Some people say Majima Everywhere system ruins the game, I think the opposite. He keeps you wanting to upgrade your abilities, he keeps you on your toes, he keeps you making sure you have a full health or have enough healing items, and most of all, he's a lot more fun and have more variety than fighting Mr.Shakedown in Y0. The faster pace combat in Kiwami 1 also improves the flow of beat em up gameplay from 0, imo.
The problem is moreso how dissonant it is with the game's atmosphere and story. Yakuza 1 is a very slow and melancholic game, probably the slowest and melancholic-est of the whole series. The original game is dripping with atmosphere and immediately puts you in that vibe. When Majima's clowning around every corner that atmosphere gets ruined. Of course silliness and seriousness contrasting was a thing even in the first game, but this just steps over the line in my opinion. Also, Majima's character in the first game was a lot different to what he developed into. He was a comedic character of course but he still had a lot of edge. He was a genuinely threatening and dangerous criminal. With how silly n goofy he is in Majima Everywhere, he feels out of character in his actual story appearances sometimes. Not to mention fighting Majima in the story, or just meeting him in general is a lot less impactful when you meet him every five minutes and have fought him 1000 times. On the one hand I love Majima everywhere because it is a ton of fun, it is silly, it is goofy, and it is more Majima content but I just don't think it fits Yakuza 1 specifically at all.
Yakuza kiwami 1 and kiwami 2 are quite important parts for the series in my opinion, because for many western players Yakuza 0 was the first game in the series. After this game, I'm sure some players wanted to know more about Kiryu's story, so it was an great idea to release yk1 and yk2, because it easily gave new yakuza players the opportunity to continue the story of y0, without buying yakuza 1 and 2 on ps2.
I never played the original PS2 versions of the games so the inconsistencies described in this video didn't really impact me. I played for an amazing story, hilarious side quests, and all the extra mini games in-between. Although, I'm still in Kiwami 2 as I'm helping Majima's construction company, but for some reason I got bored...
Kiwami is, controvertially enough, my favorite game in the series (hell I even made an hour long video about it). I think what really sets the mood for it is the unintended but POWERFUL contrast with 0 - The economy is booming, the city is shining vs We're in a recession, everything is grey and it feels like everyone skipped town - The city is full of many activities, and interesting side characters vs This city is foreign to a man who spend the last third of his life in prison - Kiryu and co are against all odds going to make it in a blaze of glory vs All of Kiryu's friends are either dead or in the case of Nishiki being fought in a heartbreaking fashion with no fanfare or epic music (even For Who'se Sake sounds like a painful headache, rather than cool final boss music or a tragic piano like with Ryuji) Someone once said that 0 is like this crazy party and K1 is the morning after and I couldn't describe it better myself. Also Nishiki is my fav character so you can see me being biased
Kiwami was actually my first game in the series, so I've got a particular attachment to it in a way. Plus I do enjoy how Kiryu's gameplay is improved from Zero! Also Ace Combat 7 spotted in that montage of other games, which is a very based choice, especially with the classic Phoenix skin!
Same, I first started with the PS2 Yakuza game, but when I could not get it to work on my system, I found kiwami and played it instead. I went back and played the PS2 yakuza games after I was done with the series and it turns out the remakes are not that good they are faithful, but the ambiance of the first two games are not translated well in the remakes, definitely play the PS2 games if you get the opportunity to do so, they are a very nice experience.
@@amir581498 I did go back to play the PS2 games as well, and they do provide a different experience from the Kiwami remakes. I agree that they're absolutely worth checking out even to this day!
My jaw hit the goddamn floor when you said that Kiwami *added* those scenes of what Nishiki was doing while Kiryu was in prison. I've never played the original Yakuza 1, I did like you said and went from 0 to Kiwami 1. I can't even imagine how little a shit I would have given about Nishiki or that whole plot with no 0 or none of those added cutscenes, he woulda just been some random dickhead I knew for five minutes who then slicks his hair back and starts clubbing baby seals. Unreal.
This is why when people say Kiwami wasn't a necessary remake I am dumbfounded. Original Yakuza was great for what it was at the time, but the landscape of games has shifted so dramatically since the PS2 era that I can't imagine I would have been half as invested in this series if I had started there, playing from a modern perspective (and especially coming off 0, as so many newer fans did). The extra love and care they put into Kiwami is what hooks you and turns "man Yakuza 0 sure was a fun game" into "I will die for this series"
Something neat about the ME system is that it was an attempt to bring back just how weak Kiryu was in OG rgg 1. Having to learn how to do a basic turn-kick or even a complete rush combo. That’s something you take for granted in the newer entries because Kiryu always starts with most of the abilities he had to learn in 1
I never played the original Yakuza 1, but playing Kiwami many plot elements had me thinking "wow, this really was a PS2 game". Stuff like brining Haruka to a gambling den. ...or bringing her to a literal brothel. There was a general feel that the game barely has enough plot for 5 hours and, even when you cut out the stuff they added in Kiwami, was padded all to hell.
I played Kiwami 1 before 0 because I happened to get Kiwami in a humble bundle. Majima everywhere is what really made me give the series a try. The concept of a guy just fighting you for no reason seemed quite funny to me and the fact that it was Majima really sold it to me. This is what made Majima my favorite character and made me fall in love in the series. I was actually quite bummed that Majima doesn't play as much of a role in the other games besides 0. Yakuza would not have become my favorite game series if it wasn't for Majima everywhere.
I actually ended up playing this game before 0, and maybe it would have been better to play 0 beforehand, but I feel like both games add to each other regardless of what you played first, like playing 0 after Kiwami and seeing a different Nishiki made me realize how far Nishiki truly fell while Kiryu was spending 10 years in the joint. Overall, though, the take on "Kiwami should have been the first Dragon Engine game" is actually interesting to hear, and I guess I can see where it's coming from
Definitely agree with your take on the game overall. It’s a nice addition to Yakuza 0 for sure, but it is kind of awkwardly placed, and the Majima Everywhere system is certainly fun at first, and highly entertaining, but gets quite annoying at some point. Loving these retrospectives and keen for the Yakuza 6 one as we continue counting down the days for Gaiden!
How dare you show anything Lost judgement, now I'm going to have to boot up the game to get a taste of the tasty tasty combat again becuase i have no self control
I wish i liked zero more, but to me the character changing everytime is anoying, i hate every majima chapter, and a lot of minigames that you need to wait real time is a pain
To me, Yakuza Kiwami is one of the most entertaining experiences i've had with this franchise, but theres something that bugs me all the time... WHY CANT YOU GRAB ENEMIES THAT ARE DOWNED WITH DRAGON STYLE?! YOU COULD CLEARLY DO IT ON YAKUZA 0, WHY CANT YOU DO IT NOW, KIRYU?!
Kiwami 1 Majima Everywhere system is one of my mist favourite gameplay mechanics, having an boss that travels around and surprises you from nowhere in the game keeps you from getting rusty, provides a way to grind, shows the special respect between each other in the cutscenes, allows you to fight a fantastic character whenever you want, keeps the gameplay from getting stale by giving you mew moves to try out by fighting him, giving so many wacky situations that'll suprise you and finally... KIRYU-CHAN!!! Honestly I would love for the next game to have this system, heck I'd pay for it through DLC if I have too.
You forgot to mention that Kiwami is a Christmas game (in the same spirit as Die hard is a Christmas movie). Also it's the last old school Yakuza game before they went to the Dragon engine and completely changed the feel of the series. I'd say it's better than anything came out after it so far except Kiwami 2 and Lost Judgment. But you need to play 0 to fully appreciate it. I miss the darker more aggressive side of Kiryu shown in this game (or another playable character with a similar personality), they really toned him down in the later games.
I think that it is great that they made it before 6 it would be really weird to go from a prequel to the end of the kiryu saga(yeha right) and this atleast gives some context to Haruka and Date who are both big players in all of the games except 0.
no it wouldn’t have, because yakuza 5 ends on a cliffhanger, fans were eagerly awaiting yakuza 6 to see what happened, while yakuza 0 was an amazing game, fans were still very eager for 6’s continuation from 5
Hot take but i think YK1 is the most FUN yakuza game, its not the best one tho i do think its heavily underrated, it just has an engaging action packed story and thats all i could aks for, probs why i think Y4 is great too
The combat is the best in K1 imo. I think the thing that brings it down is the combat encounters. The long battles and regular story battles aren't really as good as in other games. I think if K1 had the same encounters as something like 0 it'd be one of my favorites. I also have yakuza 4 in my top 3 so yeah I think we're thinking along the same lines here
In the Yakuza 6 video I hope you mention that Kiryu asks a random NPC to hold Haruto if he gets into a street fight while holding him. It's really funny.
I cant express how much I despise majima everywhere. Not because of the gameplay, but how it presented majima's character as a sort of obsessed stalker with shenanigans going on. Majima is simply the wild card of the series, and having shenanigans going on makes sense, but it just ruins his relationship with kiryu in a way. It just gives people the wrong idea about who majima post 0 is, and it spiraled into the cringe majima fanboys. And this is coming from someone who's favorite character ever is Majima.
Kiwami was my intruduction to the series. Then i played 0 afterwards. Having played Kiwami before 0 for some reason made 0 WAY more enjoyable. I was already in love with Majima by then. When i learned i would play with him in 0 i started cheerin
im glad for Kiwami as its what got me into the franchise. in 2018 it was free on PS+ for a month. i than played 0 after that, then kiwami 2, and now i have a crippling yakuza addiction
Its funny you say that Kiwami should have been the first Dragon Engine game cause ive also always thought that they should have done Kiwami 1 and 2 both in the Dragon Engine before they made Yakuza 6 to get themselves familiar with the engine first, definitely would have helped K1 feel like its own thing instead a Y0.5
I'm really not a fan of JRPGs nor leveling skills. I'm not a fan of mindless grindfests. But the ME system was perfect. Majime was definitely a threat early game, and even for skilled veterans that can power through, you know that you'd rather not waste your time on Majima that often. I mean, after 2 rounds of fornication in 1 day, how much gas in the tank do you have left? I'm sure you can keep going, but would you want to? Eventually you become so strong that Majima becomes a minor inconvenience that takes away no more than 60 seconds of your life. More games need to introduce big and "semi" avoidable threats. This shouldn't be limited to JRPGs. Dying Light also does great with this mechanic.
A lot of people told me to play 0 before Kiwami, but I didn't, and I think I probably made the better choice because I literally had no expectations going into it as it was my first LAD game. Whereas if I'd played 0 first, I may have been disappointed. The fact that the story still engaged me without knowing the stuff from 0 was a good sign. I know some people say that Niishki needed 0 to be compelling, but honestly the new flashback cutscenes were enough in themselves to make me empathise with him. (And even the newly added prologue to some extent, though their changes to Shinji were... Interesting.)
Even thought the criticisms for Kiwami are valid, it was the second game in the series I tried after 0, and I love both games dearly! I doubt I'd have been as invested in the continuation of Kiyru's journey going from 0 to the original Yakuza game, and for that I'm glad the 1 and 2 remakes exist. Amazing video as always though!
So glad Yakuza Kiwami Exists It’s what got me into yakuza And honestly I don’t really like og yakuza 1 (it just plays weird, might be just because it was the first game in the series) I loved playing through different styles as Jotaro Kujo Yakuza 1 definitely needed a more modern version of the game And that’s why we have Kiwami I’ve beaten 0-Gaiden
I actually kinda liked Kiwami more than 0 if for no other reason than completionism, 0 is a fantastic game but soul crushing to complete the JCC alone lowered my overall rating of the game by 2 numbers trying to complete it, Kiwami though is only really kinda obnoxious with grinding money to afford all the gear and 1 specific Haruka request and if just going for all cheevos and trophies the gear grind is lessened into a non issue. Also Kiwami Dragon style is the GOAT it just is it ruined the dragon engine games for me it's just so much better.
I honestly don't get why people are so high on the dragon engine games. I really don't like the feeling of those which is why I didn't enjoy Kiwami 2 nearly as much as Kiwami. Gaiden has probably the best comabt in all of yakuza tho. Kiwami 2 killed the mood a little bit because you had 3 fighting styles less than in Kiwami and I also hate the feeling of your attacks getting blocked in Kiwami 2. Immediately kills all of your momentum. The leveling system also kind of sucks. Kiwami had the most satisfying combat in the whole series next to Gaiden.
I had to give up on Kiwami 1 by like chapter 10 or 11. The bosses are so cheap and it just became unfun. Story was also boring. I'm on Kiwami 2 now and its a far superior experience.
I know there are people who play linear entries in a game series out of order, or don't play every entry, but like... why??? If the games aren't connected then fine (like you could play, say, the Persona series in pretty much any order without missing out on anything because they follow completely different characters doing completely different things), but I just don't get it for a series like Yakuza where every entry builds on the last. I can't imagine going from Y0 to Y6 and just going "well I'm sure none of that stuff in the middle matters"
If kiwami was the first dragon engine game that would be so dope, I know it’s an unpopular opinion but after playing kiwami 2 I went back to kiwami 1 for a bit and the combat feels so much worse is kiwami 1 to me but I’m prolly just wierd
In my playthrough I couldn't get Idol Majima to spawn for the life of me (i tried EVERYTHING) so i'm permanently stuck on an depowered Dragon style. I just gave up and swore off doing a K1 playthrough ever again
The real problem with majima everywhere is its balancing relation to dragon style. There are lot more upgrades in than 1 so you need to grind majima everywhere to unlock dragon style. If they gave you more XP each time it wouldn’t force the average player to do majima everywhere in order to get dragon style upgrades. Say if it took half as many battles it would been a better system overall
Actually, if the game gave you more XP for each encounter & certain activities, you still wouldn't be able to do anything with the Dragon style, because you specifically need to win Majima fights (or train with Komaki) to get that style's upgrades. Experience points straight-up don't work in Dragon style.
I recently finished zero after 80 something hours and 2 years of playing (i didn't play for like a year and a half for some reason) and I'm now around 14 hours into kiwami. I love yakuza kiwami and i might even like it more than zero. Majima everywhere is fun, I prefer the xp system to zero's upgrade system, i like seeing kamurocho change, Majima is everywhere, the combat feels way better and oh yeah i think i forgot to mention MAJIMA IS EVERYWHERE! Also like seeing Nishiki descend into madness even though it hurts to see
8:48 I'll be honest with ya chef, I was worried about being Yakuza fanatic, but there is not a single one game that left such affect on me, like Yakuza did. I purchased Yakuza 0 for memes and stuff. Everything I played before Yakuza was like eating some chips lobster flavour. Pretty good, yeah, but playing Yakuza 0 was like being on the kitchen of China emperor with chefs all dancing around me with new dishes coming my way every minute. Mmm, Pekin duck... I played every Yakuza game(lies, I could not play Dragon Engine cause even my gaming laptop could not handle that peak) and did not expect to be super impressed by anything after 0, but then Yakuza 5 came and proved, that if anything will surpass Yakuza it is Yakuza itself. Have to go through all Dragon Engine Yakuza's on youTube...but once I get a chance I will be so back. Awesome video, by the way
I'm definitely in the minority, but I enjoyed Kiwami 1 (and maybe Kiwami 2) more than 0. I believe it's because I played 0 immediately after 7, and I had to go through a lot of growing pains adjusting to the combat system. There were times where I actually considered dropping the series altogether. That's how hard it was for me to adjust. Kiwami 1 was when everything clicked for me. I began understanding the mechanics proper. Majima Everywhere was also a big factor. It was everything I had hoped for out of the character, and more! Now that I'm almost caught up with the series, I'm sure I would like 0 more if I went back and replayed it, but I can never get rid of that rough first impression.
Since this was my first Yakuza game I'm undoubtedly biased, but I can't help but hold a soft spot for this game. The improvements to Kiryu's combat were really apparent when I played 0 after this one, and I felt worse for Nishiki going from Kiwami to 0. As far as the story being worse, it's presentation is definitely hit or miss; but the story itself still feels solid to me. Simple, sure...but that isn't a bad thing in my eyes.
You're kinda in luck as I heard the MesuKing song in Yakuza 0 bowling so you don't like the MesuKing song from Kiwami you like the bowling song from Y0
I remember yakuza 0 was my first entry into the series and I loved the over the top flashy 80s setting however with kawami my take on it was pretty good especially the Majima everywhere system, at times I just happen to bump into him out of nowhere and at times he catches me off guard then there are times where he just jumpscares me and I'm low on health and used the healing stuff during a previous fight or story mission, the story had more weight to it especially with characters telling kiryu that alot has changed and nishiki is a boss, if a yakuza 10 ever comes out, it would be interesting to see nishiki as a playable character that way we see how he came out on top or Majima and see how he's holding up in kamurocho, but in the end I had a blast with kawami
Majima Everywhere is fine, it’s a bit overdone and should be easier to avoid in adventure mode, but is fine. The main problem is the atrocious implementation of the health regen mechanic for bosses, specifically the absolute piss-taking fact that you’re required to use specific heat actions that *still lose their effectiveness with repeated use* like normal heat actions, despite being mandatory. It turned boss encounters, including Majima, into a tedious, frustrating, padded mess in many cases. Otherwise K1 is fantastic. Easily one of my favorite versions of Kamurocho, and now I hallucinate the “Kiryu-chan” jingle sometimes IRL, 8/10
Kiwami was my jump back in point. I played Yakuza 1 on PS2, but didn't complete it. Got frustrated with the fight in the batting cages and didin't play it again. Didn't even know there were sequels until I went to game crazy and saw 3 on the shelf. Played 3 once and for some reason got distracted by cheese. Since playing Kiwami, I have played 0 and now going through Kiwami 2.
for some reason i spent more than half of the game without being able to farm dragon points bc majima was sad smoking in the park outside the purgatorium, so i just completed the game with an F rank or so in Majima everywhere, with just 9 points in the dragon style :(((
I think yakuza 1 probably aged the second worst out of all of the games, only with 3 beating it out for obvious reasons. The gameplay even in kiwami 1 is just kinda bleh, and there's not that much interesting stuff going on, it lures you in just to pull you back way too often. Here's an example: at the dog section, you have to save the dog to get haruka, she says to get dogfood for him to eat so you do, then when you get back to get him dog food that's where a better yakuza game would finish it at, but in kiwami 1 she says he won't eat and needs water, so you go back again only to give him water and be told that he needs a plate, so you get the plate and finally you'll be able to end that sequence after being pointlessly pulled away multiple times for no good reason. That's not the only time the game does this either, at the start you do the exact same "just do this to progress to X, no wait now do this thing to progress to X, no wait now do it again to get to X, ok now you can go" style of gameplay that should've honestly been cut from the game, it adds nothing and only served to make it annoying. If kiwami 1 was more of a remake instead of a remaster while modernizing the game, i believe it could've been great, but yakuza 1 has just aged way too poorly for it to be fun to replay, the other games are much better to actually replay.
I spent $4 for Kiwami 1 because it was going to leave Gamepass. It left, I stopped playing lol, I beat it, it came back to Gamepass. Don't care, had fun
Kiwami was my first yakuza game and I felt in love with the series right away, the music and being able to knock down 8 enemies at once with one guy I got really a goood surprise . I played yakuza 0 later on my only disappointment is that we need a kiwami 3 but with the kiryu fighting styles , changing styles are very fun And as a remake of the first game it had be just kiryu by himself, and about the expression even on yakuza 7 we don’t get a very well expressions from the characters, I love all yakuzas just gonna play the new one Gaiden with a new protagonist Joryu. And the series is awesome
Now we all remember how Majima in the first game is downright cruel, sadistic, and truly evil. While in every game after that he’s a mix of all that along with reasonability, sensibility, and more levelheadedness. I’ve heard that the reason Majima transformed like this is because he became so popular after the original game that they toned him back a bit to keep him likable and keep him as a friendly rival to Kiryu rather than an antagonist. Not sure how true that is though.
tbf, I think kiwami did it's job as a way for 0's fans to get into the rest of the series. When I went from 0 to Kiwami I immediately felt how much worse the story was compared to 0 and I don't know if I would have kept going if it wasn't for the 0-like gameplay and substories.
" dad listen to me , the woman wrestling minigame is a critical part of learning a new skill"
When I found that on 0 I was scared sh**less thinking my ma would walk in at anytime
i dont do the mesuking and thw catfight arena because of this reason
so i never maxed out the dragon style
Some people say Majima Everywhere system ruins the game, I think the opposite. He keeps you wanting to upgrade your abilities, he keeps you on your toes, he keeps you making sure you have a full health or have enough healing items, and most of all, he's a lot more fun and have more variety than fighting Mr.Shakedown in Y0. The faster pace combat in Kiwami 1 also improves the flow of beat em up gameplay from 0, imo.
The problem is moreso how dissonant it is with the game's atmosphere and story. Yakuza 1 is a very slow and melancholic game, probably the slowest and melancholic-est of the whole series. The original game is dripping with atmosphere and immediately puts you in that vibe. When Majima's clowning around every corner that atmosphere gets ruined. Of course silliness and seriousness contrasting was a thing even in the first game, but this just steps over the line in my opinion. Also, Majima's character in the first game was a lot different to what he developed into. He was a comedic character of course but he still had a lot of edge. He was a genuinely threatening and dangerous criminal. With how silly n goofy he is in Majima Everywhere, he feels out of character in his actual story appearances sometimes. Not to mention fighting Majima in the story, or just meeting him in general is a lot less impactful when you meet him every five minutes and have fought him 1000 times. On the one hand I love Majima everywhere because it is a ton of fun, it is silly, it is goofy, and it is more Majima content but I just don't think it fits Yakuza 1 specifically at all.
@@JosephJoesephit's not slow by any means characters drop like flies
@@jeveritt8398 What I mean it's not as bombastic as something like Yakuza 0 for example, it's much more calm and much less urgent for the most part.
Is the best part of the game. Still the reason I replay it over and over again
People hate the majima everywhere system?
Yakuza kiwami 1 and kiwami 2 are quite important parts for the series in my opinion, because for many western players Yakuza 0 was the first game in the series. After this game, I'm sure some players wanted to know more about Kiryu's story, so it was an great idea to release yk1 and yk2, because it easily gave new yakuza players the opportunity to continue the story of y0, without buying yakuza 1 and 2 on ps2.
10 years in the joint
Yeah for me it was great, i doubt i would be the huge fan of yakuza with out it i doubt i would get true the old games with the rough edges
I never played the original PS2 versions of the games so the inconsistencies described in this video didn't really impact me. I played for an amazing story, hilarious side quests, and all the extra mini games in-between. Although, I'm still in Kiwami 2 as I'm helping Majima's construction company, but for some reason I got bored...
Kiwami is, controvertially enough, my favorite game in the series (hell I even made an hour long video about it). I think what really sets the mood for it is the unintended but POWERFUL contrast with 0
- The economy is booming, the city is shining vs We're in a recession, everything is grey and it feels like everyone skipped town
- The city is full of many activities, and interesting side characters vs This city is foreign to a man who spend the last third of his life in prison
- Kiryu and co are against all odds going to make it in a blaze of glory vs All of Kiryu's friends are either dead or in the case of Nishiki being fought in a heartbreaking fashion with no fanfare or epic music (even For Who'se Sake sounds like a painful headache, rather than cool final boss music or a tragic piano like with Ryuji)
Someone once said that 0 is like this crazy party and K1 is the morning after and I couldn't describe it better myself. Also Nishiki is my fav character so you can see me being biased
Kiwami was actually my first game in the series, so I've got a particular attachment to it in a way. Plus I do enjoy how Kiryu's gameplay is improved from Zero!
Also Ace Combat 7 spotted in that montage of other games, which is a very based choice, especially with the classic Phoenix skin!
Same, I first started with the PS2 Yakuza game, but when I could not get it to work on my system, I found kiwami and played it instead. I went back and played the PS2 yakuza games after I was done with the series and it turns out the remakes are not that good they are faithful, but the ambiance of the first two games are not translated well in the remakes, definitely play the PS2 games if you get the opportunity to do so, they are a very nice experience.
@@amir581498 I did go back to play the PS2 games as well, and they do provide a different experience from the Kiwami remakes. I agree that they're absolutely worth checking out even to this day!
My jaw hit the goddamn floor when you said that Kiwami *added* those scenes of what Nishiki was doing while Kiryu was in prison. I've never played the original Yakuza 1, I did like you said and went from 0 to Kiwami 1. I can't even imagine how little a shit I would have given about Nishiki or that whole plot with no 0 or none of those added cutscenes, he woulda just been some random dickhead I knew for five minutes who then slicks his hair back and starts clubbing baby seals. Unreal.
This is why when people say Kiwami wasn't a necessary remake I am dumbfounded. Original Yakuza was great for what it was at the time, but the landscape of games has shifted so dramatically since the PS2 era that I can't imagine I would have been half as invested in this series if I had started there, playing from a modern perspective (and especially coming off 0, as so many newer fans did). The extra love and care they put into Kiwami is what hooks you and turns "man Yakuza 0 sure was a fun game" into "I will die for this series"
ur the goat bru
no u
Hell yea Akechi!
Something neat about the ME system is that it was an attempt to bring back just how weak Kiryu was in OG rgg 1.
Having to learn how to do a basic turn-kick or even a complete rush combo. That’s something you take for granted in the newer entries because Kiryu always starts with most of the abilities he had to learn in 1
Meanwhile in every game he somehow "forgets" the Tiger Drop
@@zw7146 Seriously, man needs to set up a long-standing monthly appointment with Komaki or something
@@zw7146 mfs be complaining that the strongest move in the game isnt available as soon as you start
I never played the original Yakuza 1, but playing Kiwami many plot elements had me thinking "wow, this really was a PS2 game".
Stuff like brining Haruka to a gambling den.
...or bringing her to a literal brothel.
There was a general feel that the game barely has enough plot for 5 hours and, even when you cut out the stuff they added in Kiwami, was padded all to hell.
I played Kiwami 1 before 0 because I happened to get Kiwami in a humble bundle. Majima everywhere is what really made me give the series a try. The concept of a guy just fighting you for no reason seemed quite funny to me and the fact that it was Majima really sold it to me. This is what made Majima my favorite character and made me fall in love in the series. I was actually quite bummed that Majima doesn't play as much of a role in the other games besides 0. Yakuza would not have become my favorite game series if it wasn't for Majima everywhere.
I actually ended up playing this game before 0, and maybe it would have been better to play 0 beforehand, but I feel like both games add to each other regardless of what you played first, like playing 0 after Kiwami and seeing a different Nishiki made me realize how far Nishiki truly fell while Kiryu was spending 10 years in the joint.
Overall, though, the take on "Kiwami should have been the first Dragon Engine game" is actually interesting to hear, and I guess I can see where it's coming from
Lol i love how we all just know that kiryu spent 10 years in the joint thanks to nishiki reminding us
I played Yakuza ps2 after 0 because im unhinged. I didnt like kiwami very much other than the combat and the nishki cutscenes
Definitely agree with your take on the game overall. It’s a nice addition to Yakuza 0 for sure, but it is kind of awkwardly placed, and the Majima Everywhere system is certainly fun at first, and highly entertaining, but gets quite annoying at some point.
Loving these retrospectives and keen for the Yakuza 6 one as we continue counting down the days for Gaiden!
I didn’t know the majima everywhere existed. I did the one where you give him a weapon outside millenium, never saw him again. Makes me want to replay
Same happened to me lol
How dare you show anything Lost judgement, now I'm going to have to boot up the game to get a taste of the tasty tasty combat again becuase i have no self control
Fun fact!
Kiwami means extreme
playing kiwami after 0 i kinda found kiwami more enjoyable for some reason
I wish i liked zero more, but to me the character changing everytime is anoying, i hate every majima chapter, and a lot of minigames that you need to wait real time is a pain
To me, Yakuza Kiwami is one of the most entertaining experiences i've had with this franchise, but theres something that bugs me all the time...
WHY CANT YOU GRAB ENEMIES THAT ARE DOWNED WITH DRAGON STYLE?!
YOU COULD CLEARLY DO IT ON YAKUZA 0, WHY CANT YOU DO IT NOW, KIRYU?!
10
years
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you
Kiwami 1 Majima Everywhere system is one of my mist favourite gameplay mechanics, having an boss that travels around and surprises you from nowhere in the game keeps you from getting rusty, provides a way to grind, shows the special respect between each other in the cutscenes, allows you to fight a fantastic character whenever you want, keeps the gameplay from getting stale by giving you mew moves to try out by fighting him, giving so many wacky situations that'll suprise you and finally... KIRYU-CHAN!!!
Honestly I would love for the next game to have this system, heck I'd pay for it through DLC if I have too.
You forgot to mention that Kiwami is a Christmas game (in the same spirit as Die hard is a Christmas movie). Also it's the last old school Yakuza game before they went to the Dragon engine and completely changed the feel of the series. I'd say it's better than anything came out after it so far except Kiwami 2 and Lost Judgment. But you need to play 0 to fully appreciate it.
I miss the darker more aggressive side of Kiryu shown in this game (or another playable character with a similar personality), they really toned him down in the later games.
I think that it is great that they made it before 6 it would be really weird to go from a prequel to the end of the kiryu saga(yeha right) and this atleast gives some context to Haruka and Date who are both big players in all of the games except 0.
no it wouldn’t have, because yakuza 5 ends on a cliffhanger, fans were eagerly awaiting yakuza 6 to see what happened, while yakuza 0 was an amazing game, fans were still very eager for 6’s continuation from 5
Great video yet again - love seeing your cultured JRPG taste shine through the music selection.
Damn I feel called out since I’m currently on a journey to platinum them all. 😅
Keep up the good work bro loving these retrospective vids
I'm looking forward to JE or even Binary Domain
@@KaitoThwBruiserif he actually does binary domain that would acc be fire
Hot take but i think YK1 is the most FUN yakuza game, its not the best one tho i do think its heavily underrated, it just has an engaging action packed story and thats all i could aks for, probs why i think Y4 is great too
The combat is the best in K1 imo. I think the thing that brings it down is the combat encounters. The long battles and regular story battles aren't really as good as in other games. I think if K1 had the same encounters as something like 0 it'd be one of my favorites. I also have yakuza 4 in my top 3 so yeah I think we're thinking along the same lines here
I love this game
Как же я давно тебя не видел под постами тайфуна
@@fnuy881 я там всегда
In the Yakuza 6 video I hope you mention that Kiryu asks a random NPC to hold Haruto if he gets into a street fight while holding him. It's really funny.
I like Yakuza Kiwami.
I don't like Kiryu's design in kiwami
I cant express how much I despise majima everywhere. Not because of the gameplay, but how it presented majima's character as a sort of obsessed stalker with shenanigans going on. Majima is simply the wild card of the series, and having shenanigans going on makes sense, but it just ruins his relationship with kiryu in a way. It just gives people the wrong idea about who majima post 0 is, and it spiraled into the cringe majima fanboys. And this is coming from someone who's favorite character ever is Majima.
there WONT be any kiwani slander while im here
This game is super fun, majima everywhere is a fun addition
Kiwami was my intruduction to the series.
Then i played 0 afterwards.
Having played Kiwami before 0 for some reason made 0 WAY more enjoyable. I was already in love with Majima by then.
When i learned i would play with him in 0 i started cheerin
3:24 actually, any heat action will interrupt the healing, so just keep a weapon handy in the early game
Is this game the start of the colored filters in the game?
im glad for Kiwami as its what got me into the franchise. in 2018 it was free on PS+ for a month. i than played 0 after that, then kiwami 2, and now i have a crippling yakuza addiction
Yeah same
Hot take kiwami is better than k2
I don't think this is a hot take lol. Kiwami is just really good.
Majima is what made me get into the whole franchise because a friend kept talking about him XD
Its funny you say that Kiwami should have been the first Dragon Engine game cause ive also always thought that they should have done Kiwami 1 and 2 both in the Dragon Engine before they made Yakuza 6 to get themselves familiar with the engine first, definitely would have helped K1 feel like its own thing instead a Y0.5
majima my beloved
Majimba
Unrelated, but unfathomably based use of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon music. One of my favorite game series aside from Yakuza.
I'm really not a fan of JRPGs nor leveling skills. I'm not a fan of mindless grindfests. But the ME system was perfect. Majime was definitely a threat early game, and even for skilled veterans that can power through, you know that you'd rather not waste your time on Majima that often. I mean, after 2 rounds of fornication in 1 day, how much gas in the tank do you have left? I'm sure you can keep going, but would you want to?
Eventually you become so strong that Majima becomes a minor inconvenience that takes away no more than 60 seconds of your life.
More games need to introduce big and "semi" avoidable threats. This shouldn't be limited to JRPGs. Dying Light also does great with this mechanic.
10 years in Australia made you a 🔥😺
forgot to mention how god damn annoying Jingu and MIA colonels boss fight was
Watching this while eating my breakfast
Watching this while eating my dinner
RUclips without eating
@@thatrandomcrit5823 crime pays
A lot of people told me to play 0 before Kiwami, but I didn't, and I think I probably made the better choice because I literally had no expectations going into it as it was my first LAD game. Whereas if I'd played 0 first, I may have been disappointed.
The fact that the story still engaged me without knowing the stuff from 0 was a good sign. I know some people say that Niishki needed 0 to be compelling, but honestly the new flashback cutscenes were enough in themselves to make me empathise with him. (And even the newly added prologue to some extent, though their changes to Shinji were... Interesting.)
Even thought the criticisms for Kiwami are valid, it was the second game in the series I tried after 0, and I love both games dearly! I doubt I'd have been as invested in the continuation of Kiyru's journey going from 0 to the original Yakuza game, and for that I'm glad the 1 and 2 remakes exist. Amazing video as always though!
So glad Yakuza Kiwami
Exists
It’s what got me into yakuza
And honestly I don’t really like og yakuza 1 (it just plays weird, might be just because it was the first game in the series)
I loved playing through different styles as Jotaro Kujo
Yakuza 1 definitely needed a more modern version of the game
And that’s why we have Kiwami
I’ve beaten 0-Gaiden
I actually kinda liked Kiwami more than 0 if for no other reason than completionism, 0 is a fantastic game but soul crushing to complete the JCC alone lowered my overall rating of the game by 2 numbers trying to complete it, Kiwami though is only really kinda obnoxious with grinding money to afford all the gear and 1 specific Haruka request and if just going for all cheevos and trophies the gear grind is lessened into a non issue. Also Kiwami Dragon style is the GOAT it just is it ruined the dragon engine games for me it's just so much better.
I honestly don't get why people are so high on the dragon engine games. I really don't like the feeling of those which is why I didn't enjoy Kiwami 2 nearly as much as Kiwami. Gaiden has probably the best comabt in all of yakuza tho. Kiwami 2 killed the mood a little bit because you had 3 fighting styles less than in Kiwami and I also hate the feeling of your attacks getting blocked in Kiwami 2. Immediately kills all of your momentum. The leveling system also kind of sucks. Kiwami had the most satisfying combat in the whole series next to Gaiden.
I had to give up on Kiwami 1 by like chapter 10 or 11. The bosses are so cheap and it just became unfun. Story was also boring.
I'm on Kiwami 2 now and its a far superior experience.
Yeah... But without Kiwami, I wouldn't have "Turning (Vertical) Point" and "For Who's Sake" on my playlist.
So, that's enough for me.
I know there are people who play linear entries in a game series out of order, or don't play every entry, but like... why??? If the games aren't connected then fine (like you could play, say, the Persona series in pretty much any order without missing out on anything because they follow completely different characters doing completely different things), but I just don't get it for a series like Yakuza where every entry builds on the last. I can't imagine going from Y0 to Y6 and just going "well I'm sure none of that stuff in the middle matters"
Personally kiwami is my favorite yakuza game (besides judgement and lost judgement) but i get if some don’t prefer it
I would have dropped the series if Kiwami was a dragon engine game. I just can't stand that floppy, limp combat system.
Yazuka one was my first yakuza and my favorite, probably not the best, but it feels so special...
If kiwami was the first dragon engine game that would be so dope, I know it’s an unpopular opinion but after playing kiwami 2 I went back to kiwami 1 for a bit and the combat feels so much worse is kiwami 1 to me but I’m prolly just wierd
Bro
I was waiting for more yakuza games in the same Y0 and K1 engine, it's so good
In my playthrough I couldn't get Idol Majima to spawn for the life of me (i tried EVERYTHING) so i'm permanently stuck on an depowered Dragon style. I just gave up and swore off doing a K1 playthrough ever again
My head hurts..a lot. Why is everything so far away? Why would you prefer a FOV like this?
I bought Yakuza 0 for $5 on a big sega sale on steam and it's the best $5 I've ever spent on a video game
I both love, and hate the Maijima Everywhere. It makes the game so fun, but it can be so goddamn annoying
This guy cant be MORE WRONG. get him outta the studio.
Damn your upload speed my guy, it should be commended how fast you put out your videos and also well made, thanks, you are much appreciated
Dude! Am I the only person that hated yakuza 0, i did play it after kawami 1 & 2
The gameplay is so much better than 0 this is a crazy take to me
honestly i think your argument of being a dlc for 0 is dumb but your vid is good
The story makes the series, not the gameplay. Skipping games seems silly to me.
8:57 No. I dont think I will. Apart from Minecraft
bro, just imagina kiwami 3 on the dragon engine
Sure do love Yaks and Kuzas
Bruh yakuza 0 didn't use xp it used cash
K1 the DMC aspect of the combat system
Chad faxing
do you love koi no disco queen?
The real problem with majima everywhere is its balancing relation to dragon style. There are lot more upgrades in than 1 so you need to grind majima everywhere to unlock dragon style. If they gave you more XP each time it wouldn’t force the average player to do majima everywhere in order to get dragon style upgrades. Say if it took half as many battles it would been a better system overall
Actually, if the game gave you more XP for each encounter & certain activities, you still wouldn't be able to do anything with the Dragon style, because you specifically need to win Majima fights (or train with Komaki) to get that style's upgrades. Experience points straight-up don't work in Dragon style.
my first yakuza game
SWITCH PORT 🗿🗿🗿🗿🗿🗿🗿🗿🗿🗿
7:11 you can also say is date theme
I recently finished zero after 80 something hours and 2 years of playing (i didn't play for like a year and a half for some reason) and I'm now around 14 hours into kiwami. I love yakuza kiwami and i might even like it more than zero. Majima everywhere is fun, I prefer the xp system to zero's upgrade system, i like seeing kamurocho change, Majima is everywhere, the combat feels way better and oh yeah i think i forgot to mention MAJIMA IS EVERYWHERE! Also like seeing Nishiki descend into madness even though it hurts to see
8:48 I'll be honest with ya chef, I was worried about being Yakuza fanatic, but there is not a single one game that left such affect on me, like Yakuza did. I purchased Yakuza 0 for memes and stuff. Everything I played before Yakuza was like eating some chips lobster flavour. Pretty good, yeah, but playing Yakuza 0 was like being on the kitchen of China emperor with chefs all dancing around me with new dishes coming my way every minute.
Mmm, Pekin duck...
I played every Yakuza game(lies, I could not play Dragon Engine cause even my gaming laptop could not handle that peak) and did not expect to be super impressed by anything after 0, but then Yakuza 5 came and proved, that if anything will surpass Yakuza it is Yakuza itself. Have to go through all Dragon Engine Yakuza's on youTube...but once I get a chance I will be so back.
Awesome video, by the way
I'm definitely in the minority, but I enjoyed Kiwami 1 (and maybe Kiwami 2) more than 0. I believe it's because I played 0 immediately after 7, and I had to go through a lot of growing pains adjusting to the combat system. There were times where I actually considered dropping the series altogether. That's how hard it was for me to adjust. Kiwami 1 was when everything clicked for me. I began understanding the mechanics proper. Majima Everywhere was also a big factor. It was everything I had hoped for out of the character, and more! Now that I'm almost caught up with the series, I'm sure I would like 0 more if I went back and replayed it, but I can never get rid of that rough first impression.
Since this was my first Yakuza game I'm undoubtedly biased, but I can't help but hold a soft spot for this game. The improvements to Kiryu's combat were really apparent when I played 0 after this one, and I felt worse for Nishiki going from Kiwami to 0. As far as the story being worse, it's presentation is definitely hit or miss; but the story itself still feels solid to me. Simple, sure...but that isn't a bad thing in my eyes.
You're kinda in luck as I heard the MesuKing song in Yakuza 0 bowling so you don't like the MesuKing song from Kiwami you like the bowling song from Y0
Nishki's sister is hot
Enemy healing just use a weapon is way faster than switch to correct style
I remember yakuza 0 was my first entry into the series and I loved the over the top flashy 80s setting however with kawami my take on it was pretty good especially the Majima everywhere system, at times I just happen to bump into him out of nowhere and at times he catches me off guard then there are times where he just jumpscares me and I'm low on health and used the healing stuff during a previous fight or story mission, the story had more weight to it especially with characters telling kiryu that alot has changed and nishiki is a boss, if a yakuza 10 ever comes out, it would be interesting to see nishiki as a playable character that way we see how he came out on top or Majima and see how he's holding up in kamurocho, but in the end I had a blast with kawami
Majima Everywhere is fine, it’s a bit overdone and should be easier to avoid in adventure mode, but is fine. The main problem is the atrocious implementation of the health regen mechanic for bosses, specifically the absolute piss-taking fact that you’re required to use specific heat actions that *still lose their effectiveness with repeated use* like normal heat actions, despite being mandatory. It turned boss encounters, including Majima, into a tedious, frustrating, padded mess in many cases. Otherwise K1 is fantastic. Easily one of my favorite versions of Kamurocho, and now I hallucinate the “Kiryu-chan” jingle sometimes IRL, 8/10
Kiwami was my jump back in point. I played Yakuza 1 on PS2, but didn't complete it. Got frustrated with the fight in the batting cages and didin't play it again. Didn't even know there were sequels until I went to game crazy and saw 3 on the shelf. Played 3 once and for some reason got distracted by cheese.
Since playing Kiwami, I have played 0 and now going through Kiwami 2.
for some reason i spent more than half of the game without being able to farm dragon points bc majima was sad smoking in the park outside the purgatorium, so i just completed the game with an F rank or so in Majima everywhere, with just 9 points in the dragon style :(((
I think yakuza 1 probably aged the second worst out of all of the games, only with 3 beating it out for obvious reasons. The gameplay even in kiwami 1 is just kinda bleh, and there's not that much interesting stuff going on, it lures you in just to pull you back way too often.
Here's an example: at the dog section, you have to save the dog to get haruka, she says to get dogfood for him to eat so you do, then when you get back to get him dog food that's where a better yakuza game would finish it at, but in kiwami 1 she says he won't eat and needs water, so you go back again only to give him water and be told that he needs a plate, so you get the plate and finally you'll be able to end that sequence after being pointlessly pulled away multiple times for no good reason. That's not the only time the game does this either, at the start you do the exact same "just do this to progress to X, no wait now do this thing to progress to X, no wait now do it again to get to X, ok now you can go" style of gameplay that should've honestly been cut from the game, it adds nothing and only served to make it annoying.
If kiwami 1 was more of a remake instead of a remaster while modernizing the game, i believe it could've been great, but yakuza 1 has just aged way too poorly for it to be fun to replay, the other games are much better to actually replay.
I spent $4 for Kiwami 1 because it was going to leave Gamepass. It left, I stopped playing lol, I beat it, it came back to Gamepass.
Don't care, had fun
I like that Kiryu learned the best counter in yakuza history in 1988, and then forgot it for the rest of his life 💀
5:33 ps2 Yuya rizz
Was planing to play something else after Zero, yet ended up starting Kiwami 1 up and now I'm going through that.
Kiwami was my first yakuza game and I felt in love with the series right away, the music and being able to knock down 8 enemies at once with one guy I got really a goood surprise . I played yakuza 0 later on my only disappointment is that we need a kiwami 3 but with the kiryu fighting styles , changing styles are very fun
And as a remake of the first game it had be just kiryu by himself, and about the expression even on yakuza 7 we don’t get a very well expressions from the characters, I love all yakuzas just gonna play the new one Gaiden with a new protagonist Joryu. And the series is awesome
My first playthrough of this game I literally did the mandatory officer majima tht introduces majima everywhere an that's it I didn't see him again
Now we all remember how Majima in the first game is downright cruel, sadistic, and truly evil. While in every game after that he’s a mix of all that along with reasonability, sensibility, and more levelheadedness. I’ve heard that the reason Majima transformed like this is because he became so popular after the original game that they toned him back a bit to keep him likable and keep him as a friendly rival to Kiryu rather than an antagonist. Not sure how true that is though.
tbf, I think kiwami did it's job as a way for 0's fans to get into the rest of the series. When I went from 0 to Kiwami I immediately felt how much worse the story was compared to 0 and I don't know if I would have kept going if it wasn't for the 0-like gameplay and substories.
This video taught me how to correctly pronounce "Hyd Lunch".