Idk if everyone realizes how insane it is that you just blew through the Yakuza series but that shit is hella tight. Respect and admiration, son. You made your pops proud.
@@YourFavoriteSon1 I love your content. Immediately subscribed... you have a nice and attractive voice & cadence that's easy to understand. Where are you from? Love your accent...
@@YourFavoriteSon1 how long did it take you to go through the games??... i started with 0 when it arrived on playstation extra in august and as of today ive made it to chapter 10 of yakuza 7...
I mean ... Its original name was always like a dragon(ryu ga gotoku) they just basically rebranded so they can incorporate more of their spinoffs and to stay true to the original concept of the game. (I mean, for a series called yakuza. Kiryu isnt even a part of the yakuza, heck hes actively trying to get away from it)
Kinda stupid lol. They finally after years started having success with the yakuza series in the west, then they change the name of the series, the gameplay, and the character. Tbh it’s the only one in the series I never finished lol.
I don't give a fuck what people say about the English dub. Any actor that can give that kind of performance and make me cry like a baby when Ichiban lays his heart out to his brother deserves commendation. Superb fucking shit, man!
@@fireflocs That's like saying that lung cancer is the best type of cancer. I don't know if it is or not, but I'd still rather not have cancer of any kind.
This was my favorite Yakuza Game. Even after playing 0-6. This game did it. It had a strong story. Ichiban truly is an amazing character full of heart, and charisma. He truly is the best of us.
This game's success or even its mere existence is just bizarre, how RGG managed to change both the main protagonist and the freaking genre 15 years into a franchise was incredible risky, and the weirdest thing about it is that...it worked! Anyway, great job, son, covering 8 Yakuza games in the span of 2 months is impresive.
I did not like the turn-based system at all tbh, and I usually do like turn based systems. It got old and repetitive way quicker than it should have, there weren't too many truly distinct enemy types just enemies that debuff differently, and usually in these games end game spells and abilities do good to curb these issues, but the end game abilities in this game felt the same just more damage. The story was absolutely top tier though.
@@FeiFongWang you gotta understand that they were trying something new. the Dragon Engine action gameplay wasn't good when it first started out, but now it's getting improved as they work more with it. the turn-based will be the same as that: improved.
The only thing I have to say is that Eri is one of the best characters with her own clerk job. Thumbtack scatter is one of the best (if not the best) ability to deal with a lot of enemies at once,
I had eri as my popstar character for healing and saeko with the (can't remember class name) the one with the whip lol. It had this special move called spinning queen which was great for confusing enimies if you were dealing with a large group
Yeah. I always hit all the side content up when available, so I had Eri whenever my party would've been shorted. I also was mega ultra rich from pushing through that business.
@@MrBoggy101 I'm glad I wasn't the only one. When he started talking about how hard it was to get 3 million yen I was like... It was hard?? Because I was playing the business nonstop before I even "needed" to
I wish I had known about her before because I spent that entire section of the game with only three party members so there were a few times when I got into some close calls losing a fight.
I just wanna advise that if you don't want to do the management mini game (I mean what's wrong with you, but you do you) if you do part time hero finding the cats and kappa statues you'll get well over 3 million yen and it takes no time at all
Yakuza like a dragon is honestly one of my favorite games all the time. The story, characters, and gameplay are great but I do agree in chapter 12 the game does get grindy money and gameplay-wise. I really don't like that chapter but overall it's a amazing RPG game.
with saejima and majima, you can be the lowest possible level and still beat them. also, saejima is weak to a move called dart airstrike which eri can use as the best dmg dealer
Not gonna lie, I absolutely loved the shift over to a turn-based RPG. It allowed the series' serious-comedy aspect to shine with stuff like what actions characters took to perform "magic" (like healing by lying down to take a nap). While I don't think Kiryu can ever truly be replaced in this series Ichiban was a great character, and the game's story and characters in general stood up to the Yakuza standard. Absolutely loved the time I spent with the game. Can't wait to see you cover the Judgement games. While I don't quite like them as much as the rest of the franchise they were still fun.
@@jamesgratz4771 Oh not for any particularly bad reasons. I just generally prefer the cast and game style of Like a Dragon compared to Judgement. Both Judgment games were fun with the second one being better than the first (mostly just because of refinements to everything). At the end of the day my preferred version of this franchise is the regular Yakuza games (in large part because of how much I like Kiryu), but all versions of the franchise are fun in their own ways.
Like a Dragon has a special place in my heart. I played it expecting to hate the new combat system, but i ended up falling in love with this game, with its characters, its soundtrack, everything. Before i noticed, LaD became my favorite game not only in the entire series, but in every game i've ever played. Ichiban is such an amazing protagonist that made me feel hope, right when i was going through a hard time. He's really inspiring to me, and i can't say the same about many other videogame characters. . Thank you so much for this video! I first came here because of silent hill, but i'm definetly staying to see the rest of the Yakuza series vids!
I really enjoyed Like a Dragon but it does have difficulty issues. Most normal enemies feel like nothing but late game big enemies felt like they would be near impossible or just take a completely unreasonable amount of time without access to the orbital laser from completing the management side activity. It felt like a major crutch for my play through but it also felt like it was often the only move doing anything
I felt mostly the same way. There are three major late game fights that were the only ones that gave me any trouble. Even with some grinding they were tough
did you not take advantage of the enemies elemental/stat vulnerabilities? Yes a lot of enemies were sponges at late game, but actually taking the stat/elemental stuff into consideration does actually do something. I personally never had an issue until the second to last boss fight
@@Zerovin there are big enemies late game that are resistant to the damage of the laser and changing up the strategy was required but for nearly all save them the laser just felt like the most efficient way through the fight due to the sheer damage. also I dont know if the next to last boss is even doable if you didnt get the skill where he can revive himself. I think I remember having to go back and get that since I had long since stopped training that class
@@somebodynowhere well that sounds like a you problem then, it’s not the games fault you didn’t engage with the systems in place and resorted to “big laser go brrr” for most fights
Yakuza Like A Dragon was so enjoyable and had so much fun stuff to do that even the difficulty spike and ridiculous final achievement I didn't mind so much. Throughout the game I felt itching for a real challenge as I was pretty experienced at JRPGs in general, and I saw this final dungeon as giving me that challenge. I do wish the challenge was spread throughout the game instead of being large spikes like you mentioned, but given this was the first Yakuza game I got all achievements on goes to show how much I enjoyed it.
Your ability to pump out such high quality content at the rate you have been is inspiring. I haven't played any of the yakuza games but these videos are great regardless.
I haven't teared up in years from watching any form of film or game but Like A Dragon made me shed tears! This man Ichiban is an inspiration. Became one of my fav protags in any medium!
I downloaded this game not expecting much because it was free on the store and I don't have any history with previous Yakuza games (yet!) And I can't describe how much I love it and Ichiban. Great video as always son, can't wait to see what content comes next.
Hey Son, good video, very proud of you. I think Yakuza 7 is one of the best in terms of writing, solely because of the cyclical nature of the story. Arakawa losing his father before eating Peking Duck and then Ichiban losing Arakawa before he has it is a good example. The ending of the game hits me really hard and honestly when I beat the game I cried because of how beautifully the story was crafted. The beginning of Masato’s life was at those coin lockers with Arakawa taking him and running off with him, hoping he is still alive. The end of his life being at those same coin lockers but with Ichi carrying him off, hoping he can be saved. It was that beat that hit me so hard and just absolutely made this one of my favorites in the series.
Well done on finishing the mainline series of Yakuza retrospectives! One thing I'd like to note about Eri; she is actually pretty darn strong as a physical attacker, either as a Dealer or Matriarch. I actually used her as part of my True Final Millennium Tower group and was the true MVP in many of the match-ups along the way. I know you can get that platinum trophy, Son. Keep up the good work.
Ichiban Kasuga reminds me of the scarface movie...because it's about an ordinary man who joined the Yakuza at the lowest rank and went on to becoming the top dog in all of Yokohama,Japan.He defeated the best of Yakuza Clans,rose through the business ranks made some friends and enemies along the way while getting betrayed but kept going.i really feel for this character.
I started with 7 as well and finished 0 recently. I’m not a huge fan of the brawler gameplay and Kiryu as a character (so far) hasn’t been nearly as entertaining or interesting as Ichiban. I’m going to play Kiwami next to see how I feel about the series as a whole
This has been a great series of videos. As someone with no deeper knowledge of the Yakuza games I have thoroughly enjoyed your deep dives into the stories I would otherwise never have looked into.
Your deep dive retrospectives have given me exposure to games I have NEVER thought of playing or heard of. So thank you so much being so passionate about game you cover. I hope you get some well deserved rest after so many hours of editing this.
Eri isn't great? Oh come on, we all how how freaking great her thumbtacks scatter skill is, it's the strongest aoe skill early game. And if you let her join your party after Nanba left, she could also make up for the missing 4th team member slot for a short period before Han aka Korean Vergil joins in. Plus the actress who plays her is cute (she also looks way cuter irl than her in-game model).
The reason why the Kiryu fight isn't overwhelming is because he never targets your female party members under any circumstances. The only thing to be careful about is a Tiger Drop on Ichiban, as a follow-up combo can quickly turn into a game over. Lol, literally wrote this comment right before the video acknowledged it.
i think yakuza 7 actually impacted my view on the series to an (kiwami means) extreme level, and the only reason i viewed it as such was thanks to the cutscene after defeating kiryu, i looked back on every single fight with certain characters who had tattoos and viewed them all as mythical beasts duking it out, a legendary dragon versus a half-dragon koi, a golden dragon, or a okinawan viper, etcetera, etcetera. i will always view yakuza 7 as a golden statue in comparison to the rest thanks to this outlook, because it made these tales of the japanese criminal underworld feel all the more amazing to go through, even on repeat playthroughs amazing video btw!! i’m close to reaching the end and i love the narration you give, alongside how certain fights were and how events in the story were an impact :)
I'm glad you made this video covering the story in pretty good detail. Just finished 6 and watched this. Now I'm finally ready to dive into LAD Gaiden 👍🏻 so glad they went back to the style they had before this one for Kiryu's sake 💪🏻
i genuinely love this game’s story, it’s probably my favourite in the series still. it’s so direct, humble and has a large central focus on how the characters interact with the events of the story (which is something i missed in the sort of more scattershot nature of infinite wealth’s story)
I've thoroughly enjoyed these retrospectives God_son. I may not be able to watch all of this one rn,as I'm currently mid playthrough of this. This and yakuza 5 are the only ones i could play along with your review schedule. Sorry for the long text, thanks for your excellent content and dedication
There's a reason why 3 million yen was picked as the candidate entry fee: It's the same amount you get for completing one business cycle of the business management mini-game at rank 1. I got to rank 1 in chapter 5, the mini-game is completely doable that early. There's are two other big benefits to finishing this game as early as possible: hitting rank 1 will get Eri's bond level to 5, meaning you can make her a permanently back-up party member with no consequences. This is useful when Namba leaves and you have 3 party members for awhile, Eri will give you a fourth. Also, the second best set of armor in the game is available for only money in the romance workshop in chapter five, but at a cost of over five million yen a set (plus over 22 million yen to upgrade the workshop to be able to make that armor). Finish the business management mini-game, acquire top-tier armor and even the toughest boss fights won't scratch you.
Man this story got to me emotionally. After playing my 2nd playthrough of Infinite Wealth, it just makes me appreciate the character growth in everyone. Even seeing that Watase was stabbed in Man Who Erased His Name. Especially with Ichi's family links (spoooooilers) just drives the nail in how important family is, was, and will always be. Gameplay wise I really preferred a lot of the battle mechanics they made for ease of life access. Not as great mini games as 7, that's for sure. And oh boy....don't get me started on that platinum trophy. I loathe that Tower achievement.... Absolutely beautiful video, thank you so much for pouring your heart and soul into the video and just how detailed everything was. Been a new fan, but will be staying around 💕
Jorgu moment, but hey they bamboozled me too. I thought Judgement and LJ won't come out on pc any time soon so a month ago I finished em both on PS4 with less than 30 fps which was a pain. And tbf I'm more excited about that gaiden spin off and ishin rather than mainline entry. I really hate jrpgs.
There may never be another Earthbound/Mother game from Nintendo, so lets all be thankful for SEGA's Yakuza's series for taking Like a Dragon into a Dragon Quest inspired JRPG with a few other nods to other JRPGs. Final Fantasy's Summons becoming Like a Dragon's PUND BUDDIES was genius.
I really appreciate what you said about the dub. I mostly watch this stuff while I'm cooking so it certainly helps me. I'm surprised you didn't talk more about the gameplay, IMO it has a lot of cons but I think it's a significant improvement over the old style.
Darryl Kurylo did such a great job in this dub. I've been playing Yakuza since it starting on PS2, it's was great to have him voice Kazuma Kiryu again.
The moves you can't use aren't on "boss battles" you can't use them on non humans. Basically all the grab attacks. Probably because the models would clip through each other, though suplexing a backhoe would be nice. I wish there were more nonhuman enemies. Even if you can't use the grab attacks, if Ichiban's hallucinating, there might as well be ACTUAL monsters. And yeah, the true final millennium tower is a bitch and a half. Maxing every single job isn't enough stats. You also have to have the best gear. Even after running the true final tower right up to the final boss then leaving to max every job on every character, collecting the upgrade materials on the way, and then running through an entire new game+, I still had NOWHERE NEAR enough money to upgrade all the armor and weapons.
@@pocketcircuitfighter6291 I'm talking about the true final tower, the third one, not the second. With just 2 and a half maxed you'd struggle with the second tower.
@@acrab6527 nope and you don't have to fight the robots if you have the haritii amulet, i maxed the main job plus enforcer and then gave a little of foreman for defense and host and fortuneteller just a little for the ice and electricity skill for saeko i maxed Idol and dealer
I'm going to watch this way later. Cause I have been avoiding as many spoilers as I could on this game till I get a ps5. I want fast load times and a physical copy
I really wish you did a retrospective on lad gaiden and infinite wealth :( im usually never a long video watcher but your yakuza videos are so fun to watch!!!
Great retrospective! My only point of criticism would be that at several points in the video you state how the characters' default jobs aren't good, when in fact they are one of the best jobs each character can have (with the exception of Saeko).^^
4:40 Thank God I'm not alone. Really thought I was the only one who listened to all these reviews in addition to channels like SaltFactory and Josh Strife.
Two things that I don't think were brought up in your video: 1: When you unlock the management minigame, you can unlock Eri fairly early on, and since you unlock it before Nanba leaves the party for a bit, you can have her fill in the last party slot so you can have a full party until he comes back, which is a major help going into the boss battles before you get Joon 2: I'm not sure if you noticed, but the guy who introduces Sujimons, the professor dude, sounds very similar to the voice actor for evil congressman from Persona 5 (Can't remember his name, been a while since I last played). Just thought it would be a good thing to point out given some of the Persona 5 references in the game.
This is where my Yakuza journey began, and what a place to start! I love this game to pieces! I genuinely feel bad for people who can't play turn-based games, because this game has such a great story and loveable cast of characters! At least the Like a Brawler mod is out now, so those people can now experience the game, albeit _not_ how it was intended.
I still need to play Yakuza 3-5 and the original Yakuza 1 & 2. I love Yakuza 0, Kiwami 1 & 2, 6, and 7/LaD. With 7/LaD I wasn't into it at first since I'm wasn't the biggest fan of JRPGs late 2010s. Then I started playing Persona 5, my love for JRPGs started to take place. I saw that LaD released looked at some gameplay, at that point I had just finished either 0 or 6 and wanted to play some more Yakuza. I'm glad with the decision I made with getting LaD before Y3-5. LaD just increased my love for JRPGs and I plan on playing more in the future. When I finally get Y3-5 I plan on going through the entire series again and experience the good and sad times again. I don't know why, but , Yakuza is one of the few series to yank on my heart strings. Respect for going through the entire the series, and I wonder if your gonna tackle the Yakuza Spin-Offs as well like Dead Souls, Judgement, etc.
Son, I love your work. Its quality and writting are outstanding! Along with the care you put in the audio, this is easily 5 stars content, however I can't watch these because Yakuza is something I''d like to play myself :C what will your next project be? I'd like to suggest RESIDENT EVIL because it has a shitton of normie appeal, it could boost your channel big time and maybe you'll get the attention you deserve although watching your channel slowly growing is really cool too
In terms of tone and pacing, I think I can agree with the sentiment that the business side quest breaks up the story a bit weirdly. But in terms of logic, I feel like it makes sense that Ichiban would gain his campaign funds and notoriety through a big business scheme.
This is the best breakdown to date!!! But you missed one important twist! Orwakowa told Ichi that he intended to kill him when he shot him. Which puts a crazy extra twist on all of this! Also if you have never beaten true millennium tower its been a long time since I have played this but having all the guys know that electricity ball move, musicians regen and the ice bucket move are a must. Of course and sadly maxing all jobs is practically a must if you dont want it to feel like a chore. Also abusing the hell out of all poundmates and Idols crazy debuffs.
i JUST beat this game today that took me over 70 hours i had to backtrack and GRIND for levels for about 15hrs to prepare for boss fights. it was a PAIN but i CANT WAIT for Yakuza 8 on friday
When the English speaking guy was asking Ichiban how to get to the train station, I was instantly thinking of Monty Python's take on the Hungarian to English phrase book. "I will not buy this record, it is scratched."
oh yeah you shouldve talked about the party chat mechanic where ichiban explained to nanba about why the tattoo on his back is a dragon fish and not a dragon itself and also the fact that ichiban's jp voice actor is nishiki
I finally just finished this game yesterday, so catching up on some videos :D This is officially my second favorite game of all-time just behind Final Fantasy 9. Both stories bring me to tears and hit so close to home. I didn't have a huge problem with Chapter 12. I already had close to 5 million by then since I'd gotten to top 50 in business management by that point. Plus sold a bunch of plates from vending machines. Part Time Hero was also a huge help. I finished both cat quests and the Kappa quest in Chapter 11, so I was set. When I got to the fight, though, I got destroyed. lol I was around level 35/36. First thing I did was max as many bonds as possible. Everyone but Zhao and Joon-gi got maxed. They were at bond level 4. I cross trained their jobs for aoe elemental skills. Most notably Zhao, Joon-gi and Saeko Ice Spreader (Host/Hostess job) and Zhao and Ichiban Fulminating Forecast (Fortuneteller). Also, I got Joon-gi to job level 24 in Foreman for the fire aoe. By that point everyone was level 52 and Saeko was switched back to Idol, Ichiban Hero and everyone else their default jobs. Fight was still tough, but easy compared to before. Didn't die once in that fight after the grind.
Idk if everyone realizes how insane it is that you just blew through the Yakuza series but that shit is hella tight. Respect and admiration, son. You made your pops proud.
Thanks Dad!
Dead Souls? Kurohyou?
Hear, hear!
@@YourFavoriteSon1 I love your content. Immediately subscribed... you have a nice and attractive voice & cadence that's easy to understand. Where are you from? Love your accent...
@@YourFavoriteSon1 how long did it take you to go through the games??... i started with 0 when it arrived on playstation extra in august and as of today ive made it to chapter 10 of yakuza 7...
“But ichiban doesn’t listen” could be a whole ass tagline of this game. Which is my favorite in the mainline series btw lol
tbf, listening to what other people tell them to do isn't really a thing any Yakuza protagonist does
Naming it Like a Dragon is a the type of power move you'd usually only expect from Resident Evil.
Resident evil biohazard
I mean ... Its original name was always like a dragon(ryu ga gotoku) they just basically rebranded so they can incorporate more of their spinoffs and to stay true to the original concept of the game.
(I mean, for a series called yakuza. Kiryu isnt even a part of the yakuza, heck hes actively trying to get away from it)
@@xyzen9673 Kiryu: Civilian for 6 games
Western companies: We’ll call it YAKUZA!
@@krillin2591 but it was RGG Studio that decided to call it that, not a western company
Kinda stupid lol. They finally after years started having success with the yakuza series in the west, then they change the name of the series, the gameplay, and the character. Tbh it’s the only one in the series I never finished lol.
I don't give a fuck what people say about the English dub. Any actor that can give that kind of performance and make me cry like a baby when Ichiban lays his heart out to his brother deserves commendation. Superb fucking shit, man!
Dub is great, I just can’t see myself using it though because having played all the old games it’s weird to hear anyone in kamurocho speaking english
Who has a problem with the English dub?
It's one of the absolute best in gaming.
I used dub cuz I was lazy reading and goddam were the voice actors so good. I love them, I'm glad we have dub.
@@fireflocs That's like saying that lung cancer is the best type of cancer. I don't know if it is or not, but I'd still rather not have cancer of any kind.
@@LordChii. I hate it, just cuz I have to hear it at all, or hear idiots claim its better than the F*CKING ORIGINAL.
When I heard Ichiban saying that he's a Dragon Quest fan, I instantly thought: "I like this guy, I REALLY do."
This was my favorite Yakuza Game. Even after playing 0-6. This game did it. It had a strong story. Ichiban truly is an amazing character full of heart, and charisma. He truly is the best of us.
This game's success or even its mere existence is just bizarre, how RGG managed to change both the main protagonist and the freaking genre 15 years into a franchise was incredible risky, and the weirdest thing about it is that...it worked!
Anyway, great job, son, covering 8 Yakuza games in the span of 2 months is impresive.
It sure is strange and lucky that it worked!
Gotta love how an April fools joke made them scrap their whole combat system half way through development to make it a jrpg.
I did not like the turn-based system at all tbh, and I usually do like turn based systems. It got old and repetitive way quicker than it should have, there weren't too many truly distinct enemy types just enemies that debuff differently, and usually in these games end game spells and abilities do good to curb these issues, but the end game abilities in this game felt the same just more damage. The story was absolutely top tier though.
@@FeiFongWang you gotta understand that they were trying something new. the Dragon Engine action gameplay wasn't good when it first started out, but now it's getting improved as they work more with it. the turn-based will be the same as that: improved.
I mean it's arguable if they changed the Genre. It was already an RPG more than an action game. They just added a turn based mechanic lol
The only thing I have to say is that Eri is one of the best characters with her own clerk job. Thumbtack scatter is one of the best (if not the best) ability to deal with a lot of enemies at once,
That and Joon-gi Han’s Divine Shot
I had eri as my popstar character for healing and saeko with the (can't remember class name) the one with the whip lol.
It had this special move called spinning queen which was great for confusing enimies if you were dealing with a large group
1:14:40 funny how I had Eri unlocked before this part so I was still running with a full party even after Nanba's departure
Yeah. I always hit all the side content up when available, so I had Eri whenever my party would've been shorted. I also was mega ultra rich from pushing through that business.
@@MrBoggy101 I'm glad I wasn't the only one. When he started talking about how hard it was to get 3 million yen I was like... It was hard?? Because I was playing the business nonstop before I even "needed" to
I wish I had known about her before because I spent that entire section of the game with only three party members so there were a few times when I got into some close calls losing a fight.
I just wanna advise that if you don't want to do the management mini game (I mean what's wrong with you, but you do you) if you do part time hero finding the cats and kappa statues you'll get well over 3 million yen and it takes no time at all
Fantastic video as always son, I’d definitely love to see you take on the Judgement/Lost Judgement games (in time of course)
Will do!
The game tells you that you should train before the majima fight. Read what the game tells you
Yakuza like a dragon is honestly one of my favorite games all the time. The story, characters, and gameplay are great but I do agree in chapter 12 the game does get grindy money and gameplay-wise. I really don't like that chapter but overall it's a amazing RPG game.
1:03:48 you can unlock eri earlier before the JGH giving you a 4th member for his fight
with saejima and majima, you can be the lowest possible level and still beat them. also, saejima is weak to a move called dart airstrike which eri can use as the best dmg dealer
Not gonna lie, I absolutely loved the shift over to a turn-based RPG. It allowed the series' serious-comedy aspect to shine with stuff like what actions characters took to perform "magic" (like healing by lying down to take a nap). While I don't think Kiryu can ever truly be replaced in this series Ichiban was a great character, and the game's story and characters in general stood up to the Yakuza standard. Absolutely loved the time I spent with the game.
Can't wait to see you cover the Judgement games. While I don't quite like them as much as the rest of the franchise they were still fun.
I only played the first judgment. It was really good! Why didn’t you like it as much ?
@@jamesgratz4771 Oh not for any particularly bad reasons. I just generally prefer the cast and game style of Like a Dragon compared to Judgement. Both Judgment games were fun with the second one being better than the first (mostly just because of refinements to everything). At the end of the day my preferred version of this franchise is the regular Yakuza games (in large part because of how much I like Kiryu), but all versions of the franchise are fun in their own ways.
@@loli-knightxardej2252 oh see kiryu is cool but I always like goro more. He was more interesting imo and I wish we got to play as him more
Damn son, i think this is the only video in which you did not utter the phrase "bread and butter"
lmao
Like a Dragon has a special place in my heart. I played it expecting to hate the new combat system, but i ended up falling in love with this game, with its characters, its soundtrack, everything. Before i noticed, LaD became my favorite game not only in the entire series, but in every game i've ever played. Ichiban is such an amazing protagonist that made me feel hope, right when i was going through a hard time. He's really inspiring to me, and i can't say the same about many other videogame characters.
. Thank you so much for this video! I first came here because of silent hill, but i'm definetly staying to see the rest of the Yakuza series vids!
I think Masumi Arakawa allwas know that Ichiban was he's son that the feeling I get from whan I played it
Yakuza 7 was my first Yakuza. I loved it so much I binged 0-6. Currently on Judgment. Can't believe I used to think Yakuza was overrated...
Same.
ready to start down this path myself
Judgment is goated and Lost Judgment is a very good sequel.
I really enjoyed Like a Dragon but it does have difficulty issues. Most normal enemies feel like nothing but late game big enemies felt like they would be near impossible or just take a completely unreasonable amount of time without access to the orbital laser from completing the management side activity. It felt like a major crutch for my play through but it also felt like it was often the only move doing anything
I felt mostly the same way. There are three major late game fights that were the only ones that gave me any trouble. Even with some grinding they were tough
god the fucking Pier Reviewer types were such a miserable slog the first time I encountered them
did you not take advantage of the enemies elemental/stat vulnerabilities? Yes a lot of enemies were sponges at late game, but actually taking the stat/elemental stuff into consideration does actually do something. I personally never had an issue until the second to last boss fight
@@Zerovin there are big enemies late game that are resistant to the damage of the laser and changing up the strategy was required but for nearly all save them the laser just felt like the most efficient way through the fight due to the sheer damage. also I dont know if the next to last boss is even doable if you didnt get the skill where he can revive himself. I think I remember having to go back and get that since I had long since stopped training that class
@@somebodynowhere well that sounds like a you problem then, it’s not the games fault you didn’t engage with the systems in place and resorted to “big laser go brrr” for most fights
Ichi is my favorite character in gaming. I don't think I could go back and play old Yakuza games without him.
I've been waiting for this entry since you first started the Yakuza retrospectives, it's one of my favorites as well. Excellent work as always, son!
Yakuza Like A Dragon was so enjoyable and had so much fun stuff to do that even the difficulty spike and ridiculous final achievement I didn't mind so much. Throughout the game I felt itching for a real challenge as I was pretty experienced at JRPGs in general, and I saw this final dungeon as giving me that challenge. I do wish the challenge was spread throughout the game instead of being large spikes like you mentioned, but given this was the first Yakuza game I got all achievements on goes to show how much I enjoyed it.
Your ability to pump out such high quality content at the rate you have been is inspiring. I haven't played any of the yakuza games but these videos are great regardless.
Same here, dude. Totally agreed. Our son is an absolute beast.
It’s cus 80% of it is just him reading a plot summary
I wouldn’t exactly call it “high quality”
@@soloconnell34it's a plot summary one has to write, analyze for mistakes, and sprinkle own commentary on top
17:11
Its not a ramen shop, its gyudon.
Come on...
I haven't teared up in years from watching any form of film or game but Like A Dragon made me shed tears! This man Ichiban is an inspiration. Became one of my fav protags in any medium!
I downloaded this game not expecting much because it was free on the store and I don't have any history with previous Yakuza games (yet!) And I can't describe how much I love it and Ichiban. Great video as always son, can't wait to see what content comes next.
To clarify Ichiban Kasuga never met KIryu Kazuma in prison because both were separate prisons until after the fact.
Hey Son, good video, very proud of you. I think Yakuza 7 is one of the best in terms of writing, solely because of the cyclical nature of the story. Arakawa losing his father before eating Peking Duck and then Ichiban losing Arakawa before he has it is a good example. The ending of the game hits me really hard and honestly when I beat the game I cried because of how beautifully the story was crafted. The beginning of Masato’s life was at those coin lockers with Arakawa taking him and running off with him, hoping he is still alive. The end of his life being at those same coin lockers but with Ichi carrying him off, hoping he can be saved. It was that beat that hit me so hard and just absolutely made this one of my favorites in the series.
Well done on finishing the mainline series of Yakuza retrospectives! One thing I'd like to note about Eri; she is actually pretty darn strong as a physical attacker, either as a Dealer or Matriarch. I actually used her as part of my True Final Millennium Tower group and was the true MVP in many of the match-ups along the way.
I know you can get that platinum trophy, Son. Keep up the good work.
Really good at clearing the room too I love the dealer move set
Son, it's not slander when it's written! It's libel! 1:04:30
J Jonah Jameson is that you?
You have done an excellent job on this. I am proud of you, son.
Thanks!
Can’t wait for you to cover the Judgment games.
Soon
@@YourFavoriteSon1will you do infinite wealth soon?
Appreciate the refresher before I start Infinite Wealth. Come to you for the Boglim and stay for the Yakuza...who would've thought?
A 2 hour retrospective for Like a Dragon was exactly what I was waiting for. Thank you!
Ichiban Kasuga reminds me of the scarface movie...because it's about an ordinary man who joined the Yakuza at the lowest rank and went on to becoming the top dog in all of Yokohama,Japan.He defeated the best of Yakuza Clans,rose through the business ranks made some friends and enemies along the way while getting betrayed but kept going.i really feel for this character.
Yakuza 7 is what got me into the series. Went on to play Kiwami 1 and 2 and loved them as well!
I started with 7 as well and finished 0 recently. I’m not a huge fan of the brawler gameplay and Kiryu as a character (so far) hasn’t been nearly as entertaining or interesting as Ichiban. I’m going to play Kiwami next to see how I feel about the series as a whole
This has been a great series of videos. As someone with no deeper knowledge of the Yakuza games I have thoroughly enjoyed your deep dives into the stories I would otherwise never have looked into.
Your deep dive retrospectives have given me exposure to games I have NEVER thought of playing or heard of. So thank you so much being so passionate about game you cover. I hope you get some well deserved rest after so many hours of editing this.
Eri isn't great? Oh come on, we all how how freaking great her thumbtacks scatter skill is, it's the strongest aoe skill early game. And if you let her join your party after Nanba left, she could also make up for the missing 4th team member slot for a short period before Han aka Korean Vergil joins in. Plus the actress who plays her is cute (she also looks way cuter irl than her in-game model).
Ichiban I too love Dragon Quest 🔥🔥
The reason why the Kiryu fight isn't overwhelming is because he never targets your female party members under any circumstances. The only thing to be careful about is a Tiger Drop on Ichiban, as a follow-up combo can quickly turn into a game over.
Lol, literally wrote this comment right before the video acknowledged it.
i think yakuza 7 actually impacted my view on the series to an (kiwami means) extreme level, and the only reason i viewed it as such was thanks to the cutscene after defeating kiryu, i looked back on every single fight with certain characters who had tattoos and viewed them all as mythical beasts duking it out, a legendary dragon versus a half-dragon koi, a golden dragon, or a okinawan viper, etcetera, etcetera.
i will always view yakuza 7 as a golden statue in comparison to the rest thanks to this outlook, because it made these tales of the japanese criminal underworld feel all the more amazing to go through, even on repeat playthroughs
amazing video btw!! i’m close to reaching the end and i love the narration you give, alongside how certain fights were and how events in the story were an impact :)
Been waiting for this video! When I heard it was gonna be an RPG I was all "wtf?" but it works so well.
I'm glad you made this video covering the story in pretty good detail. Just finished 6 and watched this. Now I'm finally ready to dive into LAD Gaiden 👍🏻 so glad they went back to the style they had before this one for Kiryu's sake 💪🏻
i genuinely love this game’s story, it’s probably my favourite in the series still. it’s so direct, humble and has a large central focus on how the characters interact with the events of the story (which is something i missed in the sort of more scattershot nature of infinite wealth’s story)
I spent most of the game spamming the Orbital Laser once I got it lol
I just finished the game yesterday. I waited to watch this until then. I’m looking forward to your retrospective…son
Heya son, keep this amazing work that u do on those vids up! Waiting eagerly for more content 100%
I 100% cheated on the Vocation school. I did the first intro test easily, but then it was just a lot of questions I didn't know the answer to
Big same. Then you get to the very last test and it pulls questions from all the other tests randomly. I was out after that 😅
@@OExplosion I had a page up, ao when that happened I just Ctrl + F and searched the answer
I've thoroughly enjoyed these retrospectives God_son. I may not be able to watch all of this one rn,as I'm currently mid playthrough of this. This and yakuza 5 are the only ones i could play along with your review schedule. Sorry for the long text, thanks for your excellent content and dedication
There's a reason why 3 million yen was picked as the candidate entry fee: It's the same amount you get for completing one business cycle of the business management mini-game at rank 1. I got to rank 1 in chapter 5, the mini-game is completely doable that early. There's are two other big benefits to finishing this game as early as possible: hitting rank 1 will get Eri's bond level to 5, meaning you can make her a permanently back-up party member with no consequences. This is useful when Namba leaves and you have 3 party members for awhile, Eri will give you a fourth. Also, the second best set of armor in the game is available for only money in the romance workshop in chapter five, but at a cost of over five million yen a set (plus over 22 million yen to upgrade the workshop to be able to make that armor). Finish the business management mini-game, acquire top-tier armor and even the toughest boss fights won't scratch you.
Man this story got to me emotionally. After playing my 2nd playthrough of Infinite Wealth, it just makes me appreciate the character growth in everyone. Even seeing that Watase was stabbed in Man Who Erased His Name. Especially with Ichi's family links (spoooooilers) just drives the nail in how important family is, was, and will always be.
Gameplay wise I really preferred a lot of the battle mechanics they made for ease of life access. Not as great mini games as 7, that's for sure. And oh boy....don't get me started on that platinum trophy. I loathe that Tower achievement....
Absolutely beautiful video, thank you so much for pouring your heart and soul into the video and just how detailed everything was. Been a new fan, but will be staying around 💕
"Ichiban is about to forge his story now" man this aged like milk
RGG making me look like a fool
Jorgu moment, but hey they bamboozled me too. I thought Judgement and LJ won't come out on pc any time soon so a month ago I finished em both on PS4 with less than 30 fps which was a pain. And tbf I'm more excited about that gaiden spin off and ishin rather than mainline entry. I really hate jrpgs.
Id love to see yakuza on the list of "top 10 games you play as a dragon"
There may never be another Earthbound/Mother game from Nintendo, so lets all be thankful for SEGA's Yakuza's series for taking Like a Dragon into a Dragon Quest inspired JRPG with a few other nods to other JRPGs.
Final Fantasy's Summons becoming Like a Dragon's PUND BUDDIES was genius.
I really appreciate what you said about the dub. I mostly watch this stuff while I'm cooking so it certainly helps me. I'm surprised you didn't talk more about the gameplay, IMO it has a lot of cons but I think it's a significant improvement over the old style.
I thought he went to jail for 18 years with 10 being the initial but 8 getting added for the fighting.
This game is def my number 2 RPG of the gen. It was so amazing.
I really hope you'll make a retrospective video for both Like A Dragon Gaiden and Infinite Wealth!
Darryl Kurylo did such a great job in this dub. I've been playing Yakuza since it starting on PS2, it's was great to have him voice Kazuma Kiryu again.
Was going through the comments to see if anyone mentioned this! Happy someone did!
I'm so glad this video exists. Infinite Wealth is finally discounted so I'm getting it and this is a great recap of the 7, thank you son.
this is my first comment ever on youtube, you made me play yakuza, thanks
The moves you can't use aren't on "boss battles" you can't use them on non humans. Basically all the grab attacks. Probably because the models would clip through each other, though suplexing a backhoe would be nice.
I wish there were more nonhuman enemies. Even if you can't use the grab attacks, if Ichiban's hallucinating, there might as well be ACTUAL monsters.
And yeah, the true final millennium tower is a bitch and a half. Maxing every single job isn't enough stats. You also have to have the best gear. Even after running the true final tower right up to the final boss then leaving to max every job on every character, collecting the upgrade materials on the way, and then running through an entire new game+, I still had NOWHERE NEAR enough money to upgrade all the armor and weapons.
You don't need to Max evry job, i maxed 2 and a half for everyone and i did it
@@pocketcircuitfighter6291 I'm talking about the true final tower, the third one, not the second. With just 2 and a half maxed you'd struggle with the second tower.
@@acrab6527 yeah i too mean the true final millenium tower i did just with two and a half
@@pocketcircuitfighter6291 You did not. The robots on the first floor one shot you until you've maxed 5 jobs minimum.
@@acrab6527 nope and you don't have to fight the robots if you have the haritii amulet, i maxed the main job plus enforcer and then gave a little of foreman for defense and host and fortuneteller just a little for the ice and electricity skill for saeko i maxed Idol and dealer
Listening while playing through NG+ of Infinite Wealth.
I'm going to watch this way later. Cause I have been avoiding as many spoilers as I could on this game till I get a ps5.
I want fast load times and a physical copy
bro, just play the game on PS4, the last gen version is fine
1:19:42 You know you can tag out team members, right? Swap them during battle?
this is a phenomenal recap for a game i find myself lost in the story sometimes
I really wish you did a retrospective on lad gaiden and infinite wealth :( im usually never a long video watcher but your yakuza videos are so fun to watch!!!
Great retrospective! My only point of criticism would be that at several points in the video you state how the characters' default jobs aren't good, when in fact they are one of the best jobs each character can have (with the exception of Saeko).^^
Yakuza: LaD is one of the rare cases where the cover artwork is better in the Western release of the game.
Also Yakuza 4.
Great work, son! You truly know how to make an old man proud!
Thanks Dad!
The bread physics still get me
4:40
Thank God I'm not alone.
Really thought I was the only one who listened to all these reviews in addition to channels like SaltFactory and Josh Strife.
Nothing quite like binging every single "Wha Happun?" from Matt McMuscles while never looking at a single second of video.
Do a retrospective on the MGS series, would be lit
So what’s the time frame for calling something a retrospective lol I don’t usually think of games like 2 years old.
Just found your channel with this video..
Instasubbed my dude. Thanks for the awesome videos!
I never had trouble with the Majima fight, probably because I made sure to complete all side quests before continuing the main plot.
Keep in mind your only short a party member if you don’t grind and play a certain mini game before the nanba arc
Two things that I don't think were brought up in your video:
1: When you unlock the management minigame, you can unlock Eri fairly early on, and since you unlock it before Nanba leaves the party for a bit, you can have her fill in the last party slot so you can have a full party until he comes back, which is a major help going into the boss battles before you get Joon
2: I'm not sure if you noticed, but the guy who introduces Sujimons, the professor dude, sounds very similar to the voice actor for evil congressman from Persona 5 (Can't remember his name, been a while since I last played). Just thought it would be a good thing to point out given some of the Persona 5 references in the game.
I remember being iffy about the style change, but it eventually grew on me
Dude, the varying party setups are crazy. My personal favorite I had was having Ichiban as a Bodyguard. Dude was just a fucking monster.
I just think the essay would be more palatable if it had varied BGMs instead of just the one to match the scene which is unlike your contemporaries.
hello son i think you should totally review judgment and lost judgment
Sunday
Adachi on Foremen and Saeko on Nightqueen was such a devastating combo Nanba barely got a turn.
This is where my Yakuza journey began, and what a place to start! I love this game to pieces! I genuinely feel bad for people who can't play turn-based games, because this game has such a great story and loveable cast of characters! At least the Like a Brawler mod is out now, so those people can now experience the game, albeit _not_ how it was intended.
So much Love for Ur Great Work! I enjoyed the whole Video :) Thank You!
As soon as I unlock the Management game I played it all the way through before I even got to chapter 12 so I had millions of yen by then
I still need to play Yakuza 3-5 and the original Yakuza 1 & 2. I love Yakuza 0, Kiwami 1 & 2, 6, and 7/LaD. With 7/LaD I wasn't into it at first since I'm wasn't the biggest fan of JRPGs late 2010s. Then I started playing Persona 5, my love for JRPGs started to take place. I saw that LaD released looked at some gameplay, at that point I had just finished either 0 or 6 and wanted to play some more Yakuza. I'm glad with the decision I made with getting LaD before Y3-5. LaD just increased my love for JRPGs and I plan on playing more in the future. When I finally get Y3-5 I plan on going through the entire series again and experience the good and sad times again. I don't know why, but , Yakuza is one of the few series to yank on my heart strings. Respect for going through the entire the series, and I wonder if your gonna tackle the Yakuza Spin-Offs as well like Dead Souls, Judgement, etc.
Son, I love your work. Its quality and writting are outstanding! Along with the care you put in the audio, this is easily 5 stars content, however I can't watch these because Yakuza is something I''d like to play myself :C what will your next project be? I'd like to suggest RESIDENT EVIL because it has a shitton of normie appeal, it could boost your channel big time and maybe you'll get the attention you deserve although watching your channel slowly growing is really cool too
Our boy had an aside in the SH3 review about how Metal Gear is an interesting series. Obviously, I would be very interested in that.
In terms of tone and pacing, I think I can agree with the sentiment that the business side quest breaks up the story a bit weirdly. But in terms of logic, I feel like it makes sense that Ichiban would gain his campaign funds and notoriety through a big business scheme.
This is the best breakdown to date!!! But you missed one important twist!
Orwakowa told Ichi that he intended to kill him when he shot him. Which puts a crazy extra twist on all of this!
Also if you have never beaten true millennium tower its been a long time since I have played this but having all the guys know that electricity ball move, musicians regen and the ice bucket move are a must. Of course and sadly maxing all jobs is practically a must if you dont want it to feel like a chore. Also abusing the hell out of all poundmates and Idols crazy debuffs.
Yknow what I’ve never touched this series but I’m gonna play this one cause I like the vibes of the protagonist
i JUST beat this game today that took me over 70 hours i had to backtrack and GRIND for levels for about 15hrs to prepare for boss fights. it was a PAIN but i CANT WAIT for Yakuza 8 on friday
I can’t put this game down I’ve never played the yakuza games.
This is the one I recommended
When the English speaking guy was asking Ichiban how to get to the train station, I was instantly thinking of Monty Python's take on the Hungarian to English phrase book.
"I will not buy this record, it is scratched."
Gaiden makes that scene in y7 so much better
Worth noting that you never have to be down a party member if you grab Emi before chapter 7. Also frees up Saeko to get a job other than idol
oh yeah you shouldve talked about the party chat mechanic where ichiban explained to nanba about why the tattoo on his back is a dragon fish and not a dragon itself
and also the fact that ichiban's jp voice actor is nishiki
The beginning story setup was so good
I finally just finished this game yesterday, so catching up on some videos :D
This is officially my second favorite game of all-time just behind Final Fantasy 9. Both stories bring me to tears and hit so close to home.
I didn't have a huge problem with Chapter 12. I already had close to 5 million by then since I'd gotten to top 50 in business management by that point. Plus sold a bunch of plates from vending machines. Part Time Hero was also a huge help. I finished both cat quests and the Kappa quest in Chapter 11, so I was set. When I got to the fight, though, I got destroyed. lol I was around level 35/36.
First thing I did was max as many bonds as possible. Everyone but Zhao and Joon-gi got maxed. They were at bond level 4.
I cross trained their jobs for aoe elemental skills. Most notably Zhao, Joon-gi and Saeko Ice Spreader (Host/Hostess job) and Zhao and Ichiban Fulminating Forecast (Fortuneteller). Also, I got Joon-gi to job level 24 in Foreman for the fire aoe. By that point everyone was level 52 and Saeko was switched back to Idol, Ichiban Hero and everyone else their default jobs. Fight was still tough, but easy compared to before. Didn't die once in that fight after the grind.