I've been thinking of making a list just for myself but figured why not share it with this community and start a discussion. It could be beneficial for others who are looking for recommendations or just for you to get your thoughts out about a game. Below I ranked my personal 10 with a bit of description as to why I like them.

Half Life 2 - This game hasn't left my #1 spot since it came out. It was the first single player FPS game I played. I haven't played Half Life 1 before Half Life 2 so I didn't really know that standing Valve had in the FPS community. But man, the gravity gun changed my life. The physics engine blew my mind. I was so happy that Half Life 2 included puzzles based on physics as well. I think its incredible that a game whose protagonist is a physicist compared to a soldier did so well. I remember when the demo came out I played the Ravenholm level probably 20 times. Then when I was able to buy Half Life 2 I played it another 20 times. I love the setting of Half Life 2, and the oppressive nature of the Combine. The strider fights were a spectacle and meeting DOG was amazing. I personally believe this game is perfect, between gunplay, story, setting, music. I almost cried at the end of Half Life Alyx and am so happy that Valve is continuing the universe. I believe that Half Life 2 still stands the test of time nowadays. It goes on sale often so please try it out! My ranking of the Half Life games are 2 > Alyx > Episode 2 > Episode 1 > Black Mesa > Half Life.
Persona 4 Golden - Atlus shows a masterclass of JRPGs with the Persona series. I haven't played Persona 1 or 2 and my first intro to the series was Golden on the Vita. I remember I played it and finished it in one weekend during college. I didn't even leave my room and stayed up all night getting it done. The characters in Golden from Chie to Kanji are a joy to be around and building relationships with. The soundtrack of the Persona series ties so well with the atmosphere of each game. Persona 4 Golden was also the first JRPG I played and finished. Boy it was a joy. The combat got improved upon greatly in Persona 5 but having the introduction to the series through Golden puts it over the top for me. Soon after beating Persona 4 Golden, I played Persona 3 Portable which was a great game too! Persona 5 deserves all the accolades its getting but I believe that the groundwork for the Western audience was laid by Persona 4 Golden on the Vita.
Judgement - As with many others, my first taste into the Yakuza franchise was when Yakuza 0 came on Steam. Since then I have finished 0, Kiwami, Kiwami 2, Judgement, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 in that order. While the other entries in this series are amazing, it was nice to see Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios venture out from the Yakuza storyline and focus on a detective story. The combat was a lot more fluid, almost reminding me of Majima's moveset in Yakuza 0. There was also a slice of life feel to Judgement. I think my favorite thing about the game was the pay off for completing side stories and relationships with people in the city. The last substory was amazing to see. I put this on the list even though I love the other games in the series so here is my ranking for the series. Judgement > Kiwami 2 > Yakuza 6 > Yakuza 0 > Yakuza 4 > Yakuza 7 > Kiwami > Yakuza 5 > Yakuza 3.
Hotline Miami 2 - The Hotline Miami collection introduced me to Retrowave music, and I will forever be grateful for that. Hotline Miami plays as a top down shooter with a very David Lynch like story. The chapters jump from the Past to Future to Present in different ways focusing on different characters. It is all tied up nicely at the end of Hotline Miami 2 in my opinion. This game is as bloody as a pixel game can be. The sense of fear you get when you try to see if anyone heard your gunshot is insane. I put Hotline Miami 2 here instead of 1 because of the larger cast of characters and for the ending. While I did love Hotline Miami 1, 2 for me was just a bit better. This game is eye candy from the floor plans of each level, the retro Miami colors, and the gory way of killing enemies. Hotline Miami 1 started my appreciation for indie games as being powerhouses.
Inside - I once heard someone on the Gameinformer podcast refer to this game as being carved out of one single block of clay. This game runs so smoothly you forget that there is a bunch of code in the background. Playdead is on a roll after Limbo and Inside in the creepy side scrolling puzzle platformer game. Inside had one of the most interesting backdrops I have seen. You are a child breaking into a facility of seemingly unknown reasons. But the game doesn't tell you that, there is no narration or voicework in this game. But its a testament to how carefully crafted this game is that the story can be told by what is happening in the background as you are making your way from left to right. The ending of this game caught me by surprise but I absolutely adored this game from start to finish.
Wolfenstein: The New Colossus - Who doesn't love killing Nazis? Ever since Machinegames took over the franchise of Wolfenstein each entry has just gotten better and better. I've heard different qualms about TNC mainly about the story, but to be honest that was my favorite part of this game. It made BJ into a deeper character rather than a meathead and his Jewish ancestry being a background for fighting Nazi's was poetic. My favorite moment was, in the courtroom dream sequence, right after you get out and meet the memory of your mom. It honestly brought me to tears. The gunplay was as good as it gets as well as the characters on your ship. My one issue was the hacking minigame. I did love the sound effects used but felt overall it was a useless addition. Although I did complete all of it! If I had to rank all the Machinegames Wolfensteins it would go TNC > New Order > Old Blood > Youngblood.
Mass Effect 2 - This game has about 200 hours of play time on my Steam. Bioware were masters of incredible RPG experiences. Mass Effect 2's companions were some of the best party members in an RPG ever. The storylines for each of these characters were a joy to take part in and it was extremely daring for Bioware to say, Hey! Lets put a suicide mission for the ending and have some of your characters permanently die. While the main villain wasn't that good, the overarching villain with culminated into the grand finale of Mass Effect 3 was worth it. I can't say enough as to how fleshed out the crew on the Normandy was. I'm excited to see any quality of life changes in the legendary edition!
What Remains of Edith Finch - I was debating putting this on my top 10 but the more time passed, the more and more I was thinking about the experience playing this game. I didn't play Unfinished Swan so I didn't know much about the developer but I do love Annapurna Interactive's published games. Edith Finch was no different. A first person/adventure/walking simulator game with an engaging story about a very strange family, the game immediately dug its hooks in me and never let go. The house of the Finches felt like a maze but because of how well crafted this game is you never feel lost. The side story about the unfortunate ends of the family is engaging. Not enough can be said about the last family member's story you find and how incredible that experience was.
Pokemon White - I am a huge Pokemon fan having bought one of each of the main series. I am also one of those people who liked SwSh. But I believe that Pokemon was at its best during the Black and White era. Created a new 150 pokemon while not including any past ones was risky, but for me it paid off. It was fun not being shackled by past favorites and looking towards a new generation. While it did seem that they just replaced skins for Pokemon, i.e. Swoobat/Zubat, TimburMachoke, etc. I liked almost all the new designs. The story for this game was also great. N was a great antagonist and actually made me sympathize with what was supposed to be your foe in the game. Why would I fight against someone who views that Pokemon should be free from trainers?
Ori and the Will of the Wisps - I absolutely adored Blind Forest and when Will of the Wisps came out it was just more of Ori but with a bunch of quality of life improvements. The story was even more emotional than the first. Without spoilers I found the villain's story especially after the final fight to be incredibly touching. I love how Moon Studio works as well, being completely decentralized while producing beautiful games.

One Piece Chapter 994 Spoilers

Whoever posted a few months back about Yakuza 0, this game has made video games fun for me again. What an amazing game!

One Piece Spoilers 991

Recommendation on which game to tackle first from my backlog

I did not expect yakuza 4 to be this good

Yakuza 0 reminded me what craving for a chance to play a game feels like

You guys remember that feeling when we were kids and we couldn't wait to get back home from school to play that game on our SNES/Gameboy? How excited we used to be just to get home to play those games? Until recently, it felt like a lifetime has passed since I've had those same butterflies in my stomach to play a game. Now I'm a responsible adult with a fulltime job, a more than capable rig and unlimited money to buy whatever games I want (and yet I still choose to be a patientgamer- go figure!) So you'll understand when I say, I don't daydream about what I'd do in X game when I get to play today like I used to back when I was a kid. Yakuza 0 changed that. What is Yakuza 0 you ask? I'm glad you asked.
Yakuza 0 is like the Japanese Grand Theft Auto (GTA has got nothing on Yakuza though as Yakuza is wayyy more story-rich and oozing with substance than GTA has ever managed to, and that's coming from someone who has played all of 3D GTAs but never a Yakuza game before). Yakuza 0 is ALSO a game that can throw you off real good if you go into it blind - yet the trick IS actually to go in blind, especially if you haven't played any of the other games in the series. The reason behind it is two-pronged. First up, that the "0" in the game's name is not there to make for a stylish title (that's merely a welcome side-effect I believe) but it's because this game is a prequel to the entire Yakuza series. Two, because it is claimed as one of THE best stories in the entire series, if not of all time among other non-Yakuza games as well. As someone who had never played a single Yakuza game before, I was advised by many to go in blind. And I'm glad I did.
So the story starts off real slow and you get a really strong, silent type yet boring protagonist whose story you couldn't give two shits about. But then, around chapter 3, a secondary protagonist is introduced (!!) and it completely turns things around. I started having fun because this new guy was written extremely well and his life was much more interesting, his missions were much more interesting, his personality was much more interesting, his fighting style was much more interesting and even his side-stories were much more interesting. So we spent two missions together when something big happens and I'm back to using the first protagonist. That's not to say that the first protagonist stays boring forever; as his story progresses, he starts to grow on you too but he's essentially a very different personality than the other one. After a while of this back and forth, I started seeing the pattern. You get each protagonist for two missions in a row and you play the missions with them. They're completely unaware of each-other's existence, just like Grand Theft Auto 4 and it's DLCs, but they have their stories panning out parallel to each-other's in a shared world. And yet, once again, like GTA 4 and it's DLCs, the events surrounding them unfold in such a way that these protagonists are eventually set on an inevitable collision course which leaves the player guessing as to which chapter they're finally going to cross paths with each-other (and you get to discover awesome stuff when you deliberately try to make them meet by visting the places frequented by the other protagonist while controlling one, as in the game acknowledges it and rewards you with a little something instead of there being just nothing just because they don't want you breaking the game's rules).
As for progression, look, I'll be honest- Yakuza 0's progression mechanics are plot devices. Which is to be expected from a game tagged with "Story-Rich" keywords. But, boy, do the developers use those plot devices beautifully and skillfully! After just a couple chapters in the game's story, you get sucked in for a wild ride. I found myself to be at the edge of my seat everytime the cutscenes played. And the way the dialogues kinda work in this game, it reminded me of Fallout New Vegas so much. FNV was also old and clunky with dialogue boxes while being a veteran at progressing the game with just stories despite that handicap. And I'm amazed at how similar Yakuza 0 is to FNV in that regard. Yes, both are hard to get into because of their clunkiness but once you do, you'd be enamoured, biting your nails for the next grand revelation in the overarching story while enjoying the thoughtfully written side stories simultaneously. As a result, the series has earned the title of "Japanese underworld soap opera" among fans.
However, the game definitely isn't without it's drawbacks. And, boy, there are many.
For a game made in 2015, the UI/UX feels garish and clunky that's on par with 2010's Fallout New Vegas. Its definitely better than New Vegas, but only marginally so in that department. All in all, even if I look past the UI, the UX is just... unacceptably bad.
Then come the graphics which are a mixed bag because of how inconsistent they are throughout the game. For the first 6-7 hours, I was playing the game with all graphics settings cranked to high. Despite having a rig good enough to play 2019 titles on 1080p @ 60+ FPS, I was getting sub-optimal performance with everything looking blurry that was a blatant eyesore. It was only after a few google searches that I realized that I was supposed to turn off the "Render Scaling" option in the graphics settings to get rid of those blurry visuals. However, that didn't solve the low-FPS issue so after a few more google searches, I was forced to change the SSAA setting to 4x from 8x and that's when I gained 7-10 extra FPS to make the gameplay smoother and more enjoyable. That's not the end of it though because even the scripted cutscenes aren't consistent as to the graphics. For the main story, you have real-time cutscenes with voice and animation, pre-rendered high quality cutscenes with voice and animation and comic-strip style cutscenes with only voice. For substories, you have real-time cutscenes with just animation and text-boxes but no voice. This inconsistency can be quite unsettling at first, especially considering the fact that this is a modern AAA game we're talking about but after a while, you'll get used to it.
Next up, tutorials for the numerous mechanics this game sports. It was, for me, quite unexpected of Sega to push this game out with an astounding lack of proper tutorials. There's a lot of stuff I never used in-game because there wasn't any explanation for whether they existed, what they existed for and/or why I should use them. While that is fine for non-essential mechanics, it's absolutely unacceptable for core mechanics. For instance, the game doesn't ever tell you how to save. Yes, that is true. I had to google how to save the game. Spoilers- you go to one of the many public telephones in the game and activate them to save the game. Another example- I never knew there was a sprint option in the game until I was 45 hours in because the game neither explains it, nor mentions it in the "Controls" menu where all key inputs for different mechanics must be listed. I got suspicious because there were some vague references to "normal run and sprint" in a non-essential mechanic (Completion Points Gift shop menu). I suspect there's still a lot more about this game I still don't understand. I certainly don't know where to restock ammo for Kiryu because the game gave me weapons to use as Kiryu but has never pointed me to a store where I can buy ammo as Kiryu.
Another glaring issue with this game is that most of the time, you can't walk 10 feet in either direction without stumbling across a side-story cutscene or street punks looking to prove their mettle surrounding you to get you to kick their asses which just becomes really annoying after past a certain point. More often than not, I found myself in situations where I had to drop the game and go take care of some stuff so I tried to save the game via a telephone booth just around the corner but I took two steps in that direction and a lengthy side-story cutscene started playing, which, if I don't watch, I won't be able to rewatch like I can do with the main campaign cutscenes from the main menu afterwards. Once the cutscene ended, I walked maybe 3 feet before a large group of punks insisted on getting their asses handed to em by me. Great, that's another 10 minutes. By the time I finish with them and get to the telephone booth, I find a boss-level enemy camping there who is waiting for me to show up so he can rob me by challenging me to yet another fight and then defeat me. Obviously, I don't have that much time to waste so I turn around and start walking to another one of the phonebooths and the entire cycle starts again. It's infuriating how much inconvenience a simple save can cause you just because the devs tried to be creative instead of giving you the option to save from the "Escape" menu. To top it all off, there are absolutely no autosaves in this game either so if the game crashes or you have to leave the game while you're in the middle of a 90 minute cutscene, too bad because you gotta do it all over again.
The world-building, well... I can't comment on it because everything was in Japanese (oh, and be ware that all of the audio for this game is in Japanese as well but you get English subtitles which is, honestly, more of a strength of Yakuza 0 than a weakness because the original Japanese cast has done a mindblowing job of conveying the emotions through their voice which I doubt could be replicated as well if it was dubbed). Neither Kamurocho nor Sotenbori feel like a lived-in city like Grand Theft Auto's fictional ones do. Maybe that has something to do with everything being in a foreign language, I can't say. 95% of all billboards are Japanese. The mini-map doesn't auto-rotate making navigation pain in the ass until you learn the towns' layouts like the back of your hand (I never managed to but that's probably because of how little I've played). And the most disappointing of all- the constant fights you're dragged into unwillingly. I mean, past a certain point, you wish the game had an adaptive dynamic AI state or a "level up" about you that makes most gangs cower away from you because of your reputation. But nothing like that happens as every Tom, Dick and Harry drunk off their ass want to start a fight with you and then magically become pro fighters with a lotta health. Not to mention that during said "ambient encounters", I've seen civilians disappearing into thin air as the game scrambles to convert a street side into a barricaded arena (which you can't leave until you're done) which further destroys the live-in feel of the towns.
All in all, I HATED this game at first but as the story progressed, I found myself constantly craving to fire the game back up again because I was so addicted to it. A solid 8/10 from me because the story alone compensates for ALL of it's drawbacks, even the ones I have not listed in my review. This is my new favorite along with Fallout New Vegas and Mass Effect.
Shooreh Pippi, friends.

Keiji Shibusawa: A Great villain With a Lack Of Character.

Just letting you all know that this is gonna be a pretty long post, we're looking at just about all of Shibusawa's role in 0. There's also gonna be spoilers for Yakuza 1 and 2's main antagonists. With that out of the way, let's get things going.
From my experience viewing the community, Shibusawa is easily the least popular of the three lieutenants in Yakuza 0. And that doesn't exactly surprise me, but at the same time it sorta does. The final bosses in these games are supposed to be the most memorable, most badass, one of your favorite characters. But if I asked you to name the first Yakuza 0 villain that comes to your head, Shibusawa isn't gonna be it. Even among the lieutenants, he falls short. Kuze is the gold standard when it comes to rival characters in gaming, not just Yakuza. 5 fights with him, each of them shows just how much you/Kiryu are growing in experience, and by the end most end up respecting him. Awano is pretty intimidating throughout, and especially has a great showdown with Majima, so much so that he sacrifices himself for him. Plus, dudes got meme potential. But Shibusawa hides in the sidelines for 90% of the game, barely in the story until Kiryu and Oda get Makoto to Kamurocho. But how much of that is intentional? As usual with these character study's, lets look at Shibusawa's actions in the story first.
His first appearance, like the other lieutenants, is in Dojima Family HQ. And already there's a lot to think about. Whereas Kuze and especially Awano are deadset on the idea that Kiryu killed the man in the empty lot, Shibusawa is much more subdued. He doesn't actively defend Kiryu, but he doesn't really accuse him either. He genuinely seems to believe that Kiryu was set up. As he leaves the building, he even puts his hand on Kiryu's shoulder, possibly as a way of comforting him. Especially with how the later scenes paint him, this scene is interesting to think about. We'll come back to it later.
His shows up when Dojima expels Kiryu, but doesn't really have a speaking role, only reinforcing that Kuze made Kiryu a civilian. Shibusawa doesn't really care about the other lieutenants, as we'll see later. He's also in the scene where Awano tells Kuze to take care of Kiryu (before Kuze's 2nd fight), but again doesn't do anything of note. And he's there during Kuze's 3rd fight, but does nothing. You noticing a pattern? This right here is the main problem with Shibusawa, but it's also his greatest strength. He's lurking in the shadows of the scenes he's in, waiting for the right moment, HIS moment, to take center stage. But that also means he's not a character until the last 10% of the game. It's all leading to the main themes of the 3 lieutenants, but that means that he can't have time to spend talking to Kiryu, or really anybody.
Chapter 13 is where Shibusawa really comes into play, as we see him and his crew hunt down Kiryu/Makoto. Additionally, he had Oda as a mole, seemingly giving him information, though clearly not everything. It's in these last few chapters where we see Shibusawa's true nature. After shooting Oda for not giving Makoto's location, and after Makoto ran off from both Kiryu and Majima, he makes it a point to give Dojima Makoto, presumably so he can establish himself as the best of the lieutenants, to earn the captains position, as well as leaving with everyone via chopper after Lao Gui shoots Makoto.
His next scene is where we learn quite a bit about Shibusawa's motivations. When Awano suggests to wait for Kazama to end up dead in prison, he scolds him pretty harshly, and reveals that only by getting rid of the entire Kazama family can Tojo rise again. This is how Shibusawa wants to get to the top. Funny how I previously talked about Jingu, whose motivations were also to rise to the top until you physically couldn't go any higher. And Nishiki as well has that very same motive, although he is much different then Jingu overall. Shibusawa's reasonings for it are somehow both more and less basic then those two, though. After that scene, we learn that Shibusawa is leading a raid on Shibaura, the ship Makoto is on. Obviously, Kiryu and Nishiki go to shut it down. During the raid we see Shibusawa intrigued with Kiryu. Almost like he's ready to fight him. Turns out he is, but we're getting ahead of ourselves. Kiryu eventually makes it past everything on the ship, and confronts Shibusawa. Shibusawa seems to have only brought Makoto where he is to lure Kiryu in. He wants Kiryu to be the first kill. We'll skip a lot of Shibusawa's motivations for now, and just say that at it's most basic level, Shibusawa wants to kill Kiryu so that Kazama's heir dies, as he wants to surpass Kazama. Of course, Kiryu beats Shibusawa, who then encourages Kiryu to finish him off for good. Kiryu almost does, but Nishiki comes at the last second to talk him out of it. And Shibusawa is sent to prison. Not dead, but certainly won't come back.
So why did I skip a lot at the end there? Mostly to discuss Shibusawa and some of the 3 lieutenants here. We'll start with the lieutenants. Kuze, Awano, and Shibusawa represent the different kind of Yakuza in this series overall. Kuze represents the Yakuza of old, mainly in the clan for the simple reason of beating others up, and showing themselves as tough bastards. Shimano, plenty of villains in 1, and lots of people in the series show this attitude. Awano represents the Yakuza of the present, too deep in to it to quit, but it's clear they've lost their touch to how they were so many years ago. It's most likely that Awano wants out, which is why he's the only one of the lieutenants to die. Reinforces that once you're in the Yakuza, there's no getting out in one piece. Shibusawa represents Yakuza of the future, who don't just want to thrive, but want to rise to the top, want to make a name for themselves. Nishiki and to a lesser extent Ryuji follow this as well. Shibusawa gets the closest to achieving his goals compared to the other two most likely for this reason; It's how antagonists from future games operate as well.
What Shibusawa wants is simple. A legacy. A title to have. It's not just about rising to the top. Shibusawa tells of his father, who was a politician that rose pretty high in the business, but his boss got all of his credit. Eventually his father had to take the fall for his bosses corrupt deals, and it drove him to suicide. It's possible he thinks history will repeat itself with Dojima and him. So he wants insurance. Talent alone isn't enough for him. Shibusawa clearly shows a lot of respect for Kazama. He considers him a legend. So much so that he intends to surpass him. He wants Kazama's title. That's probably his main motivation for wanting to more or less eradicate the Kazama family. By doing that, he can become the true "Dragon of Dojima". With his title, Shibusawa will finally have a legacy, will be remembered as a legend. Kiryu rightfully says to him that Kazama is more then just his title and legend, but Shibusawa brings up some valid points about how Kazama isn't the perfect paragon (his own words) Kiryu thinks, how he arguably caused the events of Yakuza 0. Kazama in general has a lot to his character to talk about, but this isn't about him. Anyway, Shibusawa's first step in surpassing Kazama is to kill his heir, that being Kiryu. There's also the matter of Shibusawa's tattoo. The dragon tattoo. Tattoo's in this series are symbolic to the person who has them. Obviously, Shibusawa's tattoo is the same as Kiryu's. The dragon itself is a legend, and in some Japanese culture dragons are often respected and put on the same pedestal as gods. Shibusawa is not seen as such, but it's important to note that he eventually thinks he will. That's why he got the tattoo in the first place. That's also why Kiryu's tattoo isn't filled in yet. He hasn't reached that status yet, but he's on the path to achieving it.
So why does Shibusawa tell Kiryu to kill him? He wants Kiryu to see Kazama for who he is. Kazama could only achieve the legacy he has now because of his massive body count. Shibusawa thought the same, as he attempted to write his legacy with others blood. Nishiki too, would follow this example. It's important to note about Kiryu's character that he 100% would have killed Shibusawa had Nishiki not intervened, which is interesting. And why is Shibusawa more lenient on Kiryu then the other's in the lieutenant's introduction scene? Straight up, no idea. Maybe I missed something, but I'd go so far as to say that's out of character for him, since we can assume he had this plan to surpass Kazama by doing something about Kiryu long before this.
All in all, Shibusawa works as the final boss of Yakuza 0. He fits well with the themes of 0, and it's intriguing to watch him rise from the shadows, to reveal his blood lust for the Kazama family. However, I believe the fact that he stayed silent for so long significantly hurt his character. I'm confident that if he had more scenes, he would have won fans over as a top tier main antagonist (though it can be argued Dojima is the main antagonist of 0, but you never fight him, so I tend to ignore that). I enjoyed him for what he was, but he could have been something more. Sorry again for the long post, but hope you enjoyed me overanalyzing a single Yakuza character. Have a good day/night folks.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon - Review Thread

Game Information

Game Title: Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Platforms:

PlayStation 4 (Nov 13, 2020)
PC (Nov 13, 2020)
Xbox One (Nov 13, 2020)

Trailer:

Yakuza: Like a Dragon | Announcement Trailer

Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
Publisher: SEGA
Review Aggregator:
OpenCritic - 87 average - 94% recommended - 55 reviews

Critic Reviews

ACG - Jeremy Penter - Wait for Sale

"The turn-based combat is a welcome change however combined with some weird decisions and a somewhat bland story its not all sunshine and rainbows for this new kid on the street."

Attack of the Fanboy - Joshua Garibay - 4 / 5 stars

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a bold shift in direction, one that succeeds more than it stumbles in the pursuit of its new design.

Bazimag - Sina Golabzade - Persian - 8.6 / 10

The transition from a top notch brawler to a JRPG feels totally seamless. The gameplay have all the good parts we expect from a JRPG translated to the language of the Yakuza series but it also has some of the bad parts like the need for grinding and some unfair boss fights. The story and new characters are presented in a way that make this new journey for the franchise very well worth taking.

COGconnected - Jaz Sagoo - 86 / 100

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is the perfect update for a flagging series. Its clever storytelling, bizarre substories, and engrossing gameplay makes this one of the strongest entries in the franchise. Mixing deep societal messages with references to popular culture, the game is both hilarious and thought-provoking. It is very clear to see that with Ichiban Kasuga, the series is in safe hands

Cerealkillerz - Nick Erlenhof - German - 8.5 / 10

Yakuza: Lika A Dragon goes a different way but follows what made the series so great. The new protagonist, the story (besides some weak points), the crazy mini games, battle animations, summons and Ichiban Kasuga offer so much fun and action. Some boring dungeons in the middle of the game and balancing issues are the only downsides you should expect. Even if you are not a fan of turn based combat or haven't touched the series yet, you should give this a shot.

Daily Mirror - Eugene Sowah - 4 / 5 stars

Yakuza: Like a Dragon has definitely made some drastic changes to the series but without losing its original charm. The fast pace turn base system has so much added depth while still feeling like a Yakuza game.
The graphics are the best the series has seen to date, players will fall for the ridiculous Ichiban who is a well-worked new hero to the series. Other than the lag between different sections of the games and slightly clunky animations it's really hard to fault this reimagining of the legendary series.

Destructoid - Jordan Devore - 7.5 / 10

Like a Dragon isn't my favorite Yakuza, and its fresh turn-based combat eventually grows stale, but I have a lot of love for it. If it's your first game, it'll quickly initiate you into this wild, one-of-a-kind series.

Digitally Downloaded - Matt Sainsbury - 5 / 5 stars

Who knows if this wild experiment will bear fruit and become its own series. Yakuza: Like a Dragon has everything it needs; an excellent crop of new characters, and even a new playground to base a series in, as we hadn't been to Yokohama previously. The future of the series would depend on how turn-based combat sells in comparison to action brawler combat, I would assume. Either way, though, Like a Dragon is a delight. It's a parody-homage to every turn-based JRPG trope you've ever known, set against brilliant character writing and the traditional urban playgrounds that have built this series into something beloved. I hope the development team is rewarded for the inherent risk that they took with this undertaking.

Eurogamer - Malindy Hetfeld - No Recommendation / Blank

Like A Dragon pulls off an impressive JRPG makeover while simultaneously taking on all the flaws of the genre.

Everyeye.it - Giuseppe Carrabba - Italian - 8.5 / 10

Like a Dragon is the story of a carp that turns into a dragon, of a gang of scapegoats who decide to defy the established order and come to the head of a desperate situation. Ichiban Kasuga is an individual far from dojima's stoic and serious Dragon but has an equally kind soul and crackling personality, which makes him - along with his strange clique - the symbol of Yakuza's rebirth. A rebirth that passes through a fun and enjoyable but also improveable role-making formula. With this seventh chapter, in other words, the Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has shown us the potential of what would seem to be his idea for the future of the series, which with the advent of next-gen consoles could give us great surprises.

GAMEtainment - Dennis Röger - German - 8.7 / 10

Yakuza: Like a Dragon has made the leap into the RPG genre with flying colors. The story is kept exciting and you can't stop following Ichiban's vendetta.
The abundance of side tasks can be a bit overwhelming for the player at the beginning. But once you have played the game for a few hours, you know the most important points in the city. Time passes very quickly when playing darts or karting. By no means you need to believe that these actions are a waste of time. You get personality points which finally strengthen the fighting actions.
The fights bring a breath of fresh air to the row and put a smile on the players' faces. Through the different creative classes you attack the opponents with pigeons or wrestling moves instead of casting disdainful fireballs. Unfortunately, the invisible AoE range of abilities spoils the fun of the game. Also the unusually long races until a comrade reaches the enemy seem strange. A timeline showing the next actors would have been helpful too.
If you like the Yakuza series and are open for new things, you definitely have to go for Yakuza: Like a Dragon.

Game Informer - Jeff Cork - 9.3 / 10

It's a new direction for the series, but Like a Dragon captures the essence of what came before while setting out on its own journey.

Game Revolution - Jason Faulkner - 4.5 / 5 stars

Yakuza fans were anxious about whether the series would survive without the glue of Kiryu Kazama to hold it together. However, Ichiban Kasuga is a worthy successor to the Dragon of Dojima, and Like a Dragon is a great new start for this fantastic series that will please long-time Yakuza fans and newcomers alike.

GameMAG - Russian - 9 / 10

You should look at Yakuza: Like a Dragon through the lens of it's protaginist. This game is unapologetically brash, unmistakable bold, life-affirming and insanely charismatic. The legend of Ichiban Kasuga journey, like a bright flame, tells us one familliar, but sweet and romantic idea - each and every one of us can become a true Hero, even if you have to fight the fate itself, while making your way through hundrends upon hundreds of random encounters.

GameSkinny - RobotsFightingDinosaurs - 10 / 10 stars

Yakuza: Like A Dragon isn't just a great Yakuza title - it's legitimately one of the best modern role-playing games there is.

GameSpew - Richard Seagrave - 8 / 10

Ultimately, despite all the changes that have been made, Yakuza: Like a Dragon feels very much like a Yakuza game. The combat may now be turn-based, and the scenery might be different, but this is still a game full of drama, thrilling battles, and a huge amount of side content, all smothered with an ample amount of humour. And I never thought I’d say this, but I didn’t miss Kazuma Kiryu one jot while playing it; Ichiban Kasuga is simply a more likeable fellow with more depth. So, if you like the Yakuza series, consider Yakuza: Like a Dragon a must-have.

GameSpot - Michael Higham - 9 / 10

Yakuza: Like a Dragon's cast of misfits makes the wild RPG combat, absurd humor, and dramatic storytelling soar.

GameWatcher - Gavin Herman - 9.5 / 10

Yakuza: Like a Dragon reminded me why I loved video games to begin with. I cannot think of a game this year that has gripped me this tightly and didn't let go. Here comes a game brimming with joy and excitement that is earnest with its drama and comedy. It's the sort of game you can gush about for hours, and I will long after this review is published. Anyone who loves RPGs, open world games, comedies, crime dramas, and games PERIOD should have a lot of fun with the newest Yakuza.

Gameblog - Romain Mahut - French - 9 / 10

As the Yakuza franchise is still trying to become a household franchise in the West, the Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio decided to flip the switch and create a turn-based RPG. The result of that experiment, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, is a resounding success. The "dynamic RPG" gameplay fits the Yakuza universe and tropes like a glove and its mechanics are surprisingly deep. And the fact that the game's new characters are lovable doesn't hurt. The turn-based gameplay will probably put off some gamers but Yakuza: Like a Dragon truly deserves a shot. The Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio made the JRPG genre proud.

GamesRadar+ - Hirun Cryer - 4.5 / 5 stars

Yakuza: Like a Dragon impressively pulls off the switch to an RPG in style, providing an excellent combat system supported by loveable characters, and a tantalising main storyline with meaningful side quests.

GamingBolt - Pramath - 9 / 10

Yakuza is reborn in this brilliant and compelling new addition to series canon that recontextualizes series tropes and mechanics for an entirely new genre, delivering one of the best outings the series has ever seen.

GamingTrend - David Flynn - 95 / 100

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has topped themselves once again with Yakuza: Like a Dragon! This new take on Yakuza brings a lot of fun, new ideas to the table while remaining its heartfelt self. Turn based combat is somehow a perfect fit for this new direction, the characters are all instantly loveable, and the story is endearingly melodramatic.

Generación Xbox - Adrian - Spanish - 9 / 10

Yakuza: Like A Dragon is a great turn-based RPG that will keep you hooked on the screen for many hours. One of the best games of the genre on Xbox.

God is a Geek - Chris White - 9.5 / 10

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a phenomenal entry into the Yakuza franchise, with an interesting new protagonist, a compelling story, and a combat system that constantly mixes things up.

Heavy - Elton Jones - 8.8 / 10

Yakuza: Like a Dragon largely succeeds at moving the series forward in a bold new direction. Kasuga and his band of unlikely heroes are incredibly interesting and make it so easy to care about their crazy antics. The new main locale is massive and plays host to so many compelling things to do. Getting wrapped up in everything Like a Dragon has to offer is worth it and you’ll easily pour 30+ hours into its captivating tale. The turn-based battle system works in parts, but its annoying character placement issues and faulty summons system keep it from being a total victory. Like a Dragon is still worth hopping into if you’re looking for an amazing parody of RPG tropes, however. It’s a Yakuza sequel that signals a bright future ahead for the beloved franchise.

Hey Poor Player - Francis DiPersio - 4.5 / 5

No doubt about it, SEGA took some considerable risks when they decided to change their established formula so radically for Yakuza: Like A Dragon. But in the end, I think the gamble paid off. Ryū ga Gotoku Studio's latest offering may not pack the punchy, moment to moment gameplay of its predecessors. Still, it makes up for that with its more in-depth brawls, an engaging job system, and a story that focuses not just on a single protagonist, but on several compelling heroes with their own complex motivations. While beat-'em-up fanatics may find this change in direction blasphemous, I couldn't be happier. If you're a Yakuza fan who loves JRPGs, adding this underworld epic to your PS4 library is a no-brainer.

Hobby Consolas - Rafael Aznar - Spanish - 90 / 100

It keeps the great narrative and setting from the Yakuza series, using a new protagonist, a city that has more life than even Kamurocho and turn-based combats. It suffers from some of the classical troubles of the J-RPG, but it is a breath of fresh air and a great example of how to reinvent a franchise.

IGN - Tristan Ogilvie - 7 / 10

Yakuza: Like a Dragon takes some bold steps in a new direction for the series but neglects to maintain its balance.

IGN Italy - Biagio Etna - Italian - 9.1 / 10

An extraordinary and courageous restart for the new Sega title, an extraordinary JRPG that lays the foundations for even more prosperous growth.

IGN Spain - Álex Pareja - Spanish - 8.5 / 10

Yakuza Like a Dragon is a real and huge JRPG who knows how to maintain the essence of the saga. Fun fighting system and deep script with too many ups and downs to justify the new playable elements. I hope this new formula that works and gives new wings to the franchise will be repeated.

Inverse - Jen Glennon - 9 / 10

Like a Dragon is right up there with Yakuza 0 in terms of sheer fun-factor and an almost dizzying abundance of stuff to see and do.

Metro GameCentral - Nick Gillett - 7 / 10

The turn-based battles don't fully convince but the new protagonist and bizarre mini-games still feel distinctively and entertainingly Yakuza.

Noisy Pixel - Azario Lopez - 9 / 10

Yakuza: Like a Dragon makes for an excellent new entry in this long-running series. The developers took a chance on a new protagonist and battle system, which forces fans out of their comfort zone for a very different yet, familiar Yakuza experience. Although the opening exposition can be a bit overwhelming, this is a standout video game on its own with plenty of emotional story beats, insane sub-stories, and plenty of ways to spend your time around Ijincho.

PC Gamer - Andy Kelly - 72 / 100

A fun, charming, and occasionally brilliant Yakuza game, let down by an overabundance of repetitive turn-based battles.

PCGamesN - Ian Boudreau - 9 / 10

An utterly charming yarn about friendship and kindness that breathes gritty modern life into the quaint JRPG format of classic Dragon Quest.

Pixel Arts - Arman Akbari - Persian - 8.5 / 10

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a very good sequel to the popular Yakuza series which shows that Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios still manages to create a great story and narrative. The game's turn-based battles are good in themselves, but due to the extreme use of enemies in the environment, they soon became repetition.

PlayStation Universe - Joe Apsey - 8.5 / 10

Yakuza: Like A Dragon is an impressive and quality JRPG that successfully acts as a jumping in-point for new fans and also ties itself to the series' past in exciting and engaging ways. The turn-based combat has been infused with some mechanics that help retain the action and over-the-top hilarity the series is known for. Mini-games once again shine and there is a lot packed into Ijincho. Like A Dragon paves the way for a bright future for the franchise.

Player2.net.au - Stephen del Prado - A or higher

It was a gamble on Sega’s part to make such major changes to a tried and true formula, even more bewildering given its recent meteoric rise in Western markets. If Yakuza: Like A Dragon proves anything, it’s that fortune does indeed favour the bold.

Polygon - Kazuma Hashimoto - Unscored

Like a Dragon's story attempts to touch on certain social issues that are relevant in present-day Japan, such as classism, social status, sex work, and government corruption on a prefectural level. However, the writing often lacks the nuance or range to address the topics at hand, and doesn't give any of them adequate room to breathe. The second half of the game gains some measure of focus as plot threads tie together and result in genuinely surprising twists, but when Like a Dragon drops the ball, it drops it hard. Despite this, the Japanese cast's performances sell the story with evocative deliveries that breathe life into the characters. The finale is an emotional one that brought me to tears and moved me, just as most previous Yakuza games have.

PowerUp! - Greg Newbegin - 9 / 10

Yakuza: Like a Dragon, when all of its pieces are taken together, is not only a fantastic new direction for the series, it's also one of its best titles.

Press Start - Kieron Verbrugge - 9 / 10

Yakuza Like a Dragon is both a fresh start and a shot in the arm that caters to series veterans and newcomers like. It bears all the hallmarks of a great Yakuza game, while making a damned good case for its revamped battle system. After Yakuza 6 topped the rest of the franchise with a matured and succinct focus it feels even more exciting to see the whole thing blown wide open again and have Ryu ga Gotoku just run wild. Kudos is deserved at Sega of America for their commitment to the game's localization as well, which is incredibly considered and comprehensive. I think I've found a new favourite Yakuza game.

RPG Site - 7 / 10

With a new battle system and new main character, Yakuza: Like A Dragon aims to be a new entry point to Yakuza newcomers even though it is anything but that.

Rocket Chainsaw - Adam Ghiggino - 4.5 / 5 stars

So, the takeaway is this – Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a successful experiment. So successful that I think it should be the template for much of the series going forward.

Saudi Gamer - Essam Al-Shahwan - Arabic - 9 / 10

A brilliant reinvention of the series that still manages to faithfully capture its essence, with an eclectic cast of characters, the star being Ichiban himself. A great entry that goes toe-to-toe with Yakuza 0.

Shacknews - Donovan Erskine - 8 / 10

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a successful pivot from traditional Yakuza mainstays. The game goes heavy on style, while still packing in enough substance to keep players satisfied. The party system and new RPG elements give players more ways to play than ever before. The turn-based combat is solid, and never feels too foreign. Longtime fans of the franchise will appreciate what Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and SEGA have to offer in Yakuza: Like a Dragon.

Siliconera - Graham Russell - 9 / 10

Much like Kasuga’s dragonfish tattoo feels like a quirky but faithful successor to Kiryu’s dragon, Yakuza: Like a Dragon rebuilds the franchise by leaving a lot of it in place. The new protagonist doesn’t feel like he has seven games of story in him, but his eagerness to join the fray could carry the next few entries.

Stevivor - Matt Gosper - 8 / 10

After the culture shock of such a total change to the Yakuza recipe, I’m extremely glad the Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio team took such a big leap when Kiryu’s tale came to an end. Like A Dragon is a revitalised game full of fresh ideas and proves that the series won’t be re-treading the same ground with Ichiban in the driver’s seat. If this is the first step into the new age of Yakuza, I can’t wait to see how bonkers the next game will be.

TechRaptor - Robert Scarpinito - 8 / 10

Yakuza: Like a Dragon refreshes the action with a turn-based JRPG that retains its charming identity, but it falls into some pitfalls that are emblematic of the genre.

The Games Machine - Danilo Dellafrana - Italian - 8.2 / 10

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is an interesting new entry into the criminal universe created by SEGA, and undoubtedly represents the most courageous and anarchic chapter so far. It's not entirely convincing, but what works bodes well for the future of the series.

TheSixthAxis - Thomas Hughes - Unscored

Yakuza Like a Dragon is an enjoyable new twist on the series, although it's not hard to imagine that many long-time fans of the series will be put off by its slow pace. In a day and age where video game companies rarely take risks, Like a Dragon is a refreshing change of pace for a series that risked starting to feel stale.

TrustedReviews - Jade King - 4.5 / 5 stars

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a triumph, and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio should be commended for redefining such a seasoned franchise, despite the backlash it might have received. Leaving Kazuma Kiryu behind hasn't been easy, but Ichiban Kasuga and company have crafted a compelling path into the future that I cannot wait to see continue.

VideoGamer - Josh Wise - 9 / 10

This is the crux of Yakuza: Like a Dragon. It is fascinated by the way that games lurk at the soft verges of life, vesting our days with dreams.

Wccftech - Kai Powell - 9.1 / 10

The mean streets of Yokohama offer the opportunity for a new cast, a new suit, and a new hero. Ichiban Kasuga might not be the role model in the same way that Kiryu-chan was, but this dragon's quest might be the most fun Yakuza title to date!

Windows Central - Zackery Cuevas - 5 / 5 stars

Yakuza: Like a Dragon feels like everything I ever wanted in a game. Once the game stomps on the gas, it very rarely slows down. Its unique cast of characters and gameplay had me hooked and wanting more, and it almost feels like it never stops giving. Even after the story ends at the 45+ hour mark, I was ready to fight more, complete more side missions, and squeeze out every drop of gameplay that this game has to offer.

ZTGD - Ken McKown - 9 / 10

The Yakuza series continues to grow and expand in the gaming world. I love its quirky humor and deep narratives. This new entry begins a new saga and I cannot wait to see how the story of Ichi evolves over time. If it is even half as good as Kiryu’s the studio will have another series of great games on its hands. Everything about this title feels good and for those worried about having previous knowledge, don’t be concerned. Like a Dragon is a wonderful jumping in point for the series and also one of the best titles in it to date. Don’t sleep on this game, it is worth digging into.

Jingu: Bad Villain, or is there more to him?

This is a pretty long post, just to let you know going into it.
So I've done a couple of these reviews/character study's of characters from Yakuza, but they've (Shindo and Hayashi) have had small roles in their respective games. Plus, they've had generally positive reception by fans. But Jingu is widely regarded as one of the worst villains in Yakuza by many, for good reasons. No matter what you think of him, the fact that his first actual appearance is in the last chapter in the game is objectively terrible. There's traditional twist villains, and then there's just introducing the villain in one of the last scenes in the game. But I've grown on Jingu. Less so because of the character himself, more because of what he represents. With the fluff out of the way, let's talk about Jingu.
Let's get one thing out of the way. This isn't me saying that there's a bunch of layers to Jingu's character. In fact, he and Lao Gui from 0 might truly be the only 100% pure evil characters in the series. And you know what? That's fine. Hell, it's kinda telling that even among fierce, ruthless Yakuza like Shimano and Nishiki, the politician is the most evil of the bunch. Don't judge a book by it's cover I guess. Not saying that Shimano, Nishiki, or anyone in the Yakuza are saints (though for some, it's usually a grey area), but Jingu works as this contrast from what we've seen before.
When talking about Jingu, we got to ask: Does he work as a twist? To which I'll answer: Kinda. Like, the player that questions a lot about story details will get relatively satisfied with Jingu. The father of Haruka is something I'm sure most would be curious about. And the fact that the 10 billion yen ties back to him is kinda neat. Plus, throughout the game there's been various hints that there's more at play then just Yakuza. Let's go through his involvement in the game first.
He's first introduced to us in chapter 12... of 13. Already not a good start. Kazama tells us his backstory. He met up with Yumi after she lost her memory, and they had Haruka. Jingu had lot's of ambitions, and chairman Sera helped him whenever he could. But he got a proposal to marry the daughter of the prime minister, and he just couldn't resist all that power he'd have. But of course, he got caught up in a scandal. A journalist tried to blackmail him using Yumi and Haruka, so Jingu just offed him. At this stage in the game, he didn't want to lose his position, that's all he cared about. He called Sera to help him, and requested to have Yumi and Haruka taken out as well, so this event didn't repeat. Of course, that didn't happen. Jingu is the reason the fake identity "Mizuki" was created. And this is where we learn the 10 billion was Jingu's money. Before we learn more, Shimano does his thing.
His next appearance is in the last chapter, to take back the 10 billion from Yumi. And he's bringing MIA to finish the job. He establishes himself as emotionless evil bad guy by attempting to take Haruka's life without a second thought. Like I said, Yumi and Haruka to him are just getting in the way of his success at this point. He does say that what he does is for the good of the country, but I doubt he actually cares about it. Jingu has his own vision of what the country should look like, and that's about all care he shows. Man's on a power trip, and he wants more of it. He also shows himself to be a backstabber, switching sides from Tojo to Omi. Jingu is incredibly ambitious, as he wants to control both politics and organized crime in Japan. He also approached Nishiki about this, and basically put all the terrible ideas in his head, knowing he too practically lived to rise to the top. Kiryu also helped him out considerably, obviously unintentionally. Kiryu tries to shut this down by revealing that Sera knew of Jingu's betrayal, and shows him that Kiryu is the next Tojo chairman.
After beating some MIA, Date and Sudo show up, and attempt to arrest Jingu. The charges are bribery and illegal firearm's. Jingu proves he's innocent by shooting at the chopper. Smart. Jingu realizes the only way out of this for him is to kill everyone, but Kiryu just casually beats down both him and ALL of the MIA members with him (with some badass music to go with it, "The Wicked" is such a great track for Kiwami). Jingu's last scene is after the fight with Nishiki. The 10 billion yen vault is open, but Jingu suddenly shows up and shoots Kiryu in the leg, as well as fatally shooting Yumi. Before Jingu finishes them off, Nishiki comes in for his final save, stabs Jingu, and shoots the bomb, which of course sends the money flying. And that's the end of both Nishiki and Jingu (though I don't believe we ever see their body's, but come on, they're dead).
So role in game wise, yeah. Jingu kinda sucked. Just shows up in the last chapter and reveals to be the mastermind behind everything. In a way, he also undervalues just about every one of Nishiki's actions too. But looking at it a bit more, there's a lot of symbolism with Jingu. We'll get the obvious ones out of the way. His fight takes place on top of the millennium tower. He's a politician, he's practically got the world in his hands. Obviously, he's top of the world. And like I said before, the guy who's not even Yakuza is one of the most evil bastards in the series, which line up with the themes this series often shows.
But then there's more of the subtle things. How he's a parallel to Nishiki. Both want to rise to the top, and both eventually do. However, Nishiki went through hell and back to do it. It took him everything, and he lost himself completely, but HE did it. Jingu? Dude didn't earn shit. He married the prime ministers daughter, now he's got power. There's the obvious similarity in that both are the main antagonists. And how Jingu represents what Nishiki is becoming. We never get to see it, but Yumi brings up how Jingu wasn't always this power hungry murderer, but he eventually became it. He sold his soul to change his fate, and it turned him into this. Which is exactly what Nishiki did once his sister died. The extra cutscenes in Kiwami show this well too. To Nishiki, he had nothing left, so he worked his way to the top, and fully intends to go as high as possible. So when he see's Jingu with a gun to Kiryu's head. It's like looking in a mirror. He realizes what a monster he's turned into. That's partially why he stabs him, why he blows up the money (and himself plus Jingu), why he saves Kiryu and Haruka.

So in conclusion: is Jingu a bad villain? At face value, absolutely, no contest. But looking at him at another angle, there's a bit to consider. He especially puts a deeper meaning to Nishiki's character, for one. He's a fairly well done plot twist, and he's entertaining to watch, if nothing else. I made this to see if Jingu was a definitive good or bad villain. And as if the themes of the story itself confronted me, I found that nothings black and white about him, though writing this has made me appreciate him a bit more. Thanks for reading, and sorry for the long post. Have a good day/night, everyone.

Quick start, slow finish [January Report '21]

I: Much studying, little free time (+ quick thoughts on some games)

Hey everyone, hope you had as good a start to the new year as possible. As always, looking forward to reading all of your progress posts for this month. At the start of the month (and in the last week or so of December), I've managed to play "a lot" and beat 4 games, so I thought this might be another double-digit month in regards to completions. Little did I know that most of my days would be spent studying for the exams coming up. Most of my free time I've either spent on my family or on "CS:GO Investing", believe it or not. I did find the time to play a bunch of Slime Rancher with my little brother, some Yakuza 0 alone and some CS:GO, Apex Legends and Elder Scrolls Online. I'll speak a bit about those experiences now and move on to the actual completions in a little bit.

CS:GO: As I said, I've gotten into investing in CS:GO skins and other items, which seems to be a thing that can be done. So most of my time when I did play CS:GO was in order to grind stars to spend on skins (long story) but I did play a few rounds alone and with my brother as well. It's actually a fun game but I'll probably stop playing it once the operation that is currently running ends.
Apex Legends: Only played 2 rounds and I'll probably uninstall it soon. Not a fan of battle royals in general but this one I particularly disliked.
ESO: I'm really in the mood for ES VI but we'll have to wait quite some time for that, so I thought I'd give ESO a try. And while it looks like something that I would have spent 1k+ hours on a decade or so ago, I'm more into single player RPGs and didn't really enjoy my time with this. There is ridiculous amount of content in this but doesn't look like MMOs are for me anymore.

And now onto the usual stuff :D

II: Games I've Quit | 5

Call of Cthulhu
Far Cry 5
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Resident Evil 6
The Witcher

Call of Cthulhu is a game that I've actually tried a few months back, never continued and decided to not bother again at the end of December, which is why I put it here in this report. I didn't play it for more than 30 minutes but I wasn't impressed at all with any of the mechanics and visuals. With time being more limited I'm not going to force myself through this with a bunch of more interesting looking games on my backlog.
Same thing (kind of) goes for Far Cry 5. Played it a while back with a friend but we actually put about 10 to 15 hours into this before never playing again. Easily the worst Far Cry I've played. The story is just absolute garbage and feels so contrived. All antagonists just keep talking and talking and try to say anything meaning- or impactful but end up repeating the same things over and over. And I couldn't count how many times the game knocked you out so you would land in a cutscene with one of them. Poorly paced as well. Gameplay is basically like other Far Cry games but at least those had side characters who had interesting missions once or twice. Going around shooting bulls for a dude who needs eggs for an egg fest (and similar missions) was just dumb I thought. Plus we had a major bug during a main "boss" mission and a bunch of other smaller ones. As always, your mileage may vary.
I wouldn't say Kingdom Come: Deliverance is a bad game at all, it's just that I don't think playing this game for 30+ more hours is something I'm really excited for. If you're into roleplaying games that pays A LOT of attention to detail, you'll love this but I don't think it's for me that much.
Last year, I beat Resident Evil 5 in coop with my brother and we've (re)started playing Resident Evil 6 after dropping it over 5 years (!) ago. We played it for a few hours and thought we'll just grind through while laughing at the (unintentionally) hilarious parts of the game. After a few hours and the Deborah boss fight (which was, without a doubt, the worst kind of boss fight there could ever be in a functioning video game), we checked HowLongToBeat and yeah, suffice to say, we won't go through 20+ hours of this garbage. I guess the shooting is somewhat OK but literally everything else in this game ranges from boring to absolutely cringeworthy, mostly the latter though. I'll try Revelations, which is also in my backlog and I'll definitely play the newer games (2,3,7) but damn, 5 and 6 are terrible games.
I've only played a few hours of The Witcher and the story itself might have pushed me through but it just didn't age very well and instead of pushing through, I'd rather go "straight into" The Witcher 2 (straight into meaning some time this year :D).
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III: Games I’ve Added | 8

Cave Story+
Cyberpunk 2077
Guacamelee! 2
Night in the Woods
Psychonauts
Resident Evil 3
Satellite Reign
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

I've gotten three games via Trade, Guacamelee! 2, Psychonauts and Satellite Reign. I don't know when I'll get to them or if I'll actually finish them but I had more interest in these games than the ones I gave up for 'em.
My brother, the legend, got Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, Resident Evil 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 on PC since my end of year post, all of which I can play through Steam Family Sharing. I don't think I'll get into RE3 for a while. Similarly to how I felt after completing RE5, I need a break from that series after playing the shit show that was RE6. I will however for sure play Wolfenstein II this year. I loved the first game when I played it a few years ago and I don't know how I still haven't gotten into the second game.
As most of you will probably know, Epic gave away 15 free games and out of those, I've added two games to the backlog, which I will count as being added in 2021. These games are Cave Story+ and Night in the Woods. I've also added a few more after that, including Battlefront II, but I won't include those because as of now, I have no interest in them or their single player components.
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IV: Games I've Beaten | 4

A quick overview of all the games I've beaten this month. Reviews are in alphabetical order. (Bold = Game of the Month)

Batman: Arkham City
Mafia: Definitive Edition
The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters
Youropa

Mafia: Definitive Edition

Owned Since: September 30th, 2020
Beaten: December 25th, 2020
Platform: PC
Playtime: 10 hours
While I know next to nothing about the Mafia, I really enjoy playing Mafia themed games, watching Mafia themed movies and reading Mafia themed books from time to time. So I was very excited to hear the news about the Mafia remake, even though I didn't enjoy my experience with the original years ago much. The game didn't age well mostly (obviously) but I also didn't think the story was anything special. In fact, I thought it was just reusing the same tropes in every medium that has to do with the Mafia ever. "It's the Mafia, at the end of the day, so what do you expect?". Right. Nothing wrong with that, you're free to enjoy this game very much of course. I'll just go ahead and explain my thoughts on the story in this review.
To me, the story is the main attraction in anything that is about the Mafia, so I'll briefly go over everything else the game had to offer. I personally liked the new music and voice actors. The VAs especially add a lot to the experience in comparison to the original, though if you're someone who played the original multiple times, having different voices attached to the characters might sound wrong in your ears. Same goes for the music of course.
The graphics look amazing imo and also add much to the experience. This was really a well made remake overall. They've added a lot of mechanics from Mafia 3 (driving, combat...) and it works really well. I don't have a great rig (1060 3GB + i5 6600k) but I've had a consistent 50 FPS with high graphic options. I'd say that's fair.
Now to the story and my main reason for the rating (which is a solid 6 still):
Games as a medium have an advantage over books and movies that this games story, in my eyes, doesn't really take advantage of. Now, the original is 18 years old, so I guess there were limitations to what they were able to do but what I personally would expect out of a good Mafia story doesn't really have anything to do with the technical side.
Books have the advantage of time as well. They are hundreds of pages long and can go very in depth in terms of describing characters, describing scenery and telling stories. Movies, of course , have the advantage of bringing these stories to life on your screen. They are however limited to a few hours at most, so they have to prioritize characters that they want to focus on and develop.
Games have the advantage of combining both the length of books and the visual aspect of movies. This game is 10 hours long, so more than 3x longer than the Godfather. Now, the Godfather is obviously amazing and it wouldn't be fair to compare Mafia to one of the best movies of all time but it's just to demonstrate that games can do something movies can't. And it's a big factor in Mafia themed media in my opinion: They can go in-depth when it comes to connecting the player to the "family" aspect of the Mafia.
You do a bunch of missions with Sam and Paulie, you meet Frank, the consigliere, Don Salieri, Vincent and even the mechanic, Ralphie. So the game has a bunch of interesting characters that you could potentially meet and connect more in-depth with than any movie, apart from the best ones, would allow. Yet, all is just so shallow. There is no depth. After beating it, you know a little bit about Sam (and I mean just a little bit), you know a bit more about Paulie, you hear a couple things about Don Salieri's past but ultimately, I forgot about almost everyone of these characters since playing the original a few years ago and I'm sure I'll forget about them in a couple years from now as well.
The game sets its focus on Morello and the "bad bad guys". This makes sense, as a game is interactive and has to give you reasons to kill people. Unfortunately this means less time is being spent learning more about all the members of your 'family'. You get to share a couple moments with Paulie and Sarah but even those are very few and far between. You never really know about anyone's motivations for joining the Mafia and their pasts apart from a few times where other characters tell anecdotes. But you do get to hear a lot about Morello and his lot.
So yeah, I feel like the game doesn't really manage the balance between scenes with family and enemies. They've even added a few scenes with Sarah, so I guess the devs kinda agree with that sentiment (maybe I'm just reaching).
Regardless, I had my fun with it. The scenes where everyone would meet up and talk about the upcoming mission were very nice and the times where the game would delve a bit deeper into some of the characters were definite highlights. I also will definitely be getting Mafia 4 whenever it releases because even average to below average Mafia stories like this one are fun to experience.
Rating: 6/10

Batman: Arkham City

Owned Since: October 29th, 2016
Beaten: January 1st
Platform: PC
Playtime: 16 hours
This is what happened during the final minutes of me playing this: I was in the middle of playing it and just like that, it was over.
I legit was like "IS THIS IT?". And I still don't know how to feel about it. On the one hand, the ending was sick and even for me, who is not the biggest Batman fan out there, was a very meaningful moment. Batman carrying out Joker's body is the part I'm talking about. At the same time, the final boss fight sucked ass, very much unlike the rest of the game's boss fights (more on them in a bit). I feel like the ending also left a big plot hole by not answering one question: What happened to all the people in Gotham, who were also poisoned by Joker? I know Robin was sent to check the hospitals to see who had the poisoned blood in them but did they ever get the cure? Didn't Joker destroy the vial with the antidote in it? Maybe I've missed something.
The story, other than that question mark that I still have in my head, was solid. I thought the game was going to destroy the sense of urgency a la most open world games these days but, apart from those few hundred riddles by the Riddler and a few side missions, the open world wasn't bloated with a bunch of activities. I don't care for the riddles but the side missions I did were enjoyable.
Speaking of the open world, I definitely prefer Arkham Asylum's smaller space. In both games, you mostly enter specific locations and explore them before moving on to the next one, so all the open world has done is increase the amount of time it takes to move from A to B for me. It also wasn't as smooth to glide through the city as in 2018's Spider-Man game for example, though that one is obviously 7 years younger than Arkham City.
I do think an open world Batman game can be much more enjoyable, though for that 1) gliding has to become smoother, 2) Batmobile must become available, 3) there needs to be more interesting and engaging side activities (Spider-Man did this extremely well) and the outer areas need to be actually utilized in the story. Apart from some parts of the Wonder Tower and a few small fights outside, almost everything I remember took place indoors (which is what I preferred in both Arkham games as I said, this just would make me enjoy an open world experience more).
So I'm intrigued by what Arkham Knight has to offer, though I've already heard countless times how using the Batmobile is a pain. Everything else about the game has the potential to be really enjoyable, so I'm optimistic. Updated graphics obviously help matters as well.
Ah, I mentioned the boss fights at the start, didn't I? I'll end this review with my favorite part about the Arkham games so far: The villains and how they're being utilized. I haven't played a game that does it much better. That's either 1) because the focus isn't on villains like in the Batman series, 2) because their villains suck or 3) they just don't know how to use them properly. I'd put a game like Far Cry 4 in the 3) section. Yes, the game is about exploring Kyrat but the story is also about helping Amita and/or Sabal, two characters I had forgotten even existed until I saw some Far Cry 4 gameplay recently again. Pagan Min is obviously the main event of the story and apart from a handful of cutscenes and a dozen or so phone calls, you don't see him. And I feel like he had so much potential as not only a very interesting antagonist but also as a character you'd talk about for decades when talking about best gaming villains.
(Same goes for Far Cry 3 and Vaas, who you see even less than Pagan Min if I remember correctly. And then you play something like Far Cry 5, where they shove the siblings down your throat with interruptions and never ending monologues. Never seen people who talk so much, yet end up saying nothing at all. So maybe the way Far Cry 3/4 did it was the better way :D)
Anyway, all villains in Batman Arkham City are well presented, they all are enjoyable to fight against (Ra's Al Ghul being my personal highlight) and they all contribute to the story in little and major ways.
So yeah, very good game :D
Rating: 8/10

The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters

Owned Since: September 2nd, 2020
Beaten: December 28th, 2020
Platform: PC
Playtime: 6.5 hours
I won't go so in-depth with this review because I feel like I went a bit crazy with the other two games prior :D.
I didn't play the first game, which might have improved the story experience by a little bit but I had a lot of fun with this game regardless.
It's a Korean horror game, in which you play Mina Park, who's a student and gets trapped in the "shadow realm". In that world, you're being followed by one of your teachers and some other monsters trying to kill you, while you solve puzzles, collect notes and try to get the fuck out of there.
The game has 6 chapters, or 6 different areas rather. In each, you do very similar tasks and have to avoid the monsters by running away and hiding. You can hear your teacher's footsteps when she gets pretty close and they get louder, as she gets closer to you. I loved this. She didn't get close to you constantly (like in Alien: Isolation for example) but every time she did, it was unnerving and kind of scary as well, without being a cheap jump scare or anything.
The auditory horror mechanic - I guess you could it that - is really well done. Next to that, you have to constantly dodge bodies falling from the ceiling, monsters lying on the ground trying to strike you and some venomous plants releasing their toxins when you get near them.
As I said, all 6 chapters play very similar but the gameplay is so fun that I didn't really feel the game being repetitive or at any point boring. I'd even go so far as to say that this is the best horror game I've played so far, only rivaled by the first Outlast game and probably something like the older Silent Hill games, of which I have very little memories left, though.
The story is OK. It's nothing worth talking about much but for a horror game, it'll do. The real deal in this game is its gameplay and horror elements, so if you're looking for one to play, give it a shot. Or at least think about it when looking for games to play in October.
Rating: 7/10

Youropa

Owned Since: September 2nd, 2020
Beaten: December 30th, 2020
Platform: PC
Playtime: 10 hours
I've beaten this "in coop" with my little brother. By coop I mean that I had the controller mostly but I let him have a try for a few hours as well. He'd mostly just goof around but he also surprisingly solved a few puzzles on his own. He's 3 years old, mind you.
And if you have a child or a sibling at a similar age, I'd definitely recommend this game. There are 2 kinds of monsters, both of which my brother just laughed at, but other kids might possibly get a little scared by them.
Youropa is a puzzle platformer and what makes it unique is that you can actually stick on a pathway, so that you can actually stand upside down. This is a key mechanic used for most puzzles and it's implemented really well. The game somehow manages to make these puzzles easy enough that a 3 year old can solve some of them, yet be difficult enough at times to even make me think harder in order to solve them.
You start by not being able to do anything but walk and with every completed section, you learn how to jump, kick, sprint and more. My brother's eyes would open wide whenever we'd get a new skill and he'd immediately grab the controller to try it out. Some levels even add unique items that you can use (pogo sticks, motorcycles, cars) to do puzzles, which my brother also had A TON of fun doing. There are a lot of other cool things to do and the game manages to really keep fresh for the entire playthrough.
I don't know how I've never heard of it but this is another game I can wholeheartedly recommend, even to anyone without a young child/sibling, if you're into puzzle platformers.
Rating: 7.5/10
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V: Currently Playing

Yakuza 0: Probably only put about 5-6 hours into this in January but I'm sure once I get done with my exams, I'll play it for a lot more. I've played for 2 hours or so today and just got into Chapter 6 after about 35 hours total. It's an insane game but one of those that I want more free time for to enjoy with more of a "relaxed mind".
Cyberpunk 2077: Abandoned it after 8 hours or so because I recognize there are a lot of bugs still, features missing and poor optimization. Do I think all of these things will be fixed with that big February patch? No but I'll definitely delay playing this any longer because 1) I'm busy anyway and 2) I'd like a more clean first experience. The parts I did play however were very promising, especially any main story scene with some of the characters. The presentation in those is top notch and the atmosphere in general, apart from braindead NPCs, is insane.
Slime Rancher: Just got to a door that needs a bunch of plorts to open and we also opened up the lab, so progress. It's a neat game and my brother loves it but I doubt I'd play it on my own.

Playstation 4

Horizon Zero Dawn: At the start of January I had a crazy open world game itch, so I started HZD form the beginning for the fourth time or so. I'll give it more time after exams but I'm not feeling it so far. The world is unique, yes but gameplay doesn't seem that great after 5 hours or so (or about 15 hours after 4 restarts). The story might go somewhere and will be the main thing that decides whether I'll finish this or not but based on gameplay I doubt this will be that much different to something like Far Cry 4 in terms of repetitiveness. Also the side missions so far have sucked, so I'm hoping those improve as well. And I feel like Aloy's voice actress, who's very accomplished for a good reason, is overacting soo much in so many scenes. It just feels unnatural.

Xbox One

Assassins Creed: Origins: As I said, I was really in the mood for open world games, especially for the newer AC games for some reason, so I restarted this and got about a dozen hours into it. I have to say, Ubisoft has done an amazing job with this game. Apart from the same thing that hurts all Ubi open world games (repetitive side content), and the world being way too large, the attention to detail here is commendable. Bayek is an interesting protagonist with an intriguing backstory and someone who's revenge story I really like following. The voice acting of Bayek is also amazing. Especially in the assassination scenes, where you can feel all the emotions that were boiling inside of him just spilling out. I also like how some side objectives actually deepen Bayek's relationship to characters further. A lot of characters are forgettable after the fact but it helps establish Bayek's place in this world and what he means to the people around him. So far I've enjoyed doing most of the side objectives as well. Though that might change after another 10+ hours or so because they are mostly the same after all. But I'm really positively surprised by how much effort went into this. It's also the first time that I'm not cringing at the dialogue in an AC game 9/10 times.

Nintendo Switch

Nothing: Nintendo games just cost way too much, man.

------------------

VI: 12in12 original list | 2/12 completed

Assassins Creed: Brotherhood
Batman Arkham City | COMPLETED
Cyberpunk 2077
F.E.A.R.
Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth
Layers of Fear 2
Mafia: Definitive Edition | COMPLETED
Metro 2033
Observer
Persona 5
Transistor
Yakuza 0

I'm determined to beat these 12 this year. Yakuza 0 will be done in a month or two and I'm interested in playing another horror game, so something like Layers of Fear 2 might be done next month as well.
------------------

VII: My Stats

Games Added: 8
Total Price: 0 €
Games Removed: 5
Games Finished: 4
Games Left in the Backlog: 85

0 € paid for those games thanks to all the freebies + having a brother who's buying a lot on Steam. Not bad. Though when I'll get to any of these I have no idea.
Hope you enjoyed reading my post. Best of luck to you all for next month :)

Mr Libido's: The true heroes of Yakuza 0.

There will also be FULL spoilers for Yakuza Kiwami in this character analysis, so beware if you haven't played that/1.
During your playthrough with Majima in chapter 3, you'll be tasked with scouting out Odyssey, a rival cabaret club. Majima goes into it not expecting any surprises. You look around, and Majima comments on many things in the club. Surely this information will be integral in beating Odyssey in the Cabaret competition. Then, Majima looks to the left of the club, and sees the sight of his life. A man in nothing but his underwear, in the back of the club, for all to see. Not to mention preforming a dance, which is integral to Majima's character, we'll see how later. Majima is reasonably thrown off guard, but there's nothing else to the first encounter of this beautiful man. Most players will assume this is just Yakuza doing it's thing; Surely this character won't come back.
But then, Yakuza 0 throws you for a loop. In chapter 4, Majima goes to a telephone club find more info about one Makoto Makimura. He's found someone who might share him info. Ready to go on the date, Majima is instead interrupted by, you guessed it, Mr. Libido. This "walking erection" has no shame, and assumes Majima to have come to the telephone club to slay his dragon. Majima naturally says that there's more to it then that. Mr. Libido (actual name Habu, who I'll be calling as such for the rest of the analysis.) doesn't really care, but thinks that he and Majima are in the same boat. He claims his libido is legendary, and he needs to take care of it multiple times per day. He asks if Majima has any recommendations for girls, and that they can trade info. Majima refuses, but Habu let's him know he'll be around if he changes his mind.
For some, this was the last time they ever encountered Habu, and just chalked him up as a weird character. Maybe he's an easter egg or something. But rest assured, this is far from his last appearance. If you go out of your way to view good ol softcore porn, you'll not only gain a wholesome friendship with the worker there, but also run into Habu once more. He's glad he was right about Majima; Just as much of a horny man as he is. Majima again denies his accusations, but it's clear he had ulterior motives. Habu is certain Majima's five knuckle shuffle is still to come. And gets so excited, that he... Presumably nuts right then and there. But the man is already raring to go not 10 seconds later. He goes to pursue other girls, and leaves Majima to himself.
It's important to state that you have to go out of your way to meet Habu. He ONLY shows up if you watch a variety of erotic videos. Ultimately 15 are required to view to finish the friendship arc. This is important because the more videos you watch, the more Majima let's loose, the more he let's go of the shackles holding him back. We'll continue through more of the questline before we talk more about the many hidden layers of this arc of Majima's.
We see this during the many info exchanges between the two lustful lads. The more that gets shared, the more we see a bond forming between Habu and Majima. He even openly admits that after all that he's going through, this place is relaxing. No doubt part of it is because of Habu, who proves to be one of the greatest friends Majima ever had. It also contributes to Majima's transformation. If Nishitani represents the crazy side of Majima, then Habu represents the side that let's loose, that ultimately doesn't care about what others think of him. We even see this with Habu's dance. This is the first thing you see him doing in Odyssey, and Majima inherited it for himself, as players can see during the Disiple of the New Order sidequest, as well as during points of the Majima Everywhere encounters. For all intents and purposes, Habu is as much of Majima in the future as Nishitani is.
But of course, not all substories can be sunshine and rainbows, as we see this friendship event take a dark turn. Majima encounters Habu, who reveals that he's been cutting back on clubs, and now he can't get "it" up. He insists that an energy drink he frequently has will solve everything. Though Majima worries that a drink of that magnitude could make things worse, and even kill him. But Habu has nothing left to lose. Majima gets him the drink, and of course, Habu is perfectly fine after that. He laments how he's seen just about every girl in Sotenbori , but Majima reminds him to just see his favourites. The quest ends on a lighter note, with Habu and Majima closer then ever.
And that's it. All in all, Habu is a wonderful character of deep intricacies, who is a perfect representation of what Majima will beco-
Oh, yeah. Kamurocho has a Mr. Libido too.
So Kiryu's just walking around one day, no doubt contemplating if it was a good idea to buy a sophisticated lad porn magazines, when he comes across a strange bald man, asking for telephone cards. The man has a unique power where if he sees a mere photo of a woman, he gets to see absolutely everything. He reveals his name to be Akimoto (not to be confused with domestic accident waiting to happen Akimoto from various substories throughout the series), and tells Kiryu to see him if he has anything to show. Until then, he'll be "wrecking the weasel". It's never clear whether Akimoto and Habu are related, though it's assumed that they are, sharing the balding hair, and the near endless stamina and love for all things women. Perhaps it's genetic. Wonder what their fathers like. Anyway, we see how much more subdued Akimoto is compared to Habu. Not to say that he's polite and respectful, but he certainly goes to much less extents then his brother from possibly the same mother (I mean, at least Akimoto wears clothes) Much like Kiryu is a naturally subdued person. Again, the libidos symbolize what are protagonists are, or will become. In that regard, they're wonderful.
Admittedly this substory is much more out of character for Kiryu. I don't really see our never killing friend picking up cards and showing them to Akimoto. Nevertheless, throughout the quest we see more of Akimoto's powers in action, which impresses Kiryu, and no doubt makes the player jealous. The next time we see him he reveals he even sees through the pixels that censor it. During his next encounter, he reveals he wants to stop looking at cards altogether, and let his mind do all the work.
This however, does not have a happy ending. Like Habu, Akimoto lost the ability to finish the job. He can get it up just fine, but he theorizes that his imagined girls are so much better then reality, that he can't have that sweet release. And whenever he so much as blinks, he sees them. I'd wager it's a sadder tale then Habu's, and I'm not scared to admit this scene had me in tears. Kiryu takes the time out of his life to find the girl of Akimoto's dreams. He goes to the Okama bar (the one place Akimoto probably hasn't gone to), and gets Akimoto to visit the Mama there.
Akimoto does so, and all is well in the world. Akimoto can finally be content with girls that aren't in his head. Like Habu, Akimoto develops a bond with the protagonist not unlike a bond of Kyodais. Akimoto is more then glad to have met Kiryu, and the two go their separate ways, though no doubt we'll see these two beautiful bastards in a sequel. All in all, the Mr Libido's are a masterclass of storytelling, and symbolize perfectly what these two characters become/already are. And that's everything. Sorry for the long post, and I hope you enjoyed me talking absolute nonsense for a long time.

Why is yakuza 3´s combat system so boring?

Came to criticize/complain after completing the game. (Switch)

My save file says that my play time is 96h, activity log says +125 hours. Now I have to say that i bought the game like 1-2 years ago(?) and back then i only played about 7-9 hours and stopped. Around last December i wanted to play something and i found this and decided to play it. I feel weird saying this after +100h that i felt that half of the story and over third of the game was missing if that makes any sense.
Before I start Let me say couple things. I enjoyed the combat for most part. Early game: liked a lot. mid game I really enjoyed it. Options opened up and game was still fresh. second party run was too easy even with all restrictions.advanced Shrines were dissapointing because 2 are absolute jokes with dancer Divine+ reflect. Warmaster was fun(I banned using all advanced classes until I beat all shrines) I really enjoyed Managarmr and Galdera.
First mistake this game does is that it locks the starting character to your party until you complete his/her story. This only limits possibilities and brings nothing to the table. Especially in this job based game that wants you to experience it in the order you want. Knowing this from experience 1-2 years ago i decided to make two teams and play their stories separately. Main team is H'aanit(starting char.), Primrose, Ophilia and Olberic. And also when I found Purple chest I would go get Therion.(lot of back and forth)
I banned BP items and i didn't steal or buy any equipment/items until completing "main party" stories. On secondary team I also banned all high level(relative to current lvl) gear (against story enemies/bosses)and only main class support skills allowed(main party had only main and subclass support skills, exceptions were Ophilia had second wind(3rd dancer) and H'aanit Inspiration(1st Apothecary).
MENUS/UI
This is something I almost always complain about in these kind of games: maps. Why can't I make notes, put pictures with screen capture or just color mark things? Even the last thing would've made things better. Even something simple like able to make location marks different colors would help. Red for still dangerous/not explored, purple for locked chest etc. But no I have to make notes about location levels and hopefully remember to check them.
I totally "missed" bunch of elite monsters(relatively low health "boss" encounters in caves etc). "Missed" I mean i missed them when they were level appropriate and not me going to just stomp them. Having ability to lower your level like in Xenoblade chronicles DE would've helped. Minor but honestly it would make different challenge runs against Galdera possible when you don't have to worry about overleveling.(if you want to grind job levels or something)
equipment menu... why isn't the right side menu(where you see what weapons are in your inventory) always visible?And while we are at it, why are the equipment/item details under what you choose? In inventory there's extra space on bottom of the screen and in equipment the could show it in the space between the equipment and the "equipped" space. Having details location change depending where your cursor points is pretty annoying and also makes scrolling through items pain in the ass while checking descriptions. Yes they probably made One thing that works for all menus and combat but it really isn't great on any of them. Also sell only items should have dedicated icon and category but some items like Red Apple(Grants full BP to a Single ally.) share the same icon.
Why doesn't Support skills become visible for all character when one character has that skill in the jobs menu? When they also have the marker if the character actually has it.. very minor but something that they could easily improve.
Ability to Make Loadouts for support skills. Honestly not required for most of the game. experimenting/swapping jobs would be more pleasant when you don't have to start from scratch towards end of the game.
The Translation and item descriptions .I don't remember really any problems when it came to the story (not story related but why is the octopus boss called leviathan?)but the item descriptions and Support skills really do suck from time to time. Werner's sword just doesn't mention that it has hard coded chance to miss even broken enemies. When It comes to Support skills I think the descriptions should've assumed that It only affects the character and mention separately when it affects whole team(exp/job boost example.) and also actually tell what the skill does precisely Vim and Vigor. Regenerate 10% health per turn. Also use same terms so i don't have to pointlessly experiment. Game uses Augment,enhance and increase stat but mean same thing (a stat buff) Stronger Strikes could mention that It does nothing if enemy if broken and the list goes on. Now yes there is probably someone who has made document about what exactly every support skill does but it won't fix the game. Also like to experience the game without looking stuff up because you generally can only experience it once.
Now finally the stats. No descriptions on them. Now yes they are easy to understand but I have a problem with Accuracy, critical and Evasion. attacks and defs are straightforward so is speed(Pretty sure there is some random multiplier going on there). But the 3 stats are a question mark not because what they do but for example what is difference between 100 Evasion and 268? does evasion get compared to opponents accuracy? And what about critical? Does 999 always crit? Because of this I pretty much ignored evasion,critical and missing was so rare that acc didn't really matter.
STORY
Now finally I'm going to mention the story. OT story is like cliff notes version. Stories are short and don't have enough time to establish characters or go more in depth into concepts they give. I liked lot of the lore that i saw but it started to feel like my imagination was doing most of the work. For example the image i had of Riverford (before Olberic CH.4)definitely would not get into the 12+ game. I think that the possible world and lore is more interesting than the stories here. (as far as I can see, this game was put out before the game was fully ready.)
I enjoyed Primroses, Cyrus and H'aanit stories(simple as they were). Meh About Alfyn and Olberic and disliked Ophilia, Tressas and Therion stories Also disliked the secret boss story. Alfyn story "problem" was that Miguel didn't have time to do anything "except" beat up a child. Honestly I think it would've worked better if Alfyn actually failed to save the child. Olberics was generic swordman loses his life's purpose. There's pretty much no easy "fix", all of them would require more details to Erhardt, their time in Hornburg and especially the conflict in Riverford needed more time develope.
Ophilias was generic and the worst part was Liana. "My heavily religious father is dead so I want to revive him by screwing the whole religion by sabotaging important ritual but also using unspeakable powers of Jonathan Cthulhu." of course with more time you could have bunch of bad things happen to her that makes the situation be final blow to break the camels back but that's not it. And she does it willingly, sacrificing people and not caring about anything. I started to think there was something magical persuasion going but that felt like my mind trying to find some explanation.
Tressa just didn't interest me as a character, she acted more like a corpse looter from the gameplay side for me and only interesting thing about her story was the notebook(never get to know any of the entries but i guess it doesn't matter because Tressa gives it away and Esmeralda says so.) I liked Leon but Ali and Tressa made sure that one side character can't save a story also it didn't feel like a "merchant" story for me.
Therion....he felt too edgy for me. (jap voice actor didn't make him easier to like but I was already got used to the rest of the cast)Trust no one(work with no one. but 5 minutes later he joins players group). The whole fool's bangle thing just bothered me because it raised way too many questions. Why can't it be taken off? the lock itself can't be picked? highly doubt it? it's magical? and also in artwork it doesn't really come of as something nobody can remove. on. So I decided to throw my brain in the trashcan and stop thinking about it.
I'm gonna start going into "fantasy" side on how things could be and I will fully ignore how much money, effort and time this would take. Now honestly I think that the character stories should've been fully solo when narrative was concerned. Literally make it so that you only see your current story character and fully separate gameplay. (like Yakuza series for example)Get rid of the current Travel banter. Right now the game has confusing mix of only the "story" character exists while "cutscenes" are going, but second later a character appears and starts talking as if he/she was there and what makes it even worse is that the one that "appears" feels more like the after chapter 4 version of the character. Especially if the character is Primrose, Alfyn or Therion (because of their state of mind during parts of their story. And yea, the totally normal villagers (Ophilia ch. 4)knocked out and threw Unbending Blade, Dragon(or Red eye) Slayer and the one who ended Obsidian into a cell.(ps. Also here is the only time you can't view all travel banter) Yea trying to make things work with all possible ways you can do things in this game is probably was not possible so better to just not have it when it distracts from the already lacking story bits.
Of course I would've wanted the stories to have more details, characters, exploring the ideas they gave(because there are good ideas) but I think more pressing matter is that the "middle" game is missing. After chapter 4 there's pretty much only Galdera(shrine bosses and managarmr doesn't add story just 5 boss fights) and the story that is there gets pushed into one section with diaries(I liked reading them but it doesn't fix how obviously rushed the game was. Or that's how it feels like. )
Kit...just what is wrong with this man...or kid? Is he a teenager or adult? I have no clue but he's even more stupid than...Liana?"Oh yes. Your father is behind this big ominous gate that clearly looks like gates of hell." "Sure. I'll jump in." How desperate are these people? or how trusting is this bint? Didn't your father ever tell you about your bloodline? Wait now that I think about it he probably didn't even know much but who knows. And After sending Galdera back, Kit comes back and gets to see his dead parents....ffs. I was thinking Gate of Finis was conjuring things from the peoples consciousness or something (yea me writing the story for them. of course nothing explain why the exposition books come from except developer trying to tie things together in 5 minutes) Why is Kit totally fine getting shoved into Galderas junk? And he is the one who gets rewarded after getting others to clean his massive mess. Yea this is not dark fantasy clearly but getting swallowed by the dark god should mean something. Why doesn't Ophilia, Primrose or Olberic get something out of this? I guess Liana could've resurrected her father with Galderas power if this thing really is the underworld rather than a location that has been corrupted by Galdera. Also they didn't even bother making the "cutscene" between the fights make it seem like they split into groups: Save the bint and Stop Galdera but the whole group just shows up. Don't get me wrong I honestly enjoyed Galdera (not so much the boss rush) But the ending felt like a slap in the face.
While you are playing the main stories of the characters I think there should've been Side stories that get unlocked when you complete certain chapters. Something simple could've been Alfyn and Ophilia where obviously there would be dialogue but also the game could properly show the player difference between apothecary and cleric. (Currently it seems like clerics are basically useless(healing wise), can't actually use healing magic storywise?) Could've shown us limits of both medicine and magic while making them work together or something. Current side stories honestly didn't make me want to do them(yea some of the rewards are sometimes good but they were so boring. Some of them you can you do 2 different ways but basically has almost no difference and some of them I think you could've done both of them. I don't remember which quest but you basically had to either beat some girls drunk father enough(hit him with Brand's thunder to the face) and make him responsible adult or give the girl a dream job. Why couldn't I do both? Now that girl works in a bar singing and the father drinks the money away rather than also working?
Having to swap characters in the bar. Honestly it started to become pain in the ass once you start doing it more often than once a hour. Bar is the good old friend of adventures. Honestly I would've rather have quests start there. Hear rumors/clues about new side content. Find actual jobs there "Need Apothecary fast" notice. Making all the bartenders actually unique. Now yea all of them don't need to have essays worth of things to say but it would've been nice that they didn't go pokemon nurse route.
Once player is done with the main stories, This would open storyquests where you use 2,3 or 4 prechosen characters to explore ruins, caves, castles(instances) but also finally making the 8 characters not just a group but also connecting all stories together. Yea I know this is so broad that honestly doesn't give much but I rather not make this even longer with my lacking writing skills. Because they do have things to explore Hornburg, Gate of Finis, Obsidians, Crossford bloodline, Dragonstones, 13 Gods, Dark rituals, all the manipulation going on by Lyblac(who apparently is half breed? gods can reproduce with humans? or is she just part out of Galdera?)and Galdera himself. This is honestly probably the biggest reason why I even bothered to write(barf) this thing right after beating Galdera. So much wasted potential and clearly rushed out before it was ready.
PATH SKILLS
For my playthrough these things didn't really do much. 2 guides and 2 challenges. Game basically has 4 pairs: Guide/Allure, Scrutinize/inquire, Provoke/Challenge and Steal/purchase and they are generally split into 2: if your level is high enough->always succeed(or have enough money) and other is save scum the skill. I noticed that with steal you can get some overpowered items as long as you don't mind loading bunch of times so this is save scummers heaven. and there's like less than 5 instances per skill that you have to use certain skill.(not 100% sure but there were very few of them). I personally didn't care for this at all. And Steal is just better than purchase outside of few purchase only items.
Guide/allure was pretty much to get meat shield and/or buff/debuff buddy and provoke is outright worse than challenge. not only does it have limitations but also you actually have to go capture things and use limited resources or you can just hit enemy once with Brad's thunder. Lot of these could've been used as a way to start side stories.(even failures) Cyrus is obnoxious and put his nose where i doesn't belong out of curiousity: dark mysteries about magic, murders or just some high noble getting pissed at his nonexistent social skill and accidentally seducing his sister. Alfyn actually inquire would get you quests to heal people, find herbs .etc even some of these could be side stories where alfyn ask help from H'aanit because of some local monstepredator that has made nest around the specific flower or something. Primrose and Cyrus go undercover as a couple to masquerade. So many possibilities. But nah, you get some text whichever you choose and characters have one response to all failures pretty much.
My experience with most of these skills were that after I was done with all Chapter 4s, The biggest crime spree happened, Everyone gets inquired/scrutinized, while talking Therion steals everything, if they still have their socks on: buy them and finally Olberic beats them up. And this happened to every citizen(I also did all side quests that were left)
TALENTS
This is a mixed bag for me. honestly all character should've had 2 of these. One for combat, One for exploration/interacting with the world. Combat one would've made them truly unique in their main joband 2nd could give more reason to backtrack areas and not make you hate one characters existence. H'aanit :tracking,Therion: Pick locks(not just chest but doors), Cyrus: deciphetranslate murals,runes and texts etc. to open new areas/find secrets.
Once I played Alfyn I noticed how broken he is. On my playthrough he was heavily nerfed because of the no BP items but he still was good(concoct + Saving Grace= 9999 health) Yea the offensive ones didn't make much sense to me also having ???? in as effect but showing that you're going to do fire dmg from enemy weakness seemed really pointless. Also having only one component that made unique effects seemed really boring. Honestly thought that They would fit Thief more but thanks to them alfyn can break all elements multiple times max 3.
H'aanits capture honestly made game more fun because I could cover certain weaknesses with it but also it would make me play differently if I wanted to capture something. Felt bit silly to be able to tell the move you get before I had ever captured one but whatever. Then again H'aanit is able to capture beastmen, constructs(elementals?) and even undead. Truly unique as hunter( even though about chapter 3-4 they become mostly useless (especially linde)or worth the effort.)
Cyrus Study foe is more useful in the early-mid game. And yes I played the game in a way that I always got all the weaknesses(otherwise small part of my brain would start giving a wegie to the rest of my brain) Why is the no Beastiary in this game?
Olberics make him perfect meat shield against (atleast) physical attacks. BP defend made him eat Winnehilds Warcry alone so.... 24 hits. Was pretty funny to see his corpse block reast of the hits when he was already knocked out
Primrose and Ophilia have Summon random pervert or believer to do something and/or take hits. doesn't really make them unique but they are atleast useful but nothing out of ordinary. Buff/debuff ones were most useful to me(no idea what highest strenght even do cause they don't exactly seem very useful.
Rest? nothing. Nothing that makes them unique (yes they are the only ones that are able to make main class+ any class combo but only truly unique combo in the game is merchant+runelord.
COMBAT
FINALLY. Best part of the game. You will spend most of your time with this(most likely).But why do you only use 4 buttons(2 for boost). Persona 5 has already shown that you don't need to just use 2 buttons and d-pad for menus. Left and right always swap weapons in "main menu", B acts as back outside of main menu, A is confirm or choose outside of main menu. A= attack, B = talent, Y= Main class, X Sub Class, d-pad Up= items, L and R boost, ZL=Defend, ZR=Flee. once you go into specified menu you start using the basic Up/down menuing. or something along those lines. Why is no other turn based game using something like that? no you don't need the slick UI that persona has . Or if this is too foreign, have the old way as option. I just feel silly holding controller and not even taking advantage of the few buttons there are.
The games lack of ability to show all buffs on enemies and your own characters. move turn order to lower part of the screen or have it be on right side of the screen going up to bottom. and then move the character info to top of the screenand then you gen show more buffs per character if you move the buffs/debuffs under the SP bar. Also why can't I check buff descriptions in fights? all them are not available and you have to guess/try and see what they do: Immune for example(galdera) what button? I don't know Select? Also no way to reorder your skills. For example Cleric has most obnoxious order: heal wounds, holy light, sheltering veil, luminescence, heal more, reflective veil, revive. what the heck is this? I would've liked maybe something like Heal wounds, Heal more, Holy light, Luminescence, sheltering veil, Reflective veil, revive. I never got used to this.Also thiefs but I think you get the point.
I like the weakness system. It gives all characters something unique and it makes a difference if character swings with a two-handed axe or a wand. Having weaknesses always appear in same order did make the guessing easier but also have certain predictability. And also the Boost system also makes supports more flexible but makes it so that base attacks never become fully useless right after beginning. Personally I would've liked having able to go negative like the bravely default but I guess they wanted something newplayer friendly. once you hit weaknesses enough the enemy breaks and you start doing extra damage. (about 1.5x)Game shows criticals and hitting on broken enemies as same. It becomes "problem" because it gives illusion that all damage done to broken enemy is critical rather than additional damage. they could fix it by making critcals have own font. Something that makes sure to teach the player correct and NOT making you think that "crit is useless because you always crit on broken enemy" Learned the difference when Brad's thunder made crit on broken enemy" bad design if you ask me.
Breaking itself does have "problems" and that is you can basically use a toothpick to break enemies(do 1 dmg multiple times. This also makes it that you really only need to upgrade your main damage weapon). Having enemies/bosses/enemy types that would have minimum dmg requirements to break shields. Before you can start breaking the enemy you would've to do a strong hit to lower enemy guard/"stun" them until next enemy turn. Enemies would've reaction abilities. If you cast fire spell, enemy can dispel it unless you use 2 or more boost. Having bosses go into counter state that randomly picks one of the weaknesses that it counters against.(would make you more careful about using multi hit abilities.(obviously this should not be send you to heaven dmg counter that the current game has but rather does damage compared to how much was done to the enemy and as many times as there were strikes) Making reason NOT to use aoe magic or skills.(via enemies always countering against sword hit, or thunder magic) All the single hit/single target spells are basically useless outside early game and against souls in omniscient eye encounter.(if you want to make them have same weaknesses) aaaaand that's it. Things that keep your brain active. Yea these are no brain teasers but giving enemies more personality, keeping your mind in the game(at least when you play for first time)
After you Break the enemy you always go for the same combo/s. Enemies don't soak anything really enough for you to bother making dmg multiple ways(50% reduction against swords. something that would give reason to spread your options). Enemies that would change their damage reductions during fight? Maybe some monster you first had to hit it 5 times to expose its core or use fire magic? get creative. now when I'm saying these both breaking and doing damage things I mean mostly in the post chapter 4 Game in my "fantasy version" because the chapters really should've been tutorial(that's what it felt like) give players room to experiment and try things but mid/late game should be about you swapping characters, adjusting your team to bosses after you lose. (Of course I think that the game then should make it possible for you to actually change your characters in special save points before boss or something)
Now "balance" issues. Now I'm not some "wizard" who knows all perfect combos but yea the magic dmg combo got way too ridiculous and even the physical dmg got pretty high. But weird things first. If you had phy.dmg augment from support skill, enemy cast debuff on you, you cant actually "cancel" the debuff with normal buff. Is it on purpose? dunno. thought it was weird. honestly the whole tressa+runelord combo is just stupid(banned it ) but also the reflect feels too good. These things stay as long as they are not cancelled. these "augments"/buffs are so strong that literally there is pretty much nothing you can do to fix them. Unless you make opponent have something that overrides them(honestly I hoped that the archmagus would dispel reflects but no. So only option becomes that Managarmr and Galdera both nulify all buffs once in a while.
But honestly the biggest problem in the game is hunters leghold trap. Makes speed stat mostly useless but also makes break loops easy. Lot of bosses seem to have hard coded responses after recovery and after that response you have +7 turns(if you have to reapply leghold) to break the enemy again and then you just have a loop.Starseer just becomes a joke with reflect because after breaking her she always uses one turn to swap weakness and another was her aoe spell that hits wind, light and darkness was it? so you litterally hit her 12 times and she even breaks herself with probably her "hardest" to break 4 darkness. So yea you can literally beat her with any level team as long as you break her once. then you just loop it and she never gets out of it.Lot of ways to nerf: making it affect all but first action , making it affect only last action . This thing enables so many things that it's not even funny. I doubt I'll play this game again(not because it's so bad but rather it eats lot of time) but I would throw this thing into the ban list too.
Random final barf of thoughts:
Healing items are too powerful. you can basically heal everything with single item. Now this is totally personal preference but I would like that characters would have individual inventories. Just feels weird that all the characters have space pocket to my teams almost infinite healing items. Also you could make merchant have biggest inventory followed by apothecary. Also this would nerf concoct. Making a difference between magic items but also making most effective healing combination of the two. Maybe getting hurt would also lower your max hp and healing skills would have 2 values. how much they heal max hp and your current hp. Getting hurt multiple times a round would make your max hp drop faster? Would also nerf delay tactics. Making enemies who do same amount of max and current hp damage? getting revived would make the character have debuff that if you down again (within next 2 turns)you take x% negative buff to all stats. Making stronger medicine have side effects like: fully heals but you take physical debuff for 3 turns(can't be removed with items/magic) Making more mechanics. debuffs that you can't remove with items or magic. Force the player to handle something outside of just using a item.
Also I just checked I didn't use A SINGLE Herb-of-grace during my playthrough. Why doesn't redeye use the petrification? Even though he seems to use it smg style in cutscenes. yes there are only limited amount but I'm gonna guess that he never uses it when he gets out of break. Great.
Also the game is too "convenient" when it comes to learning support skills. Felt weird that you would master bunch of classes in the end even though the character has never even touched it.
I'm aware that making these kind of things would probably be a nightmare to balance but then again I am just dreaming here. I'm starting to run out of steam here. Rough to write this kind of thing in one sitting. Thank you for anybody who bothred to read this whole thing.

my long review of the entire main series

WELCOME TO MY LONG ASS REVIEW OF THE YAKUZA SEIRES! This will include a shortened version of all of my thoughts and feelings towards all 8 (*note: this review will only cover the main series, so no dead souls, ishin or other spinoff's (tho I might play them in the future)) games and some of their inner aspects. So not reading all of it is completely understandable I just wanted to share them with someone but sadly none of my friends played it so i have nowhere else to do so
one them suggested posting it here and tbh i have nothing better to do so here they are
TLDR; 10/10 franchise I really like the characters, stories, music and gameplay.with that being said, HERE WE GO!
(*note: like I said these are MY opinions and MY lists, if you think otherwise, youre welcome to write it down in the comments I would love to hear your thoughts :))(*note: this review might contain spoilers, with that being said I will try to hide everything that I think might be considered a major spoiler and will put it between [ ] so if you see these be careful)(*note: this review might be a bit scattered and not understandable at times, that's because of 3 reasons: 1.english is my second language, although I like to think im at least conversational, spelling and sentence building aren’t my strong suits. 2. Like I said this is a review of all 8 games so I might scramble stuff in the middle or forget something completely. 3. I first wrote this on word and after transfering it here i noticed there are problems with the spacing and enters, so if you see a lack of space when there should be most likely there was supposed to be a shift+enter, i tried fixing it multiple times but appreantly having every enter where it should be makes it over 4000000 characters long.) So forgive me for those)(*note: if for some reason you would like to see my opinion on something that I didn’t include, you're welcome to ask me to write it :) I might not be able to answer everything but ill do my best to check the comments every so often for a while)
first of all I would like to say that my entry to the series is that a friend of mine bought me a copy of yakuza 0 for pc, little did he know, that would evolve into a crippling yakuza addiction (I bought a ps4 off another friend just to play 3-6). (*note: I know I said "none of my friends play it" that was a tiny lie, I have 1 friend who for 2 years now "is in process" to 100% yakuza 0, so I have no one to talk to about 7/8 games of the series) I came into the series thinking what I believe almost every player thinks before they start playing "oh it looks similar to gta/saints row but Japanese" but, say it with me now! "YAKUZA IS NOT JAPANESE GTA!" what I discovered is a beat'em-up, tear-jerking-story based adventure game, lucky me these are some of my favorite genres! I feel like yakuza has a very sad story not because its actually like sad sad but because kiryu is human, you see him go through life having to go through all kinds of crisis's and problems and its kinda feels like seeing a child grow? Idk, at least for me it sometimes does
now for my top 8 yakuza games (*note: the scores I give them out of 10 and their place on the top 8 might seem weird and "incorrect" because I give some games of lower place higher score then stuff of higher place. That's because when I decide their place on the top 8 I only consider how much I enjoyed it overall. when I give them a score out of 10 I try to give them what I think is a more objective score that includes everything of how fun it was, how much I liked the characters, the mechanics, the story, ect….)
(*note: if I don’t include a character in my reviews that doesn’t necessarily mean that I hate them, it just means that I generally don’t have too much to say about them. Overall I like basically all the main and side cast)
1.Yakuza kiwami 9/10
Lets start with the story,
Imma be real with ya chiefs, I have a pretty small smooth brain. That's why I like simple-semi complicated stories
And here we have a very basic story to follow, 10000000 yen missing, parent of this child missing, find them both. I love that simple, short and to the point but still interesting enough that I spent half my playthrough on the edge of my sit
This game also has the best side-quests of the entire series which are easily pocket circuit & majima everywhere
from the gameplay and mechanic side I also feel it’s the most fun and tight, nothing feels slow, every punch packs a punch and I actually really love (and prefer) the 4 fighting styles and was really sad to find out they were only in 0&kiwami. It has my favorite level up system (I will also include my top 7 level up systems later)
And now for some character reviews
Kiryu-CHAN!- he's by far my favorite character in the entire series, until now I only saw him as a brooding, badass, powerhouse that fucking breaks, shoots, and destroys (god forbid kills nothing like that here) but this was the first time I got to see that he actually has a soft side too and it’s the cutest fucking thing I've ever seen in my entire life. It was the first time I realized yakuza is one of those series that can make me sound like a kettle when I "aawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww" seeing his interactions with haruka, yumi, nishiki and others was almost heart melting. Speaking of which
Majima-I have what I think is a very controversial opinion, which is I don’t like majima in 0 (and I will get to that later). So I really didn’t expect much considering I came to this series blind. And OH BOY! Majima quickly became one of my favourite characters and its really sad for me that I believe they kinda toned him down in later games. [half of my playthrough was running around looking for him and doing all of his stuff, having to fight him as a cop, zombie, idol, hostes in all sorts of different situations was one of the best things about this game]
nishiki-*ahem*,Im gonna fucking cry.
Like I said I came from 0, seeing the journey he went through from #1 jobro (which he will forever be btw) to head of a family he has no idea what to do with, to madness, to evil mastermind was one of the saddest stories of this series. Every head of the nishikiyama family after him only brought shame to his name. [every scene that contained both him and kiryu in the same room made me want to cry. From the moment he declared they are not brothers anymore to the final scene when he shot the bomb]
Haruka-B A B Y
My first thought after seeing her was "ughhhhh fuck an annoying child character to take care of, that's not what a yakuza game should have" but what ended up being is that if anything happened to her I will ̶k̶i̶l̶l̶ hit everybody in this room very hard until all their bones break and leave them unconscious with no way of calling an ambulance or any kind of help and then do that to myself only to protect her.
She is precious, and if you for some twisted, evil, disgusting reason think otherwise you are wrong
[Yumi/mizuki- when Im writing this its been like a year since I played kiwami so I don’t remember every little detail about this character (not that there's too much to remember to begin with) if anything the twist at the end was pretty surprising and her backstory is kinda sad]
[rena/shinji-they both serve kind of the same role so I don’t have too much to say on them separately. Their death (by the hands of the most annoying boss in the series) is kinda sad and like anything else relating to nishiki in this game, rena's death speech about how she always really loved him and wanted to help him in any way possible made me want to cry]
2.yakuza4 7.8/10
This game could’ve easily been an 8.5/10 but there're some stuff that just annoy me a bit and makes me have to retract from its score, let me get into it
First of all,
Although at the start the story didn’t really make sense to me and I thought it was very confusing, now after I played everything and saw how stuff connected together, I realized how amazing it actually is
From akiyama's little relationship with lily
To kiryu helping a refugee
To a laid back cop who gets in to something bigger than himself
And finally back to the actual main character of this series
initially It was very annoying when I found out I only get to play as kiryu at the end of the game but I got over it
On the gameplay side
in the overworld everyone felt really slow to me,it didn’t feel like they were running (like their animation showed) it felt like they were always at the speed of a start of a jog but you kinda get used to it so its fine overall.In the combat side of thingsI really liked how akiyama, tanimura and kiryu controlled. Fast&strong which is why I really like the combat of this series to begin with (I also found it kinda funny that swords in this game are sometimes considered "blunt objects" for some reason so when you use a heat action with them you just smack an enemies head again and again with the blade)
I will use the fact I didn’t include saejima in the list of the gameplay I like as a perfecet Segway to my character reviews
Saejima-although his story really is interesting, kinda sad and heartwarming at times I grew to not like him just because his gameplay is sooooooooooooooooo slooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
I don’t know why but I also felt that he was weaker than the rest of the characters? It kinda felt like when the rest of the crew took down 10 enemies in 1 second he took 1 enemy in 10 seconds
I get that hes supposed to be a tank and he has a lot of hp but usually tanks also do lots of damage to make up for their lack of speed
Here its just a "very healthy", slow and weak tank so its just annoying to play [if anything his sister is hot]
Akiyama- his gameplay is kinda like the "brawler" of the game, similar enough to kiryu's gameplay but different (because kicks) also his personality is cool, i would categorize it kinda like a happy go lucky guy but not really
His story is interesting about this mysterious girl named lily who apparently really looks like his ex and he has a picture from his past that shows her. Anyway she asks for 100000000 yen a̶n̶d̶ ̶b̶e̶c̶a̶u̶s̶e̶ ̶h̶e̶s̶ ̶a̶ ̶s̶i̶m̶p̶ and because he really wants to help her, he gives her a challenge.
Tanimura- the counter option was kinda cool ig. His character is cool enough and his story about wanting to find what happened to his father is kinda sweet
I don’t have too much to say about him because he's kinda forgettable in the sense that his story was kind of an open and shut case
He was definitely one of the playable characters of the series but that's honestly the most you can say about him
If anything its kinda sad they swapped him in yakuza 5 but understandable because his story is 100% finished and he has nothing to draw him back considering he isn’t really related in any way to the rest of the cast
Date-I like him but his character rarely changes. In the rest of the series it seems the story writers forgot he quit being a detective
[yasuko/lily-seeing her story unfold was kinda sad, all she wanted for the last 25 years was to see her brother again. At least she got to that 1 last time before she did the bullet walk thing this series lovesssss to do]
One last thing about this game that really annoyed me, the game ends with a happy ending, [saejima is proven innocent, kiryu seems to return to the tojo clan and they all live happily ever after]. When I saw it I thought "oh wow, I wander how they're gonna build upon this?" well, they didn’t, like at all.
This series has 1 annoying problem that the writers team usually completely forget how the previous game ended
3.yakuza3 7.4/10on the story side-
Kiryu only wants to keep his goddamn orphanage leave him alone ffs.BUT NOPE!It’s the yakuza series so every few years it’s always the same thing: something something TOJO something something MONEY something something BROTHER something something REVENGE, oh godly kiryu san mr.dragon of dojima please help me!
The gameplay in the remastered collection stays more or less the same throughout so I don’t really have anything to say here
The characters of this story are a weird bunch
The children of the orphanage- if anything happened to any of them I will ̶k̶i̶l̶l̶ hit everybody in this room very hard until all their bones break and leave them unconscious with no way of calling an ambulance or any kind of help and then do that to myself only to protect them.
rikiya- at the start of the game I thought he was just gonna be one of those bosses that you beat thrice throughout the game and never hear from them again afterwards, what ended up happening is that I discovered just a lovable, loyal, dork of a character [and when he got shot and kiryu started crying I was almost crying with him, definitely one of the saddest deaths in the series because it’s a very unexpected one]
4.yakuza 6 8/10
HOLY SHIT MY BABY HAD A BABY but who is the father? Let's go to Hiroshima to find out! [If only yuta put on a condom]
Jokes aside this is one of the most amazing stories the series ever told
I was originally dreading playing this game because I don’t really like the dragon engine that much (that might be because I played kiwami 2 right after 0&kiwami and was just kind of overwhelmed by it although the graphics of it are amazing, the gameplay feels a lot more wonky to me, I either feel very weak or too strong (usually weak) I got used to it but I actually prefer anything else in the series)
But man did the story really bump up its place in the top 8
Nagumo- im sorry but speaking by role-serving terms rikiya is just kinda the cooler Nagumo (or technically speaking Nagumo is the worse rikiya) he's just a hot headed simp who's the captain of the hirose family but also kind of sweet in a way
If anything he has one very memorable line "yesterday's enemy is today's aniki"
Yuta-[BOI LOOKS LIKE LIVE ACTION KOICHI FROM THE DIAMOND IS UNBREAKABLE MOVIE AND MY BABY STELLED FOR HIM?!
jokes aside I see why haruka chose him, one of the best character's in the series for sure
tho the twist where he's actually the father was kind of apparent from the start]
Kiyomi- she looks like sayama's mom. Like I was 200% sure it was her for like the entirety of the first chapter she was shown in
[Also the thing in the end about kiryu saying he considered daigo as a son is stupid and forced in as hell]
5.yakuza0 7/10
(*note: I think I got a little more to say about this game then the rest cause like I mentioned it was my entry to the series so this may be a little bit of a garbled mess)
So let's start by saying, hands down it has the best overall soundtrack (*note: I will get to my top 15 songs later) consistently very high quality while the rest of the games have like 1-3 outstanding songs in them this one has: the intro, judgement, the best version of baka mitai (*note: I only discovered that the meme originated in yakuza like half-way through its life span) (*note: I saw on here some time ago that one of the top posts is a screenshot of a tweet from kiryu's VA that says he's very pleased that people are singing his song and I find that very heart warming and wholesome), 24-cinderella and so, SO many more.
Now… from the story side of things…..
Im sorry to say this but I don’t really like majima's story in this game. Out of every other playable character in this series majima's story in this game felt the most like a filler to me. The first like 4 of his chapters could've easily been skipped with nothing of value to the overall story lost. Having to switch to him every 2 chapters was very annoying. Actually It annoyed me so much that in the middle of zero I kinda just dropped the game for like half a year+ because I just didn’t feel like playing as majima [it was after the cutscene where nishiki betrays kiryu but doesn’t want to shoot him]. Tho his relation-ship with makato is easily the saddest, most tragic thing to happen throughout the entire series. But like… idk I really preferred playing as kiryu 100% of the time
On the gameplay side of things tho
Definitely one of the better, like I said I really like the fighting styles so having 8 of them (well 6 technically since I basically didn’t touch the real estate nor the cabaret) was really fun
Brawlethug-very basic, close enough to the dragon fighting style if that's what youre looking for but very boring nonetheless
Rush/breaker-rush fucking sucks, on the other hand I find breaker to be very funny and I used it most of my time playing majima
beast/slugger-beast is easily the best fighting style in the game, it’s a tiny bit slow but it gives back by being a fucking powerhouse being able to lift giant object's and using them as very fast hard hitting weapons (*ahem* *ahem* thisiswhatsaejimashould'vebeen*ahem* ahem*) on the slugger side I only switched to it when I saw that I couldn’t just style on my enemy to win and had to actually "play the video game"
now for the character's
makoto- I A M G O I N G T O F U C K I N G C R Y
nishiki- [ kiwami spoilers>>R.I.P best jobro, once again im going to fucking cry everything in this game makes me want to cry], his relationship with kiryu is easily one of the best parts of this game, from the little comments he makes about kiryu's wardrobe to [him saying he's not interested in climbing up the ranks without kiryu] everything that makes him easily the best follower in the entire series.
majima- I didn’t know what was coming so I just assumed this was kind of his character.looking back at it im kinda disappointed they didn’t try to do something else with him and instead they just kinda made him a simp to the yakuza [also it was kinda stupid to me how they didn’t find a way to bridge him into the crackhead he is in the rest of the series (they totally could've btw) instead making him just choose to "live crazier than any of 'em" (but thinking about it again honestly I feel like making majima choose to be a crackhead just because he wants to kinda fits his character)]
kuze- *insert how many times do we have to teach you this lesson old man meme*
6.yakuza LAD 8/10"YOU BITCHES EVER HEARD OF PERSONA 5?"was probably the first line shouted by the director of the series in the first boardroom meetingthe story of this game follows ichiban kasuga trying to prove his loyalty and powerand goddamn smashing those goalsits kinda weird because I feel like I have nothing yet so much to say
Gameplay wisefor some reason they decided to change it to an rpg probably after the director played P5R for too long because like I indirectly said… almost everything here is persona 5,the ui, combat, life skills and so on and so forth. There are even social links for crying out loud.
this game might've been a 9/10 if only there wasnt 2 giant grind moments in the latter half of it
[specifically before the majima&saejima boss fight and kiryu boss fight]
Character review
Ichiban- I saw a meme somewhere that said ichiban is "cooler nishiki", HELL NAHthose 2 are completely different characters each with their own reasons to make me depressed. Defiantly in the top 3 protagonists of the series which goes like 1.kiryu 2.majima 3.ichiban [before i started the game i was 200% sure he was gonna die, luckly he didnt, yet]
Adachi- before I started this game and only saw the art I was 100% sure it was the guy who taught slugger to majima in 0 (the weapon maker from the noodle shop).he's not.Good follower tho
[Joon-gi han- imma be real with ya chief, I forgot he died. And until kiryu said it was a double I was sure it was the same dude, he's not, still cool tho]
[kume-LITTLE SHIT SHANKED MASATO AND DIPPED WHY DONT I GET TO BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF HIM AGAIN!?]
I feel like I should have more to say about the rest of the MC's, but I got nothing. I love all of them but I don’t have anything outstanding to say.
also this game has the top 3 best girls of the series which are: 1.seong-hui 2.sumire sawa 3.saeko mukoda don’t @ me
7.yakuza5 thekomakitigerdropisbrokenasallhell/10
Once again with 4 different character's, each with their own story that finally combines into one somehow
on the gameplay side
Like I said kiryu has the best moves in this game then the entire series
The counter allowed me to cheese out enemies I couldn’t really fight. And the komaki tiger drop allowed me to delete half a bosses health bar in one hit So usually a boss would last about 2-6 tiger drops
His story revolves around just being A NORMAL GODDAMN TAXI DRIVER LEAVE HIM ALONE FOR FUCK SAKES and going through a midlife crisis
Akiyama stays mostly the same
They did fix saejima a bit but still it was a drag to play him, not only that but the entire thing where he stayed in the small village for like a full chapter was very annoying and was clearly made just to drag out his story
HOLY SHIT MY BABY IS A PLAYABLE CHARACTER, when I originally saw haruka on the splash screen when you open the game she kinda has a fighting pose so I thought that she maybe learned a thing or two while watching kiryu
NOPE, I HOPE Y'ALL LIKE RYTHEM GAMES CAUSE THAT'S ALL SHE DOES!, personally im ok at them but not that good so I played only the stuff I had to do with her
[tho the twist at the end of her story about majima being park's ex husband, MAN I DIDN’T SEE THAT COMING]
And then there's shinada....
I honestly don’t know what to think about him.
He's an ok character overall but his story seems so unrelated it kinda seems to me like they just shoved him in there because they had some problem with having only 3 character that can fight. His gameplay is fine enough but sometimes it kinda felt weaker then it should be? Idk. His normal punch and grab combo is mediocre+ - ok- nothing more than that. His staff doh allowed me to cheese enemies and getting them into an infinite loop of being knocked down again and again
Another thing I can say about this game is that the character models eyes always look on the verge of tears and it seems very funny to me that at any given moment most of the cast looks like its about to cry cause im sitting here ready to do the same
8.yakuza kiwami 2 6.9/10
Man what a disappointment.
I came to this thinking its gonna be as good as 0/kiwami and my hopes were crushed
Like I said I don’t like the dragon engine that much so moving to it after the engine of the 2 previous games felt really weird
The story of this game although very heart warming at the moment youre playing it, is quickly forgotten about and basically un-canonized in the rest of the series [at the start of yakuza 3 sayama departs to America and never returns, in yakuza 6 it is mentioned that yumi is the only woman kiryu ever loved and that he never killed anyone (although ryuji goda died by his hands)]
Don’t get me wrong its still a very good game just not as good as the rest of the yakuzas
Now for the characters
Sayama- although story wise it seemed very sudden that they started dating, it was apparent from the start that something is gonna happen between them. Once again it was a sign that yakuza is one of those series that can make me sound like a kettle when I "aawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww"
Ryuji- one of if not the best villain of this series. That's because he's not actually evil but he knows there can only be one dragon so hes gonna fight for it. He actually has honor and some sense of justice. [the ending tho where sayama is crying because she finally discovered she has a brother but now he and her lover need to fight is very depressing, good thing it was all forgotten amirite? (pleasekillme)]
Now for my top 7 level up system's because this series cant ever just stick to 1
1.yakuza kiwami
It’s the only one I managed to fully complete so I might be a bit biased, but I feel like the exp/level system that is different for each fighting style is perfect. Unlike in the rest of the series where there's only the dragon fighting style that separates into body, soul, heat and tech.
2.yakuza 3
it’s very simple and doesn’t really lock out any abilities that you really need
3.yakuza 4
it locks some stuff out on the start but you can get them pretty easily
4.yakuza 5
Kinda just a worse version of 4
5.yakuza LAD
I actually like the fact every battle upgrades everything at once and I don’t really have to think about if something is better than anotherthan again you can make the case that it removes any sense of choice from the game (at least speaking in level up terms)
6.yakuza 0
Although you get like 500000 yen per basic group of enemies, I still feel that money and levels shouldn’t corelate, especially when I need hundreds of millions for some of the side-quests (*ahem* *ahem* pocket circuit *ahem* *ahem*) also, tho it makes sense canonically, I feel like the trainer system of this game specifically is kinda stupid and annoying, never really bothered with it doh considering how much beast is a powerhouse even when its only upgraded with the stuff you don’t need to unlock
7.yakuza 6 & kiwami 2
Its too separated, having all those different exp points is stupid, I always had like 2 sections that were lagging behind the rest.
I would like now to give a quick shout-out to the top 4 side-quest's in the series1.pocket circuit 10/10
I got too addicted to it both in 0 & kiwami, 95% of all my early game money was either spent/saved for pocket circuit
#pocket_circut_fighter_forever
[when I saw kiryu reminiscing on being kamurcho's fastest in kiwami's baka mitai I fucking died laughing]
2.majima everywhere 10/10
Basically doubled my playthrough's length because I always wondered what kinda whacky ass shit majima is gonna pull next. He's the best character in that game 100%
3.taxi racing 10/10
I did it all in the same game day so I like to think that in 1 night kiryu beat all the devil killers.
Shock that it reminds me of intial-d, who would've thought right? Jokes aside the car controls in this game are really fun
4.dragon kart 10/10
I would like to believe someone ran in the idea room and was like "GUYS, SO UNTIL NOW WE PLAYED PERSONA 5 100% OF THE TIME, GET THIS, WHAT IF, MARIO KART?!"and then everyone clapped
Now…
There's 1 aspect that I pretty much barely mentioned in this review and you might even be asking yourself where is it?
So without further ado
My top 15 songs from the yakuza series
Why 15? Cause that's how many songs I personally find to be fucking bops and the number of songs that I put in my playlist
(*note: don’t take it too much as if its in numerical order, I kinda tried to do it as such but that's kind of a lot of songs (the longest section in my playlist at least) and I really love all of them so it was hard to choose. Maybe try to look at it more of as a list then a top 15)
1.get over it-yakuza kiwami
It’s the only REALLY good song in this game (*note: not the only good one, the only REALLY good one)
Man that fucking guitar section in the middle, you know the one im talking about.I apologize for bringing jojo into this but I feel like if kiryu was a jojo this would easily be his theme (and that guitar section is like giorno piano)
2.destiny-yakuza 6
V I O L I Ncoming in in a VERY close second is destiny from yakuza 6I originally thought someya to be one of those bosses you just beat like 3-4 times throughout the events of the game then never hear from again and just remember him as that one asshole from that yakuza game. But MAN then this theme hits in his final fightand O O F[and right after the fight when he begs you to kill him to save kioymi, I have yet to actually cry during the events of this series but its really trying to make me do it and im 100% sure eventually I will]
3.machinegun kiss-yakuza4&5
I have a story with this song that the first couple of times that I listened to it I thought it was very mediocre, then one day I just got a vibe to listen to it 1 more time, at which point it got stuck in my head for about 3 weeks-month and it shoved its way up here.
4.judgement-yakuza 0
In case you haven’t noticed I really like buttrock
[I read a comment somewhere that said kiryu can no longer sing this after 0 because its not the same without nishiki, excuse me when I UGhhhHhHhHhhhhhhhHHhhhHHhhhHHhhHhhhhHhhhh]
5.clay doll on the cradle-yakuza 3
It has a pretty weak start but becomes really good really fast
6.comin'at ya, my girl-yakuza 5
As much as I don’t really like haruka's gameplay in 5, this is the best song in the game, sue me

24-hour cinderella-yakuza 0

Started listening to it because it’s a funny meme song
It got stuck in my head for 2 weeks
8.tears of a father-yakuza 3
When the credits hit after THAT cutscene and this song starts to play, "the father" is almost not the only one to shed tears
I only found out its called "tears of a father" while I looked it up after, and that was the point my heart had to get replaced because the previous one died
9.baka mitai-yakuza 0/kiwami/5
Do I really need to explain?
10.speed star-yakuza 4
A really pumped up default fight theme
11.intro-yakuza 0
I have a meme with some of my friends about the first 4 notes you have to hear before being able to skip it
(*TA NA, NA! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA*)
12.infinite handcuffs-yakuza 4
Another pumped up normal battle theme
13.today is a diamond-yakuza 6
*insert funny kiryu thumbs up*this song seems so happy and upbeat until you realize that according to it the singer is singing it to his lover that is in a coma[kinda fitting doh]
14.Friday night-yakuza 0
Once again, started because of a meme, continued because it’s a bop
15.[majima construction anthem]-yakuza kiwami 2
All rise for our national anthem.
One of the best things to come out of this game.
Surprisingly enough there weren't any outstanding songs in lad

AND THAT'S IT!
As a little conclusion, I would like to say I would've never imagined I would be as much in to this series as I am now, definitely one of the best game series's of all time and im really sad its not popular as it should be
Overall 10/10 series
So many good memories were formed and I can 100% see myself replaying it in the future
If you actually read all of it,
Holy shit thank you I wouldn’t be able to do that myself :)
And even if you just schemed through it and only looked at specific sections,
Thank you as well
Like I said if you wanna ask me about something I didn’t already write or wanna give your own opinion on one of my opinions youre 200% welcome to do so in the comments, ill try to answer most of the stuff i see
Well, I have nothing to add, see ya!

how many chapters are in yakuza 6 video

How Many Chapters Are There In Yakuza 6? Yakuza 6 ‘s story is spread over 12 chapters plus a prologue and an epilogue. Heading straight through the story is likely to take you just under 20 hours,... Yakuza 6 is broken up into 12 different chapters, with a prologue and epilogue as well. It’s a pretty story-heavy game, as most Yakuza games are, so there’s a lot of conversations and cutscenes... Yakuza: Like a Dragon is split into chapters, just as the other entries in the Yakuza series are. Some of these chapters can take several hours to beat, while others can be over within 30 minutes Yakuza: Like A Dragon has 15 chapters in total and you’ll find them all listed below. From my experience, if you’re playing casually most chapters can last you a few hours. From my experience, if you’re playing casually most chapters can last you a few hours. As you make your way through Yakuza: Like a Dragon, you’ll probably start wondering how many chapters there are in its story.. Like all Yakuza games, Yakuza: Like a Dragon has a lengthy story There are 13 total chapters in the game. Source: CyricZ's Yakuza 6: The Song of Life Guide. Yakuza: Like a Dragon Chapters List. There’s many new features and surprises in Like a Dragon, but it closely follows the tradition of its predecessors by fragmenting the main story in chapters. Some of them are shorter and more story driven than others, and as usual, you’re always given the chance to save a game whenever a new chapter

how many chapters are in yakuza 6 top

Yakuza 6: The Song Of Life - Chapter: 1 - The Price Of ...

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