Rank	Game	Votes
1	Persona 5 Royal	107
2	Final Fantasy VII Remake	99
3	Yakuza: Like a Dragon	71
4	The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV	58
5	Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition	49

Rank	Game	Votes
1	Persona 4 Golden	126
2	Yakuza: Like a Dragon	41
3	Ys VIII (2020 update)	21
4	Trials of Mana (remake)	17
5	Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin	5

Rank	Game	Votes
1	Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition	131
2	Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE Encore	34
3	Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling	13
4	Trials of Mana (remake)	9
5	Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX	4

Rank	Game	Votes
1	Persona 5 Royal	106
2	Final Fantasy VII Remake	92
3	Yakuza: Like a Dragon	51
4	The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV	48
5	13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim	33

Rank	Game	Votes
1	Yakuza: Like a Dragon	93
2	Dragon Quest XI S	48
3-5	N/A	N/A

Rank	Project	Votes
1	Trails from Zero (English Translation) - by The Geofront	111
2	Final Fantasy VI Brave New World 2.0 (Mod) - by BTB	16
3	Final Fantasy VI T-Edition (Mod)	15
4	Tear Ring Saga Series: Berwick Saga (English Translation) - by Aethin.	8
5	Zanma Chouougi Valhollian (English Translation) - by aishsha, paul_met and Stardust Crusaders	4

Rank	Game	Votes
1	Shin Megami Tensei V	115
2	Tales of Arise	75
3	Final Fantasy XVI	71
4	NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139...	46
5	Bravely Default II	36

Rank	Game	Votes
1	Persona 5 Royal	130
2	Final Fantasy VII Remake	96
3	Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition	55
4	The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV	32
5	13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim	16

Rank	Game	Votes
1	Final Fantasy VII Remake	179
2	13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim	34
3	Yakuza: Like a Dragon	29
4	Persona 5 Royal	15
5	The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV	2

Rank	Game	Votes
1	Final Fantasy VII Remake	96
2	Persona 5 Royal	83
3	Yakuza: Like a Dragon	49
4	The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV	35
5	Dragon Quest XI S	34

Rank	Game	Votes
1	13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim	73
2	Persona 5 Royal	55
3	The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV	49
4	Final Fantasy VII Remake	45
5	Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition	42

Rank	Game	Votes
1	CrossCode	35
2	Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling	18
3	Genshin Impact	12
4	Langrisser I & II	4
5	Dragalia Lost	3

Rank	Character	Votes
1	Ichiban Kasuga - Yakuza: Like a Dragon	29
2	Tifa Lockhart - Final Fantasy VII Remake	28
3	Sylvando - Dragon Quest XI S	24
4	Dr. Maruki - Persona 5 Royal	21
5	Kasumi Yoshizawa - Persona 5 Royal	9

So, I've been loving reading all the posts about the games you all have played this year and I was inspired to also share my games. I will not go too much into the games but mostly share a few short thoughts on them. Also, I will list them in chronological order, i.e. the order in which I played them through. There will also be one or two recent games that I played at release.

January
Lego City Undercover (Wii U): My first Lego game and I had a lot of fun with it. Others have described it as GTA for children and this might be rather accurate. It has a fun open-world, a lot of collectibles if you like those, the characters are great, and the whole game just makes fun of many movie tropes and many of the lines made me actually laugh. It is a great game for children but also adults as many lines are clearly direct toward adults, especially all the movie parodies may not be picked up by younger gamers. All in all, I loved this game and I am looking forward to other Lego games (open for any recommendations).
Score: 8/10
Pokemon Silver (Game Boy/Color): It wasn't really the first playthrough but I wanted to play one of the old Pokemon games that I have played in my childhood since I had stopped after the third generation and the only newer games that I have played were the Sun/Moon games. It aged pretty well even with some of the outdated mechanics. Had a lot of fun and I was blown away by the endgame content since I never discovered that as a child.
Score: 9/10

February
Concrete Genie (PS4): Unexpectedly fun game. You play as this boy with a magic brush with which you interact with the world and which is also the main mechanic of the game to defeat enemies and solve small puzzles. Loved the art style of the game, loved the adorable creatures you could create, and it had a nice message.
Score: 8/10

March
Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles (PS4): A wonderful little game. I loved the look of the game. It was beautiful and gave off a really cozy vibe. There are no real (if any) enemies. You rather collect things, carry out tasks given by the villagers while still having an overarching story, albeit a rather negligible one. It got a little repetitive toward the end but that was probably because of my effort to achieve the platinum trophy. The mechanics were also not all fully-fledged out but it is all in all a very charming game.
Score: 7/10
Picross 3D: Round 2 (3DS): What can I say? Plain old Picross with a ton of content (my playtime was roughly 83 hours). I loved playing this at night in bed right before sleeping. If you like Picross games I can highly recommend this one.
Score: 10/10

May
Days Gone (PS4): Fun open-world zombie game. Has a charismatic and likable protagonist and I had a lot of fun exploring the world. For some, the beginning might be rather slow but I was hooked from the beginning. The story can be generic at times but I still enjoyed it a lot. And one of the best aspects was the hordes. Oh boy, are they scary when you first encounter them but working toward defeating them is incredibly satisfying. Also, loved the soundtrack. There were moments when a track set in and you had to ride your bike from one point to another and you were just vibing with the music. I am looking forward to the second game.
Score: 8/10
A Way Out (PS4): Played it with a friend, loved it more than I expected I would. It is a unique take at a co-op game with a split screen. I really liked how one character was doing something entirely different while the other one is throwing chickens into the air. In all seriousness, the game and the story would be nothing special if it weren't for the co-op aspect but that makes this game just so good. One moment you have action filled sequence and in the next you're playing piano with your buddy. There were many great little moments in this game and it even switched up the gameplay at some points. It surprised us in many ways in the six hours we played the game.
Score: 8/10

June
Yakuza Kiwami (PS4): My first Yakuza game and I loved every minute of it. It does not have a big map but that little district is filled to the brim with wacky characters and side quests, a lot of fun mini-games and activities, while the main story is rather serious and suspenseful. Love Kiryu, the protagonist, and the fighting mechanic. The finishers are just brutal, but so much fun. But I will never grasp the mechanics of mahjong.
Score: 9/10
Firewatch (PS4): A short "walking simulator". Beautiful art style and setting. Gave off a rather cozy vibe and the little mysteries were interesting enough but it didn't really click with me.
Score: 5/10
Gris (PS4): Beautiful art style, beautiful level design, and it really touched me on an emotional level without a single dialog. Also, the music is just incredible, it added so much in specific moments. It is a short game, so you could easily play it in one afternoon.
Score: 10/10
The Last of Us: Part II (PS4): One of the games that I wasn't patient with and played on release. It had a big controversy as most of you surely know, but I loved this game to bits. Beautiful graphics, improved gameplay mechanics, interesting and lovable characters and so many incredible details. You could see the love that was poured into the game. There were some aspects I did not enjoy and which I cannot mention without spoiling the game but they were negligible. In fact, my score may even change to a perfect ten when I play this game a second time with a fresh perspective. Whatever the case may be, I commend Naughty Dog for their daring direction they took with this game even if it did not resonate with everyone.
Score: 9/10

July
Death Stranding (PS4): (Might contain a slight spoiler!)Another controversial game that I thoroughly enjoyed. I do not know why it hooked me so much to play as a delivery guy but it did. It has an interesting albeit often confusing story. I liked the characters and fell in love with the BB. And the soundtrack was just incredible, one of my favorite tracks was "BB's Theme". I think I have never cried so much while slowly walking through an empty world. It is a weird game but I loved it nonetheless.
Score: 8/10

August
The Walking Dead Definitive Series (PS4): I wanted to finally play the complete Telltale Walking Dead Series. I played the first two seasons back when they were released on the PS3 and loved both seasons, especially the first one. Loved all four seasons, even though the third one is the weakest. But the fourth one was a fitting and beautiful farewell from the developers after the demise of Telltale. It was really bittersweet to see the credits. Also, cried like a baby. Would play again.
Score: 9/10
Flipping Death (PS4): Fun, little puzzler. You play as Penny who meets an untimely demise and is mistaken as the replacement for death while he goes on vacation. It is a wacky story with charming characters and interesting gameplay mechanics. Had a lot of fun with it.
Score: 8/10
Batman Arkham Asylum (PS3): My first Batman game and it was incredible fun. I realize now where many games with similar mechanics have been inspired by. The fighting is fun albeit sometimes clunky. I liked the setting of the asylum (I always assumed it was just in the asylum, did not expect a whole ass island) and I am already looking forward to the other games.
Score: 8/10

September
Grand Theft Auto 4: Complete Edition (PS3): Finally got around playing this through. I played it several times in the past decade but always only a few hours. It has now become one of my favorite entries in this series. The graphics on the PS3 are really bad since it was not properly optimized. It is kind of blurry but I got used to it. The story was really entertaining and was one of the best in the series. I liked Niko, I liked the setting of Liberty City and I even got used to the abhorrent driving mechanics. The DLCs were also fun although I enjoyed the Ballad of Gay Tony more than The Lost and Damned.
Score: 8/10
A Plague Tale: Innocence (PS4): Great game by a smaller studio. The setting of the Inquisition and the Plague was fresh and unused and I liked the brother-sister dynamic. There are no games that I know of where you play as the older sister with a younger brother and this kind of resonated with me as an older sister. The story got a little weird toward the end and I think the developers had to cut some content but it did not affect my enjoyment too negatively.
Score: 8/10

October
Okami (PS4): Oh boy, have I fallen in love with this game. For some reason, I had always put off playing this game and I finally did and did I enjoy every single minute of it. The art style is just chef's kiss, that watercolor kind of graphics is just beautiful. I loved Amaterasu, I loved Issun and I loved all the other characters in this game. The gameplay was fun and the ending had no right to be so emotional.
Score: 10/10
Assassin's Creed (PS3): My first AC game and I liked it very much. The protagonist was not that likable and the missions were rather repetitive (you basically did the same three types of missions over and over again) but I could understand why it was so revered back when it was released. The aspect of climbing basically everywhere was a lot of fun albeit not always accurate. And even today, the arrival at a new city is really mesmerizing and I can only imagine how blown away people were back then.
Score: 7/10
Enslaved: Odyssey to the West (PS3): A fun little gem with great voice actors. Fun gameplay mechanics and an interesting story albeit not fully fleshed out. But I liked the dynamic between Monkey and Trip. A shame that a sequel is unlikely. I would have loved to see a continuation.
Score: 8/10
The Escapists: The Walking Dead (PS4): I like the idea of the Escapists games but this one got rather repetitive and even had a game-breaking bug that I had to figure out somehow because the developers never made an effort to fix it. Funnily enough, it was the patch that broke the game so I had to play without it for that level.
Score: 6/10
Soma (PS4): A psychological horror game that poses many philosophical questions about one's mind and identity, and what makes us human. It was kind of a project with a friend who cannot play horror games on her own but liked to watch me play. We had a lot of fun but the enemies were quite unnecessary and rather strenuous and annoying than scary. However, as I wrote, the story was interesting, and the ending kind of caught me off guard even though I kind of expected it.
Score: 7/10

November
Little Dragons Café (PS4): It is a charming game in the likes of Harvest Moon but it misses its potential. It gets repetitive pretty fast and the controls are a bit clunky. The mechanics of running a café also got stressful at times and this combined with the exploring part was not very well balanced; I felt rushed so many times I played it on and off again for a bit but I was glad when I finished the story. It is a shame that it was not more fleshed out.
Score: 6/10
Monster Hunter World (PS4): I played this game on and off again since the beginning of 2019 but really intensively at the beginning of 2020 with some friends. It is the best Monster Hunter in the series as it is more friendly to the new players and not as cryptic as the other games (but still you have to figure out a lot by yourself and or just having a lot of tabs open on your phone). It is so much fun fighting the different monsters, grinding for better weapons and armor. I had the most fun with my friends, all using different weapons and just trying to finish off a freaking Kirin. At some point, I just decided I was done with it with over 180 hours of game time until I will buy the DLC.
Score: 9/10
Sleeping Dogs (PS4): I did not expect much but fell in love with this game. It has an interesting story and picks up on the undercover detective trope, so it is not the most original idea but is executed well enough. I liked the protagonist and loved the setting of Hong Kong. I also liked that there was emphasis put on melee fighting rather than gunfighting. The DLCs were not as fun but were a sweet bonus. I would love a sequel to this.
Score: 8/10

So, this became longer than expected and I am sorry for any mistakes or not being as eloquent as other posts here but I enjoyed writing this up and reflecting on all the games I have played this year. Thank you, if you took the time reading any of it.
Edit: For some reason I totally forgot one game: A Way Out. I have added that to the list.

I completed all Yakuza games from 0 to 6, so here's my ranking

Here are my thoughts on every game that's part of Kiryu's saga, one of the greatest I've had the chance to experience in my gaming life. I've ranked from my most disliked game to my most liked. Spoilers for each entry, beware!
#7 - Yakuza Kiwami 2
I've read a lot of people on this subreddit saying Yakuza Kiwami 2 was a bad remake. While I've never played Yakuza 2, I do feel like some parts of the story were simply not very good. The ending, with three different BBEG's standing in line and waiting to stab each other in the back before explaining their motives, is especially ridiculous, a symptom of the game's bloated narrative. Terada coming back from the dead to reveal he was Korean all along was an incomprehensible twist: the game wants you to believe that it was easier for this man to destroy the Tojo Clan by faking his own death... when he was the acting chairman of the Tojo Clan without anyone suspecting a thing.
While I enjoyed Kiwami 2's gameplay with the Dragon Engine, it is, for me, the weakest game because it just wasn't very memorable. The only two things I remember from playing it were Ryuji Goda being a great but poorly used antagonist - a foe worthy of being Kiryu's rival that becomes overshadowed by all the weird mafia subplots - and the return of the Cabaret Club minigame. Kiwami 2 is so unneccessary in the grand scheme of things that Kaoru Sayama simply disappears for the rest of the franchise, as if the writers simply didn't want to have to deal with whatever they established during that game.

#6 - Yakuza 4
I was very thrilled to go back to a Yakuza game with multiple protagonists, especially after hearing so many good things about Saejima and Akiyama. And they didn't disappoint! Both characters were great in their own right and they really make the first half of the game work... and then, the pacing takes a huge hit with Tanimura. While I quite liked his character, his story took a very personal turn that simply made me wonder where the rest of the game was going, and Kiryu's arc simply felt rushed. I felt like it was there for the sake of having Kiryu in the game.
And then, the disappointments with the story began to pile up. I groaned at the rubber bullets. I banged my head against the walls as the good guys' great plan to lure the villains in was to put a huge pile of cash on top of a building and to just wait for them to show up all at once. The whole finale, while very hype in its own, Yakuza way, tried to have you believe that Kiryu beating the crap out of Daigo to make him keep his role as chairman made any sense. Saejima got terribly handled in that final portion of the game, too: with his sister's death and her murderer killed by another character, it seems all he has left is to stick around until the final boss, and his fight with Kido made me feel like they just matched him with whoever was left after the other fights happened.
Yakuza 4 tries to have multiple, interesting protagonists and mostly succeeds, but fails at tying them together into something coherent. It did not make me want to spend time with the characters past its first half, it did not have memorable minigames or side content. However, it introduces important elements that the series was going to pick up on in later installments, and I do feel like it's a lot more memorable and enjoyable than Kiwami 2.

#5 - Yakuza 3
A lot of people believe that Yakuza 3 is the worst game in the Kiryu saga, and I can understand why. It looks dated, has a combat system in which enemies are annoying instead of being hard to beat and its story features an evil CIA twin of Kiryu's dad. However, Yakuza 3 did two things that no other game did in the past for me.
Its first greatest achievement is its Okinawa setting. Yakuza 3 was set somewhere I had never visited, in a videogame or otherwise. It brought back this idea of virtual tourism that had been so magical in the first game I had played in the series. Also, hawaiian shirt Kiryu.
Its second greatest achievement was the way it presented Kiryu's new fatherly role. Yakuza 3 is still a game about beating the shit out of baddies with the power of screaming and justice, with a convoluted plot and crazy side content, but it also tackled the task of raising children. In how many games do you get to raise children? Or even just one child? Not a lot, and certainly not in a very narrative, deep way the way Yakuza 3 did it - only the first season of Telltale's The Walking Dead or God of War on the PS4 come to mind. And those games featured fathers that had to raise children in terrible, nightmarish conditions. They weren't about raising children to become people, they were about training children to turn them into survivors. Yakuza 3 isn't about that. Yakuza 3 is the game in which you play baseball with kids. In which you organize wrestling matches for them. In which you see them struggle with their feelings and fears and help them get back up and become better people.
And even with that said, the other aspects of the story are also pretty great! Rikiya was possibly the most fun sidekick in the entire franchise, and Mine still felt like an antagonist with fairly deep motivations whose actions, while not entirely coherent, were his way of express the disgust he felt with his life, the world and himself. His final fight with Kiryu felt almost like a dialogue, at the end of which I was left with the feeling that, had they met earlier in life, Mine could have become a great person.
More than any other game in the series, Yakuza 3 establishes Kiryu as a fundamentally good person that changes the world not only through his fists, but also through his heart.

#4 - Yakuza Kiwami
I played Yakuza Kiwami as a sequel to Yakuza 0 and some of the things in the game, like the Kamurocho setting, the combat system or the minigames, simply felt like they had been reheated. While I now know nearly all Yakuza games share very large similarities in terms of mechanics and settings, this was a surprise for me when I started Kiwami and it affected the way I experienced the game a bit negatively.
But everything else? It was pretty good. Sure, the story was a bit dated and all over the place, but it truly felt like a game that was about Kiryu and that established who he was and how he got there. Nishiki was one of the franchise's greatest villains, if not the greatest, and they managed to turn the sweet, loyal character I had grown to love in Yakuza 0 into a complete monster that had to be put down for everyone's good, and to make the transition believable despite the original game's story being considerably older than Yakuza 0. With those dear to Kiryu dying left and right, leaving him to fend for himself in what's left of his life, Yakuza Kiwami is bittersweet until the end, and it's truly great in a lot of ways.
And Majima everywhere? Hoooooly shit. Probably the greatest system in the series, giving new life to a beloved character and turning him into this meme-worthy, larger than life challenge the way only the Yakuza series can. Truly, Kiwami felt like an improvement over the original Yakuza that made its story more coherent and in line with the prequel, and that also dropped little treasures here and there like the continuation of the Pocket Racers drama from 0's minigame. It wasn't the best Yakuza, but it was certainly the best remake.

#3 - Yakuza 5
Yakuza 5 is what Yakuza 4 should have been. Saejima's arc feels a lot more climactic now that his nemesis isn't outright killed by someone else during a cutscene, and while Akiyama kind of walks into the middle of another character's arc, he's still a fun, charming character I was glad to play as. Haruka's arc is completely unique and unlike anything the franchise had ever done, and Shinada was also a goofy breath of fresh air that, while a bit unnecessary and way too centered around baseball, was a lot of fun to see evolve. Even Kiryu's new life as a taxi driver, purposefully removing himself from those he loved for their own good, felt like a believable and interesting development, and his inability to truly drag himself from his loved ones and the world of crime and violence he grew up in bringing him back into the fray were absolutely believable. Truly, every character had something going on for them, and the way their stories tie up at the end felt believable, and not forced.
The side content was also the best I had seen in the franchise since Yakuza 0, with the deep taxi, hunting, dancing and baseball minigames being engaging and not feeling like recycled or tacked-on content. Yakuza 5 was truly the largest game, and its only flaw, to me, was being a little too grindy and "too full". With that aside, I loved it, and felt like they had done Akiyama, Haruka, Kiryu and Saejima justice as characters after the uneven Yakuza 4.

#2 - Yakuza 6
Boy, did I love this game, and I didn't expect to. Yakuza 6 is often treated as the black sheep of the Yakuza family, and here again, I can see why. The first game with the Dragon Engine did feel a little too easy or simplified when it came to combat, and the complaints about important characters like Majima, Saejima, Daigo or the florist of Sai being pushed aside of completely forgotten are very justified. But Yakuza 6 was meant to be the conclusion to Kiryu's saga, and as such, is a game about Kiryu, who he is, and what he fights for. Placing him into a completely new setting to have him interact with new faces, to uncover a deeply personal mystery, felt like the right decision to me.
From there, it was one memorable character after another. The mystery does not let up, the plot twists feel just crazy enough to take you by surprise and to fit the tone of the Yakuza franchise while not being completely unbelievable. It felt great, after the convoluted previous games, to have a game that wasn't afraid to be about Kiryu, his interactions with other people and complex, driven villains that would stop at nothing to stop him.
I have read and understood some criticism about the ending as well, and I can understand how some people could be disappointed by it. However, I do believe it's a fitting end for Kiryu's, whose tragic flaw is and always has been that he can't help but sacrifice himself for others. Disappearing from the surface of the world to ensure his loved ones can live in peace felt like the most Kiryu thing to do, and it was no more different than taking a bullet to protect his family, only it was a conscious decision rather than a spur of the moment thing. As the rule of Asian soap opera wills it, Kiryu cannot have the happy ending he truly deserves, but he can at least move on, knowing he made all the difference he could, and go towards other adventures.
There's also a baby. The baby is very cute. I love you, Haruto.
#1 - Yakuza 0
Yakuza 0's only true flaw is how good it is, because it sets up unhealthy expectations for the rest of the franchise. Starting with this game made me fall in love with the series, and 0 will always have that "first time" magic for me.
However, even if I look at it from a less personal standpoint, it's arguably the best game they've made. Both protagonists are fun to play as and have several fighting styles that add a lot of depth to the combat. The story feels focused and personal for both characters, and while Kiryu's story isn't as good as Majima's, they both have unforgettable moments like the Kuze sewer fight. The minigames were fantastic and featured a lot more depth than in most Yakuza games, especially the disco minigame. Cabaret Club Royale might be the best "game within a game" ever. And what makes Yakuza 0 so special is how it oozes style, with the 80's setting and dollar bill-filled enemies and disco music and just... holy shit, the music in general.
Yakuza 0 was the beginning of my love story with Yakuza. No matter how great the ride was, I can't help but look back to where it all began, and think "Man, was that a great game".

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.

My year 2020 in gaming

All of y'all's year reviews made me want to do the same, so I wrote down a few sentences of everything I played last year. I was surprised it was so much as my partner moved in with me and I expected to have a lot less time, but that actually didn't happen and Corona did its thing. I'm a bit late to the review party, but I needed time to write down my thoughts and didn't want to do it in one session.
Standard platform is PC, everything else is labelled.
Done:
Darkest Dungeon – halfway through (most tier 2 bosses). it was a nice and interesting start to a game I thought I liked, but 40 hours in I realized I was in fact not having fun. It was repetitive and the payout was very low for me as rewards felt small and especially upgrades to the village took a lot of time. I did play the game with too much emphasis on keeping every character alive, in a game that wants you burn them, so maybe that’s one me. But maybe it’s just not my type of game. Visuals, presentation and the IDEA of the combat system were nice, though. 5/10
Kingdom Hearts 3 (PS4) – finished story. Kingdom Hearts has become a burning pile of tires, but I hold it dear since the first game and I want to know what is happening. The visuals are amazing and the combat system is engaging, at least, yet a bit much at times, with way too many special interactions going on at all times. But KH3 is basically if the story has an alignment which is just true chaotic. The main story is…there, for most of the game, but nothing happens with it. Each world has its own story and both them and the overarching plot are almost completely irrelevant to each other. What a pity. Also, so many minigame and once-and-gone game mechanics, what the hell. I had fun, but it could have been so much better. And they skipped over most FF elements. 6/10
The Wolf Among Us – 100%. Played it with my partner who had already finished it years before. It’s one of the prime Telltale games and the first that I wasn’t familiar with the source material with. It has a very interesting lore and visuals for sure. Other than that, very much a standard Telltale game and you either like it or you don’t. I did enjoy it a lot with its interesting plot and characters. 8/10
Starlink: Battle for Atlas (Switch, digital version) – finished story. I like me some occasional space game. Starlink was an oddball in many ways for me. I probably wouldn’t have looked at it as I thought it’s just a toy merch game, but Starfox and the existence of a toyless version drew me to this. I know I could have played nicer looking version, but the tie-in with Starfox was actually not that shallow and came with a small unique storyline, so that’s the most Starfox I will get until Nintendo releases (and doesn’t fuck up) another full game. Due to its toy origins, the game has a few unique quirks, like the weapon, ship and pilot switching on-the-go to match enemy vulnerabilities and combat styles. The mix of planetary and solar exploration and gradual faction growth with even a few RTS elements sprinkled in worked for me. It was a lot of fun! 7/10
Injustice 2 – finished story, some achievement hunting, trying out all characters a bit and dabbled in the multiverse mode. I’m not a huge Beat’Em’Up player, but some concepts are too interesting to pass up. Given how few Heroe League (Avengers and Justice League) games come out well, I had to take my chances here. The story is…forced, but it works for this kind of game. The interactions between the heroes are pretty entertaining to watch. I can’t really judge if the combat system was good or not or balanced or not, but it worked for me, although some fights were pretty frustrating. 7/10
Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales – 100%. Gwent really got to me in the Witcher 3. It was kinda sad to see that this is an entirely different card game (although closer to the online Gwent), but it was still a great one. Telling the really interesting story of Queen Meve, the game not only expands the lore of the really intriguing Witcherverse, it also tells it through this mix of roaming through a map and army fights presented by card battles. The visuals weren’t all too exciting, although the art style worked for me. The score was awesome, though, maybe even better than the one from W3. I can absolutely recommend this game to any person interested in card games and in the Witcher. 9/10
Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden – finished story and most content. I have so many tactical RPGs on my backlog, all with very interesting settings, but animal mutants in a postapocalyptic Sweden? That’s one of the freshest ideas in a while. The top hat wearing duck really sold it to me. Unlike many other games of its genre like XCOM, the areas are connected with each other like in more classic RPGs. Stealth kills played a huge part in this game as open combat makes the game a lot harder. It’s not a very long game, which I appreciated. However, the initial premise of its animal mutants really fell short as there were actually not that many in the game. I also would have liked to have more of the characters in my team, but the stealth advantages made some characters a lot stronger than others, so there was little choice in which people to take. Itemization and progress were alright, the combat is pretty much as in XCOM etc. 7/10
Cities in Motion – played some scenarios. Preparing for Cities: Skylines, I figured I should play this first. It’s an alright public transport planning simulation that made me excited for planning stuff throughout several cities. However, I have some serious issues with it. For once, this game punished you hard for planning public transport like in real life and creating ridiculously tiny lines (like 2 stations per metro line) was the only way to any meaningful amount of money. Also, the German scenario pack has 12 scenarios, but only 4 cities (other packs are similar). It’s interesting to revisit cities in different eras, but to rebuild everything every time is annoying. And the tasks you get are borderline asinine, like building a line with three stations in far ends of the map, which I circumvented with temporary lines that I immediately deleted after completing it. In its core it had great potential, but felt lazily executed. 5,5/10
BATTLETECH – finished story, some flashpoints and fooled around with mech components for a bit afterwards. Been a while since I dived into MechWarrior games, maybe a good 17 years. Battletech is…GOOD. Maybe my favorite game I have played that year. The campaign is great, has a good plot, but also gives you an open galaxy to explore at your own leisure. The hunt for new mech chassis in the midgame was the most fun I think. Building mechs, balancing your finances, keeping your people alive and trained, random events on board of your ship and upgrading your ship all felt meaningful and well interconnected. It’s also a turn-based tactical RPG, but it works with its own rules (like weapon groups and destroyable sections) and does so very well. 9,5/10
Batman – The Telltale Series – 100%. A solid game for both Batman and Telltale fans. The story was original enough and I always enjoy a plot that isn’t focused on the way overused Joker – who has his part, but a very interesting one. Not really much more to say here. 8/10
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch) – finished story and most of the map. Finally, I tackled this behemoth of this generation. I haven’t played a Zelda since Majora’s Mask and the reason for that was a lack of drive to finish either of the N64 installments. Now, 20 years and a friend with a copy available later, I felt urged to play it as I wanted to give back the copy. Didn’t expect much despite the hype, but I have to say this game is (almost) as good as people say. It’s one of the few games that really lets you do whatever you want in the order you want (after a brief tutorial). My partner is playing it right now and it’s interesting to see how different our approaches to the order of quests and also specific challenges are. It rewards creative problem solving due to its physics engine. It is not perfect, especially the weapon system is weird and non-permanency in weapons feels just odd. NPCs are not very well written. The world is rather empty and while that has a plot reason, it feels like there should be more at times. But despite that, the game is a lot of fun and deserves its reputation. 9/10
Monster Hunter World + Iceborne (PS4) – defeated everything up to Furious Rajang, about 350 hours played with a fixed group of 3 and sometimes two other RL friends. Probably the game played most intensely this year. I bought a PS4 Pro in February and soon after – also thanks to Corona – I started playing this with two other friends, almost daily for several months. I had played Tri a decade ago and liked the general idea, but hated a lot of outdated conventions (both from Nintendo and the game itself) back then. World does most things I hated so much better. The monsters are engaging and (mostly) fun, the weapons are diverse and have their niches, the progression system is addictive, I love the Palicos & the private suite customizations and there is so much to see and find in the few maps they have. Great game if you like the combat and if you don’t focus too much on story because that one is paper-thin. 9/10
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (PS4) – finished story. I liked U2 and U3 a lot, so this was a must-play after getting the PS4. It’s probably the most graphically impressive game I have played so far. The combat felt a little forced at times, but I guess that’s the genre. Although sneaking felt more possible and rewarding than in previous titles (as far as I remember). The story is a typical “one last gig” thing, but I liked the inclusion of Drake’s youth and especially how they concluded the Drake saga (maybe?). It’s a very solid game and definitely a must-play for PS4 owners. 8,5/10
EVERSPACE – finished story, post-story and most side missions. I don’t like losing progress, but like Rogue-likes with in-between progression systems, so despite my first hesitation, I picked up this game as I was craving a new space game. Though having a VR, I never got to play it in that mode, but still, I had a lot of fun with it. Some runs were intense and discovering new elements always put an excited wtf face on my head. The in-universe explanation for it being Rogue-like worked for me and getting funds to improve your ships between runs was addictive enough to try again and again. Same with weapons, they were different enough to try out different ones. Just don’t expect too much content out of this, it’s not a big game. 7/10
GRID (2019) – finished base game and some of the season pass content. I was a big fan of the first Grid and played all games in between. But like them, this one did not manage to be as engaging as the first one. While I enjoyed playing through the different leagues and liked the variety of cars and inclusion of a team mate, I did get bored to go through every cup as some of them had a severe lack of cars within them. There was no upgrading of cars, money was meaningless for 99% of the game and a overall career feeling of the ‘story’ mode was absent. At least I didn’t have to basically only race against Ravenwest anymore and other teams were still relevant. I feel like Codemasters could do a lot more with the foundation they have created here, but fail to connect the races in a meaningful way. 6/10
Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness (PS4) – finished story and most side quests. This was one of my most wanted PS4 titles before Horizon: Zero Dawn came out. I loved Star Ocean 1, 2 and 4 so much. 4 in particular was just great enough to fill the small void that FFXIII had left back then. I heard about the mediocre reviews of IaF. And it was…actually mediocre. What I forgot or never knew was that I got released as a PS3 game in Japan first. And it really, really shows. The game was UGLY. Not ugly ugly, but playing it directly after Uncharted 4 was quite a shock. Not that it matters too much. However, the second problem I have with this game is directly aim at its soul. The other games had you jumping between planets and several distinct locations. And IaF started very promising, hinting at similar qualities. But then, it just…went into its climax and ended. Sure, some parts are in actual space. But you have seen about 80% of the locations within the first quarter of the game, which is ridiculous. It’s such a pity as the game’s story and combat are actually very enjoyable and I loved just grinding, which is quite unusual for me. But the narrow scope of the game wastes a lot of potential and that’s a real disappointment to me as a fan of the series. It could have easily done so much better. 6,5/10
Risen – finished. Oh boy, this game was sitting in my backlog for a LONG time – probably since its release I wanted to try it out. Unfortunately, this is a case of being TOO patient. The game is horribly outdated nowadays, the combat is not much fun and punishes you hard even on easy difficulty. The quest flow, general plot, start and choice of character skills are good, but I do think everything else – graphics, item flow, combat, sound, art design - was pretty bad. This was two years before Skyrim, but it feels like it’s been 10, honestly. I am still curious about Risen 2, 3 and Elex, however. But I might skip the first two after this. 3/10
Team Sonic Racing (Switch) – finished story. Yes, story. It’s as good dumb as you would expect from a Sonic racing game. Weirdly enough, I performed a lot better in handheld mode. The minigames are frustratingly hard as drifting is way overdone. The actual racing is nice, but no match to Mario Kart 8, although I do appreciate the idea of teams with ultimate boosts and item sharing. 6,5/10
Yakuza 0 – finished story and most major side activities. God, this game completely surprised me. I was absolutely 0 interested in crime settings, but Humble gave me this gem of a game. My partner suggested to try it out together, but lost interest in it, so we stopped for 2 months. I then picked it up again by myself and got increasingly invested in the story, the combat system and the bajillion of side things to do. THERE IS SO MUCH TO DO! And most of it is fun, doesn’t overstay its welcome too much and helps develop the main characters a little bit. The Real Estate and Hostess Club minigames are basically entire games-within-a-game, the pocket racer would also work by itself and the Karaoke songs were absolutely adorable and are a must-see in all of gaming. While I thought that the game got bloated a bit due to the two characters both having their own full-blown story, but sharing a single game, the interconnection made it kind of necessary to not separate them. But the game felt a bit long thanks to that (and all of the minigames that felt kinda mandatory at times). Anyway, I am now completely hooked on the series and look forward to the next entry – although I really need some time off lest I encounter the good old Assassin’s Creed-like fatigue. But given I couldn’t give two shits about Yakuza – even though I fucking majored in Japan Studies – this is an amazing feat. 9/10
Additional note: Getting into Yakuza memes alone is worth playing this, but the more I read and watch about this game and the series, the more and more I appreciate this franchise.
Endless Legend with a few DLCs – finished two full games (~38 hours). I was in the mood for a 4X game and this one was poking in my side for a bit. Endless Space was quite enjoyable and the overarching plot kinda works? I enjoyed expanding, researching and the quest system as well, but it felt just like Civ5 in general, with a few exceptions of course. It was weird that the ‘ages’ weren’t really differentiated visually and that you kept using the same units throughout the whole game – also there are not many of them, but there is an intriguing RPG-like customization system baked into it instead, which was cool enough. The winter and sea fortress system was also refreshing (but probably brought in from DLCs). Factions had some differences that went beyond what Civ would do, but the really deviating ones (like lava or fungus people that need different ways of city building) were hidden behind DLCs I do not have. Two games were enough for me, but I may come back in the future. 7/10
Need for Speed: Payback (PS4) – finished story. Being a PSN+ freebie, I got a bit excited over the silly F&F story that I felt like seeing with my own eyes. And the game delivered on that - but not much more. My last true NfS was Hot Pursuit (2010) (and my NfS favorites: Shift 1+2), so it had been a while. But I realize that I do not need that speed anymore. While the game was ultimately enjoyable, especially cruising around, finding stuff and customizing the cars, I especially disliked the offroad races with their weird rubber band perfect traction AI which was really frustrating. The driving in general revolved too much around drifting everything, but I guess that’s full arcade racers for you. And the automatic car reset was a bit too eager at times. 5,5/10
Rise of the Tomb Raider (PS4) – finished story and Croft manor side story. Also a PSN+ freebie. I have played the first game and was quite entertained by it. As I played Uncharted not too long ago, I was able to compare those two games a bit and while Uncharted looks undoubtedly better (and I prefer non-supernatural stuff in this kind of game), I think that Tomb Raider is the better game overall. This might be due to the usage of a skill and weapon customization system, which made exploring places and looking for XP, resources and parts fun. I also think that limiting the game’s world to one location (outside the prologue) helped immersion a lot. The game has quite a bit of a different feeling than the first TR, but mostly due to Lara being kickass from the start instead of allegedly being a frail grad student that 20 hours later massacres armies of armed and trained mercenaries. I liked it quite a lot of the backstory with her dad and caretaker were quite interesting as well. 8/10
Not done / on and off:
League of Legends – almost exclusively ARAM, sometimes bot games for trying out stuff. Not much to say to this, it’s a notorious, but ultimately good MOBA. The new items overhaul was a bit of a big change, but now I am getting the hang of it, I think. Some of the new champions of this year are fun to play, like Samira, Lilia and Seraphine. One of my friends quit the game for good, I think, so only one other is left, and it’s the go-to game if it’s just the two of us. Sometimes I play by myself, but I try to play more single player games then.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Switch) – some 70 hours to built my house, the island is my partner’s. This is my first Animal Crossing and after hesitating at the beginning, I did enjoy it quite a lot. It’s very relaxing, you can work towards small goals, but without any stress. Interactions with other villagers will become repetitive, but at the beginning it feels very sweet. It’s also nice that Nintendo supports the game with free updates every month. 8/10
Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution! (Switch) – played through story mode until midway ARC-V. I have my YGO phases every now and then where I watch a show and play a corresponding game at the same time. The Switch game is pretty nice as it lets me play through all TV shows’ stories, lets me play with most characters’ decks, has reverse duels for every story battle, but I also can always use my own decks which is sometimes very necessary as some matches are VERY one-sided. There are also challenge battles against very good decks which are as difficult as I imagine actual competitive dueling. Two things I don’t like about this particular YGO game: No free battle vs. CPU and only 30 custom deck save slots. The Tag Force games were still ahead in that regard. Still, it’s a solid entry that can provide hundreds of hours of entertainment for YGO enthusiasts and is a great travel companion. 8/10
Undertale – I just can’t get into it, sorry. This is my second attempt and I got a lot further than last time (about one third in). But something just doesn’t click with me. Maybe the humor feels forced, maybe the retro graphics do, or maybe I get too hype-talked by people. I don’t know.
Super Seducer – almost done with the first one. We mostly play it together or with other people, to have a good time. I got this from Dunkey, but I have to say the first one isn’t even that funny. A lot of the explanation in how to approach women are cringy at best and predatory at worst. I guess it does teach how to behave better for some very inexperienced guys, but in general it shouldn’t be used as a guideline in how to get girls to talk to you.
Katamari Damacy REROLL – almost done. It’s a fun game for a silly afternoon. The controls are garbage, but it doesn’t matter too much. The humour is great and rolling up increasingly bigger things is weirdly satisfying.
Borderlands 2 – Playing with friends every now and then. It’s still fun and I haven’t explored all characters yet (although leave me alone with Krieg), so there’s still more to get out of it.
Jackbox 1-7 – I was a huge fan of the early YDKJ games 20 years ago, so I’m happy they are still around and have adapted new technologies to further their game concepts. The Jackbox games have become staples in many parties and were a major driver during corona to get people together online around the globe to play a few rounds of whatever minigame we wanted to enjoy. Some games are not good, of course, but the ever-growing library of minigames always manages to add refreshing new titles to the list. My favorites are Quiplash, T-K.O. and Champ’d. 10/10
Risk of Rain 2 – unlocked all characters, had a couple of runs with friends and by myself. I have to say I might not like the game too much. The characters are interesting and the upgrade system is addictive, but losing progress without much being gained from a run (except lunar coins and unlocked characters/skills) feels like making no progress at all, in a way. It’s fun to play with friends and you can somewhat relax and chat while jumping and shooting around. 6/10
Beat Saber – half of campaign mode, but mostly custom songs. I LOVE Beat Saber. It’s the reason I got a VR system this year (a used 2017 Vive, but I don’t need more for that) and I had a lot of fun (and exercise!) with it. It’s sad when your wanted songs have not been mapped or mapped really bad, but the existing database is really big and a lot of fun to go through. There are a lot of gameplay additions (like one-handed, 90° and 360° modes), but the standard mode is still the best (or most-supported). The latter half of the campaign is dumb as hell, tho - hitting a specific amount of combos within a very small threshold in both min and max is such a dumb thing. Mods make the game a whole lot better and some stuff should really be in the base game. 9/10
Audica – played through campaign mode and some custom songs. Not as good as Beat Saber, but it’s still very enjoyable. It’s hits the same spot, but with a twist. Mod support is not a big here, but still there. 8/10
Cities: Skylines + most DLCs – still working on my first city after 40 hours. Depicted as the penultimate city builder, I had to get into this at some point. I have to admit, it’s pretty good. As good as imagined? Maybe, maybe not. The base formula is not that complicated, but the DLCs add a whole lot of flavor to it. I can definitely recommend it, but I still have a lot of time ahead with it.
Postponed:
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Switch) – I started and had a lot of fun with it, but stopped after roughly 5-10 hours as my partner was taking over the Switch with BotW (she played Witcher 3 before, so I was able to player with the Switch in the meantime) and switching cartridges all the time is a pain in the ass. Will continue soon and am very excited to do so.

Summary: 2020 was probably the most intense gaming year for me so far, mostly thanks to Corona. My top three are probably BATTLETECH, BotW and Yakuza 0, with some honorable mentions to Beat Saber, MH:W and Jackbox. My gaming year 2021 is going to look similarily awesome and I already planned to play so many very high-profile games: Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Paper Mario: The Origame King, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Starpoint Gemini Warlords (almost finished this one already), Darksiders 2, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Gran Turismo Sport, Persona 5 Royal, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Borderlands 3, GTA V.

Finally played the Episode DLCs, here are my thoughts on each one.

Episode Gladio

I've seen a lot of people give Episode Gladio crap for how short it is, but I think the short length is a good thing. It's simple, straight to the point, and doesn't overstay it's welcome. It also highlights a problem I've seen in the other DLCs (I'll talk about this during the other sections) that Episode Gladio actually doesn't suffer from at all.
I liked being able to pick up pillars and smash enemies with them, I liked that there was more development and screen time given to Cor, and I liked that each trial Gladio went through actually benefited him in terms of gameplay.
Oddly enough, Gladio's HP in this doesn't have the danger state/secondary health bar from the main game and even the other three DLCs, making fights a lot more hectic, risky, and requiring more strategy. I found this to be a good thing as I think the secondary health bar in FFXV made the game too easy.
I also enjoyed the Final Trial against Cor but I did notice that some of his attacks had inconsistent tells so I had to guess through analyzing his attack patterns. It took well over ten tries before I was finally able to beat him. Overall, a pretty good DLC.

Episode Prompto

It was during this DLC that I noticed something about Final Fantasy XV's game design and that's the various mechanics across both the main game and the DLCs don't have cohesion with each other.
For example, Prompto is able to use two weapons in the DLC that he can't use in the main game, the Sagata Rifle and the Audax Blade. There is no ability to change out your weapons at will even though the gear menu is available for them, you can only change your outfit.
Prompto can also learn Trigger Happy in the main game, but can't actually use it when you are playing as him until you play his DLC. The opposite issue also lies with Starshell and Snapshot, where playable Prompto will have those techniques unlocked at the start but the player must still spend AP to unlock the same moves for Command-Controlled Prompto to use.
Aside from that, there are side quests and side objectives that don't matter, biggest example being an upgradable snowmobile, CPUs are needed to upgrade it and you get those through rather repetitive sidequests. However, you don't ever need the snowmobile past the first open area you use it in, so it makes me wonder what was the point of it being upgradable it to begin with.
I thought Prompto's arc was ok, but it feels a bit a flat and does fall into the trope of Clone/Science Experiment/Weapon that a lot of characters in JRPGs go through, like Vivi and Zidane from FF9 as well as Cloud from FF7.
The Aranea fight wasn't as hard as the Cor fight in Episode Gladio, I actually managed to beat Aranea on my first try (I still came close to losing though). I also liked that both Aranea and Verstael got more screen time, especially Verstael since he was only ever in one cutscene in the entirety of XV's main campaign, never to even be mentioned again.
Verstael's idea of Divinity is pretty skewed though, what in the world made him think that becoming a giant metal worm would gain him Divinity? You can't do shit in that form except destroy things and barrow yourself into the ground. Seriously, they tease Diamond Weapon in this DLC, Diamond Weapon would've been a far more interesting thing to become in terms of Divinity than a giant metal worm (Might've made for a better boss fight too).
One thing that really irks me about Episode Prompto is the A.I of the enemies, sometimes they would stand there and not do anything, even when you are attacking them. Their A.I felt more refined in the main game and even the other DLCs than it does in this one.
I liked that there was some exploration within the Niflheim continent in this because that was one of the things I really wanted to see more of in XV, but there wasn't much value to it in Episode Prompto, just a bunch of shacks, a few empty houses here and there, a lake, and then that's it.
One thing does have me confused though is the timeline of this DLC. Now I might not be remembering things correctly since I haven't done a replay of XV's main campaign since the game itself first came out, but after Prompto gets knocked off the train in the main campaign, doesn't it take Noctis and crew about a day before they arrive in Gralea? If so, how come Prompto is already there when they arrive but Episode Prompto takes place "several days" after Prompto already got knocked off the train. It's a bit confusing to me is all.
Other than those things, it's an Ok DLC. Not great, not terrible, probably the worst one out of the four, but not in the sense that it's bad, just Ok in terms of quality.

Episode Ignis

I loved the environmental traversal in this, the grapple hook you get from an MT is a nice substitution for Ignis' inability to warpstrike and how you can use it to insta-kill certain enemies in a sort of Metal Gear Raiden Style.
I liked the fact that there is actually swimming this DLC. It always confused me why swimming was left out in the main game aside from the Leviathan fight, even in just lakes or ponds (The Ocean and Altissia I can understand). I know you can use Chocobos to traverse across them, but was there a reason Noctis and the group couldn't swim in lakes or ponds?
The thing I loved the most in this DLC was the in-game scenes with Titan. It reminded me so much of the announcement trailer from E3 2013 when Noctis was going up against Leviathan and there was just chaos, buildings flying everywhere, Niflheim ships firing on both Noctis and Leviathan, something that was massively downgraded in the final version.
However, I think out of the four Episode DLCs, this one has the most unnecessary amount of padding.
First up, the introduction tutorial section is too damn interrupting. I already knew how to play as Ignis and you can skip the tutorial in Episode Gladio, but every five-ten seconds a new tutorial/strategy came up. Thankfully it's over quick but it bugged the hell out of me when I first started it.
Second, there are districts within the section of Altissia you are in that you can go in and clear out of imperial forces. Why this mechanic is even here boggles my mind. Ignis' priority is to find and secure Noctis, why should he care about what the empire does in these districts?
Once you reach the eastern bridge that can be used to crossover into altar where Noctis and Luna are and it collapses (It's not like Ignis couldn't just cross it, he has a grappling hook.....), the districts get retaken again, but after you deal with some imperial forces nearby and you hear a guard mention a boat, there is nothing stopping you from just going straight to the boat and forgetting about the districts, considering they're not brought up again after this.
This is what I meant by it felt like it had a lot of unnecessary padding. Taking the districts back don't matter and Ignis ends up back near the starting area after Caligo chases him away. You can even go back to the same bridge that a Magitek Engine crashes into at the start, the one that separates Ignis from Gladio and Prompto, as well as find notes from both Prompto and Gladio that indicate that they are in the same area you, yet you can't actually find them.
There's even rest areas. Again, Ignis is trying to get to Noctis as fast as he can, why would he stop to take a break? It made sense in Episode Gladio since there wasn't a sense of urgency in the context of that story and even served to give Cor and even Gladio more exposition, but why would Ignis need to take a break?
There were also times that the game would freeze for a half-second to a second during gameplay, I never had this happen to me even during the main game with the open world, and I played this on a standard PS4. I never experienced this issue during the other DLCs either.
Then there is the alternate ending. Granted it's not available on your first time playing the DLC, but as much as people can like this ending since it's a more favorable outcome, what on earth is the actual point of it?
Ignis finds himself in Zegnautus Keep, walks for a bit, hears a voice telling him about Ardyn's past, Ardyn tries to kill him after revealing his true name to him, then after supposedly putting the ring to sacrifice himself for Noctis to live, Ignis lives anyway (Doesn't even lose his eyesight), and somehow managed to cook up a plan to defeat Ardyn and bring back the light without Noctis dying in the 10 years it took for Noctis to come back. This would've been much better integrated into the main game rather than some DLC.
However, it was during the part where Ignis was supposedly dying though where I felt like these four guys were actual brothers. Think about it, how many times in the main game where the bros actually THAT concerned for each other?
Maybe the instances when Noctis knocked Prompto off the train or when Noctis stood up for Gladio after Ravus sent him flying into the Regalia, true, but was there ever a moment in the main game where one of the bros could be potentially dying and the others were freaking out about it? Not that I recall. Aside from moments when a party member would be KO'd during gameplay and one of the bros would react, NOTHING like this happens in the main game in terms of the story.
One thing that did bother me is even though you unlock the "Quick Recipeh" skill for Ignis in the main game after completing Episode Ignis, it's actually still unavailable when you replay the DLC, either it's a glitch or maybe I missed something, I don't know.
However, out of all the four optional boss fights these Episode DLCs come with. "Friendly Match" is by far the hardest one. This is the only optional boss fight of the DLCs I have yet to actually beat. Cor was tough but I eventually defeated him, Aranea I got on my first try, and even Kingly Clash where it was Ardyn vs the bros wasn't that tough at all.
Friendly Match on the other hand is no joke for it's not even a friendly match to begin with, Noctis is an absolute monster in this. Nevermind the fact that he can use more than four weapons at once in this and even uses the weapons you get from the DLCs, this Sasuke Uchiha Cosplaying Motherfucking No-Vegetable Duck-haired Son of a Gun even uses the fucking Ring of the Lucii on you, turning Ignis from the beautiful toothbrush that he is into a toothpick that looks like it was discarded by Deadeye after chowing down on an unfortunate Chocobo.
How is this a "Friendly Match" again?
However, Friendly Match isn't challenging because it's hard, it's challenging because it's broken. A part of what makes Ignis effective when playing as him is his damage multiplier that increases the more hits you land on an enemy. It is practically impossible to maintain the multiplier against Noctis though, since he practically blocks and even counters against Ignis attacks way too often and the multiplier can go down very quickly. Then there is the Armiger, nearly impossible to avoid his Armiger attacks which can put you in the danger state very quickly.
The closest I came to beating him is when he used the Drain Spell on me. Ravus showed up at one point but barely helped since half the time he was stuck on the Gas Pump and didn't really attack Noctis until I commanded him too.
Overall, this was a fun DLC, but it also had the most unnecessary amount of padding to it, it would've been over in 20 minutes or less without the padding.

Episode Ardyn

This and Episode Gladio are by far the best ones. Of course, it's not without it's problems, but let's start with the positives first.
Starting with the Behemoth in the room. Insomnia, we finally get to see what Insomnia looks like in the day time and before it's destruction. This was the main thing I was looking forward to in this DLC and man did it not disappoint. I loved the traversal in this a lot more than in Episode Ignis, especially with Ardyn's shadow step ability, going on rooftops and seeing what Insomnia is like from above was really fun.
The funny thing is that the structure Insomnia's map reminded me a lot of Kamurocho in the Yakuza games where there is usually a small district to explore that is filled with life, focusing more on density rather than size (Something I wished XV's open world focused more on).
Except in Episode Ardyn, that isn't the case. Insomnia is pretty empty, which is understandable given the context of what happens after Ardyn first arrives, but this does make me want this area reworked into a proper beginning section where you are exploring Insomnia as Noctis and the Bros for the first time and maybe have the Niflheim invasion reworked back into the game, just using this map as the foundation for it. It's wishful thinking though.
However, there was something this DLC has a lot of that I noticed was very lacking in the main game, and that's human enemies, not humanoid enemies like the MTs or even humans piloting mechs like with Loqi and Caligo, but human enemies. Aranea and Ardyn are the only human enemies you fight in the main game of XV, and that's not even fully counting Ardyn since he's not entirely human himself, making Aranea the only true human you fight in the entirety of XV's main campaign.
Anyway, playing as Ardyn was pretty fun. Granted, I haven't played all the FF games anyway as I'm currently making my way through FF9 and I'm almost done with it, but I don't any other FF game has a section where you play as the main villain, aside from that one instance in FF7 where Cloud and Sephiroth fight a dragon together (Even then, you still can't issue commands to Sephiroth since he's CPU controlled).
I liked the spin on his "Descension" Grid, a parallel to where Noctis was rising and Ardyn was falling. The Ceberus-0 rifle is too OP, especially when you gain an ability that allows you to stop time when using it. His Armiger is unique in that you have to consume others in order to fill up (Which can be upgraded to use MP to do the same), that and with his ability to see the memories and acquire the knowledge of those he infects or consumes reminds me of Alex Mercer and James Heller from the PROTOTYPE series, as it was a similar concept.
The thing I liked most about Ardyn's gameplay though, was Ifrit. Finally, I can summon the Infernian during gameplay, something that was pretty much absent during the main campaign. Not only that, but you can actually control when he you summons and what he does too, something Noctis can't do with the other summons. Now that I think about, considering the summons in XV's main game did pretty much the same thing, I guess there was no point in making Ifrit or even Bahamut summonable in the main game as cool as they would've been.
There are a lot of areas here that were originally teased even during the Versus trailers before being cut out of the main game, one of them being the Tokyo-like area. It's kind of funny now that I think about, a lot of the what the Versus trailers showcased was the Insomnia invasion, which didn't happen in the final game and was relegated to Kingsglaive. If XV gets remastered for next-gen with added content, they really could rework this map for the Insomnia Invasion. Again, it's just wishful thinking.
However, as great as this DLC is, it still suffers from the same problems that Episode Ignis and Prompto suffer from, padding (At least it's the good kind of padding) with mechanics and secondary objectives that just don't matter.
Ardyn's objective once he is Insomnia is to destroy wall amplifiers. However, you don't need to destroy all of the amplifiers in order to progress the story, you could, but there is nothing for you to gain. You also end up fighting incarnations of the both the Rogue and the Fierce, sometimes more than one.
I don't know why the Rogue and the Fierce are important in Lucis' line of kings for both the Royal Family to create statues of them as well as Ardyn corrupting them alongside Somnus at the end of Royal Edition, but fighting them over and over got pretty repetitive pretty quickly, and with each amplifier cleared out, you got access to more shops, rest areas, and treasures, kind of reminds of me of Ubisoft's tower thing.
You can destroy environmental things for points (Which earns some banter from Ardyn) as well as buy hats you can wear which affects your stats (Some of which are expensive and require you to "sell" treasures you find all around insomnia, I say "sell" because there is no one to sell them too, how do you sell to a vending machine or to an empty stall? Why would Ardyn even buy them, wouldn't he just steal?!), they don't really matter though, at least I ended up buying all the hats but not doing anything with them.
The shops did answer a question that had been lingering in my mind since the game first came out, and that was how in the world did Prompto not know what Gil is? Well, that's because Insomnia doesn't use Gil, it uses Yen. Makes sense since Insomnia was based off of Tokyo.
Of course, I haven't talked about the part when Ardyn was found by Niflheim and what he did with them over course of his stay with them. It's kind of odd that Verstael only told Ardyn about the cloned food and his research facility only after several months of staying with them (Young Verstael's voice does NOT match his look, I can't imagine what kind of puberty he went through).
I'm probably crazy for thinking this, but I think this section should serve as the intro to the main game. Play as the villain, learn about the world for a bit, and without revealing who said villain really is, reveal him as the main villain. I don't know, it just has a stronger build up when compared to the original intro of XV.
I liked this section, but it really only ever served as a lore dump kind of thing, especially when it came to the various place in Eos, where a lot of it's lore from, some places you can't visit *Sigh*. It's not a bad thing though since we got to see how Niflheim was when it's military mostly comprised of humans before being fully converted into MTs. If there is one character that is severly underdeveloped in XV besides Luna, it's Ledolas Aldercapt and the rest of Niflheim.
Aside from that, Episode Ardyn does suffer from the same problem that XV's main campaign suffered from, and that the character development of Aera, Somnus, and even Ardyn was relegated into an anime short that really isn't all that good to be honest. Overall though, fantastic DLC.

Conclusion

Overall, these DLCs were pretty good. I got them during the recent 50% off sale along with the Royal Pack so I thought they were fine for what they are worth. But a common problem I saw amongst all of them save for Episode Gladio is that there are a lot of unnecessary objectives/upgrades/padding that just didn't matter and felt like they were put there to extend the playtime of the DLCs.
Here's how I rank them.

Episode Ardyn
Episode Gladio
Episode Ignis
Episode Prompto

The Dream One Piece Game

Yeah, I spent a while trying to make this but here goes. I kind of made it like a speech presentation so please excuse the more dramatic tone to it.
Another user - u/Villainous-Lightning made a similar post a while ago which gives more depth to certain aspects. https://www.reddit.com/OnePiece/comments/k728ti/ideal_one_piece_videogame/
I also made this in video format so you can check that out. https://youtu.be/QYNxfN7Tiqg
Over the decades we have been slowly following the grand epic that is One Piece. One Piece is the best anime that I’ve ever seen. And in every single type of media that we see One Piece in, it's always been solid. Except for... the games. Like when was the last time we actually got a good long-lasting One Piece game. Sure we have the pirate warriors series but that is far too stale and it never brings the recognition that One Piece gets and deserves. From 2012 to 2020 Bandai Namco has been consistently publishing a new One Piece game.
2012 - Pirate Warriors for the PS3 and that was an average game that did bring a new side to the One Piece gaming aspect. The Mouso.
2013 - Unlimited World Red for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PC, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS. Just what were they thinking with this game? This singular game made us One Piece fans a laughing stock. We also got Pirate Warriors 2 for the PS3 and Vita but that was so stale that there's not much to say other than the fact that the Bandai felt that this was the series to continue developing One Piece Games in.
2014 - Treasure Cruise for Mobile. And while this game is still running, it's a gacha game that has very lacklustre gameplay and an extremely expensive gambling aspect. This really only exists today because a bunch of people that like One Piece and are prone to gambling exist.
2015 - Pirate Warriors 3 for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PC and PlayStation 3 comes out and once again it is mid.
2016 - Bandai decides to switch it up and bring us a new approach to the One Piece games. The battle arena fighting game. One Piece Burning Blood releases in 2016 for the PS4 and PC and while there were some good aspects that were in this game, overall Burning Blood ended up being a game that was another generic anime fighting game that lacked depth or any meaningful sense of balance.
2017 - actually was a year that we did not get any new One Piece game. So yeah.
2018 - however Bandai Namco decided that it was time for One Piece to make a return into the gaming industry in which Bounty Rush was released. Yeah, it's a mobile game but it does have better gameplay aspects which are consequently limited by the gacha system. Again it repeats the shortcomings of Treasure Cruise.
2019 - Now this was the year where in my opinion, One Piece was delivered in a genre that was perfect for it. The open-world genre. One Piece World Seeker was released for the PS4, Xbox One and PC and while it had the foundations of a decent game, the combat, story and open-world lacked enough content to make the game meaningful as a whole.
2020 - To make sure this year was thoroughly shit Bandai Namco published One Piece Pirate Warriors 4 for the PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC. Another iteration of Pirate Warriors that built on the foundations of its predecessors but it still kept its original flaws.
As you can see that there is no One Piece game that still has any ounce of life aside from Pirate Warriors 4 but give it a couple of months it follows the others in a comfortable coffin.
Okay, there's no point complaining about an issue if I don’t present any solutions. So I present to you, The Dream One Piece Game
Genre
If there was any genre that would fit One Piece it is obviously the open-world adventure RPG. For me and a lot of viewers and readers, one of the biggest aspects that drew people into One Piece was the sense of this grand adventure that the straw hats will go on. It was never about the cool fight scenes or other more shallow aspects. Although we do love a good fight scene. So how we do this is we have a One Piece open-world game where we start in Foosha village with Luffy setting out on his adventures to become the pirate king. He hops from island to island progressing the original narrative. These islands must be massive, Alabasta, Fishman Island, Dressrosa these were considered countries with their own regions and towns and surrounding these large islands must be larger waters. The Straw hats are going on a journey. A journey that they have no idea of what will happen.
Structure
We want the players to be at a point where with each island that they play through, they can look back and reminisce on the journey that they have had. The idea is that they gotta be thinking “We really did that shit”. This means that we should fill each main island with plenty of meaningful content. Main missions, side missions and other systems that we get into later. The game is structured where there are primarily two types of mission, canon and non - canon. Players are not allowed to travel to the next island without completing the canon missions that replicate the manga and the anime to an extent. The non-canon missions are optional of course. These optional non-canon missions could retell the filler stories like Luffy, Zoro and Chopper getting lost in Alabasta and finding a poneglyph or Sanji meeting the old chef that uses ingredients from the All Blue. Even the inclusion of movie content would be welcomed. The developers could include some exclusive missions that somewhat replicate what we see in the sub-stories from the Yakuza series. I also have an idea that there are certain tasks on islands that are exclusive to each of the strawhats. They could come in the form of minigames or just missions that are relevant to each straw hat which can reoccur in each island.
Luffy could have a mission where he could visit all the restaurants on the island and test out their food. Sort of a completion list. He could even have a coliseum mode where he fights as Afro Luffy or Lucy where he dukes it out with the antagonists of each arc in an exhibition match.
For Zoro, we can have him return to his past life as a bounty hunter where he can go around and hunt for wanted criminals and maybe even set him out on treasure hunts so that he could improve on his sense of direction. Johnny and Yosaku can even make an appearance. These bounties could have their own storyline that somewhat is reminiscent of the contracts from The Witcher series.
Nami could have a simple exploration objective so on completion she could be one step closer to drawing a map of the world. She could also have a business enterprise mode where she can run certain establishments that generate revenue for her and even get into competition with other businesses.
When it comes to Usopp we can have a minigames section where we play as Usopp in certain accuracy based modes. Darts, Duck Shooting, Sniping or even duels. Even a mode where you play as Sogeking could be a lot of fun.
One of Sanji’s most apparent qualities aside from his lust is his speed. Because of this, we can do some time trial events or some races where Sanji goes up against other well-known speedsters from the series. We could have some minigames where Sanji can go on dates with other people trying to find love and some action.
Chopper could have some minigames where we could have him take part in the surgery. Kind of a surgeon simulator. Honestly, I can't really think of any ideas for Chopper. He is quite one note with the cute doctor aspect. Maybe you guys can leave some ideas.
With Robin, we could go on pseudo story investigation missions where we learn more exclusive history about certain islands. I'm not entirely sure how these missions could go. It could be like scavenger hunts and it might not even have to be canon history but it's there to help build more character to her character. Elements from the Ace Attorney series may prove to be a solid inspiration.
Franky could have an entire minigame section where we use the Battle Franky Battleships and go on a full warfare mode and battling other Pirate and Marine ship. The pirate ship battle features that were present in Assassins Creed Black Flag are easily some of the best single-player pirate ship experiences so that has to be a muse.
For Brook, it's very obvious that there has to be some level of music involved. So the most fitting feature for Brook would be a rhythm minigame. Like a karaoke or a guitar hero mode. Maybe even a dance mode that we see in the tap tap revolution series.
If we include Jinbei then it is only right as the helmsman of the crew, we could bring in a ship racing game mode where there could be a progression system of upgrading the Thousand Sunny to challenge other ships.
There could even be missions of cover stories that tell the journey of other characters. For example, we get the Lola and Chiffon in Dressrosa cover story while the manga is in Wano so when the player gets into Wano they unlock the Lola and Chiffon cover story back in Dressrosa. That way the player is still incentivized to revisit the previous islands for more content.
These are just ideas that would be some fun content for the players while not taking the focus too far away from the story. Of course, there should be missions that are incorporated into the minigames so there is some level of progression and a goal to achieve for the perfectionists. A mini-story to be exact. And while they are missions exclusive to each character, there is no reason why other Straw Hats won’t get involved with each other's missions. The reason why we need things like this is not just for the sake of content in video games. The Straw Hats, while still a pirate crew, are a family. They fight, mock and protect each other. They have certain dynamics that when they are visible to the players it can really bring in a level of familiarity and depth to the crew.
Gameplay
Since this is an open-world game, there has to be an incentive to explore the environment. This allows there to be beautiful environments that when paired with landmarks and other types of points of interest the player will be drawn to explore environments of the islands that they visit rather than doing the main missions and moving on. Characters such as Luffy, Sanji and Robin are able to fly in their own unconventional ways means that there has to be a level of verticality that’s filled with some depth. Side missions should push the players to embark on these areas that the story would otherwise avoid. A game like Genshin Impact - while flawed in certain areas really hit the mark when it came to exploration.
Most of One Piece’s combat is melee but there are some mid-range and a few long-range combat scenes. I believe that the best type of combat for One Piece already exists in another game. Once again the Yakuza series especially Yakuza Kiwami has a combat system where the main character Kiryu has multiple stances that can be utilised for many different situations. They have the rush stance which delivers very quick strikes that do not deal high burst damage but small amounts of damage over a certain period of time. They also have the beast stance which delivers slow but hard hitting strikes that can deal big bursts of damage. This can be implemented to the Straw hat pirates. For Luffy, we can see him switch between gears that each has its own pros and cons. Or for Zoro we can see him decide how many of his three swords will he use to fight and each number has its own fairly large moveset. Sanji can have a trigger function where he can switch into diable Jambe and maybe Usopp can prioritize ranged combat but occasionally bring in the Usopp hammer to switch it up. Those are just some of the examples. There also has to be a direction in the development of the game that the player is rewarded to use most of the moveset and make sure it is straightforward to execute. To continue from the Yakuza combat system - the player has to fight a set of enemies that can range from just one to a whole army. The Straw Hats are often in these types of situations and we see them use their combined strength to progress. This means that there has to be a party system that corresponds to the story or a free play mode. When we are fighting Mr. 4 and Miss Merry Christmas we should be playing as Usopp and Chopper as a party kind of like how it is in Final Fantasy 7 remake or How it is in Genshin Impact single-player mode where the only character on the field is the playable character and the other characters in the party are on standby waiting to switch in.
There shouldn't be a requirement for the player to execute Tekken level combos just to defeat the opponent the most effective way but the player must use their skills and logic to beat enemies. This means that the enemies have to be capable of defeating us but give the player a way to beat them. A weakness. There should be more of a focus on a balance between offence and defence - if Luffy gets hit during an attack animation then Luffy should be hit out of the animation and enter a recovery phase and maybe not be invulnerable. This kind of rule shouldn’t be set in stone when we get into a moment where we are Gear 4th Luffy fighting mob enemies. Frame data that we see in fighting games should be implemented, but of course, the Straw Hats should be outputting faster attacks than the NPC’s that they fight. This is not a balanced fighting game. Devil May Cry 5 is the standard that this game should be aiming for. That game has one primary way of fighting depending on the character that you play as but there are other methods of combat that are not as fleshed out but are there to supplement the primary mode of combat just to give more freedom to the player.
One Piece has a way of writing the story into its fight scenes. Each of the Straw Hats undergoes their own mini character arc when they do their main fight for the arc. They only “win” their fight if their arc leads them to the desired state. Zoro may have lost to Mihawk in the Baratie Arc but in the end, he turned out better so while he lost the battle you can't say that this is an L on Zoro. Characters like Luffy are put through hell when they have to fight the main antagonist of the arc so that must be replicated in the combat.
Customisation
Personally, I think customisation could be quite straightforward. The Straw Hats get new clothes as they go from arc to arc so I think we can just have a clothing store where they can buy them or just reward them for completing the arc prior with the clothes they would wear for the next arc. There are even clothing brands like Doskoi Panda or Criminal that can have their own stores on each island which can have products to buy. We could even add comical clothing like what we see in other fighting games as a form of monetisation.
Conclusion
Of course, I didn't go as in-depth as I wanted to for these aspects because the post would have been too long but the point is to throw out my idea to the internet because I don’t think I’m wrong in saying that there has to be a growing number of people that are tired of the mediocre output that we have been getting. Now let's be honest, the game I’m envisioning requires a lot of money to be made. I certainly don't have the money to make a game like this but all this is a letter to the developers that Bandai Namco hires saying that what they have right now is average at best it's not what it could be. One Piece has so much potential in gaming that has gone unnoticed because people haven't given it a full-on venture in the right direction. But I know for a fact that something that I said even just one can spark a project that could be legendary.

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!

yakuza 5 gameplay ps4 video

Yakuza 5 - Taiko No Tatsujin - PS4 Gameplay AlmightyGaming Mar 08, 2020 . Subscribe 65. This is some gameplay of Yakuza 5 on the PS4. This is the rhythm minigame on the PS4. It can be played in the arcade. It is called Taiko No Tatsujin. Category: Gaming. Tags: Yakuza 5 Gameplay PS4 Rhythm Minigame Arcade Taiko No Tatsujin. Embed: More From: AlmightyGaming. Related Videos. 13:11. Kodo - Spirit Yakuza 5 erscheint mit reichlich Verspätung, in Japan erschien das Spiel bereits 2012, im kommenden November 2015 für PS3. Hier seht ihr lokalisiertes Gameplay. Yakuza 5 - Taxi Drive - PS4 Gameplay AlmightyGaming Mar 08, 2020 . Subscribe 72. This is some gameplay of Yakuza 5 on the PS4. This is driving the Taxi. Category: Gaming. Tags: Yakuza 5 Gameplay PS4 Taxi Driving. Embed: More From: AlmightyGaming. Related Videos. 16:12. Playthrough - Final Fantasy VII Remake [PS4 Pro Remote Play] - Part 11 7 views. 12:35. Playthrough - Final Fantasy VII Remake Joining the library of more than 600 games – including more than 130 PS4 games – is NBA 2K16, Yakuza 5, and many more. Additionally, the new PS Now interface teased in last month’s blog post has now been rolled out to all users. Improvements have been made to the app’s navigation and load speed, interface design, navigation, and search features. We hope you enjoy the new look and feel Yakuza 5 - ATM - PS4 Gameplay AlmightyGaming Mar 07, 2020 . Subscribe 74. This is some gameplay of Yakuza 5 on the PS4. This is using an ATM. Category: Gaming. Tags: Yakuza 5 Gameplay PS4 ATM. Embed: More From: AlmightyGaming. Related Videos. 8:45. Mowing at the Farm 21 views. 0:58. The Skar Audio IX-8s Doing Some Work 10 views. 1:28. celestial island but is arranged like starhenge 85 views After yesterday's announcement of a release date for Yakuza 5 on PS4, it was only a matter of time that we'd see an official trailer. I was very eager to see how this would run on Sony's current The PS4 Remaster of Yakuza 5 has now officially launched - check out the launch trailer here! Continue below to find out how to get your hands on the game. Gameplay. Sega has gradually been

yakuza 5 gameplay ps4 top

Yakuza 5 HD Remaster (PS4 PRO) Gameplay Walkthrough PT 4 ...

The Yakuza Remastered Collection - Yakuza 5 HD Remaster (PS4 PRO) gameplay walkthrough part 1. The complete gameplay for Part 1 - Kazuma Kiryu - Chapter 1: T... Released by Sega for the PlayStation 3, Yakuza 5 was introduced on December, 2012. Yakuza 5 Remastered is now available for PlayStation 4 owners, as it’s off... The Yakuza Remastered Collection - Yakuza 5 HD Remaster (PS4 PRO) gameplay walkthrough part 2. The complete gameplay for Part 1 - Kazuma Kiryu - Chapter 2: U... The Yakuza Remastered Collection - Yakuza 5 HD Remaster (PS4 PRO) gameplay walkthrough part 15. The second half of gameplay for Part 3 First Half - Haruka Sa... Yakuza 3 HD Remaster (PS4 PRO) First Hour of Gameplay https: ... First hour of gameplay for Yakuza 5 Remaster on PS4 PRO in 4K & 60fps. Yakuza 3 HD Remaster (PS4 PRO) First Hour of Gameplay https: ... The Yakuza Remastered Collection - Yakuza 5 HD Remaster (PS4 PRO) gameplay walkthrough part 4. The second half of gameplay for Part 1 - Kazuma Kiryu - Chapte... Video Thumbnails Credit To : http://ryugagotokufan.deviantart.com/gallery/ Youtube Channel : http://www.youtube.com/c/TheSuicideSquadAus Facebook : The...

Yakuza 5 - Taiko No Tatsujin - PS4 Gameplay - VidLii

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FAQ

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r/JRPG Best of 2020 Poll Results Thread

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My Year in Gaming 2020