Watch today's Zero Punctuation episode on Immortals: Fenyx Rising. www.escapistmagazine.com/v2/immortals-fenyx-rising-zero-punctuation/ OR watch it early on RUclips via RUclips Memberships.
I'd give them props on *spoilers* _____ unlike Kiryu and Nishiki, Ichiban is the only one who truly rose to the top of his own mettle. So you don't even keep the shirt off and Ichiban's treating it very seriously. So you fight unarmed and have heat moves like the old games, with the final boss's real name not even having titles, way too weak to beat you in a real fight.
Important fact: Ichiban was put in charge of the company for the management minigame not because of any management qualities he possesses, but because he's named "Ichiban" and the company is named "Ichiban Confections," and the owner thought that meant something.
To be fair all his friends who had work experience outside of temp jobs and extorting people refused and said he was on his own with it- and his connection to an ace buisnessman in Nick is what gets the company going again, and the same guy keeps pushing you to keep improving or he cuts you off.
@@adnan34chowdhary they have literally nothing in common. Stop trying to sneak your favorite game into things acting like they're so much alike. Just come out and say "I liked Yakuza 0, you should play that one next"
@@goodguyguan3412 lol what, they're the same fucking franchise and its the chronological start of the series dude. And it's one of the better yakuza games to boot.
But Kiryu was loveable and entertaining BECAUSE he always had a frown and took everything seriously, even beating children at Pocket Circuit. Him cheering for Haruka at the karaoke was especially adorable.
actually, pocket circuit makes him emote. Look at that expression of absolute despair when the cart flies off the track. That is the expression of a man who is deeply stunned and wounded by what he just saw. But yeah, the fun of Kiryu is just him being so serious about the stuff he gets into in the minigames, no matter how wacky it gets. It's the whole batman thing, he makes everything funnier BECAUSE of how serious he is.
@@LordTyph serious, yet you can sense the fun in his voice. In 6 he cuts lose a lot. Especially when you go to the snack bar and get a high level. He jokes and laughs and just wants to have a good time with everyone.
Ichiban's emoting while being a quirky character instead of a brick wall, lets him react to the weirdness instead of just going, ah I see, it makes it more believable when he joins in, and plays along too, so you get things like his hilarious commercials for his corporation in the buisness minigame- I love how he ends up running that place, he and his crew save the current person running it from something, and when he proposes helping her, all his friends who have work experience outside of the current bum/employment office lifestyle (a former nurse, policeman, and one person who actually runs a small buisness herself) say yeah you do that and the job gets dumped on him- Thankfully he helped out an actually competant buisnessman during the prologue who helps out once or twice with advice and investing in your company. I love the idea of what is basically a shonen protagonist in a slightly realistic world, agreeing to help someone, and basically end up a buisness giant as things escalate. You go from one cookie store to running a holding company and spuring an economic upturn in a rather run down town. All while not necessarily being the brightest bulb, unless you spend all that ceo salary on the adult education minigame to raise your stats (which feeds back into itself as some recruitable employees are only recruitable if you have certain stats high enough)
@@Dreamfillah i like that it gives the player enough credit to know that while Ichiban's optimism is wholesome (and unique in adult media as far as I'm aware), it is not something to completely aspire to.
I have to agree that the combat could be a little more better. However with everything that's present that you can't help but be so Charmed by it that you pretty much can't help but forgive it.
I agree, with that said at the same time tho its really good for basically being thrown together mid development because fans liked an april fools joke lol
Frankly, this is solid af for a studio that has done pretty much nothing but brawlers (and one third person shooter) for the last fifteen years. Definitely has its rough edges for sure but there's a rock-solid foundation to build on here should RGG decide to continue Ichiban's story.
I disagree frankly. I thought the combat was a massive let down that made me feel disatisfied with the game as a whole. I knew what I signed up for but I still hoped that they'd make it enjoyable overall. Instead we got damage sponge bosses, boring repitition and a distasteful lack of polish. They supposedly took notes out of Persona's book and yet forgot to actually add the aspects that made it fun personally. They should have experimented with the turn based combat in a different franchise in my opinion.
Yeah it really is. It sometimes feels like he goes out of his way to criticise genuinely good games for no reason, e.g God of War 4, so its nice to hear him be positive for once
You forgot the part where, of the list of all characters you can choose to become your company's manager, you can select such talented businessfolk as... _...lemme get my flash cards out here for a sec..._ ah, right-a 70-something-year-old woman with no prior experience, and an actual goddamn chicken.
Funny enough, the final boss doesn't actually take place not only on the Millennium tower rooftop, but doesn't have Ichiban take off his shirt. Granted, he does for the second to last boss, lol
@@creepycrippleDan Now, see, I can't get mad about that, because at least FF7R is a good game. It's not like one of those fuckin' Tales of Whateveria games won.
@@THENAMEISQUICKMAN Majima was usually scowling or faking some customer service, and Shinada was always drunk. So moral of the story? Smug loan sharks are the happiest people in Kamurocho
Thank you for commenting, so I don't have to make my own. Yes, that song hit back in like 2010. It's been almost 11 years since that stupid song dropped, lol. Glad I wasn't the only one. We effin millenials!
This game is great! The business aims part gets a 10/10 out of me after seeing Ichiban apologises to the shareholders in the most over the top and spectacular way 🤣
I love that part of the game, such a random thing to ad but ties into the story, gives you an awesome additional party member and gives you awesome money and perk rewards
yet i still prefer yakuza 0 business management, mind you thats probably because i spent waaaaay too much time being invested in it, ill probably change my tune after managing more businesses for 100 hours
@@TheKyleman6 In the SNES version, you are a human, and must obtain an evil spirit to defeat a dragon, who is also a shapeshifter, that managed to obtain and profit madly from a cybersecurity agency, to the point of even have a volvano evil villain base.
I'm pretty sure that in most fantasy stories they essentially do the fantasy equivalent of Yakuza-ing. But with less cutting people's fingers off and more fire breathing.
@@DPCP-h9u In the Sega Genesis version, you are a human, and must obtain the aid of a dragon, who is hispanic, in order to defeat an evil spirit who had successfully managed to win at corporate shenanigans against a AAA megacorp.
Seems like Yahtzee has missed one important thing about dragons. They here are famous for hording treasure. Though not as much a thing in eastern culture, not that I expect him to give a crap. Never the less an odd joke.
It's great that Yakuza games are now getting high quality English dubs. It'll increase their appeal in the west even more than it currently is, which is awesome! Everyone needs to experience these games
@@Errol246 Dubs when done well give a lot more personality to the characters because the voice inflections are understandable and you're not too busy trying to read subtitles to actually listen to them.
If Kiryu is, as Yahtzee says, the brick wall in the raging stream that is the Yakuza series, then Ichiban is the charismatic surfer dude who can effortlessly ride the waves and look awesome while doing it. Please tell me that makes sense.
I’m like one achievement away from the platinum trophy and I have to say I appreciate two things about it: 1) It’s maybe the best example of how to pass the torch from one protagonist to the next without diminishing the previous one’s impact. I won’t say how because spoilers, but the way they handled it has no risk of alienating long-time fans. 2) it’s maybe one of the funniest games I’ve played in a long time. More than once I found myself cracking up at something, usually a rather funny sub story or a absurd Heat Action. Overall, it’s one of my favorite RPGs that I’ve played in a loooooong time.
My favorite part is when the main character from the other games shows up and absolutely wallops your character and your just kind of like "I mean yeah, thats fair." and then are sad because you realize that no-one will ever be as cool as that guy.
Made cooler by the fight is cheesable by basically only using female party members, since one of his rules is that he doesn't hit women he will never intentionally attack them, so he's willing to kind of lose to follow his rules
To me that fight proved that Ichiban could stand on similar ground as Kiryu. He may fully be as cool as Kiryu yet but he's definitely going up there. ❤
Ichiban is one of my favorite game protagonists of all time. Such a loveable goof ball with a really nice rags to riches story mixed into the main events.
Ichiban is basically a modern day Don Quixote, a lovable fool swept up in delusions of heroism. He even has his own Sancho Panza in Nanba, a cynic who follows the protagonist for his own gains, but later forms a genuine friendship.
Well unlike Don quixote hes not an absolute a hole that thinks his life's story is the most important of all, in the book at least, Quixote almost never comes out looking good
More excited for this than CP2077 tbh. That's just a fact, no one can argue with that, I am more excited for this than CP2077, people like different things, deal with it.
Yahtzee, i want to personally thank you! I've been following you for years and have never missed out on a single video. Three years ago when you put up your Yakuza Zero review i decided to give the series a try. I had never played a Yakuza game so i went into it with zero expectations. What followed was a three year rollercoaster which i would have never gone on were it not for your review. As of writing this comment i have just platinumed Yakuza: Like a Dragon which is the 6th yakuza game i have finished in the span of 6 months (i have alot of free time during the pandemic). This series speaks to me on an entirely different level compared to any other game out there and i have throughly enjoyed every installment. I will forever be grateful to you for introdicing this series to me. Even if you never see this i just want to say from the bottom of my heart: Thank you!
It's incredible how they managed to change the main characters, setting, and gameplay entirely and yet it still feels distinctly like a Yakuza game through and through. This right here is how you do a reboot.
I think, “This is a particularly *nice* box with some *choice* toys, like Legos, and Masters of the Universe, and none of your Tickle-Me-Elmo dogshit,” is probably one of the best game descriptors I’ve ever heard from anybody.
I’m so happy to see this game succeed these are some of my favorite games and I was worried this one would be too different. But as usual my expectations were blow out of the water hoping the pop west takes notice with this one so gangster nagoshi can get more money to make more of these insane games
@@tonyshome absolutely, there isn’t too much strategy involved with most fights, and even though it’s turn based it weirdly feels similar to the regular combat, kind of like the regular combat but only heat moves 😂
@@tonyshome The characters and plot are so insanely well done and this has been hands down one of my favorite game casts ever. The game just has a bunch of goofy charm and the way they integrate insane RPG mechanics like magic, summons, and job changing into a modern real world setting is a huge draw for me. If you can appreciate stuff like that maybe you can get past it being turn- based.
@@tonyshome for sure, especially if you wanna see some of the best dudes from the previous games come back for some of the most badass moments in the series
I can't wait for the sequel "Yakuza: An Actual Dragon" where I just play as a certain someone tearing up the idol scene and cartwheeling my way through random mooks.
It's a nice birthday present to see Yahtz enjoy a game in the age of Jiminy Cockthroat. Maybe he can piss all over the Game Awards next week; that'd be nice.
I skipped on this game because I heard they changed the combat. Then it went on sale during the Steam sale. Man, so glad I bought it. I think it’s the best Yakuza game I’ve played now. If not the best it’s at the top.
One aspect that I like a lot about Like a Dragon is that your party is not made up of young spunky teens and middle schoolers like in a lot of RPGs but people at least in their forties who complain about them not getting a pension now. You don´t get many older video game characters in general so it is nice to see that shaken up.
It cracks me up every time I finish a battle and at least 1 of my party members groans about their back aching. But yeah it's great playing as older characters!
Zero Punctuation indie rock track title of the week: *Benches, Traffic Cones and Passing Old Ladies* (sung by *Recruited On Opposite Day* ) Runner-up: *Evil Men In Suits* (sung by *Shareholders Meeting Minigame* )
Well the Earthbound vibe might also come from the enemies, like the Beerserker, a drunk that comes at you with an umbrella and a trash can lid, to the city slicker, a guy who is greased up and is carrying a pool floatie that is likely begging for death after what he's likely done with it.
Hate to split hairs, Yahtz, but the Japanese title of the Yakuza games is "Ryu ga GotoKU", not "GotoKA". I'm pretty sure you can read at least basic Japanese, and you can see the "ku" hiragana quite clearly at the end of the title at 0:36.
Is it just me or has Yahtzee been surprisingly positive about a large number of games this year? In the past he has struggled with filling his "Top 5 best games" at the end of the year, but for once, it looks like it will be a contested list: Doom Eternal, Spiritfarer, BPM, Hades, Yakuza and plenty more
It's been a pretty terrible year for everybody. Not to say the games listed aren't good, but perhaps Yahtzee has been extra-charitable in an year where escapism is particularly valuable.
I think I get it. The protagonist is a badass in the sense that they would have no problem beating up the scariest guys in japan, but the fact that they choose to spend their free time doing ridiculous, but fun bullshit makes them lovable and charming in a way that a protagonist that is endlessly moody could not.
Comedy wise, yes, it's alot like the later saints rows. Yakuza in general was more of kiryu being serious all the time and somewhat occasionally getting into goofy side activities, but Ichiban does that every time he takes a step, lol. Honestly it's great on its own because you needn't have even played the past yakuza games, but if has enough to where some things will fly over your head if you haven't. It's weird, it's quirky, and it's lovable, as a whole
@@sbfh014 story still has enough seriousness to it in the end though I’m guess, right? I just started my play through and am loving it so far, but I love these games for telling a deep and meaningful story with this whimsical sort of optimism and comedy
Just finished Yakuza Zero and want to go through the series chronologically, but holy shit do I want to play this right now. Everything about it just looks so fun.
@@DavidHosey1 Thanks for the heads up!! Just a question. I want to play ‘like a dragon’ but don’t want any big spoilers for the Yakuza series. Is it safe to play it just as a one off or should I wait till I tackle the whole series. I ask because I’m already invested in the story.
@@holup2691 I think it’s alright to play, you’ll technically get spoilers for the status of 3 or so characters, but as far as I know you won’t see or get spoiled much of anything else if you don’t know what to look for If you’re loving the story so far, go for it man! You’ll get a great time with whether of this series whether you start here or 0!
I saw a guide that basically said to have at least one of every color in your shareholder team, and it worked out pretty good for me. It also helps to use bonuses to raise your team's motivation to max before the meeting so the attack meter can fill up faster. Also, the guide said to have Omelette on your team at all times since her attack only needs 5 points in the meter to use, and she's a Blue employee, which is rare early on.
This was one of my favorite games of this year. By the way, it is also my first Yakuza game and I had little difficulty following along. Play this instead of Cyberpunk 2077 if you're looking for an engaging open world rpg.
Since we're nearing the end of the year, here is my personal prediction for Yahtzee's top five best, worst, and blandest games of 2020. The Best 1. Spiritfarer 2. Half-Life: Alyx 3. Hades 4. DOOM Eternal 5. Yakuza: Like A Dragon The Worst 1. Battletoads 2. Remothered: Broken Porcelain 3. The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope 4. Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem 5. The Last of Us Part II The Blandest 1. Marvel's Avengers 2. Minecraft Dungeons 3. Dreams 4. Assassin's Creed Valhalla 5. Zombie Army 4: Dead War Runner-ups and Rejects include but are not limited to BPM: Bullets Per Minute, Ghost of Tsushima, and Void Bastards
did he hate TLOU2 ? I don't remember. I would imagine he would put it in the blandest, because its not bad, its just more of the same with a ok story and a disappointing ending.
From the future: On his Game of the Year review, he said this: "I should have known this series can't even decline unless it's in an overly grandiose and drawn out manner"
I think the title Like a Dragon is to do with his Tattoo and Ichiban not being Kiryu His tattoo was a Dragonfish that is "Like a Dragon" but isn't because at the time Ichiban couldn't pull a Dragon off unlike Kiriyu who even during his first few years as a Yakuza shook up the Tojo clan.
I just finished listening to, (Will save the galaxy for food) and (Will save the Galaxy for cash). I loved them both! I laughed out loud multiple times. My favorite bit was when "Jacque Mckeown" was trying to figure out if Daniel was threatening him in the first book. The story was great and I loved the characters!
I think the key with this game, and partially why Yahzee liked it, is that it really REALLY leans into it's strengths and silliness. Watching everyone play this I haven't seen a more enjoyable game in a long time.
It's also literally something you can do in the game, not some reference that Yahtz came up with. You can literally take your homeless bum party member, get them in a chef job, dress them up as a chef, and have them twat enemies for you with frying pan. Though it's funnier when he does it with a spatula. He's really better at being the healer, but then so's one of the girls, so if you really want to make him a chef, you can knock yourself out.
@@NegotiatorGladiarius Know I've peeked at MoonMoon on twitch playing the game and he refuses to make Kasuga a proper Dragon Quest MC, being hard melee dps or stay as all rounder with gimmick spells Hero. Instead he's Chef.
The city with all the side quests and tons of contents that you can explore is really the highlight of the game. And they are usually funny and does kinda feel disconnected from the main story, it actually works fine in character building. And the main story is not bad imo.
Watch today's Zero Punctuation episode on Immortals: Fenyx Rising. www.escapistmagazine.com/v2/immortals-fenyx-rising-zero-punctuation/ OR watch it early on RUclips via RUclips Memberships.
Not cyberpunk, eh?
@@WinterCedar Next week.
@@theescapist what a long week it will be
Master's of the Universe? You're showing your age Yatz
@@WinterCedar It hasn't even been out a week. Give him a chance.
It's funny how he's not even wrong about the inevitable shirtless boss fight on the roof of the millennium tower
Its like how you don't need to mention that there is jumping in a platformer. Its just a part of the genre, it's inevitable.
I'd give them props on *spoilers*
_____
unlike Kiryu and Nishiki, Ichiban is the only one who truly rose to the top of his own mettle. So you don't even keep the shirt off and Ichiban's treating it very seriously. So you fight unarmed and have heat moves like the old games, with the final boss's real name not even having titles, way too weak to beat you in a real fight.
I mean, they're my favourite part of each entry.
@@ratoh1710 how did you get his emoji?! I was it 0_0 look at your profile name.
Like in every other yakuza?
Important fact: Ichiban was put in charge of the company for the management minigame not because of any management qualities he possesses, but because he's named "Ichiban" and the company is named "Ichiban Confections," and the owner thought that meant something.
It was fate all along
To be fair all his friends who had work experience outside of temp jobs and extorting people refused and said he was on his own with it- and his connection to an ace buisnessman in Nick is what gets the company going again, and the same guy keeps pushing you to keep improving or he cuts you off.
Also because one of the girl's in his harem lost all the company's money
Also, ichiban literally means "the best" and isn't a common japanese name
It’s Japan what do you expect
Only a bit of scattered insults? Oh I'm buying this one right quick!
Yahtzee generally likes the Yakuza series and this one is pretty good 👍
So you wanna be a hero?
I say do it!
Be a hero
Arey like a dragon try playing yakuza 0
That's where the series starts
agreed
@@adnan34chowdhary they have literally nothing in common. Stop trying to sneak your favorite game into things acting like they're so much alike. Just come out and say "I liked Yakuza 0, you should play that one next"
@@goodguyguan3412 lol what, they're the same fucking franchise and its the chronological start of the series dude.
And it's one of the better yakuza games to boot.
But Kiryu was loveable and entertaining BECAUSE he always had a frown and took everything seriously, even beating children at Pocket Circuit. Him cheering for Haruka at the karaoke was especially adorable.
actually, pocket circuit makes him emote.
Look at that expression of absolute despair when the cart flies off the track. That is the expression of a man who is deeply stunned and wounded by what he just saw.
But yeah, the fun of Kiryu is just him being so serious about the stuff he gets into in the minigames, no matter how wacky it gets. It's the whole batman thing, he makes everything funnier BECAUSE of how serious he is.
@@LordTyph serious, yet you can sense the fun in his voice. In 6 he cuts lose a lot. Especially when you go to the snack bar and get a high level. He jokes and laughs and just wants to have a good time with everyone.
@@j.vinton4039 Note, the majority of my experience with Yakuza is with Zero and Kiwami.
Wouldn't exactly call that entertaining aska.
Ichiban's emoting while being a quirky character instead of a brick wall, lets him react to the weirdness instead of just going, ah I see, it makes it more believable when he joins in, and plays along too, so you get things like his hilarious commercials for his corporation in the buisness minigame- I love how he ends up running that place, he and his crew save the current person running it from something, and when he proposes helping her, all his friends who have work experience outside of the current bum/employment office lifestyle (a former nurse, policeman, and one person who actually runs a small buisness herself) say yeah you do that and the job gets dumped on him- Thankfully he helped out an actually competant buisnessman during the prologue who helps out once or twice with advice and investing in your company.
I love the idea of what is basically a shonen protagonist in a slightly realistic world, agreeing to help someone, and basically end up a buisness giant as things escalate. You go from one cookie store to running a holding company and spuring an economic upturn in a rather run down town. All while not necessarily being the brightest bulb, unless you spend all that ceo salary on the adult education minigame to raise your stats (which feeds back into itself as some recruitable employees are only recruitable if you have certain stats high enough)
"Ichiban is likeable to pull you along on his journey." This really is the crux of why the game works.
That and the fact that it’s Yakuza, so it’s gonna be a deep great story with amazingly fun times on the way
A good character can save a bad story, a bad character can sink a good story.
The game's story is both tragic and hilarious, 'cause life can be both tragic and hilarious. It's the crux of why every Yakuza game works.
@@Dreamfillah i like that it gives the player enough credit to know that while Ichiban's optimism is wholesome (and unique in adult media as far as I'm aware), it is not something to completely aspire to.
What I like is even in-universe, the party's willing to put up with Ichiban's fantasies because he's so likable.
Five minutes of uninterrupted praise. Nice. I knew after one trailer that I'd like Ichiban's character
He criticised the story and combat.
He’s a very likeable character
@@PikaLink91 He didn't care about the story, he criticised the combat a bit but other than that pretty much praised everything else.
Dunno if I would call it "uninterrupted praise" but it certainly is a positive review, which is nice.
@@PikaLink91 *Uninterrupted praise.*
I have to agree that the combat could be a little more better. However with everything that's present that you can't help but be so Charmed by it that you pretty much can't help but forgive it.
I agree, with that said at the same time tho its really good for basically being thrown together mid development because fans liked an april fools joke lol
@@cius2112
Wait WHAT?!
Yakuza 7 wasn't in development before Ryu Ga Gotoku showed that April Fool's trailer?!
@@cius2112 That explains a lot.
Frankly, this is solid af for a studio that has done pretty much nothing but brawlers (and one third person shooter) for the last fifteen years. Definitely has its rough edges for sure but there's a rock-solid foundation to build on here should RGG decide to continue Ichiban's story.
I disagree frankly. I thought the combat was a massive let down that made me feel disatisfied with the game as a whole. I knew what I signed up for but I still hoped that they'd make it enjoyable overall.
Instead we got damage sponge bosses, boring repitition and a distasteful lack of polish. They supposedly took notes out of Persona's book and yet forgot to actually add the aspects that made it fun personally. They should have experimented with the turn based combat in a different franchise in my opinion.
It’s actually really refreshing when we hear Yatzhee actually like a game.
Yeah it really is. It sometimes feels like he goes out of his way to criticise genuinely good games for no reason, e.g God of War 4, so its nice to hear him be positive for once
@@frostyblade8842 God of War 4 deserved all that criticism
Actually?
@@Robert399 yeah I realized I said it twice lol
He likes a lot more games than people seem to realise because they don't understand his tone.
You forgot the part where, of the list of all characters you can choose to become your company's manager, you can select such talented businessfolk as...
_...lemme get my flash cards out here for a sec..._ ah, right-a 70-something-year-old woman with no prior experience, and an actual goddamn chicken.
And a roomba
That chicken was employee of the year though- best customer relations guy you could get for a while.
Wait, Nugget is back in buisness??!! I need NEED to play Yakuza 7.
@@kariissmol9172 It isn't Nugget, it's another chicken named Omelette.
@@guguy00 still, I like chickens!! They cute!
I’m surprised Yahtzee didn’t do the Madonna joke and call it yakuza:like a virgin
I'm leaning towards Yakuza: Like a Surgeon.
Oh god, you got me good
I kept waiting for Yakuza like an Egyptian.
I first read that as "the Maradona joke" and was highly anticipating a joke in poor taste.
Punched for the very first time...
You'd think if any game could pull off the "low level enemies flee from you once you're strong enough" it'd be one about the Yakuza...
I guess
Still fun as hell to kill 5 enemies at once with a normally low level flock of pigeons
Considering every thug and their grandpa kept picking on Kiryu despite 7 games worth of reputation he's got I think it wouldn't matter.
You do eventually get an item to prevent enemies from spawning which was nice for running around
I blame the shojin dex
Funny enough, the final boss doesn't actually take place not only on the Millennium tower rooftop, but doesn't have Ichiban take off his shirt. Granted, he does for the second to last boss, lol
i mean the final boss isn't so much a full on brawl. but more a interactive cutscene.
@@romanplays1 Yakuza: Super Suplex Simulator
Technically Tendo is the last boss.
Yep, it doesn't take place on the Millenium Tower Rooftop.
It takes place precisely one floor below the rooftop.
the second last boss was really easy af, literally ichiban was taking 6 points of dmg with each hit
I'm in shock. This was the most positive I've heard Yahtzee sound in months, it's extremely unexpected but also refreshing.
Ah, yes, the title that should have won the best jrpg of the year category at the recent game awards.
What won instead?
@@XShrike0 Final Fantasy 7 remake which to me just lacks the creativity and heart which make Yakuza games stand out.
*The title that should have been nominated for and won Game of the Year
@@creepycrippleDan Now, see, I can't get mad about that, because at least FF7R is a good game. It's not like one of those fuckin' Tales of Whateveria games won.
nah their rpg department is pretty bad, but it's their first. They can improve
so basically, he loved it
Yep
8.5/10
Ijincho is such a gorgeous city. A huge upgrade from hanging out in Kamurocho and Sotenbori all the time.
A Yakuza protagonist that smiles? But... That's illegal!
🤣
Well, to be fair, there's Majima in 0, Akiyama in 4/5 and Shinada in 5.
@@THENAMEISQUICKMAN Majima was usually scowling or faking some customer service, and Shinada was always drunk. So moral of the story? Smug loan sharks are the happiest people in Kamurocho
@@DavidHosey1 Considering every loan shark in Kamurocho aside from Akiyama always wants to beat up Kiryu for literally no reason, I think you're right
Oi! Kiryu does smile!
He might only smile like once or twice in the entire franchise, but he has smiled.
Ichiban literally means "Number 1" in Japanese 😆
Duuuuuude! I just realized something thanks to you! British steel book version of Y7 is titled Day Ichi edtion. Day one! Duuuuuude!
It could also mean "the best"
He is number 1 in our hearts so mission accomplished .3.
Yeah I really enjoyed that as a running gag in Like A Dragon, where every time he introduces himself by his first name, nobody believes him.
And "kasuga" can mean "trash/garbage."
If the game can get such a positive review from Yahtzee then it's worth checking out
It really is!
If you like this game, you should really try yakuza 0 too
That's where the series starts
It's pure videogame with likable characters, sht ton of fun activities, side quests and a good Yakuza story thrown in as a bonus
-instead won by The Last Of Us Part 2-
I am over 100 hours in and got it on new years so yes it is
@@adnan34chowdhary no that's Yakuza 1 on the ps2
I don't know why "Yakuza Like a G6" made me laugh so much
Probably because you didn't expect such a reference in 2020. At least, I didn't...
I haven't heard that song in ages so it got me good
Thank you for commenting, so I don't have to make my own. Yes, that song hit back in like 2010. It's been almost 11 years since that stupid song dropped, lol. Glad I wasn't the only one. We effin millenials!
@@Kimbersea Your comment reads like a FBI honeypot lol
@@Kimbersea I still remember that song and im gen z.
This game is great! The business aims part gets a 10/10 out of me after seeing Ichiban apologises to the shareholders in the most over the top and spectacular way 🤣
I would intentionally run the clock sometimes just to see the swan dive to bow
*leaps out the podium*
I love that part of the game, such a random thing to ad but ties into the story, gives you an awesome additional party member and gives you awesome money and perk rewards
Also funny when you bring in the chicken, chimp and giant robot roomba to rebut the shareholders.
yet i still prefer yakuza 0 business management, mind you thats probably because i spent waaaaay too much time being invested in it, ill probably change my tune after managing more businesses for 100 hours
To be honest a homeless yakuza beatnick is about as qualified as most real CEOs
On the bright side, at least Ichiban isn't an asshole to his employees like you'd expect a real CEO to be.
At least better than EAs CEO, idk about the rest of them
More qualified in some ways.
@@blackshadow-ps3fx Better than the comic book companies right now.
That’s also because most CEOs wouldn’t jump 8 feet in the air, get down on their hands and knees and apologize.
Yahtzee: "Dragons don't yakuza very well"
Shadowrun: "Oh really?"
Sadly my only experience with Shadowrun is with the PC games from Harebrained, but yeah.
@@TheKyleman6 In the SNES version, you are a human, and must obtain an evil spirit to defeat a dragon, who is also a shapeshifter, that managed to obtain and profit madly from a cybersecurity agency, to the point of even have a volvano evil villain base.
To be fair he is right that they aren't great at carrying modern currency, that is why they have minions.
I'm pretty sure that in most fantasy stories they essentially do the fantasy equivalent of Yakuza-ing. But with less cutting people's fingers off and more fire breathing.
@@DPCP-h9u In the Sega Genesis version, you are a human, and must obtain the aid of a dragon, who is hispanic, in order to defeat an evil spirit who had successfully managed to win at corporate shenanigans against a AAA megacorp.
This game will be #5 of Yahtzee's end of the year games calling it now.
Yeah right next to hades and alyx
And Spiritfarer. that was the game that actually made Yahtzee cry (in a good way).
It's actually 3rd best
"Dont yakuza like a dragon "
Seems like Yahtzee has missed one important thing about dragons. They here are famous for hording treasure. Though not as much a thing in eastern culture, not that I expect him to give a crap. Never the less an odd joke.
[POTENTIAL DND CAMPAIGN INTENSIFIES]
It's great that Yakuza games are now getting high quality English dubs. It'll increase their appeal in the west even more than it currently is, which is awesome! Everyone needs to experience these games
I don't understand why games need to be dubbed in some countries to have wide appeal. People in the anglosphere know how to read, right?
@@Errol246 people have their preferences. Either appeal to them or don't, simple as that
@@Errol246 Dubs when done well give a lot more personality to the characters because the voice inflections are understandable and you're not too busy trying to read subtitles to actually listen to them.
@@ninetailedfox579121 and then you have Earth Defence Force where the shitty dub is part of the fun
@@Errol246 same reason not everyone plays crpg's. Not everyone is a quick reader and others downright have trouble with it.
If Kiryu is, as Yahtzee says, the brick wall in the raging stream that is the Yakuza series, then Ichiban is the charismatic surfer dude who can effortlessly ride the waves and look awesome while doing it. Please tell me that makes sense.
I’m like one achievement away from the platinum trophy and I have to say I appreciate two things about it:
1) It’s maybe the best example of how to pass the torch from one protagonist to the next without diminishing the previous one’s impact. I won’t say how because spoilers, but the way they handled it has no risk of alienating long-time fans.
2) it’s maybe one of the funniest games I’ve played in a long time. More than once I found myself cracking up at something, usually a rather funny sub story or a absurd Heat Action.
Overall, it’s one of my favorite RPGs that I’ve played in a loooooong time.
I’ve never played a Yakuza game, but the mere hint of Yahtzee’s positivity is already loosening my wallet
You should bro, amazing franchise.
Yakuza Zero, Judgment and Like a Dragon are all great for newcomers.
My favorite part is when the main character from the other games shows up and absolutely wallops your character and your just kind of like "I mean yeah, thats fair." and then are sad because you realize that no-one will ever be as cool as that guy.
Made cooler by the fight is cheesable by basically only using female party members, since one of his rules is that he doesn't hit women he will never intentionally attack them, so he's willing to kind of lose to follow his rules
It's a bit risky since you can't switch out Ichiban and if he dies you loose.
@@lefteron6804 if you level up the Hero class he gets "hero's resolve" as a universal skill that lets him survive death once and can be applied again
@@Brian-tn4cd yeah but if he attacks twice in a row he can break it then kill you.
To me that fight proved that Ichiban could stand on similar ground as Kiryu. He may fully be as cool as Kiryu yet but he's definitely going up there. ❤
Ichiban is one of my favorite game protagonists of all time. Such a loveable goof ball with a really nice rags to riches story mixed into the main events.
Ichiban is basically a modern day Don Quixote, a lovable fool swept up in delusions of heroism. He even has his own Sancho Panza in Nanba, a cynic who follows the protagonist for his own gains, but later forms a genuine friendship.
Well unlike Don quixote hes not an absolute a hole that thinks his life's story is the most important of all, in the book at least, Quixote almost never comes out looking good
Love will destroy the galaxy for cash but I'm here waiting fo a differently morpheous sequel
He said that its coming next year i believe
@Ethan Johnson oh god forbid we look forward to a book, are you seriously gatekeeping types of anticipation?
More excited for this than CP2077 tbh. That's just a fact, no one can argue with that, I am more excited for this than CP2077, people like different things, deal with it.
@Ethan Johnson What are you babbling about?
@Ethan Johnson Are you alright
Ichiban is so likeable, he broke through the thick concrete walls around Yahtzee's heart.
I thought twat was a noun, but today I learned that particular vulgarity can be used as a verb meaning to strike vigorously.
"Legos"? Yahtz has gone native.
we lost him boys
what do they call them in Aussie?
@@EVO6- He's a RUclips Channel member
@@jmvt3 I think they pronounce it "laygos"
@@jmvt3 It's just "Lego;" otherwise, it'd be like saying "feets."
Never thought I'd hear Yahtzee say "mood af."
Or "Tickle Me Elmo dogshit."
Yahtzee, i want to personally thank you! I've been following you for years and have never missed out on a single video. Three years ago when you put up your Yakuza Zero review i decided to give the series a try. I had never played a Yakuza game so i went into it with zero expectations. What followed was a three year rollercoaster which i would have never gone on were it not for your review. As of writing this comment i have just platinumed Yakuza: Like a Dragon which is the 6th yakuza game i have finished in the span of 6 months (i have alot of free time during the pandemic). This series speaks to me on an entirely different level compared to any other game out there and i have throughly enjoyed every installment. I will forever be grateful to you for introdicing this series to me. Even if you never see this i just want to say from the bottom of my heart: Thank you!
2:40 Dunkey cameo
This game, is a MASTAHPIECE
Ahhh Yakuza. One of the pure fun gems of gaming 😍
2:44 "itchy bum" lol that took me a sec
Yahtzee forgot to mention the giant roomba boss, the glorious Ichiban Confections commercial, and the summonable Korean movie idol.
Yakuza games are always more of the same and it is all I'm there for.
Like From software they understand that all we want in a sequel is more of the same with some tweaks
@@Batchall_Accepted And unlike Activision or Ubisoft they understand that you can't push one out every year or we grow bored of it.
Not broken? Don’t fix it!
It's incredible how they managed to change the main characters, setting, and gameplay entirely and yet it still feels distinctly like a Yakuza game through and through. This right here is how you do a reboot.
@@Greil9 instead they push out 5 of these games per year
I think, “This is a particularly *nice* box with some *choice* toys, like Legos, and Masters of the Universe, and none of your Tickle-Me-Elmo dogshit,” is probably one of the best game descriptors I’ve ever heard from anybody.
I’m so happy to see this game succeed these are some of my favorite games and I was worried this one would be too different. But as usual my expectations were blow out of the water hoping the pop west takes notice with this one so gangster nagoshi can get more money to make more of these insane games
Is it worth playing if one is not a big fan of turn based combat ?
@@tonyshome absolutely, there isn’t too much strategy involved with most fights, and even though it’s turn based it weirdly feels similar to the regular combat, kind of like the regular combat but only heat moves 😂
@@tonyshome The characters and plot are so insanely well done and this has been hands down one of my favorite game casts ever. The game just has a bunch of goofy charm and the way they integrate insane RPG mechanics like magic, summons, and job changing into a modern real world setting is a huge draw for me. If you can appreciate stuff like that maybe you can get past it being turn- based.
@@tonyshome yeah hafta agree I’m not a turn based boy either and I fucking loved like a dragon
@@tonyshome for sure, especially if you wanna see some of the best dudes from the previous games come back for some of the most badass moments in the series
Yahtz, you've been a friend for more years of my life than I've been alive. Thank you, man. You're a fucking persistent one.
Was on a fucking bender then, wasn't I?
I can't wait for the sequel "Yakuza: An Actual Dragon" where I just play as a certain someone tearing up the idol scene and cartwheeling my way through random mooks.
Still waiting for Haruka to be able to fight like that little mini trailer we got a while back.
This definitely my game of the year
"twatting the absolute three bean salad out of each other" I must say this is likely my favorite phrase I've ever heard from you.
Man, the end text is great
"You are a right Yakuza lad"
Is a great sentence that I just love the feeling to.
And at one point you fight a giant roomba.
Twice actually.
And then promote it to your Senior Director for your shareholding meetings.
It's a nice birthday present to see Yahtz enjoy a game in the age of Jiminy Cockthroat. Maybe he can piss all over the Game Awards next week; that'd be nice.
>Persona 4 and 5
>Earthbound
>Paper Mario
>And now Yakuza LAD
What will be the next JRPG that the guy who doesn't like JRPG's likes?
He finally got to play the right ones and now he can't get away
how the hell did you get that little yahtzee emote
@@NinetyNineNo membership perks bro
I pre-ordered the game the moment they announced turn based combat. It’s my favorite combat in RPGs.
I skipped on this game because I heard they changed the combat. Then it went on sale during the Steam sale. Man, so glad I bought it. I think it’s the best Yakuza game I’ve played now. If not the best it’s at the top.
You know a game is fun when Yahtzee's highlight is unironically the business management sim with a shareholder meeting minigame
One aspect that I like a lot about Like a Dragon is that your party is not made up of young spunky teens and middle schoolers like in a lot of RPGs but people at least in their forties who complain about them not getting a pension now. You don´t get many older video game characters in general so it is nice to see that shaken up.
It cracks me up every time I finish a battle and at least 1 of my party members groans about their back aching. But yeah it's great playing as older characters!
This is without a doubt my personal Game of the Year, and can easily recommend it to anyone looking for a good RPG to sink some time into.
This didn't get pushed to notifications
When the video is released, it doesn't go to notifications. You SHOULD get a notification for the Members post I made though...
@@theescapist I didn’t get the notification for it. It shows up if I go into the channel and go to the community tab, but no notification
Zero Punctuation indie rock track title of the week: *Benches, Traffic Cones and Passing Old Ladies* (sung by *Recruited On Opposite Day* )
Runner-up: *Evil Men In Suits* (sung by *Shareholders Meeting Minigame* )
Well the Earthbound vibe might also come from the enemies, like the Beerserker, a drunk that comes at you with an umbrella and a trash can lid, to the city slicker, a guy who is greased up and is carrying a pool floatie that is likely begging for death after what he's likely done with it.
My favorite is the "hungry hungry homeless"
Hate to split hairs, Yahtz, but the Japanese title of the Yakuza games is "Ryu ga GotoKU", not "GotoKA". I'm pretty sure you can read at least basic Japanese, and you can see the "ku" hiragana quite clearly at the end of the title at 0:36.
I would play the heck out of a turn based combat game where instead of picking different attacks there’s just a big red button labeled *TWAT HIM*
Yahtzee’s descriptions of Kiryu give me life.
As a long time Yakuza fan I assure you this is 100% lore accurate.
One of the most positive ZPs I've seen, and I couldn't agree more. I don't even like turn based JRPGs but they made it exciting somehow
Wait a minute, at 1:01 ichiban is holding the exact same body pillow I have at home lol
I mean, trusting an ex-convict hobo with your company might not seem smart. But it's better than what Signature Bank was doing.
Is it just me or has Yahtzee been surprisingly positive about a large number of games this year?
In the past he has struggled with filling his "Top 5 best games" at the end of the year, but for once, it looks like it will be a contested list:
Doom Eternal, Spiritfarer, BPM, Hades, Yakuza and plenty more
It's been a pretty terrible year for everybody. Not to say the games listed aren't good, but perhaps Yahtzee has been extra-charitable in an year where escapism is particularly valuable.
I think I get it. The protagonist is a badass in the sense that they would have no problem beating up the scariest guys in japan, but the fact that they choose to spend their free time doing ridiculous, but fun bullshit makes them lovable and charming in a way that a protagonist that is endlessly moody could not.
Congratulations, Yakuza. See you again in a few weeks for the awards show!
Judgment failed? This is news to me. Loved it and after finishing Like A Dragon I immediately wanted to replay Judgment.
It feels like Yahtzee decided to hate the entire game solely because he didn't like the protagonist
@@agrippa2012 damn. Shame. The ending was so hype
@@agrippa2012 What? How is Yagami hateable!?
@@wchan39 ask yahtzee, i think he hates him due to his visual character design.
Judgment is one of the best entries in the franchise for me. And Yagami was a great protagonist. I don’t know what’s wrong with this dude
So basically Saints Row IV of Yakuza series. Will check it out! :)
Comedy wise, yes, it's alot like the later saints rows. Yakuza in general was more of kiryu being serious all the time and somewhat occasionally getting into goofy side activities, but Ichiban does that every time he takes a step, lol. Honestly it's great on its own because you needn't have even played the past yakuza games, but if has enough to where some things will fly over your head if you haven't. It's weird, it's quirky, and it's lovable, as a whole
@Zack Smith not like persona
Saints row 4, but the entire series is retold through Genki Bowl episodes
@@sbfh014 story still has enough seriousness to it in the end though I’m guess, right? I just started my play through and am loving it so far, but I love these games for telling a deep and meaningful story with this whimsical sort of optimism and comedy
5:07 He said “Legos” instead of “Lego”. America’s getting to him.
Just finished Yakuza Zero and want to go through the series chronologically, but holy shit do I want to play this right now. Everything about it just looks so fun.
They’re about to have the entire series on game pass, so try to get that and you’ll have everything except for this and the Judgement spinoff
@@DavidHosey1 Thanks for the heads up!!
Just a question. I want to play ‘like a dragon’ but don’t want any big spoilers for the Yakuza series. Is it safe to play it just as a one off or should I wait till I tackle the whole series. I ask because I’m already invested in the story.
@@holup2691 I think it’s alright to play, you’ll technically get spoilers for the status of 3 or so characters, but as far as I know you won’t see or get spoiled much of anything else if you don’t know what to look for
If you’re loving the story so far, go for it man! You’ll get a great time with whether of this series whether you start here or 0!
First yakuza game that became my favorite game of all time
It warms my heart to see a game that makes Yahtzee happy.
my reincarnation got that drip though
I've never seen one of your videos before but this is probably the most creative game review I've ever seen.
it's so rare to find a game yahtzee liked I was so surprised when I watched this
I’m mad at how bad the Shareholders meeting tutorial was.
It’s literally rock paper scissors .. I could have made so much money .....
The tutorial is the hardest thing about the share holders meeting but once you get past that its a fun mini game.
I saw a guide that basically said to have at least one of every color in your shareholder team, and it worked out pretty good for me.
It also helps to use bonuses to raise your team's motivation to max before the meeting so the attack meter can fill up faster.
Also, the guide said to have Omelette on your team at all times since her attack only needs 5 points in the meter to use, and she's a Blue employee, which is rare early on.
This was one of my favorite games of this year. By the way, it is also my first Yakuza game and I had little difficulty following along. Play this instead of Cyberpunk 2077 if you're looking for an engaging open world rpg.
Gonna play both, cause I love both so far
Warms my heart to hear Yahtzee barely trying to contain his open appreciation for a game. Finished the smile with a dumb smile on my face.
So Yahtzee DOES positive reviews. He is getting old, omg :D
His very first review ever, Psychonauts, was pretty positive.
Nearly every Yakuza review he’s done has been positive to be fair.
Games are getting worse.
@@tonyjoestar2632 just choose the good ones, we got some real amazing ones this year, haven’t had this many since 2017
I’m always on the toilet when the new video drops. Not a commentary on the content, just an observation.
2:57 best realization ever xD and 4:19 is my favorite relatable joke
Yakuza bosses are called dragons. Yakuza: like a boss.
Sounds great bro i'll check it out
a thumbs-up hit for the little crab excited for the new Jackie Collins
Since we're nearing the end of the year, here is my personal prediction for Yahtzee's top five best, worst, and blandest games of 2020.
The Best
1. Spiritfarer
2. Half-Life: Alyx
3. Hades
4. DOOM Eternal
5. Yakuza: Like A Dragon
The Worst
1. Battletoads
2. Remothered: Broken Porcelain
3. The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope
4. Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem
5. The Last of Us Part II
The Blandest
1. Marvel's Avengers
2. Minecraft Dungeons
3. Dreams
4. Assassin's Creed Valhalla
5. Zombie Army 4: Dead War
Runner-ups and Rejects include but are not limited to BPM: Bullets Per Minute, Ghost of Tsushima, and Void Bastards
I don't feel as if dreams will make it on blandest, since at least it's completely different to everything else on the market
did he hate TLOU2 ? I don't remember. I would imagine he would put it in the blandest, because its not bad, its just more of the same with a ok story and a disappointing ending.
@@danilooliveira6580 I don’t think he likes naughty dog in general. He didn’t even like TLOU1 or uncharted 4 for gods sake
hmmm, he did say that he liked zombie army 4 didn´t he?
He didn't like doom eternal so yakuza will probably be above it.
LOLed at the muscular imp without arms falling off a cliff! Also LOLed at the funny bits like granny imps and the tw*t thing
I actually want to play this now
From the future: On his Game of the Year review, he said this:
"I should have known this series can't even decline unless it's in an overly grandiose and drawn out manner"
I think the title Like a Dragon is to do with his Tattoo and Ichiban not being Kiryu
His tattoo was a Dragonfish that is "Like a Dragon" but isn't because at the time Ichiban couldn't pull a Dragon off
unlike Kiriyu who even during his first few years as a Yakuza shook up the Tojo clan.
I just finished listening to, (Will save the galaxy for food) and (Will save the Galaxy for cash).
I loved them both! I laughed out loud multiple times. My favorite bit was when "Jacque Mckeown" was trying to figure out if Daniel was threatening him in the first book.
The story was great and I loved the characters!
I think the key with this game, and partially why Yahzee liked it, is that it really REALLY leans into it's strengths and silliness. Watching everyone play this I haven't seen a more enjoyable game in a long time.
Did he just praise a game and not bludgeon it to death? I haven't seen that since his Portal review.
@Zack Smith I watched all the videos out so far and in even those you listed he still bashed pretty well unlike he did for this game.
3:04 "possibly from how I can dress by homeless friend as a chef" I say, that's an excellent Chef Excellence reference
It's also literally something you can do in the game, not some reference that Yahtz came up with. You can literally take your homeless bum party member, get them in a chef job, dress them up as a chef, and have them twat enemies for you with frying pan. Though it's funnier when he does it with a spatula. He's really better at being the healer, but then so's one of the girls, so if you really want to make him a chef, you can knock yourself out.
@@NegotiatorGladiarius Know I've peeked at MoonMoon on twitch playing the game and he refuses to make Kasuga a proper Dragon Quest MC, being hard melee dps or stay as all rounder with gimmick spells Hero. Instead he's Chef.
The city with all the side quests and tons of contents that you can explore is really the highlight of the game. And they are usually funny and does kinda feel disconnected from the main story, it actually works fine in character building. And the main story is not bad imo.