-quality animations, but not the extensions to old ones, weirdly enough.
Sagawa really reminds me of the Cancer Man from the X-Files. You're never fully made aware of his motivations or him as a person. You're not permitted to get a proper read on the man and these are traits that the Cigarette Smoking Man also has. Both truly are enigmas.
Man, watching these videos makes me wish I could experience 0 for the first time again. After I finished it I spent the rest of that year going through the entire series, and I'd consider that the best year of my life. ... and I'm reminded that I still have to play through OG 1 and 2, and get around to Lost Judgment. Guess I'm not quite done yet.
Since it seems like this video will give you the final small push, congrats on 100k subscribers! Can’t wait to see whatever you do next, Yakuza or not.
Of course you had to post this right as I go to sleep. Well I'll be. As usual I'll make sure to watch trough it all tomorrow or maybe the day after depending on my availability and give my thoughts on the video as usual. Though knowing you I'll have to give it about 3 watches to catch all the little jokes you like to hide all over the place. Edit: Right, so. The video quality is what I expect from you at this point, fantastical. As always you make me think on what I know and thought of the Yakuza games and give me more to stew on, more to think on and more to understand. And I was quite glad you bundled Kiwami in with this last part. Lord knows that you don't exactly need a standalone video for it, as it's just Yakuza 1 but with a fresh coat of paint and a new engine, made more for the new fans rather then the old. But I will say, when I first played Kiwami late 2021 or earlier this year (Can't remember when exactly) I had my fun with it. Weirdly enough it brought some nostalgia to me, who started with the original PS2 games back during 2010 or so. It made me remember certain things about 1 which I appreciate even today, that were changed to suit this newer game. But I don't think I mind much. Yakuza 0 brought in new life to the series in the west and Kiwami tried it's best to follow suit. Can't wait to see your review on 6 and probably Kiwami 2 as it'll be bundled in with that game review.
From what I can gather, Misery Comes on Beat is the boss theme given to characters who later die in the game/series, as it plays for Oda, Lee, Sera, Nishitani & Kashiwagi. I know that doesn't explain why it doesn't play for, say, Awano or Nishikiyama, but I guess both have explainations too. Awano is the first of Majima's 2 finale bosses, so I suppose they didn't want the Dojima lieutenant the generic boss theme. And for Nishikiyama, he has his trademark 'For Who's Sake' leitmotif he's always had. I do agree that it would've been nice to have a unique rambunctious, chaotic theme for Nishitani, seeing as his personality went on to inspire Majima's 'Mad Dog' persona.
![Blox Fruits Dragon Rework Update [Full Stream]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EqDAp8udhm0/mqdefault.jpg)
One thing I want to note: Sagawa's final scene is also supposed to be a complete parallel of his introduction. In the introduction scene, he makes Majima come to him with the lighter for his cigarette. In his final scene, he offers the cig first. Even lights it for Majima instead of having him light it himself. Not only is it a sign of respect as equals, it's a sign of respect as if though Majima really is a higher-up to Sagawa at this point.
I cant be the only one who loves the recurring joke of "...they arrived in the docks, better known as The Docks."
Gangland's writing can't be beat
Im sorry but I dont quite get the joke. Could you explain it real quick?
@@pizzapatriot1769 in Gangland, one of the level intro texts for a mission on the docks, it says "the docks, better known as the docks". Since he reviewed the game, every time docks comes up as a location, he references that line.
@@sup3rkidd333 thanks man! That makes so much sense!
@@sup3rkidd333 I don't wanna be "That Guy" (she said, right before being That Guy lawl) but there is at least *one* instance of "docks" coming up as a location and Snake did *not* utilize the reference: In his Greedfall video (section 008. Anatomy of a Quest), he walks us through a quest step-by-step - one of those steps is locating a particular NPC, known to "hang out at the docks".
It stuck out to me because I was so prepared for him to make the inevitable reference, that I finished the sentence *out loud* - only to be surprised when he didn't actually say it.
And I remember it so well because the Greedfall video is one of my "bedtime stories" - section 008 being the chapter I skip to most often to start it off. (Like, I've "watched" it so many times, I noticed there's a discrepancy between section 008's on-screen title versus what it says in the timestamp/chapter list). Anyway, all that is to explain why I'd have such detail at the ready but now that I've written it out, I'm starting to realize it doesn't make me sound any less weird.
When playing kiwami, I felt everyone being cartoonishly negative towards Nishiki was an intentional decision, to show his warped perspective of the world, (reinforced by his lieutenants), and as such better explain his resentment for Kiryu after the bonds established in 0.
I had a similar impression, like the scene where Kashiwagi wishes Kiryu were there instead of Nishikiyama, I got the impression that Nishiki imagined that because it would be so out of character for Kashiwagi to actually say that imo
I love that line about Kiryu's classic outfit: "It doesn't fit you".
In one sense, it's ironic. Of course it fits Kiryu, it's his iconic white suit with red undershirt! It's like, his thing! It's on all the figures, merchandise, cover art, and so on. Kiryu has worn it at least once in every game.
In the other, it's bang on. This lifestyle, represented by that suit, really does not fit Kiryu at all. He is not meant to be a Yakuza, and we see so many signs of this throughout the games. I feel that's why it's melancholic. Kiryu was given a huge lesson about why the Yakuza honor system and lifestyle is just one big lie... and he doesn't get it. He still wants to believe in that lifestyle even after all he's been through. There's honor in forging your own path for sure, but it will be one of pain and loss as much as strength and honor.
Kiryu putting on that jacket starts to make him into the man we will come to know by the first game, with all the tragedy that will follow him. The Dragon of Dojima is born.
49:21
What I always enjoyed about that part of Shimano's plan is how he didn't tell Sagawa, who has been trying and threatening to fuckin' murder Makoto the moment he sees her.
Sagawa must've felt really stupid in that moment.
Imagine you do everything to fulfill your blood brother's plan and beating the shit out of Majima for not following orders, then finding out that was all as planned and he was as much of a pawn as Majima.
I feel like zero ending on Majima and Kiryu finally meeting while playing 1’s version of Receive You was the best ending in the series, like it was saying “now the story truly begins”
I would also argue that a central theme of Y0 , particularly in Kiryu’s story, is what it means to wield power. Each one of the antagonists has a different take on why one should seek power: Kuze wants to be powerful because power attracts challengers he can face to make himself even more powerful; Awano wants power because its a means to enjoy the high-life; Shibusawa wants power because it’ll give him the status and respect his father never had; and Dojima just wants it because he’s a sadist who enjoys imposing himself on others. Kiryu’s story is confronting all these ideas on why one should seek strength and rejecting them all, instead coming to see power as a responsibility, something one should seek to help others with it.
"Kiryu, it's been 10 years. You still owe me 150k yen" - Shinji. Circa 2005.
“Fuck off” *tiger drops*
10 years joint
What also makes Majima vs Awano even more thematically interesting is that Majima has a Hannya on his back, a demon that went through hardship and pain to become what they are. While Awano has Momotaro on his back, a hero who if you check the myth the victories came easy and Momotaro never had to struggle yet is hailed as a great figure.
And in the modern age mometaro is a very 'cutesy' character in japan, associated with restaurants and other similar leisure venues that have defined Awano since he learned how to live easy.
You have no idea how happy I am that you brought up “for whose sake” and “for Buddy”. When I first went through the soundtrack and saw the name of those songs I genuinely teared up because it just hit so hard.
Here's a fun extra detail (that you might already know since you put so much research into these videos): When you hear a character say "gokudo" when talking about the yakuza lifestyle, the word they're using is 極道. 極 means extreme (yes its literally the same kanji lol. Its really cool to me that they can use it for the double meaning of tying into the japanese underworld, and just being really fuckin cool). And 道 means "road" or "path". So 極道 is the "Way of Extremeness" in the same way kendo is the "way of the sword". Kiryu gets so much respect because following rules and deferring to the yakuza power structure isn't extreme. Taking life by the horns and forging your own destiny by whatever means necessary IS. As a certain man who dedicated his life to The Path put it: Ya gotta go balls out.
I did not know that, thank you
Kiwami means extreme, after all
I do love the dude that just straight up goes "I signed up for the Yakazu to fuck people up, I ain't doing anything else!"
LETS GOOO TEHSNAKERER JUST UPLOADED
🥳
YEEEEAH BABY! THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR! THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT!!
TEHSNAKERER DOES THE "so hey, what's going on with [*Sohei*] Dojima" PUN AGAIN, HE CAN'T KEEP GETTING AWAY WITH THIS!!!
Sure he can.
Yes he can, and we will support him every time
Sohei! At least the pun ain't as dead as you know. Dojima.
Sagawa makes me sad. I think somewhere under all the scariness and weird jokes he actually wanted Majima to make it out alive. It makes Shimano all the more evil in retrospect.
"The two escape to the underground parking, due to open 2010"
ffs, man, two and a half minutes into a two and a half hour video and im already laughing. Seriously impressive pace with these videos. Hope you're looking after yourself, because these are so consistently high quality and so rich in replay value that I can't imagine its even slightly easy
...Almost two and a bloody half hours, Jesus Christ Snake, this one's longer than *four's* video... Not that I'm complaining. This game deserves it.
I personally think Yakuza being perceived as "Whoa Bonkers Japanese Series" is a boon.
People think it will be funny haha all the way with a lot of badass moments but when said "PAIN" moments arrived it is so written well it shocked people and left a huge mark in their memories, the value of subversion i guess. Boy it's a subversion done well.
I mean some people look for serious stuff and may think that isn't there
the thing is like a dragon went and embraced the more silly side instead of having a balance so now the series has a severe tone problem that was not there in the kiryu games.
Yeah by the time kiryu looks at haruka and the kids at the orphanage one last time before walking away into the (not so happy) sunset i had cried multiple times for him.
Worst of all was when I realised that if you play these games in release order, 0 at least the kiryu side of it can be interpreted as kiryu, in his coma, remembering where it all began for him or where his life started turning around, evidenced by substories like where he gets his fortune read and it’s literally references to the plot or something from every game until 5
@@megamike15 you say this but Yakuza 7 also had incredibly heartbreaking moments and especially its ending which I'd consider to be the most emotional in the series. It's definitely the most outwardly absurd but I'd argue it doubles down on emotional beats when necessary.
Ryu ga Gotoku studios is fascinating to follow not only because of how much they experiment, but actually seem to learn as they go on, and Kiwami kinda shows how much it is held back by their past. I’m glad the with Judgement and the new turn based style they are starting with a clean slate because much like Shinada’s part in 5, they can go so far without the baggage of older titles. This the first time I’ve watched one of your videos and have been actually been caught up with all the games (at least the ones we got in the west), these got me to give the games a shot and now they serve to give appreciation on how far this series and it’s studio have grown. This industry is saturated with franchises that for one reason or another have lost their way, yet Yakuza’s future looks bright and exciting. Thank you for hard selling me on my favorite franchise.
I find the interesting thing about Kazama is that he was an exceptional Yakuza, but seemed to fail in his dream. He wanted Kiryu, Nishiki and Yumi to see Sunflower as their home and not follow him into this life. But to the orphans, the rare times that Kazama visited cemented their view of him as a rolemodel in the Yakuza.
For me, I cant praise the ending of Yakuza 6 enough because I believe that ending shows Kiryu succeed in that dream where Kazama did not, his kids all love the orphanage and each other, staying to support one another rather than trying to follow Kiryu into the Tojo. And I ultimately see Kiryu's success where Kazama failed as being that one element Kiryu called out in his letter to Daigo, there is no substitute for real time spent together. Kiryu didnt just visit the orphanage he made for them, he lived there and abandoned his old life to be a real parent to them. Whereas Kazama was an often distant father figure, and this gave an unrealistic image of him to the kids and made them want to get closer to his world.
While I love this game's story I literally thought to myself "man Kazama and Shimano are just fucking omni-present aren't they"
They remind me of that trope of a comic book villain where everything is always going "just as they had planned!" as they're getting their ass kicked and somehow escape saying they've won.
it's pretty much the prequel problem.
or you could say that they are 'omi' present a haha
Great series! I remember specifically playing through all the games during lockdown, and I love yakuza 0 in particular. These videos are a perfect addendum to the yakuza experience. You totally deserve this little splurge. A little late for the steam sale tho.
Despite all of that I hope you take a long fun break before yakuza 6 because these videos do take a lot of effort. Yakuza 6 is a strange title. I hope you like ships in bottles. (I prefer yakuza 7 tbh, can't wait for that and judgement.)
Tbh, “For Buddy” is kind of an awkward name, “For His Sake.” would’ve been way better honestly
I never found Kiwami that jarring compared to Zero, I just went with the flow thinking,”This isn’t the 80s anymore, shit is going to be way different.”
I guess another thing to, is that the way people see certain events are different than how people experienced them. I mean people in the Tojo, even under Kazama, aren’t as privy to the series of events. They just feel that Nishiki is just the second banana instead of being just as important and I’m sure that needling gas lit Nishiki into thinking he was that useless.
Tldr; People think Kiryu did everything himself while Nishiki didn’t do shit
Though yeah, man Kazama, you gave your guy the worst possible subordinates considering his mental stability
That would have been sick actually, deffo less clunky
Hell, 'For my buddy' would have worked too.
I had the same vibe going from Zero to Kiwami, it felt like a different era. I think the only significant thing I noticed on the spot was "it feels like all these substories are scams, not much variety", but I was also aware it was a remake of an older game.
UR MY FAVORITE RUclipsR
The Style Switching Mirror Boss from Ishin is probably the best the series has ever done in the rival fight department
...fingers crossed for that remaster
Hehe
EVEN THOUGH I HAVE PLAYED THIS GAME TWICE I STILL WATCH YOU ARE THE GOAT
While the music in this game is absolutely incredible, I’ve noticed that my favorite ended up being Archnemisis (Lao Gui’s final boss theme), as it doesn’t feel like any other fight music in the series. This is a literal Hitman who wants Majima dead. There’s no honor or glory to be gained, just a job to be completed.
Also is has a great base beat, and I’m a sucker for music that builds off of a good beat.
The only other final boss as purely threatening as Lao Gui is Judgement's, and that guy is fuckin terrifying
Also on another note... I feel like sagawa is basically just the older, even more mask wearing version of majima but from the omi, you can never get him because in the end... He's what majima could have been, an old man trying to play it like hes just some jokester, and i love that... Hes just an extreme version of majima built on bigger extremes. And thats what lets you know... Maybe majima will get it better, and when he finally dies... Maybe he'll see him again eye to eye, like he did at the end of 0
I feel like the less you get him the more you love him, because in all reality... He starts to feel like yakuza 1-early 3 majima, funny, charismatic and psychotic... But he also reveals who he really is deep down, and the fact they don't really show everything you'd think of sagawa makes it better, he still has this air of "what the fuck is he really... Did he play himself as this absolutely evil doer under it all as a final 'at em champ' to him so he can finally fuck up the tojo where it counts? Is his goofy side really him?" It all builds up to the end where, you kinda really glimps at him, hes just a nice old guy having to put an act, because he knew sooner or later shimano would have either killed him, the omi did... Or majima would just say fuck it and put him 6 feet under, hes cynical funny and good hearted, like what majima is extremely deep down
As someone that started with zero, kiwami’s substory’s always felt a bit off. I could kind of tell which ones were ported from the ps2 version, had new bits added, and which ones were added to the remake.
I could cut them some slack, since it was a remake, and I always had a bit of soft spot for older games. But I did wish some were cut or maybe expanded a bit. It gets a bit boring when the next sub story I find is basically the monster of the week: scam edition
My favorite sub stories were definitely the new ones, and the side stories that were originally in the game with full cg cutscenes
Zero's substories not having any cutscenes at all makes it jarring because they do whatever they want with Kiwami's ; Yayoi and Doctor substories keep their cutscenes like the original Y1 but not the pAres one *substory end music plays*
Not so fun fact, a lot of the scam substories are added to the remake
@@inconemay1441 And the painter substories were tossed out unfortunately
0 is the only video game story where I was in the dark of 55% of what happened and still felt satisfied with the finale. The writing and the performances really hit that sweet spot of soap opera sentimentality, substance and sincerity that didn't need that much big picture comprehension to be impactful. It's sad to see that almost every other Triple A game with quadruple the budget barely manages to say the same cynical shit in each entry. Incredible video too, it's awesome how you deconstruct each and every single aspect of the game and glue it into a thematically relevant whole, it speaks volume of how engaged you are with the source material and that translates into quality.
Also thank you so much for pointing out the paradox of video game remakes
They are sold to capitalise on brand recognition to mitigate risk of investment, but as a result the games remade are ones which were extremely solid and well received. This ends up with both 1:the games being remade are those which aren't in anyway improved or positively serviced by being remade, while also 2: the remakes are often worse then the original, which both lowers the brand value and alienates the fans of the original property who are *the* reason that the brand recognition is worth anything to begin with.
This comes about from the primary driving force behind many failed business projects, which are the management behind the project having no understanding of the project beyond financial targets, who seek to serve themselves through short-sighted and self-defeating projects which ultimately only hurt the company and product
Been watching you since summer school 2016. I always leave your channel on and off for when I really need to cover long periods of time. Just finished your yakuza 0 video and this is just what I needed. Keep it up your content is hella appreciated
I don’t know if I’m alone on this but I actually like the nishiki stuff in Kiwami. As someone who started with 0 I feel like for me personally I actually like how it gave me more to show how nishiki turned. I get it feeling gratuitous to someone but I actually like how it adds to this mental battle of his and showing his fall. I might be alone on that but I do like those bits
I don't think you're alone, I'd heard a lot of good about it going in and was surprised by how little it did for me. I don't think it's wrong to enjoy it to be clear, these videos are my feelings and aren't meant to be representative of everyone elses.
@@Tehsnakerer completely understand and I completely understand not liking them
Clicked immediately, favorite time of the day
I feel Yakuza 0 and Kiwami 1 are actually pretty great introductions to the series, albeit in an unintentional way, I find it to be a very good way to introduce one of the series' biggest issues: Very obvious inconsistent budgeting and writing, Yakuza 0 and Kiwami 1 existing on both extremes, Yakuza 0 having a good budget with great writing, and Kiwami 1 having a bad budget with... Well I won't get it if it's someone's favorite, unless it was their first video game, in which case I totally get it. But regardless, it's a window into what the rest of the series is going to be like, how high their highs will be and how low their lows are.
It's kind of like a test in a way, going through 0 is the easy part, Kiwami 1 is the hard part, but if you end up walking away from both thinking "You know, these games are pretty cool!" then you know you'll probably like and can handle the rest. If someone is looking to jump into these games, I really want people to think of Yakuza 0 and Yakuza Kiwami 1 as a package deal rather than completely separate entities, it's pretty much two sides of the same coin, I really don't think they SHOULD be separated, at least when viewing them from the lenses of a first timer.
Zero can be seen as the peak of Yakuza all wrapped up, while Kiwami put some of the jank to the forefront. Plus looking back I don't hate Kiwami too much since it was RGG's first time trying to capitalize on the success of 0 but not knowing how to yet... So it can also be read as the usual RGG is trying to figure something out
I got a friend into Yakuza and told him to ABSOLUTELY start with 0.
He loved it so much that he immediatly followed it up with Kiwami, which he *despised* beginning to end and I agree with him.
I think it shouldn't be skipped, but to say that it is good is... just wrong. It has SO many questionable design choices it's like nobody tested it at all.
@@DrunkenCoward1 Ehhh, I dunno if I'd say it's bad or should be despised either. I guess Kiwami 1 just exists in this weird state of being for me, where I dislike a good portion of it but there's some good points that cause me to overlook the rest? No matter what you do though, I think people who try to play chronologically are gonna get the short end of the stick, I don't find both versions of Yakuza 1 to be the most fun.
@@DrunkenCoward1 alot of the fights have insanely broken ai that will stunlock you alot which is really stupid since almost every fight in the game is a crowd fight in a small space, also the pacing is really strange until the end of Chapter 4, all of Chapter 1 for example or the added Majima team fight in Chapter 11 which had no reason to be there other than the give a half assed explanation as to why Majima had a binding on his chest
And then there's my brother who beat 0 and now Kiwami and says Kiwami is his favorite
Recently played through the entire Yakuza series and first Judgment, love watching this series of videos, can't wait for Kiwami 2 and 6!
Love this series. So happy to see this.
1:37:42 my head cannon is that he got scammed out of all of his money for that suit
Kazama is an interesting character because, while he wasn't exactly sympathetic to begin with, he's exposed as more and more of an asshole with every sequel he shows up in (he doesn't even try to help Nishiki or his sister despite almost certainly knowing about her health). Just an unfortunate consequence of retroactive writing
I really want to see how his brother feels about him and all the stuff surrounding him
In all honesty, yakuza 0 has been one of my favorite experiences in gaming and story telling ever I might say. Thank you for another fantastic video snakey
Pleyway:Well I beat chapter 2. Oda is a fun guy
Everyone:should we tell him?
1:25:20 back when I first played 0 two years ago, I had no idea how things would later turn out. I just figured that this was the foundation of a series long friendship and it made the next game sting really hard for me. Good on the writers for making me care so much about these two.
With him remembering oda in the end... Honestly i still feel how much the situation was fucked, to the point he had to trust a human traffecer just to actually be able to do anything
I think part of it is that Kiryu is legitimately too forgiving, and that's a character flaw that does screw him later on
Kiryu put himself and others others at danger getting himself expelled in a bid to prove Kazama's innocence. Both men clung on to the oaths bitterly and saw others suffer for it by their own hand or through the response of their enemies.
The funny thing is, in IW Kiryu has a remembrance about Oda and his business etiquette lessons, and the extent of it is 'man was Oda a cunt'.
Aaaah god damn it, the moment you started dissecting the later bit of Kurenai with the “I can’t cry so I’ll sing” bit, you just opened the damn waterworks. Who knew a game review of all things would make you cry more than the game itself? Wonderful, just wonderful.
Another Yakuza video? Say no more, tehsnakerer always deliver
So excited to see the conclusion to the vid and here’s to 100k in the near future you’ve more than earned it
Every time I see a tehsnakerer yakuza video it brightens my day :)
1:42
I love your editing so much you can't even imagine
Nishiki pushing the hair on his face back after stabbing that one guy in Kiwami feels like Vergil pushing his hair back after stabbing Dante in Devil May Cry 3. I can't help but see Nishiki as turning into Vergil now.
Amazing video. This whole series of videos is really good.
Your videos somehow amplify my already burning love for this game and this franchise even further. Love your videos my dude.
Edit: I’m of the opinion that if you have a really large amount of free time, the idea of playing the games in release order (remakes included) can provide an incredible experience on its own besides the standard 0 or Kiwami start point. There’s something about seeing the series history, combat and game design evolve alongside Kiryu while watching Kamurocho slowly degrade that I find indescribable, and this is as someone who started with 0 and the remakes himself. I believe 0 can definitely be played later down the line after 5, because it’s just as much a new era for the RGG franchise as it is a beginning to Kiryu’s legacy and a way to see the man from a different perspective after experiencing is adulthood.
To add on to the irony in the "corrupted bonds", segment I found it telling that Tachibana said he had no friend willing to risk their life for him, only for oda to give his life to save his sister, double irony (maybe) because oda was close to making the same mistake that made him feel ashamed of himself the first time he betrayed tachi
so happy to see this pop into my sub box you have no idea
Thank you very much for these series. It's very interesting to view and re-watch them being a fan of series.
No wonder that this video took a bit longer to come out and it was totally worth it. Great video, man!
The whole game builds to 21:53. It's all down Kamurocho Hills from here.
i am fairly excited that we are slowly but surely getting closer and closer to yakuza hobo simulator.
I gotta say this series of yours has become my favorite long-form content, not just on video games but on RUclips in general. You balance insightful analysis and situational gags incredibly. Glad to have this companion piece for my favorite game, and I can’t wait to glean some new appreciation for the future titles you cover. If someone can convince me yakuza LAD didn’t suck it’s this guy
The two dock one-liners spaced like 2 hours apart absolutely fucking got me. I'd say this is your best Yakuza video series yet! I agree 100% on the Kiwami vs original bit too, I dont think ive found a single game which can perfectly recapture that grungy PS2 vibe, it's a feeling completely unique to that console generation and it alone makes Yakuza 1 & 2 worth revisiting in their original states IMO (just wish they were more readily available lollllll).
Before i go into watching this video, i just can't help but mention the perfect timing, i just started watching these videos yesterday and now you dropped the follow up i waited for is nothing short of a coincidence i'm glad happened.
You've gotta be my favorite RUclipsr for the quality (and confidence) of your wordplay. You manage to sneak in so many subtle puns without immediately calling attention to them, that it makes rewatching your videos a pleasure.
Oh fuck yes, please do a video on Colosseum: Road to Freedom!
I feel like going from 0 to Kiwami not knowing how the rest of the series goes really elevated my enjoyment of Kiwami. Nishiki's downfall in Kiwami felt like that, instead of 0 just showing how a bad person was good once to those playing 0 as a prequel. Kiwami is one of my favourite Yakuza games because of the tragedy that is Niskiyama as a villain after being built up as a character for a whole game before that, something as rule Yakuza villains do not get. Although I will agree some of the boss fights are a bit naff, looking at you Shimano fight 1, breakdanceing twins and Jingu.
My first Yakuza game was 0, and I surprisingly really liked Kiwami's substories. While I love the series overall goofiness, my favorite substories have always been the ones that flesh out characters, and enhance the overall story. Kiwami's Kamurocho felt hostile to me coming from the booming nightlife of 0, a feeling only 5's really matched. So I really liked how the constant crime, scams and mostly serious substories played into that.
The pace you make these videos is honestly inspiring, this was fantastic from start to finish. Hope you aren't working yourself too hard, looking forward to whatever's next!
Already 1:43 in and that slap edit…well…Slaps.
After going from 0 to kiwami, I liked the substories as they showed how the series had progressed over time, it felt a little endearing
kiryu: i will dismantle the tojo clan man by man
all who know the story: kiryu my friend you already did it..... 6 times.....
Awano shooting that girl in cold blood for no reason honestly felt like it was from a different/earlier part of the script that they forgot to amend once they hashed out where the plot was ending.
It really was out of place and weird, complete character assassination for a character they were trying to give pathos to near the end. I think the writers dun goofed and forgot.
I started playing the yakuza games a little while ago after watching the start of money game. I heard you talking about how yakuza 0 changed your mind on prequels entirely and as a massive prequel > sequel truther (not in the annoying Star Wars fan way, just in the actual format) I wanted to play the series in release order. Your videos have been a great companion piece to my play through and I highly appreciate it! I can’t thank you enough for being what prompted me to play the games especially in release order instead of chronological order. I cant wait to watch you talk about 6 when I finish it :)
As someone who started the series having played 0 when it came onto Xbox Game Pass then Kiwami when it arrived as well, I've always thought of it as a companion piece to 0, just smaller in scope as it also functions as a remake of a PS2 title. The only part of it I really didn't enjoy being the bosses regenerating health and the final boss duo being an absolute slog with guns and a slightly less absolute slog that can regenerate whole health bars in seconds respectively. The fact that Nishki's healing can only be stopped by a specific legend style heat action, which would require me looking up a guide and grinding M.E. for an entire day to unlock it, drags it down a bit, but nothing that would drag it lower than around B on a Yakuza tier list for me. I wouldn't even touch the original with a 10 foot pole however, as I find fixed cameras to be the worst (non-microtransaction) game mechanic ever, and nothing the original could do better would make me suffer through that over Kiwami. That's likely also why I'll never play RE1/REmake and just stick to the modern Resident Evil remakes/games.
I started with 0 and then played Kiwami afterwards, and soon, the rest of the series after that. I enjoyed the hell out of the game due to its combat and smaller scale. I don't know if it's just me, but Kiwami has a really cool feeling of loneliness. The song that plays in the title screen/main menu kinda planted that idea in my head and I felt it through the whole game, since Kamurocho isn't something that Kiryu recognizes anymore. Cell phones, street punks out the ass, modern arcade games, everything feels alien to him and which resonated with me strongly. It's the one game where Kamurocho really doesn't feel like his town.
As for Yakuza 1, I actually only got done playing the original a few days ago, and I enjoyed it. If there's one thing it definitely has over Kiwami, is its brisk pacing. No Majima Everywhere to worry about, no padded story beats, it just goes. Even after doing every substory to get Amon (with a guide), the game only took me a little over 20 hours to beat. Once you get the necessary upgrades, the combat is pretty enjoyable (aside from the quickstep).
Going back to Kiwami, I think I disagree with the notion that it isn't different enough. The new combat system, Majima Everywhere, and the overall vibe makes both worth playing in my eyes. Same story, yeah, but as games, they're so different and they both have something valuable to offer. I'd definitely recommend playing both if you can, for anyone curious.
One last thing: Kiwami's biggest crime is not playing Ideal for Violence during the Shindo fight. The fact that it plays in the piss easy bar fight before it and NOWHERE else in the game is just a kick in the dick. Great video as always.
I love the music playing during Majima and Sagawas last scene, it was an unreleased track called mad dog unleashed, I love it's soft melancholic guitar notes, they really set a somber tone to that scene.
Another fantastic video! Your deconstructions are always interesting to watch and listen to. I'm glad that you stuck to the Yakuza videos, knowing that games like these are large and there is a lot of story and game to dig through and make points about. It must have been difficult to decide what deserved screen-time and what could be glossed over. Of the three Yakuza games I've played, 0 was my favorite, and hearing other people talk about what made the game so wonderful is always a treat.
My favorite part of the Serena bar fight is if you fail a QTE and get a bottle smashed on your head, you get an achievement. Shit had me giggling when I got it.
I feel like the only person who enjoyed Kiwami even with it’s faults haha. Great video like always Snake Man.
I liked it a lot but that's cause I already love 1 so it just felt like a fun new way to experience the game
Even though this is probably the most covered game in the series u still managed to bring things up that I've never seen anyone else discuss about zero things I've never even noticed, amazing work man..I can't wait to see u talk about 6 its a vary polarizing game and I'm always interested to see what people make of it especially u, highly anticipate to hear your thoughts on song of life...
I've been eagerly waiting for this! I watched many reviews of this game and played it myself, but your content is still the best among them. Also gotta mention that I love how you actually pay attention to the OST's of these games. I think the music is not only amazing, but they also tell a story as well. I feel like a lot of others don't pay much deeper attention to them, so it's always great to hear you talk about it.
I love these thumbnails , so unique and special
i stopped everything i was doing just to watch this. thank you!
I just finished watching part 2 yesterday perfect timing.
yes tehsnakerer i enjoy these videos
While the Yakuza 0 substories were fun and endearing. Most of the Kiwami ones felt stiff and boring. The reworks were welcome but they felt halfway sort of.
I loved the Nishiki additions since they gave him more depth after 0.
Pocket Circuit Fighter is the MVP
The absolute fucking madman, Tehsnakerer, drops this video just as I wake up from a bored as fuck nap and it's now 00:51 by the time I hit the 2:13:41 mark on the video.
And I've sat utterly enthralled by the whole thing, I wasn't even playing elden ring in the background!
Madlad.
Nice to see you again snake
The big thing I remember going through Kiwami's side stories after 0 was how...off many of them felt. They felt so bare bones to and straight forward to me after the absurd wackiness and fleshed out narratives that I ran into with 0. It actually made Majima Everywhere more appealing to me since it gave me back some of that wackiness I missed from 0, even with the other issues the mechanic had on the game. It also made some of the new ones they added like the Celebrity cameo extremely obvious in it's addition just due to how at odds it was with the rest of the game.
Really, Kiwami to me just didn't really feel like a remake or even an expansion as much as it felt like a mod of 0, not helped either by the recycled enemy movesets. I appreciate it's existence since it's a more accessible way of playing Yakuza 1 for a lot of people, but I definitely didn't quite feel like I got the true Yakuza 1 experience from it.
It completely makes my day when you upload.
And thus ends the review of 0. Thanks for all the laughs and the tears. I look forward to see what come next!
Another Tehsnakerer W upload
Another Zero starter here. Some of the Kiwami additions were obvious to me, like the more elaborate substories or Majima Everywhere, but a lot of the more weaved-in stuff I only realized much later, like the weird pieces of padding or Majima's fate at the docks ("well, it's the first game, it's probably gonna be janky"). I did pick out the entirely new cutscenes, mostly from them having way higher-quality animations, but not the extensions to old ones, weirdly enough.
Perfect timing for that 100k, well earned!
God I fucking love these videos so much
Every time you upload your videos are always so good to watch
The work you put In is worth it
YES
Sagawa really reminds me of the Cancer Man from the X-Files. You're never fully made aware of his motivations or him as a person. You're not permitted to get a proper read on the man and these are traits that the Cigarette Smoking Man also has. Both truly are enigmas.
Man, watching these videos makes me wish I could experience 0 for the first time again. After I finished it I spent the rest of that year going through the entire series, and I'd consider that the best year of my life.
... and I'm reminded that I still have to play through OG 1 and 2, and get around to Lost Judgment. Guess I'm not quite done yet.
I've been waiting for this!
Since it seems like this video will give you the final small push, congrats on 100k subscribers! Can’t wait to see whatever you do next, Yakuza or not.
Between the last episode and this one I played through Yakuza 0. I only picked up the game because of your videos
Of course you had to post this right as I go to sleep. Well I'll be. As usual I'll make sure to watch trough it all tomorrow or maybe the day after depending on my availability and give my thoughts on the video as usual. Though knowing you I'll have to give it about 3 watches to catch all the little jokes you like to hide all over the place.
Edit: Right, so. The video quality is what I expect from you at this point, fantastical. As always you make me think on what I know and thought of the Yakuza games and give me more to stew on, more to think on and more to understand. And I was quite glad you bundled Kiwami in with this last part. Lord knows that you don't exactly need a standalone video for it, as it's just Yakuza 1 but with a fresh coat of paint and a new engine, made more for the new fans rather then the old. But I will say, when I first played Kiwami late 2021 or earlier this year (Can't remember when exactly) I had my fun with it. Weirdly enough it brought some nostalgia to me, who started with the original PS2 games back during 2010 or so. It made me remember certain things about 1 which I appreciate even today, that were changed to suit this newer game. But I don't think I mind much. Yakuza 0 brought in new life to the series in the west and Kiwami tried it's best to follow suit. Can't wait to see your review on 6 and probably Kiwami 2 as it'll be bundled in with that game review.
This entire video was so beautiful. Good shit
From what I can gather, Misery Comes on Beat is the boss theme given to characters who later die in the game/series, as it plays for Oda, Lee, Sera, Nishitani & Kashiwagi. I know that doesn't explain why it doesn't play for, say, Awano or Nishikiyama, but I guess both have explainations too. Awano is the first of Majima's 2 finale bosses, so I suppose they didn't want the Dojima lieutenant the generic boss theme. And for Nishikiyama, he has his trademark 'For Who's Sake' leitmotif he's always had. I do agree that it would've been nice to have a unique rambunctious, chaotic theme for Nishitani, seeing as his personality went on to inspire Majima's 'Mad Dog' persona.
The Yakuza analysis GOAT
Been waiting for this one. I love your work
Song of Life is gonna be such a damn good video