Retrospective: Yakuza isn't what it used to be, but for the wrong reasons

[Aziamuth]

A while ago, me and Yousef wrote an article about how Yakuza changed. If you're interested in reading it, it's here. I still stand for what I said at the time, and I'm sure Yousef does (if anything, stronger, given our recent convos about Yakuza Pirates). However, I've come to a conclusion (precisely from those conversations).

In the article, I pointed out that the franchise lost something that it used to have. In Yousef's words, a certain "je-ne-sais-quoi". Well, I finally know what that "something is".

The games are more taxing.

I don't mean this literally, of course. You're not paying more taxes for buying a new Like a Dragon game, haha.

No. Rather, I mean "mentally exhausting".

Compare, say, Yakuza 5 with Infinite Wealth. Both games are filled to the brim with side content and are considered to be very long. In fact, Yakuza 5 takes longer to 100% because of how much side content is, despite the fact that the story itself is shorter. Despite that, Yakuza 5 never feels as mentally demanding. And this is because mini-games are completely mandatory in Infinite Wealth.

"B-but Aziamuth! In Yakuza 5, side stories are also mandatory, and take longer to get them over with than the minigames in Infinite Wealth". That's true. However, in Yakuza 5, those side stories are tied to the stories of each character, so at least they serve a narrative purpose. Whether that narrative purpose is well executed or not, that's up to debate. In Infinite Wealth, that's not the case. All mini-games are spoonfed and simply happen because the game demands it. Also, Infinite Wealth doesn't let your curiosity run wild the same way Yakuza 5 does. You see, in Yakuza 5 every character (save for Akiyama) has an additional unique minigame. However, finding that minigame is completely optional, and it's tied to a substory (that's usually well written). In Infinite Wealth, you're given everything in a silver platter, so as not to miss out on something.

Last, but not least, and this is a minor gripe, but those forced minigames in Infinite Wealth take away a substory, so you actually have less substories than you think you have.

Frankly, at the end of the day it wouldn't matter as much if that wasn't the only way IW is mentally taxing in comparison to previous entries... but that's a story for another day... (or for the comments!)

 

[RustySK]

Oh man, were I not lazy as hell I'd love to type out a whole wall of text on this series.
I'll just dump this tangentially related rant here real quick, nevermind me.

Personally the series lost me with part 5, as that game's non-stop saccharine bullshit about the pit of misery that is the idol industry of all things was just baffling to me.
It did have Shinada though, so there is that. Loved that segment.

In general I think the series is at its best when it manages to hit that bizarre balance of bald-faced sincerity and pants-on-head ridiculousness. None of the games past 5 have managed to do that. Where 6 just felt bland to me, the rest went way over the line with how ridiculous they get.
Which works to an extent - and clearly resonates with audiences - but the magic of playing a serious crime drama only to walk in on a bunch of gangsters wearing diapers going googoogahgah is just gone once your main character perceives beating up a couple thugs as a JRPG battle or once one of the most nuanced, intricate characters of the series goes full Pirates of the Caribbean.

 

[Aziamuth]

Oh man, were I not lazy as hell I'd love to type out a whole wall of text on this series.
I'll just dump this tangentially related rant here real quick, nevermind me.

Personally the series lost me with part 5, as that game's non-stop saccharine bullshit about the pit of misery that is the idol industry of all things was just baffling to me.
It did have Shinada though, so there is that. Loved that segment.

In general I think the series is at its best when it manages to hit that bizarre balance of bald-faced sincerity and pants-on-head ridiculousness. None of the games past 5 have managed to do that. Where 6 just felt bland to me, the rest went way over the line with how ridiculous they get.
Which works to an extent - and clearly resonates with audiences - but the magic of playing a serious crime drama only to walk in on a bunch of gangsters wearing diapers going googoogahgah is just gone once your main character perceives beating up a couple thugs as a JRPG battle or once one of the most nuanced, intricate characters of the series goes full Pirates of the Caribbean.

May I suggest Ishin? Not the remake because the combat is ass, but rather the original PS3/PS4 release. You need to know Japanese/use a translator but it's quite worth it.

 

[Stookymalarkey]

May I suggest Ishin? Not the remake because the combat is ass, but rather the original PS3/PS4 release. You need to know Japanese/use a translator but it's quite worth it.

I think someone released an English patch for the PS3 version of Ishin.

 

[Izzy]

What I find funny is that no one mentions: Dead Souls, Black Panther Arc or even Judgment. I feel it's worth mentioning because they are pretty much part of the story, albeit more of a gaiden like Ishin and Man Who Erased His Name. I felt Judgment was more like a Yakuza 7 story than whatever 7 is. I need to get back to 5 since I stopped in Saejima's storyline.

 

[RustySK]

What I find funny is that no one mentions: Dead Souls, Black Panther Arc or even Judgment. I feel it's worth mentioning because they are pretty much part of the story, albeit more of a gaiden like Ishin and Man Who Erased His Name. I felt Judgment was more like a Yakuza 7 story than whatever 7 is. I need to get back to 5 since I stopped in Saejima's storyline.

I tried to get into Judgment, but something about that series' main character (Yagami? Was it Yagami something?) just isn't clicking with me. Only ever got a couple hours into it and usually I lose my enthusiasm around the time you raid that Yakuza office building.
Tonally it does seem much more in line with what the series used to be though, I'll give it that. I really should give it another go some time.

Wasn't the second Black Panther game only fan translated fairly recently? I'm aware of those games, but know practically nothing about them.

Post automatically merged: Feb 26, 2025

May I suggest Ishin? Not the remake because the combat is ass, but rather the original PS3/PS4 release. You need to know Japanese/use a translator but it's quite worth it.

Does the remake adhere to the original's story and only the combat sucks about it? If so, I might give it a shot anyway at some point - old fart and PS1 action game afficionado that I am I like to think I have a pretty strong stomach for janky action combat.

I know myself well enough to know that the need for a translator app or the like is definitely enough to put me off of playing a game like Yakuza, sadly enough. I'm sure it's good, but I'm too impatient for that.

 

[Aziamuth]

What I find funny is that no one mentions: Dead Souls, Black Panther Arc or even Judgment. I feel it's worth mentioning because they are pretty much part of the story, albeit more of a gaiden like Ishin and Man Who Erased His Name. I felt Judgment was more like a Yakuza 7 story than whatever 7 is. I need to get back to 5 since I stopped in Saejima's storyline.

Judgment (and specially Lost Judgment) are both absolutely incredible (although Judgment's combat could use some work. No complaints about LJ tho!). I have heard only good things about Kurohyou and Dead Souls is not very good whatsoever

Post automatically merged: Feb 26, 2025

I tried to get into Judgment, but something about that series' main character (Yagami? Was it Yagami something?) just isn't clicking with me. Only ever got a couple hours into it and usually I lose my enthusiasm around the time you raid that Yakuza office building.
Tonally it does seem much more in line with what the series used to be though, I'll give it that. I really should give it another go some time.

Wasn't the second Black Panther game only fan translated fairly recently? I'm aware of those games, but know practically nothing about them.

Post automatically merged: Feb 26, 2025

Does the remake adhere to the original's story and only the combat sucks about it? If so, I might give it a shot anyway at some point - old fart and PS1 action game afficionado that I am I like to think I have a pretty strong stomach for janky action combat.

I know myself well enough to know that the need for a translator app or the like is definitely enough to put me off of playing a game like Yakuza, sadly enough. I'm sure it's good, but I'm too impatient for that.

Yes, the story is completely identical. However, they changed the faces of plenty of characters. Granted, this is not that bad as most of the replaced faces were nobodies from Yakuza 5. The only real egregious changes are Yamazaki Susumu (which was Kugihara and was replaced by Yoon-gi Han and it sucks because he was supposed to be ugly on purpose) and Takeshi Hanpeita (which was its own unique actor and was replaced by Shibusawa). Every other change is mostly fine (although Kuze as a fully fledged villain feels weird).

Also they fucked up the lighting but that's because Unreal Engin is a shit engine.

 

[Izzy]

Judgment (and specially Lost Judgment) are both absolutely incredible (although Judgment's combat could use some work. No complaints about LJ tho!). I have heard only good things about Kurohyou and Dead Souls is not very good whatsoever

Post automatically merged: Feb 26, 2025

Yes, the story is completely identical. However, they changed the faces of plenty of characters. Granted, this is not that bad as most of the replaced faces were nobodies from Yakuza 5. The only real egregious changes are Yamazaki Susumu (which was Kugihara and was replaced by Yoon-gi Han and it sucks because he was supposed to be ugly on purpose) and Takeshi Hanpeita (which was its own unique actor and was replaced by Shibusawa). Every other change is mostly fine (although Kuze as a fully fledged villain feels weird).

Also they fucked up the lighting but that's because Unreal Engin is a shit engine.

I remember the original Kurohyo was rebuilt from the ground up and just downloaded a new version of it on here. Never saw an issue with it, just the original used to crash in a spot where it made it unplayable to finish. I think the thing with me and this series is I do enjoy a good crime drama. Oddly enough I only heard of Dead Souls through Project X Zone.

 

[Aziamuth]

I remember the original Kurohyo was rebuilt from the ground up and just downloaded a new version of it on here. Never saw an issue with it, just the original used to crash in a spot where it made it unplayable to finish. I think the thing with me and this series is I do enjoy a good crime drama. Oddly enough I only heard of Dead Souls through Project X Zone.

Ye the incarnation of the boys in PXZ is their Dead Souls ones, but they still use moves from Yakuza 1 to 4.

 

[Izzy]

Ye the incarnation of the boys in PXZ is their Dead Souls ones, but they still use moves from Yakuza 1 to 4.

Which for some reason, I miss that from the series. I miss Kiryu being a bonafide badass and Majima being more of a wild card than what the story made him out to be.