Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio (Yakuza, Judgment, Binary Domain + more!) Discussion Thread

[Deuce Traveler]

I'm in Okinawa now and recently finished Like a Dragon: Gaiden. I felt like playing through some of the Yakuza games that just came out was oddly appropriate because of my visit to Japan. I was definitely in the mood for this game, and it was quite a bit of fun, but it's not one of the better games of the series.

+ All the classic Yakuza elements are here... the over the top fighting and the delving into Japanese culture and night life.
+ I enjoyed the explanation of what was happening in the background between Yakuza 6 and last year's Like a Dragon game. A lot was over the top and bonkers, but that's part of the charm.
+ The story was hilarious. Kiryu keeps telling people he's not Kiryu and people keep not believing him. His cover is pretty much blown right away but the game world just have everyone pretend to keep a secret that everyone seems to have figured out anyway.
+ The game takes some moments for Kiryu to tell all of his old friends and adopted family goodbye. It's kind of a love letter to the character and when the normally ridiculously stoic Kiryu has an emotional breakdown at the end it feels earned. Our boy's been through a lot of shit and never whined about it. The emotional weight of that scene when it all comes crashing down made me appreciate and empathize with him. He's not known to show much emotion except for sudden explosions of rage.

- I didn't like the castle parts as much as I should nor did I like the Akame missions. I felt like they dragged down the pacing of the story and forced you to engage in stuff to progress that would have been better off left as strictly side content.
- I dropped the hostess girl mini-game right away. There's something off-putting about inserting real-life actors into it. Did we not learn lessons from the 90s FMV craze?
- Akame was ... ok. I still miss Kaoru Sayama from Yakuza 2.
- The final villains were some of the worst of the series and should have been offed. The effiminate dude never came off as a threat and the muscle dude might of looked tough but continually whinged about his life. He made Akira Nishiki seem tougher.

Anyway, it's a blast here in Okinawa. The karaoke bars, the vending machines, and the cats everywhere are just like in the game. But I forgot to wear a leisure suit to stroll around in.

 

[Jinn]

Anyway, it's a blast here in Okinawa. The karaoke bars, the vending machines, and the cats everywhere are just like in the game. But I forgot to wear a leisure suit to stroll around in.

Just a vacation, or there for other reasons? I'm jealous!

 

[Assisted Living Godzilla]

Hell, just whenever this guy gets screentime it shames most video game scene direction

^ If personality was a screenshot

That's a real person by the way.

View attachment 46304

He’s in one of my favorite movies.

 

[KeAShizuku]

Death to the foreign pig dogs! <shoots Western made firearm> Ishin was a really great game set in a fascinating period of Japanese history.

 

[Endemic]

- I dropped the hostess girl mini-game right away. There's something off-putting about inserting real-life actors into it. Did we not learn lessons from the 90s FMV craze?
- Akame was ... ok. I still miss Kaoru Sayama from Yakuza 2.

2 had that stuff as well though... Or do you mean the PS2 original?

Death to the foreign pig dogs! <shoots Western made firearm> Ishin was a really great game set in a fascinating period of Japanese history.

In which you play janken and sex shmup minigames with courtesans.

 

[Grunker]

is there ever an explanation given why all these protagonists want so desperately (enough to risk their lives and spend way more money than they're apt to earn from the result) to work for the same guys they spend every cutscene talking about with disgust or do the japs just figure that that motivation goes without explaining

 

[ERYFKRAD]

is there ever an explanation given why all these protagonists want so desperately (enough to risk their lives and spend way more money than they're apt to earn from the result) to work for the same guys they spend every cutscene talking about with disgust or do the japs just figure that that motivation goes without explaining

Some people give their word and stick to it despite everything. To retarded extents sometime.

 

[Grunker]

"You describe yourself as an idiot... I suppose I aspire to be such an idiot."

Spoiler

 

[Endemic]

is there ever an explanation given why all these protagonists want so desperately (enough to risk their lives and spend way more money than they're apt to earn from the result) to work for the same guys they spend every cutscene talking about with disgust

It's true that Kiryu has a thinner and thinner excuse for getting involved in the last few entries' plots, but at the start it's perfectly understandable. He was raised in a Yakuza-run orphanage and knew little else - to him success and prestige meant joining them.

 

[Grunker]

Am I missing something with this game's structure? I was only just introduced to the game's management minigames and stuff, and now it feels like I'm nearing the endgame?

is there ever an explanation given why all these protagonists want so desperately (enough to risk their lives and spend way more money than they're apt to earn from the result) to work for the same guys they spend every cutscene talking about with disgust

It's true that Kiryu has a thinner and thinner excuse for getting involved in the last few entries' plots, but at the start it's perfectly understandable. He was raised in a Yakuza-run orphanage and knew little else - to him success and prestige meant joining them.

Yeah, it's not that. It's stuff the dissonance between Majima finding out a cop is involved in an underground gladiator ring of ultimate evil then two seconds later praising his honor in a heartfelt scene. These guys will spend whole cutscenes talking about what human filth the yakuza are then go to great lengths to join them. I guess Majima's motives are a little more coherent in that he's got the whole thing with his brother and so seems to have ulterior motives for wanting to join etc.

 

[Grampy_Bone]

The yakuza mythology is supposed to resemble feudal Japan, Kiryu is a loyal samurai who will die for his lord, no matter what. In the classic literature yakuza were defenders of the downtrodden who were treated with disgust by mainstream society. Its why there are so many plotlines involving pure hearted bums and hookers. Kiryus anger is because he sees the Yakuza straying from their honorburu roots and becoming greedy and corrupt.

I think this setup is particularly bad in Yakuza 0 though. All the Tojo people are such collosal shitbags it makes his loyalty totally absurd. Y1 handles this better.

Also, these games are way longer than you think. I bet you're not even halfway through Y0.

 

[Grunker]

The yakuza mythology is supposed to resemble feudal Japan, Kiryu is a loyal samurai who will die for his lord, no matter what. In the classic literature yakuza were defenders of the downtrodden who were treated with disgust by mainstream society. Its why there are so many plotlines involving pure hearted bums and hookers. Kiryus anger is because he sees the Yakuza straying from their honorburu roots and becoming greedy and corrupt.

I think this setup is particularly bad in Yakuza 0 though. All the Tojo people are such collosal shitbags it makes his loyalty totally absurd. Y1 handles this better.

Also, these games are way longer than you think. I bet you're not even halfway through Y0.

I'm in Chapter 12?

 

[Grampy_Bone]

I'm in Chapter 12?

Okay, 2/3rds of the way through. The finance game opens in chapter 5 or 6 though.

 

[Grunker]

I'm in Chapter 12?

Okay, 2/3rds of the way through. The finance game opens in chapter 5 or 6 though.

What I meant by just is that I haven't gotten access to the new areas in the minigames yet and I was putting off doing the minigame proper until then since the game says access would come as I progressed through the story. Was I supposed to grind Leisure King / Sunshine in the chapter I got it to grind out the minigame in that chapter then? I figured I'd wait until I had access to both characters.

 

[Endemic]

I think this setup is particularly bad in Yakuza 0 though. All the Tojo people are such colossal shitbags it makes his loyalty totally absurd. Y1 handles this better.

Well if we're going to nitpick consistency, why didn't Kuze just shoot Kiryu at Dojima HQ? Dojima himself didn't intervene until maybe 30 minutes later, after a lot of fistfighting and broken objects. If anything is contrived it's how the fight scenes sometimes have illogical setups.

 

[Abu Antar]

Bros, it's J-drama. Things are supposed to not make sense.

 

[Grunker]

I suppose if I was meant to set aside 10ish hours for just moneygame grinding and "unlocks as you progress through the story" meant something else than what it sounds like it would explain why I'm now in Chapter 13 without enough money to start unlocking 100mil nodes let alone the more expensive ones and apparantly you can't play the minigame in this chapter

Sera kicked my ass for like an hour on Hard, couldn't escape the feeling I was meant to have more shit when I fought him.

 

[Grampy_Bone]

grind out the minigame in that chapter then?

I tried to space it out, running each every few chapters to the next major milestone, so I didn't get too bored with it. The minigames are very backloaded in that you have to reinvest all your profits until everything is maxed before you'll make real money, but then it's the best way to level up (along with Mr. Shakedown.)

 

[Grunker]

grind out the minigame in that chapter then?

I tried to space it out, running each every few chapters to the next major milestone, so I didn't get too bored with it. The minigames are very backloaded in that you have to reinvest all your profits until everything is maxed before you'll make real money, but then it's the best way to level up (along with Mr. Shakedown.)

At this point it looks like I have to do basically everything in Chapter 14 then. I've only done half of Real Estate's first part and most of Cabaret's first part.

 

[Abu Antar]

Always space out minigames, and do not save them for late game. This is true in every game in the series.

 

[normie]

I suppose if I was meant to set aside 10ish hours for just moneygame grinding and "unlocks as you progress through the story" meant something else than what it sounds like it would explain why I'm now in Chapter 13 without enough money to start unlocking 100mil nodes let alone the more expensive ones and apparantly you can't play the minigame in this chapter

Sera kicked my ass for like an hour on Hard, couldn't escape the feeling I was meant to have more shit when I fought him.

I had over a trillion the chapter I unlocked Real Estate Royale and it was not from real estate, it was wack

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Sera kicked my ass for like an hour on Hard

Man the first time I was at zero clue with the one eyed dude and I just hit them all with the spinning legs.

 

[Grunker]

Sera kicked my ass for like an hour on Hard

Man the first time I was at zero clue with the one eyed dude and I just hit them all with the spinning legs.

Sera in heat mode will Grab you out of anything in melee range for a punishing combo that ends with you downed, unless you sidestep on Quick timings. At least on Hard.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Sera kicked my ass for like an hour on Hard

Man the first time I was at zero clue with the one eyed dude and I just hit them all with the spinning legs.

Sera in heat mode will Grab you out of anything in melee range for a punishing combo that ends with you downed, unless you sidestep on Quick timings. At least on Hard.

Buddy I have no clue what he can or can't do. I think I accidentally cleared the area on the first go(save the achievement one) and all I remember from it is Majimbo screaming everywhere. On hard, yeah.
Legend playthrough is much different since I played enough yakuza to get the flow of things, if not the skill.

 

[Cologno]

Finished Kiwami 1 and onto K2. I didn't do a lot of the sode content save gambling and the micro car racing. Hope they used the first game as a mere basis for later stories because K1 was a dumpster fire.

Positives: *fun combat system with solid progression

* Despite the "real yakuza use controller" splash image at startup it's actually playable with a mouse/keyboard. Remap some stuff and you be good to go.

* Short length

Negatives:
* Story was meh. Plot holes that gape "lololol Japan is weird" excuse for things not making sense. And even that's not an excuse except for side content shit.
* Majima. I really don't like this guy. The Majima Forever shit was just tacked on filler. His fights were the only decent thing and a break in the monotony of beating up goons, drinkards, and street gangsters. Otherwise, his role in Y1 was there to fill up space. I hear Y0 gives some better background and hopefully better context so in a weird way I'm glad I didn't start the series there. Something to look forward to
* Nishiki should've just been taken out back and disposed of. Whiny ass little turd where minor characters giving him a hard time were far more intriguing.

Conclusion: Glad to have played it, don't want to return to it.