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Revisiting Yakuza 3: A Decade On
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- Опубликовано: 18 авг 2024
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With re-releases of Yakuza 3, 4 and 5 doing away with the Kiwami remake treatment in favour of remasters, we get to experience the games in more or less their original form. Ten years on from its original Japanese release, I examine how a decade of subtle changes leave 3 feeling like the series' awkward middle chapter. Let's get rollin', Kiryu-chan!
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Intro text animation by Draz - / @drazgames
Hey! I've really enjoyed looking at all these Yakuza games, even if they're not the kind of thing that tends to perform super well. If you enjoy what I'm doing here, in covering things slightly off the beaten track, maybe consider supporting me on Patreon. Every pledge helps enormously - patreon.com/writingongames
@KentuckyFriedSnake Potentially! I like the idea of going through every game in the series.
The yakuza vids are my favorites
"Not the best Yakuza is still more interesting than most other games."
TRUTH
Yeah, when people say that a yakuza game is the worst game, it’s still a good game. The bar for Yakuza is just incredibly high.
I *loved* the orphanage arc. It was my introduction to the series and it immediately sold Kiryu to me as a character, plus I loved how you grew to care about the kids and help them with their own issues
"managing the seemingly mundane whims of these kids...."
That is PRECISELY the appeal of Yakuza 3 to me. It's a slice of life view into the kind of life that Kiryu wants to live, free of the yakuza, and it informs his decisions in each game going forward, particularly in 5 and 6. It sure isn't for everyone, but to me, it's one of the best chapters in the series (it's actually my personal number 2 behind 0).
It was the best yakuza for me until 0 came out. I dunno why people shit on this game so much. Best substories and side missions in the whole series. And it also has the most complete coliseum in the series. Tiger drop actually takes skill in this game unlike the later games where they give TD easier window hit and upgraded the damage.
The story makes literally no sense, them ditching Kaouru made no sense. It's so obvious they passed the story on to another writer because it's COMPLETELY different, it's NOT Kiryu. It's like some fucked up alternate universe dictated by fan fiction
@@AlexiasPlaylist This story was written by a different set of writers than 1 or 2, but the story is as a great as the other two IMO and it's a breath of fresh air too. The story is less about Kiryu trying to tight up loose ends bc of his time in prison and more about him trying to live the life he loves, but he keeps getting dragged in by the yakuza, which is essentially the recurring theme for the next three games. Kaoru left bc there was complications with the voice actor I believe. Kiryu's character is already established by Yakuza 3, him being a person that takes things seriously and a person who has had an unfortunate past, but he's also established as a person who is trustworthy, loyal, and kind. If anything the most fanbase game in the franchise in yakuza 0 and I feel like that's the game where they didn't nail down Kiryu's character and for good reason: he was a young yakuza who felt like he needed to impress his foster father with no real clear direction from what's right from what's wrong. Yakuza 3 is my 3rd favorite in the franchise after 0 and Kiwami 2 and it's mainly bc it felt like this game knew what it was doing from the start.
@@mrslickgaming2298 Yeah, I think the same. But my rating would be a little different though. What is your opinion on Yakuza 5???
@@NinjaKid1985 The combat feels really responsive and satisfying and the story is really great, even though it takes a long time to get to the premise of the story, especially with part 2 with Saejima. The other problem is that I didn't really care about Shinada bc his motivation seemed really underwhelming. If there's one thing I find iffy about the Yakuza series as a whole is that the final boss is always a character that doesn't seem too developed for the audience to care about them. The two exceptions to this are Ryuji and Shibusawa. It was refreshing for the final boss to not have any hatred for Kiryu and not telling him that the "time's have changed", but instead Aizawa just wanted to beat Kiryu to prove that he's the best. Overall, Yakuza 5 took over my number 3 spot and Yakuza 3 is number 5 for me now with Yakuza 6 being 4th.
The pacing isn't great, but you gotta love how it slowly just keeps ramping up until the final boss, which is just super badass. I love the final boss in this game, it definitely felt like one of the more epic encounters, both aesthetically and ideologically.
@food wich personally, I think he's an incredibly weak character
the quiet life at sunshine orphanage helping the kids and all the slice of life stuff was "the good stuff" tbh a great change of pace from other yakuzas imo
Coming from Zero, Kiwami 1 and 2, then Judgment , the orphanage arc was actually a nice change of pace and scenery, and felt a bit short. Being a dad Kiryu felt like a long social link in Persona. As soon as I went back to Kamurocho, the story felt forced and the set pieces became convenient for the sake of moving the plot forward. That said, I agree that the worst Yakuza is still better than your average Ubi game.
I'm so happy that on Feb I can have the whole numbered series complete, on one console!
Now we need the samurai games
@@shizuwolf I would pick up dead souls if they released that too.
Onion Head Guy Guy if you mean a remaster or remake, I’d probably buy it too. Haven’t played that one, but I heard it has a good bit of technical issues. We probably won’t get a remake of that game for the same reason we won’t get a remake of something like Devil May Cry 2. All of the cool ideas are brought to their full potential, but people won’t forget the bad taste it left in their mouths.
As a PC player, I share your feelings as well.
I really wish Sega would release the 2 samurai spinoff games in the West.
They want to give them the Kiwami Treatment and remake them from the ground up on the Dragon Engine.
@@godzilla4189 You made that up. Nowhere have they ever talked about bringing Kenzan or Isshin to the West for that reason. Isshin's graphics are on 5' level, so that's definitely not the reason.
@@blumiu2426 Nope, Not sure how I'm wrong, when they've stated in Interviews they want to give Kenzan the Kiwami treatment. Isshin probably will get one if Ryu Ga Gotoku studios has PS5 dev kits already.
@@godzilla4189 Theyve stated making Kenzan and Isshin in the past, but NOT for here. I've never read they've said they would bring them to the West. Maybe do what you're saying for Japan, but not here. I'd be super happy to be wrong.
Well the main reason is because they don’t want it to viewed as “samurai yakuza” its supposed to be about history
I loved the slow Okinawa orphanage section, would even go out and say 3 is my favorite mainline Yakuza game. No other Yakuza iteration plays this much like Shenmue 1 and 2.
Pacing issue? Definately not as severe as Yakuza 5 and 2. Those two really messed up the pacing.
Sweet, succulent Combat Shaped Vegetables
I wish they kiwamid 3 then just remaster 4 and 5
Unpopular opinion, I actually like 3 more than 4. See I actually like the orphanage stuff but the moment I did it I could already tell people would hate it. As for me I now had a reason to want to protect the area because it felt like this was Kiryu's little slice of happiness in his world of constant conspiracies and bullshit. So seeing the villains try and take that from him made me pretty motivated to kick their ass. I will be the first to admit I hate the combat, but it was necessary to me because I was never really good at the Yakuza games but playing this on hard made me realize mistakes I was making. So basically it forced me to get better at the games. Hell I got weirdly invested in some of the side quests as well. That being said I wasn't as invested in taking down the villains of 4 because honestly the plot felt a little lackluster. I like all the characters and it convinced me that Akiyama needs his own individual spin off game and that maybe Tanimura should have been the main character for judgment, but I really could not find a reason to care about certain motivations because it all ended up just being dumped on me at the end. That being said, I just started 5 and I already like it more than 3 or 4.
So Im playing through the Series for the first time now and at the midpoint of 3 i litteraly said to myself: "This is good but what a mess of an uneven plot, this ending gona be terrible. This is definitly the filler arc of the series". And somehow.... through Japanese Magic i guess they wrap everything up in a satisfying way, while at the same time sending me on an emotional rollercoaster. I dont care what anybody says: 3 is amazing, warts and all. I can not wait until i finally have time to play 4.
Can't we get on the biggest issue of 3? WRITING OFF KAORU!!!
Yep, although she at least got to say goodbye and we were told what happened to her. Tanimura just freakin' disappears after Yakuza 4, not even the characters know what happened to him.
@@CidGuerreiro1234 Her goodbye was the coldest thing ever though. Is like she and Kiryu never lived those precious moments together.
@@gab_gallard Well, some people just really suck at saying goodbye. Japanese people probably aren't the best at it either.
@@CidGuerreiro1234 That's a cheap excuse. You can portray an uncomfortable and silent goodbye in a hundred ways and still make it impactful. Just think about how they did it twice with Makoto and Majima both in Y0 and YK2 (although tbf, considering that both games came after I assume they took notice and learned from the mistake).
@@gab_gallard Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending the scene. I love Yakuza games but RGG just can't write women (LAD is much better on that aspect), and emotional scenes that aren't between two buff, shirtless men usually fall flat. I loved Majima's reunion with Makoto in K2 but still felt like it could've given us a bit more. Same for Kiryu's reunion with Haruka in 6.
i just finished this earlier, started playing 3 days ago. loved it.
This game in particular is why 6 was such a gut wrench for me. The beginning of this game shows Kiryu happy, and then moving onward from 3, I wanted nothing more than for Kiryu to be able to go back to this life. Then you get to the end of 6 where it becomes apparent that he will never be able to.
ANIKIIIIII!!!!!!!
It's like reading yu yu hakusho after knowing where the author goes with Hunter x Hunter
Yuyu is better
@@Site17 to you
@@SuperCer054Real well, yes
Referencing Reich and Riley in your opening? My Music Theory IV professor would be so happy his teaching had some kind of real world application for me.
So here's my take after discovering the video. I never played any of the Yakuza games until very recently. I saw a discount on the 0,1,2 bundle on the PSN store that I decided to go for it. I'd heard about the games in passing here and there, but more about just how good they were and the basic setting.
Considering I visited Japan for the first time a little more than a year ago, I loved it, especially Kiwami 2.
So after completing it, I decided to go for the 3,4,5 remaster. So when I played 3, I didn't know it wasn't redone like the Kiwami series. It was more a facelift and the results showed. It was a step back. While you are correct in stating that not the best is still more interesting, the plot and pacing had issues.
I still enjoyed my foray into it and into the series (almost done with 4), but it's hard to see just how incredible the remaster is and wish that they had completely revamped 3-5 to bring it up to that level, though the cost and time would a major undertaking.
I can understand some not liking the pacing, but having just beaten Kiwami 2 before playing 3 really changed my perspective. Before playing, I only had heard more negative things about it's story and pacing. Now, I gotta say it's been my favorite story so far.
I remember this side story in Kiwami 2 about a director of the Yakuza something movies and the one he directed was disliked by alot of fans, and since it was his first time taking over from the old director, he wanted to quit. It was easy to catch what they seemed to be saying with it and it kinda set up my expectations for the 3. Since, after watching it, Kiryu says it lacked the Yakuza action any Yakuza movie should have, but that it touched on real human issues and found an emotional core even the previous director didn't. No idea if that was a new side story added later or what. I just know they nailed it pretty much!
As always, your video on it was great! Also, the combat shift from Kiwami 2 to 3 was pretty hilarious. Just the amount of blocking! I didn't watch this video until I beat it to avoid spoilers. Lol. Super late.
This is my biggest worry after playing Zero, kiwami and planning to play Kiwami 2 that going back to 3 as good as it might be might be a quite of shock and feel like step back... which will reduce my enjoyment.
It kind of is, but if you played the originals it would feel better since it’s a upgrade over the originals
i'm so glad i took my time after discovering yakuza (0) for the first time a year and a half ago. quickly bought the kiwamis and 6 when i fell in love with zero, had i rushed i mightve missed the opportunity to play 3,4 and 5 before i moved onto 6, even if i was more than a little pissed off they were selling the "collection" before 4 and 5 where ready.
genuinely, i'd become really jaded with video gaming in general over the past 5 years and yakuza 0 helped me remember that it can be wacky genuine and engrossing fun without the game being built from the ground up to be grindy time consuming trash desperately trying to push you into buying dlc.
The only thing I don't like about Yakuza 3 (and it's the same reason as with the original PS3 version) is that the FUCKING batting cage won't let me have my platinum trophy...
I've been meaning for years to get my hands on with the franchise (HyperBitHero made one damned good recommendation for it!), but with wanting to actually make my start with the PlayStation 2 classics (At least via the Ryu ga Gotoku 1&2 HD Collection for PlayStation 3, even though it was never localised for English) nor not yet owning a PlayStation 4, it's definitely been a waiting game to see the PlayStation 3 re-releases arrive, especially in physical, so I can sit myself down for the entirety of Kiryu's tale across the games (Although there's still Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan!, Ryu ga Gotoku Of The End / Yakuza Dead Souls and the beloved Ryu ga Gotoku Ishin! to add to that), as even though I picked up Zero, Kiwami & Kiwami 2 for PC and have Hokuto ga Gotoku / Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise & Judge Eyes: Shinigami no Yuigon / Judgment, I really want to start myself from the humble beginnings and experience the growth of the series before reaching the sheer high-point Zero proved to be and the bombast that has followed since (Plus, those PlayStation 2 classics have some endlessly enjoyable music!), preferably with as few platform-hops as I can manage.
But for everything said about Ryu ga Gotuku 3 / Yakuza 3, I can at least say that the game's music is absolutely fantastic! Getting your hands on the music may be quite the hassle (It was released on CD in Japan, I think any digital releases remain region-locked too and I think there were included-CDs for editions released in Europe), but damned if tracks such as 'Fly', 'Crush & Strike', 'Independence for Violence', 'FM-Sound's Storm' & more don't make worth it!
Yeah Hyper bit got me into this seires his video on it was pretty amazing
I'm very late, but I do want to say something crucial to 3's situation...
The game, from every single character model to all of the assets that make up Kamurocho and Okinawa, were made in an 8 month development cycle.
The *entire game* was made in that very small window of time.
Often, yes, Yakuza/LaD games come out quickly. For instance, Gaiden was made in only 6 months! I love Gaiden, but my point is you can definitely tell it's what's on the box (a side game) AND they were able to reuse countless assets for the game's setting.
However, 3 was an instance where there was next to nothing they could reuse from their only other RGG game made on the PS3 at the time-Like a Dragon Kenzan. Yet somehow, with just 2 more months, they managed to make what really feels like a fully fleshed out Yakuza/LaD entry of fully fresh assets. Absolutely wild.
This short dev cycle is a big reason why the combat, animations, and everything else feels so "stiff" when compared to the entries afterwards and even the PS2 titles.
Their first ever mainline Like a Dragon game on notoriously difficult to utilize hardware, with a workload of entirely brand new assets and all in 8 months. Considering all this, we're lucky that 3 came out as good as it did, from a purely technical perspective.
I'm entering the series chronologically from Zero and seeing Kiryu at the orphanage blew my mind, I loved it all so much.
So far this is the best Yakuza I've played since Zero, much prefer the PS3 engine titles than what I played in Kiwami 2.
As someone whose playing through the whole main yakuza series on different platforms thanks to xbox gamepass and psn. I felt the orphanage arc was refreshing in a way. New area Okinawa was interesting even though it wasn't as big as kamurocho. Only thing that really bothered me was no sprinting
yakuza 3 had albert wesker..... nuff said
Played yakuza 3 on ps4 as my only game in the series n it's probably the game I've enjoyed the most out of all games I've played.
I actually loved 3, one of favourite game of last generation.
I recognise Yakuza 3s flaws but it is still my favourite game in the series but that’s likely due to it being the first Yakuza game I ever played back when this series was still niche here and it was still this amazing secret only a handful of us knew about
Playing it again now it’s released on Steam and I still love it dearly
Yakuza 3 is probably the worst game combat wise, Kiryu feels really stiff and the enemies and bosses get more annoying depending on depending the difficulty your playing on, the slice of life is still cool though and kinda makes me wish Yakuza 3 was a slice of life anime or a spinoff game that cut out the dumb secret organization conspiracy theory stuff
Bought the trilogy on may, I’m now playing 5 and I imported Kenzan. Then I’ll buy 6 and import Ishin. So far I would give:
Yakuza 0 10, Yakuza Kiwami 8.7, Yakuza Kiwami 2 9, Yakuza 3 8.5, Yakuza 4 8.7 and Judgment 9
Yakuza 3 always felt really stiff compared to how smooth Yakuza 2 felt and still feels even today
Yeah Kiwami 2 does feel a lot smoother and better looking even though it’s before 3. Weird.
@@jonnysac77 because a lot of these guys don't realize that Yakuza 3 wasn't made by the same group of people. It's the same studio but they had different writers
@@AlexiasPlaylist he's talking about the gameplay tho
I think 3 was really the jumping off point for the series. Like if you look at Yakuza 0, what game is it gonna look most like? Definitely not the PS2 ones given their locked camera and the complete lack of any reason to do substories and mini games. But look at 3’s open world that you’re actually motivated to explore, and all the gameplay mechanics it introduces, and you can see that it’s where Yakuza, at least as we know it in the west, was born.
@@monochromeboi267 The PS2 games really aren't that much different than the PS3 titles, the main difference is the camera angle and engine apart from that, It's still the same structure and arcadey philosophy they had when designing the battle system, I'd argue that Yakuza 6 was a bigger shakeup than 3 was since the world was almost completely seamless(no loading screens when entering buildings) and the battle system traded arcadey responsiveness with semi realistic(realistic in the sense of lifelike animation that can't be canceled) physics based combat
Thank you. While Y4 is, for me, the low-point of the entire series, I have often thought of Y3 as comparable to FF8; i.e. "good ideas on paper". I agree with your opinion on the orphanage; with one exception (screw golf), the story is heartfelt and compelling. It shows Kiryu desiring the chance to NOT be a yakusa, to have a normal life. And it fits his character, as well. He has WANTED this for 2 whole canonical games now! And yes, the block-chain nature of the battles are annoying and frustrating, true, but similar reactions happen in the following four-pack of ratpiss, and there are methods around that to be sure. I'm playing Yakusa 5 right now, and I truly think THERE is where the series returns to the heights in both story and gameplay, that were almost abandoned in Kiwami 2. I'm looking forward to hearing the Song of Life soon.
I did not necessarily love the orphanage bits in 3, but they are needed to set the scene and give the player an insight on how Kiryu lives free of the Yakuza and how he would like to spend the rest of his days. It is a great slice-of-life sideshow that allows the player to immerse themselves in the world. Ditto for the whole of Downtown Ryukyu, there are certainly more exciting game worlds but i found it very interesting to explore the customs of Okinawa.
5:35 I think that is true, but it is also true for most Yakuza games but most fans failed to acknowledge that. There is a tendency in this saga to convolute things for no reason. A convolute story is NOT the same as a complex story: Macbeth is complex but not convoluted at all.
hell yeah, I better finish 0 ASAP so I can get to Kuwami.
Incredibly well said my dude. I agree, Yakuza 3 for all its flaws still shines above most triple A titles.
Cute snake you've got there.
I liked the setting and story of 3.. Bu as someone who is trying to make it through the series for the first time, I wasn't gonna spend a second more on it than I needed to complete the story.. I get it has its own combat system and one day I will take a better look.. After I'm done with all the other games
This perfectly explains how I feel about this game wow thank you!
Thanks for making this
I'm halfway through 3 currently and the thing I want the most is to go back to the orphanage and play with my kids again.
The orphanage stuff is some of the best stuff imo and a huge reason that this game was my favourite until 0 came along.
I'm replaying the series from 0 to 7 and replaying 3 I wished there was more orphanage stuff.
Rikiya's death is the saddest death in the series to me. The only death even sadder for me was the teacher in Lost Judgement
I love Yakuza 3
I’m chronologically (by release order not timeline) playin the franchise an currently I’m at Yakuza 5 am next Yakuza 0.
My list so far I have:
1. Yakuza Kiwami 2
2. Yakuza 4
3. Yakuza Kiwami
4. Yakuza 5
5. Yakuza 3
I was so fuckin happy I was done with Yakuza 3
I suck so hard at Yakuza 0 when I can't fight with the bat stance, I just can't get my hand around the combat system when they throw 10 fast guys at you I just get spammed and have to buy like 10 Health generating items before every big mission, wierd since i've played Tekken, DMC and Bayonetta so much, but I do it for the story!
Yeah they gotta do a Kiwami...
This video perfectly captures how I felt about this game. I can’t help but wonder what my feelings on the game would be if I had gotten into the series back in its ps2 days instead of starting from Yakuza 0
I started in the PS2 games. Yakuza 2 was my favorite PS2 game alongside Metal Gear Solid 3, Shadow of the Colossus and GTA: San Andreas. I was beyond excited when 0 came to PC because it felt like revisiting an old friend. The same goes with the Remastered Collection. Even after playing 0, YK and YK2 I went in beyond excited because those where games that I wanted to play for a whole decade. I do see how rough in the edges they feel at times, but it doesn't matter because they remember me of a younger less cynical self that wouldn't care that much as long as I can tiger drop the bad guys.
I took the plunge into the yakuza oldies (3 4 5). But since I'm a PC newcomer and don't have the modern consoles, I'll have to stick to the original versions of those 3.
Too bad 6 is only available on ps4, I'll have to experience it through video playthroughs.
And at last there will be yakuza 7 on PC right out of the bat!
Yakuza 6 already in PC
Yakuza 3 and 0 are my favorites. I honestly think 2 is overrated.
I just started playing Yakuza 3 because of this review (and the sale on the PS Store...) and honestly, the more I play it, the more I think this is actually a great game for beginners of the series.
As you explain that this might be a low point in the series, albeit still a good game, I'm finding myself ,as you have, completely enraptured by the characters and the setting... and as someone who has not played the rest of the series, I have no longing to be in kamurocho. So I don't care how long this orphanage section takes or even if I "go back" to kamurocho, because that setting just doesnt mean anything to me.
I was expecting this game to be a slog of a game, as a fan of the Witcher series from the beginning... I still can't bring myself to beat the first game, and very easily recommend people start at the second game of the series.
Honestly, so far I am loving Yakuza 3, more so than I ever would have predicted, and highly recommend it to anyone, really. Its bottom line a great game.
Since I purchased this with the rest of the series on the PS Store sale, I am very much looking forward to the rest of the series, since this is known as a low point, I know I won't be disappointed.
I started with 0, then Kiwami 1 & 2. The engine in those 3 games are so fluid compared to 3 and also how long and slow the first couple chapters in Okinama were almost made me give up on 3. I thought I would just watch a recap or something but I'm glad I didn't because when you get to Kamurocho the game really starts to pick up and am loving the story now. Not a coincidence because that's when the real Yakuza stuff happens :3
I'm now in chapter 9
3 has one major pacing issue - basically just the beginning and the jarring transition to the crime story afterward. 5 on the other hand IS a pacing issue. 5 makes MGS4 feel like Mario Kart
My main issue with the story-telling is that it leaves a lot of its main plot points hanging, or undercooks them severely. Spoilers ahead. The whole thing with Black Friday and the military/ resort expansion is barely mentioned towards the end, with more of a focus on Daigo and Mine, despite the fact that the two are deeply interwoven with this political controversy. Even at the end when Kiryu gets stabbed, it feels so unbelievably forced in to give Hamazaki a tiny bit more screen time, and to give Kiryu and Haruka another touching moment together. I did enjoy Yakuza 3, but it's probably the weakest in the series that I've played so far.
That part where Kiryu gets stabbed after everything was over was so fucking stupid. They already did the "oh no, Kiryu is dead! but not really" thing far more effectively in 2. What the hell was this weak attempt in 3?!
Also, I didn't even realize I was at the end of the game until I got to the ruff of the hospital and realized what a tall building it was. Oh shit, the fight on a top of a tall building finale. Already? Okay...
Yeah, that part where Hamazaki stabs Kiryu makes absolutely no sense. Number one: we've already beaten the final boss, so what's the point at a twist scare that should usually be reserved for the middle of the game? Number two: It takes Yuya and Kazuki a fucking eternity to do anything about it. Why?
Spoilers Ahead
Now that I've finally played through this game coming off 0, Kiwami, and Kiwami 2, I can earnestly say I have no clue why Yakuza 3 gets such a bad rep. I mean, I know the pacing is off for a lot of people, but is that seriously enough to discredit the entire game? Admittedly, playing the "secretly has a lookalike brother" trope was a bit wonky at first, the ending completely fell flat, and the gameplay was a MASSIVE step back. Especially playing on hard mode. Chip mode, constantly blocks, and an unbalanced moveset isn't exactly a winning combination. Plus there weren't as many high intensity set pieces as the other games, and the first 3/4ths of the game had you left in the dark up until everything was suddenly all dumped on you at once in one, single, expository discussion, rather than the truth being fed to you slowly over time.
So yeah, don't get me wrong, the game isn't flawless by any means, but neither were the others before it. Majima's sudden shift in character in 0 was poorly executed and came across as rushed, the struggles Nishiki went through in Kiwami were a good foundation, but they still felt like they took up an underwhelmingly small amount of screentime for such an important character, and Kiwami 2 handled Kaoru really poorly sometimes. It's almost like she had a split personality disorder at her worst. Which is why, in spite of its issues, Yakuza 3 probably ranks as my second favorite game in the series so far in terms of story, falling right behind Yakuza 0.
Those moments at the orphanage had me tearing up left and right, time and time again. I began to anticipate it and tried over and over to stop my eyes from watering, but I just couldn't. There's something so endearing and heartwarming about it all. The game as a whole is just really genuine and heartfelt. In fact, Rikia's death was spoiled for me, and I intentionally tried not to get attached to him because of it. This was easy at first because I found him annoying when he was introduced, but I quickly grew to like him in spite of myself, and it got to the point where I was on edge any time he was present in a cutscene because I didn't know when he died, only that he did, and it could've been any moment. Needless to say, I got very attached, and that eventual scene still hit me harder than anything else in the entire series up to that point. Much as I tried, I couldn't stop the tears.
However, the one thing I will say I disliked about this game above all else, is thus: Mine. I cannot stand him. And I particularly hated how they treated him amidst the ending. I lost count of how many times that ending sequence had me pissed at the writers for how they were handling Mine. I got pissed when he said he felt at peace, when Kiryu offered him a second chance, every time he held Kiryu's hand or wrapped his arm(s) around him, when he pretended he had any sense of honor, when he claimed he could ever deserve anyone's respect, when he got off scott free by killing himself in such a painless way, when Kiryu stood up for Mine following his death, especially when Kiryu said Mine taught him something at the end, and for numerous other reasons.
Mine is absolute scum, and he deserves nothing less than to suffer more torment than anyone could ever naturally endure. I hate him. There is nothing in my heart for him but contempt, and I loathe how they tried to pretend his character was sympathetic in any conceivable way as if a single soul on this planet would feel sorry for him. I even found myself mocking him mentallt when he gave his backstory. For the first time ever in a Yakuza game I was mocking a character. For all the side-story characters my face lit up with joy over seeing return from previous games, Mine was the counterpart to that joy. The opposing vitriol for each and every one of those reunions all cobbled together into one. For the first time in any game ever, I wanted him to shut up so I could massacre him even as he told me about his childhood. That's seriously saying something. I don't think I've ever held more disgust in my heart for any fictional character I've ever seen more than I do Mine. I detest him to my very core.
He sealed his fate the moment he strolled up to that orphanage, tore it all down, and laid so much as a damn finger on Haruka. He's a waste of space and oxygen, and a poor use of the ink used to write his character. I hope the series never brings him up again, that way I can at least say the in-lore world forgot about him, and his life had no lasting impact on anything, rendering his existence as trite and worthless as he was as an individual. To think, at first I was praising the game for somehow managing to pull off writing such a loathsome beast, because I thought that was their intention. Then I realized they were actually trying to make him sympathetic towards the ending, and at that point any respect I had for Mine's writing went out the window. That walking sack of garbage deserves nobody's sympathy. I don't think I've ever stated this about any character before, but he deserved his awful childhood, and I wish it'd been worse for him. Fuck Mine. And fuck everything about him.
Anyway, yeah, the game was great. I don't get why everyone else ranks it among their least favorite Yakuza game. Honestly, if the ending were rewritten from the ground up to be, well, better, and Kiryu actually died at the end, albeit with a much more effectively written send-off, I would have been okay with his death. I mean, I would have been devastated, but that felt like a good place to close off his story as a character and instead focus on the impact he had on the world around him through a new perspective going forward with the series. It would have definitely been a better ending for him than if he had died at the end of 2, that's for sure. Either way, I digress.
It really kills me that this was just a remaster and not a remake, because of this game had the same, or similar gameplay to 2, it probably would've been my second favorite Yakuza game. As it stands though, I'm conflicted on whether or not I'd place it above Kiwami 2 simply because the gameplay was such an obnoxious step backwards. It'll probably still end up being my second favorite Yakuza game though. I just feel like it could have been so much greater if they'd taken the time to remake it, and the dissonance between this and Kiwami 2 only proves just how much of a benefit it would have been. But it is what it is. I still loved it. And now on to 4 and 5, the ones I am least excited for. I hear the story in these two are really bad, and the only reason I'm really playing them instead of skipping them is because I hear Majima's backstory gets more properly fleshed out in one of them. Hopefully it's not all downhill from here like it seems it's going to be, but I guess I'll find out.
After some consideration: Yakuza 3 is my third favorite of the Yakuza games, and not the second, and I do feel if it were remade rather than remastered that would have been different.
How you feel about ryuji goda
@@tyresewilson7399 Awesome character. One of the best parts of 2, and considering how good 2 is, that's saying something.
I'm a year late (& it might've been done already) but how about a video & opinions on "dead souls"?
I cant play this series cuz the combat doesnt flow to me feels stunted. But i enjoy when ya talk about it and the very bizarre and kinda soap opera story it has.
The goat game
Just finished Yakuza 3 a few hours ago, and I've already played every other numbered title. I somewhat appreciate how compact the story tries to be, as opposed to how convoluted the story gets in other entries. I suppose I liked the general gist of the orphanage sub plot, even if I was very...averse to cutscenes related to the kids.
I didn't like how they handled the end game, starting from Rikiya's death. Come on Kiryu - Nishiki and Yumi died because you left Jingu alone, and I'm pretty sure some similar BS happened in 2 regarding Ryuji and Terada. As someone who really liked Nagumo in 6, I came to 3 with the expectation that Rikiya would be better, and in the end I disagree. Mine also felt a bit insubstantial for my tastes.
Combat was also way too tedious, at least on hard where enemies block as soon as they get hit and heat moves sometimes do fuck all damage.
I think I rank this game above 2 (I hate the story so damn much), and either equal or beneath 4.
I love this game but there is so much clunkiness about it that I wish it could just get a kiwami treatment. Fix up a few story sections that feel awkward such as the expo-dump, and get that hard hitting fluid combat in. They could do to revamp or replace some of the side activities as well. Particularly the hostess club shit. And I feel it would be a great "last" game with Kiryu in the lead, where it closes off with him just hanging out happily with his kids at the orphanage ignorant of the remaining garbage to come his way.
Sadly the best way to fully play yakuza 3 is to export a japenese copy of the ps3 version.
Since the ps4 HD port still has removed content.
I liked what they removed.
I really hate that running minigame lol
Is the gameplay clunky? That's all I need to know about yakuza 3 and 4. I saw the gameplay and the player movement is so rough that each attack would take a lot of time to happen. Or is it as smooth as zero?
You're comparing a 2009 game with a 2015 game.
I just beat Yakuza 3 and I feel the same way as you. Going from Kiwami 2 to 3 (Remastered), it was very jarring. I could tell the gameplay was lifted straight out of the PS2 games even though I didn't play those original versions (Thank God for remakes). Okinawa and the orphanage felt boring while Kamurucho feels unfinished. The substories and minigames are disappointing. I can forgive the Yakuza dev team since it was not only their first PS3 game, but their first HD game as well. Is Yakuza 4 any better? My goal is to finish the Kiryu saga by the end of 2020.
Yakuza 4 does play smoother than 3, haven’t played 3 but I’ve played 1 and 2
Rikkiya :'(
Yakuza 3 is the best beach episode
I always heard the Yakuza fandom, despite 0, believed that 3 was one of the most popular which surprised me.
Playing the game myself and watching this had me understanding why.
Yakuza 3 didn't age well won't lie like in hard the enemies block way too much and you can guardbreak so it's kinda ass
I was wondering if Y3 was worth playing. I'm getting the collection so it's worth a try but I may not play the whole thing and go straight to 4
4 is very boring I would do 3 then 5
For me the highlights of this game were the orphanage chapters and Majima, the rest was kind of generic.
minigames were boring and tedious, but i ignore most of it and would sooner be drinking. the cabaret which i really liked a lot in 0 and kiwami 1 and 2 i also disliked, mainly because hiding the stats of specific dress accessories and hairstyles was making things more like a guessing game of what the japanese developers define as refined, casual, cute, gorgeous, etc. the story was good as usual, the rest of it was acceptable but really only because the story is good and if i don't plod through this tedium then much of the dialogue in later games won't make sense. i'm ok with playing a less than fun game if the story is this good. if it weren't a yakuza game i would have uninstalled it before the 5th chapter or so
I would love to hear your take on Yakuza 5's story as I feel thats its the most outrageous, the most ridiculous and the most shocking story in the entire series with its constant jaw dropping plot twist after plot twist. I don't mean this in a positive way either. It started off strong and does have its moments of awesomeness in it but it eventually gets too big and too chaotic for its own good. Leading me to feel that its worst in the series. I feel like SEGA tried to do much more than they could handle and it showed.
Gameplay wise however? Id put it on the same level as Yakuza 0. So much fun!
I like it more than 4 and 5 because I think that the other protagonists in those game are one trick ponies; Saejima is strong but leaves himself open, Akiyama is fast but will take an hour to beat a boss, Tanimura is parry god, but is fragile and Shinada is a weapon god but is weak and slow.
Or maybe those differences were intentional, making each unique or try an adapt from one to another.
Who else is here because of gamepass 👌
I don't think he'll like 7.
Without spoilers, why?
@@EdoloChannel Kasuga is a manchild and it's a bit hard to take serious moments seriously when you make enemies fall in love with you right after them.
@@canadmexi I keep losing faith in this game. I don't even know if I'm waiting for it anymore. All I literally care about is the plot
3 is trashu
Nah it aint
the downfall of story leading to 4 characters/styles before team yak realized people wanted 1 character/4 styles.
I rather think they were taking a different approach and expanding the story beyond just Kiryu. 0 had two characters, btw.
Not me. I want 1 character with 1 style. It's much more fun to be given a limited set of skills with which to overcome your obstacles,
rather than a full arsenal of shit from which to choose endless possibilities from. I want to be slightly under-powered; not some kind of polygon god.
using the same city over and over agin is lazy disgraceful and disgusting beyond belief there is more honor in starwars battle front 2 loot boxes than this it makes playing fortnite into playing the ultimate game and an honorary privilege
I think that's a bit much but ok.
Far better than making an open world game that is empty and full of fetch quests. Yakuza at least expanded to Kamuracho each time and added new locations later. The story is based in reality, simpler, even if it made it easier for the team to churn out another game. They do far more than Western titles.
BluMiu nah everyone wants the low effort yearly title
how stupid can you be? the very game this video is talking about has a new city in it. who is the "lazy disgracful" one now?
What the bloody hell?! first Kamurocho was where the story starts and will always a part of Kiryu Kazuma's story(which ended now with new protagonist coming), in second game they started to bring other cities into the game, Sotenbori (Dotonbori in real life) in Yakuza 2, Okinawa in Yakuza 3, Nagoya/Fukuoka/Hokkaido in Yakuza 5(which was called San Andreas of Yakuza franchise), and you telling me that Yakuza only using the same city and is worse than a shitty EA loot box garbage?