I'm surprised that after 0's popularity they haven't brought an old punished Kuze back yet. He went to jail in 1989 and disappeared off the face of the earth. RGGO does have him out of the joint by 1999 but the story he's involved in is not canon so who knows.
A big problem I have with Yakuza is how fast it forgets about past story beats. As much praise people like to give Kamurocho for continuity, once a character is defeated in a fist fight, ends up in prison or fulfill their plot relevance in any other way they might as well be Thanos Snap'd out of existence even if 10 or 15 in-universe years go by. For example you'd think Yayoi Dojima would've reappeared at some point after Y2.
I agree to some extent, though it's worth noting that they have valid excuses for it: Kiryu is only ever involved with a small number of individual clans during crisis periods, he never undertakes to manage the Tojo itself. There's no real reason for Yayoi to be involved anymore, though presumably Daigo is taking care of her. As for Kuze/Awano/Shubusawa - they were like 50-60 in 1988, so they'd probably be dead by now, or at least retired.
[...]
both of these characters are based off of IRL actors who they'd have to get back to use again
they got Kuze and others back for Ishin Kiwami, and it seems to be universally agreed by fans that gave a shit they were unfitting replacements, so I dunno if they'll bother to do that again
Anything where some new skillset is required and there's no cheese available. Like the drone races in the first Judgment or getting puyo in this. Grinding tedium I can deal with.
>Anything where some new skillset is required and there's no cheese available.
1 HD only really requires you to get 20 home runs for Haruka as your test of skill, everything else is just guide gaming. It's got the hardest timing requirements for baseball though.
2 HD is guide gaming again, worst it has is The Marietta which is simple. The actual difficult part is all the missable Heat Actions (Not necessary for platinum) and fighting Amon (No mistakes on any substories + don't fight Riichi Heights bouncer).
4 was when minigame difficulty got toned down so golf is the only thing I can think of offhand that is annoying.
Dead Souls would require you to be decent at golf but that's roughly it. The worst it has is slots 2000 or 3000 in profit but you get cheat items. Everything else is normal gameplay and hostesses.
5's long but the only hard thing I can think of is the noodle minigame. You will have to learn a bunch of new minigames but they're not hard at all.
Judgment Remastered just requires you to learn the courses in drone racing. You can guide game for the parts since the stuff you need is way too specific for the time trials. If you're playing PS4 Judgment then you'd need to deal with Puyo Puyo and the pinball minigame being super finicky.
7 is super easy across the board, you just have the TFMT grind.
Gaiden is beyond easy, the coliseum is the only slightly difficult part.
That's all I can think of. Ishin and Ishin Kiwami are hard minigames even if IK toned the minigame difficulty down a bunch (Barring the new karaoke song even post-patches), LJ has a bunch of minigames you need to learn with Death Racing boring you to death, Kenzan is 100% guide gaming and not easy at all due to the minigames and missbales, 3 has some of the hardest minigame AI, and both BP games are not only pure grind but you're pretty much required to co-op with a real person for 100%.
Rubber bullets are only a problem when they try to pull it off again with Munakata, with Saejima it works. And regardless nothing can surpass YUME: The Game
>tried to play original yakuza 1 >controls are so stiff and janky that it's painful to play
I think I have to play kiwami bros
I finished 3, 4, and dead souls on ps3 but the controls were more manageable then
the PS2 ones just feel like shit
1 will require you to reorient yourself if someone dies in front of you and it'll feel stiff, it's just how the first game was. You can get the "Attack behind yourself" kick thing from the coin lockers as soon as you start chapter 4 if you want something that can help combat feel better, but if your issue is stiffness there's not too much you can do about it because that's just how it was.
2'll be much better because they fixed R1 targeting rotation so you now properly readjust when you move, attacks behind you are kinda faster but still stiff, general combat feels slightly faster, and overall it feels better than 1 did in everything outside of maybe exploratory movement.
the sad thing is there was the HD ports on PS3 and Wii U of the first two games that gave some of the control improvements of 2 back to 1, but those are still JP-only and the translation team efforts involving them disappeared
>that gave some of the control improvements of 2 back to 1
They don't, 1 HD plays just like 1 with the same R1 issue and stiffness of movement and attacking. What it does add is item boxes to telephones instead of just hideouts, marks restaurant items you've eaten on 1 HD, improve loading times significantly (Feels faster than emulating the PS2 version based on my unscientific eyeballed tests), made some higher resolution signs, textures, and background stuff, can go above native resolution on emulators without the lighting breaking, and 2 lets you play Hard from the start.
They didn't even think to backport item icons to 1 HD for some reason, it's only in 2 HD.
https://ryu-ga-gotoku.com/hd_edition/
https://faq.sega.jp/hc/ja/articles/360018758034--WiiU-龍が如く1-2-HD-for-Wii-U-PS2版-PS3版との違いは何か
You can check here for the changes, or just look at picture related. The FAQ said it added a "Complete feature" for 1 HD but I can't remember what that means off the top of my head because 1 HD didn't have a completion list. I think it might mean PA but I'd have to boot it up to check.
Combat wise, the whole wall bounding / bounce mechanics adds so much to the game; it was nerfed so fricking hard on 5 for some goddamn reason.
It doesn't have the autistic blocking that 3 has, nor does it have the enemy tracking and slipping away during combos like in 5.
Every character feels balanced with their useful yet unique playstyle. While in 5 the balance is all over the place with Kiryu and Saejima are way too broken while Akiyama and Shinada sucks so much wiener in coliseum, especially since they gave everyone Komaki Knockback and Evade strike for some reason.
The game length is not needlessly long like with yume game.
Story is dumb (just like any other Yakuza game post 2), but the ending is peak bollywood ludokino.
Best introduction to newcomer characters, period. Akiyama and Tanimira is instantly likeable. I like Shinada too, but his debut can't compare to Y4 Akiyama and Tanimura debut.
The first game thats actually treats Kiryu like a Legend.
The game with the "best" selection of soundtrack. The batttle themes; The Myth, Massive Fire, Speed Star, Infinite Handcuffs is easily top 10 combat music in Yakuza series, it's very unique, fitting with the respective characters, yet very memorable.
Also has the best set of memes/jokes as well; Rubber bullets, The Yakuza 4, For Faith, etc.
Sorry I'm gushing really hard, but I just really love Yakuza 4.
RGG devs are probably the most incompetent developers when it comes down to combat design. Anything those rubes fricking stole from Spikeout for their next game would be subsequentially downgraded in the next game because we just can't allow the player to have FUN.
Heat management? Gone after the second game.
Attack cancel? Downgraded to hell from 3rd game
Sway cancel? Gone from the 3rd game
Expanding the grab moveset that kills your Heat after light to heavy combo? Nah, just fricking remove it all together in later games, just use epic cutscene attacks more
Actual equipables that affect not just % stat bullshit but aggressiveness of enemies like Champion's Ring? Just remove it, why have harder difficulty, as a matter of fact, let's just remove Legend mode in later games and sell NG+ as paid DLC.
Don't even get me started on Dragon Engine games removing shit that was already implemented in the first PS2 fricking game.
Typical israelite wienersucker behavior to just dripfeed content annually over something they already did two decades ago in arcades.
I think a lot of the combat stuff boils down to them wanting you to deal high damage and slaughter enemies while having strong animations to back that up. When you start looking at everything from that lens it makes more sense because then you understand why you're such a monster in 6, why Saejima has one-shot moves, why Gaiden lets you remove an entire bar of health in a single attack, why 7 has the Essence attacks, etc.
They don't really care to balance it after the PS2 games and they clearly don't want it to be too technical which is why we now have a Devil Trigger that has like half of our upgrade options. 6, K2, and Judgment were the farthest they ever tried balancing the combat in terms of fighting and healing with the stomach system + varied EXP system in the first two while Judgment had the Mortal Wounds system and you could tell they were pushing you to using the quick heal menu rather than opening your phone which is why they have Amon steal it during phase 1.
They want it to be more in depth than a sidescrolling beat 'em up but less in depth than an actual action game. Musous feel like what they're aiming for combat-wise and it really shows because every new game makes it feel more and more like that.
THE SELFISH DEED
IS NOT FREEDOOOOOM
Why do they keep resurrecting characters from 3, and leaving /ourguy/ to wallow in jail? He should be out by now.
I'm surprised that after 0's popularity they haven't brought an old punished Kuze back yet. He went to jail in 1989 and disappeared off the face of the earth. RGGO does have him out of the joint by 1999 but the story he's involved in is not canon so who knows.
A big problem I have with Yakuza is how fast it forgets about past story beats. As much praise people like to give Kamurocho for continuity, once a character is defeated in a fist fight, ends up in prison or fulfill their plot relevance in any other way they might as well be Thanos Snap'd out of existence even if 10 or 15 in-universe years go by. For example you'd think Yayoi Dojima would've reappeared at some point after Y2.
I agree to some extent, though it's worth noting that they have valid excuses for it: Kiryu is only ever involved with a small number of individual clans during crisis periods, he never undertakes to manage the Tojo itself. There's no real reason for Yayoi to be involved anymore, though presumably Daigo is taking care of her. As for Kuze/Awano/Shubusawa - they were like 50-60 in 1988, so they'd probably be dead by now, or at least retired.
both of these characters are based off of IRL actors who they'd have to get back to use again
Doubt it's an issue anymore. Shishido is probably gonna be in 8 and we already know Nanba and Sawashiro are both in 8.
they got Kuze and others back for Ishin Kiwami, and it seems to be universally agreed by fans that gave a shit they were unfitting replacements, so I dunno if they'll bother to do that again
I'm pretty sure they're bringing Mine back too since they managed to get his actor back for Ishin Kiwami.
It would be nice to see him make amends with Akiyama
Done. Platinum too.
With this I have three 100%s, this game, Kiwami 2 and FotNS:LP. Are there any other games that are easy to complete?
If you consider FotNS "easy" to 100% then any of them are easy. If you mean "easy" as in "Platinum easy" then Gaiden.
Anything where some new skillset is required and there's no cheese available. Like the drone races in the first Judgment or getting puyo in this. Grinding tedium I can deal with.
>Anything where some new skillset is required and there's no cheese available.
1 HD only really requires you to get 20 home runs for Haruka as your test of skill, everything else is just guide gaming. It's got the hardest timing requirements for baseball though.
2 HD is guide gaming again, worst it has is The Marietta which is simple. The actual difficult part is all the missable Heat Actions (Not necessary for platinum) and fighting Amon (No mistakes on any substories + don't fight Riichi Heights bouncer).
4 was when minigame difficulty got toned down so golf is the only thing I can think of offhand that is annoying.
Dead Souls would require you to be decent at golf but that's roughly it. The worst it has is slots 2000 or 3000 in profit but you get cheat items. Everything else is normal gameplay and hostesses.
5's long but the only hard thing I can think of is the noodle minigame. You will have to learn a bunch of new minigames but they're not hard at all.
Judgment Remastered just requires you to learn the courses in drone racing. You can guide game for the parts since the stuff you need is way too specific for the time trials. If you're playing PS4 Judgment then you'd need to deal with Puyo Puyo and the pinball minigame being super finicky.
7 is super easy across the board, you just have the TFMT grind.
Gaiden is beyond easy, the coliseum is the only slightly difficult part.
That's all I can think of. Ishin and Ishin Kiwami are hard minigames even if IK toned the minigame difficulty down a bunch (Barring the new karaoke song even post-patches), LJ has a bunch of minigames you need to learn with Death Racing boring you to death, Kenzan is 100% guide gaming and not easy at all due to the minigames and missbales, 3 has some of the hardest minigame AI, and both BP games are not only pure grind but you're pretty much required to co-op with a real person for 100%.
4 sounds the most managable and it's been a few years since I beat it, I'll boot it up on NG+ and see how much I'm missing, thanks.
One of the worst Yakuza games
Yakuza 4 will always be superior to the slog that is Yakuza 5, rubber bullets and all.
Rubber bullets are only a problem when they try to pull it off again with Munakata, with Saejima it works. And regardless nothing can surpass YUME: The Game
Kido and Baba should have joined the Saejima family.
it's weird that we never see Saejima's family or him doing anything for the clan in general
One of the best Yakuza games
>tried to play original yakuza 1
>controls are so stiff and janky that it's painful to play
I think I have to play kiwami bros
I finished 3, 4, and dead souls on ps3 but the controls were more manageable then
the PS2 ones just feel like shit
Y1 is rough at the beginning but once you unlock a bunch of moves specially the turn-around kick it becomes easy as cake
1 will require you to reorient yourself if someone dies in front of you and it'll feel stiff, it's just how the first game was. You can get the "Attack behind yourself" kick thing from the coin lockers as soon as you start chapter 4 if you want something that can help combat feel better, but if your issue is stiffness there's not too much you can do about it because that's just how it was.
2'll be much better because they fixed R1 targeting rotation so you now properly readjust when you move, attacks behind you are kinda faster but still stiff, general combat feels slightly faster, and overall it feels better than 1 did in everything outside of maybe exploratory movement.
the sad thing is there was the HD ports on PS3 and Wii U of the first two games that gave some of the control improvements of 2 back to 1, but those are still JP-only and the translation team efforts involving them disappeared
>that gave some of the control improvements of 2 back to 1
They don't, 1 HD plays just like 1 with the same R1 issue and stiffness of movement and attacking. What it does add is item boxes to telephones instead of just hideouts, marks restaurant items you've eaten on 1 HD, improve loading times significantly (Feels faster than emulating the PS2 version based on my unscientific eyeballed tests), made some higher resolution signs, textures, and background stuff, can go above native resolution on emulators without the lighting breaking, and 2 lets you play Hard from the start.
They didn't even think to backport item icons to 1 HD for some reason, it's only in 2 HD.
https://ryu-ga-gotoku.com/hd_edition/
https://faq.sega.jp/hc/ja/articles/360018758034--WiiU-龍が如く1-2-HD-for-Wii-U-PS2版-PS3版との違いは何か
You can check here for the changes, or just look at picture related. The FAQ said it added a "Complete feature" for 1 HD but I can't remember what that means off the top of my head because 1 HD didn't have a completion list. I think it might mean PA but I'd have to boot it up to check.
Shut the frick up moose
Unironically my favorite Yakuza game.
Combat wise, the whole wall bounding / bounce mechanics adds so much to the game; it was nerfed so fricking hard on 5 for some goddamn reason.
It doesn't have the autistic blocking that 3 has, nor does it have the enemy tracking and slipping away during combos like in 5.
Every character feels balanced with their useful yet unique playstyle. While in 5 the balance is all over the place with Kiryu and Saejima are way too broken while Akiyama and Shinada sucks so much wiener in coliseum, especially since they gave everyone Komaki Knockback and Evade strike for some reason.
The game length is not needlessly long like with yume game.
Story is dumb (just like any other Yakuza game post 2), but the ending is peak bollywood ludokino.
Best introduction to newcomer characters, period. Akiyama and Tanimira is instantly likeable. I like Shinada too, but his debut can't compare to Y4 Akiyama and Tanimura debut.
The first game thats actually treats Kiryu like a Legend.
The game with the "best" selection of soundtrack. The batttle themes; The Myth, Massive Fire, Speed Star, Infinite Handcuffs is easily top 10 combat music in Yakuza series, it's very unique, fitting with the respective characters, yet very memorable.
Also has the best set of memes/jokes as well; Rubber bullets, The Yakuza 4, For Faith, etc.
Sorry I'm gushing really hard, but I just really love Yakuza 4.
we fricking deserved to have kido in future games. how the hell can i go balls out now
In my head canon, Saejima took Kido into his family before going to jail the 2nd time.
RGG devs are probably the most incompetent developers when it comes down to combat design. Anything those rubes fricking stole from Spikeout for their next game would be subsequentially downgraded in the next game because we just can't allow the player to have FUN.
Heat management? Gone after the second game.
Attack cancel? Downgraded to hell from 3rd game
Sway cancel? Gone from the 3rd game
Expanding the grab moveset that kills your Heat after light to heavy combo? Nah, just fricking remove it all together in later games, just use epic cutscene attacks more
Actual equipables that affect not just % stat bullshit but aggressiveness of enemies like Champion's Ring? Just remove it, why have harder difficulty, as a matter of fact, let's just remove Legend mode in later games and sell NG+ as paid DLC.
Don't even get me started on Dragon Engine games removing shit that was already implemented in the first PS2 fricking game.
Typical israelite wienersucker behavior to just dripfeed content annually over something they already did two decades ago in arcades.
I think a lot of the combat stuff boils down to them wanting you to deal high damage and slaughter enemies while having strong animations to back that up. When you start looking at everything from that lens it makes more sense because then you understand why you're such a monster in 6, why Saejima has one-shot moves, why Gaiden lets you remove an entire bar of health in a single attack, why 7 has the Essence attacks, etc.
They don't really care to balance it after the PS2 games and they clearly don't want it to be too technical which is why we now have a Devil Trigger that has like half of our upgrade options. 6, K2, and Judgment were the farthest they ever tried balancing the combat in terms of fighting and healing with the stomach system + varied EXP system in the first two while Judgment had the Mortal Wounds system and you could tell they were pushing you to using the quick heal menu rather than opening your phone which is why they have Amon steal it during phase 1.
They want it to be more in depth than a sidescrolling beat 'em up but less in depth than an actual action game. Musous feel like what they're aiming for combat-wise and it really shows because every new game makes it feel more and more like that.
>step aside losers
>wh-who are you
>we are the YAKUZA 4
kino...
>old Tanimura
sovl