Ode to Kiryu (& Yakuza)

[Artty44]

Have just platted my 7th Yakuza game (6th in a row) and after 'finishing' the story of Kazuma Kiryu, I thought I'd make a note of my thoughts should anyone find them remotely interesting.

 

I'd heard of Yakuza years ago but I'd dismissed it as not for me...whatever the reason was, I'm not sure but when I saw a Big In Japan sale and the Yakuza Remastered collection of 3,4,5 on sale at 24.99 I thought 'Why Not?' considering I had a vague interest in Japanese culture.

 

I played 3 as that was the first of the collection, I'd (erroneously) assumed that the others were not available on PS so pressed ahead with the 3rd of a series I knew absolutely nothing about. Still, it made little difference. It didn't take long for me to completely fall for the whole concept, the story, the distractions (minigames, contrary to popular opinion, I love Mahjong!), the eating at restaurants and looking at all the local delicacies (definitely eating Takoyaki and going to Kyushu No 1 Star when I eventually get to Japan!) going to the bar to drink expensive Japanese whiskies and play (almost impossible to win at(!) pool), the substories (walking across the road with that tower of ice cream!) , the hostesses and their idle chat, the catchy Karaoke songs, the climax battles that ranged from easy as pie to punch the wall  annoying the whole thing....I was immediately hooked.

 

Following advice from sepheroithisgod, and after completing a couple of other games, I started Yakuza 0, (what a game! even better than 3 and I loved every minute), this began my deep dive into the rabbit hole that was the Kazuma Kiryu story.... over the following 2 months, I played through them all, 0, K1,K2, 4,5 & 6 one after the other and every one of them I loved. Yes they have their flaws, yes the story beats can be a little contrived at times and yes, the pool is ridiculously annoying, but I loved every minute of being submerged in the Japanese culture that these games clearly love exhibting. Finishing 6 tonight, I feel somewhat melancholic as I sip the whisky that I started enjoying, in large part, as a result of seeing  Kiryu's (and others) delight whilst drinking and made me think, 'that's worth a try'.

 

I absolutely loved the whole story of the series culminating with 6 including the ending (which some did not like) and each moment whilst playing, I knew I was reaching the end of a personal era (even though it was only 2 months). I've enjoyed few protagonists like I have Kiryu, the effortless cool, the goofyness, I enjoyed it all. Even when the plot became too convoluted or Kiryu's code of no-killing led to a character being shot by someone who'd just been bested by Kiryu (for the 10th time), it didn't matter, I was enjoying the ride too much to care.

 

I've played many games in my time and whilst a big fan of the God Of War, Resident Evil and especially the Final Fantasy series (amongst others), no other computer game series has had the same impact on me that the Yakuza series has. It's not hyperbole to say that this is the most enjoyable series of games I have ever played and is well worth both the time and cost for anyone who is thinking of playing.

 

For now, I'll jump straight into Yakuza : Like a Dragon, followed by either Fist of The North Star: Lost Paradise or Judgement (Judge Eyes) so I'll still have my fix of the world Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has created, whilst eagerly awaiting Lost Judgment (Sep 24th!) and ( hopefully)Kiwami 3,4,5 at some point so I can enjoy the world all over again with the dragon engine.

 

and finally some of my faves: 

 

Fave Games : 0, 6, 3, Kiwami 2, 4, 5, Kiwami (1)

 

Fave Character : Kiryu, then Akiyama, Majima, Haruka, Date, Nagumo, Rikiya, Saejima

 

Fave random supporting character : Ono Michio-Kun! (Oh No!)

 

Best Villain : Ryuji Goda

 

I really can't recommend these games enough. I rarely play games a 2nd time these days once completing, and the (Hopeful) Kiwami remakes of 3,4 & 5 will keep me interested in their respective iterations in the near future, but I one day look forward to loading up Y0 and playing through them all again. 

 

Sorry for rambling but wanted to put my thoughts down on a series I have immensely enjoyed.

 

 

Edited May 10, 2021 by Artty44

[Intoner_Zero]

Always nice to see a fellow Yakuza enthusiast! Definitely one of the top tier video game series for me as well~

[ARIXANDRE]

Great series. 

I also jumped in late but I don't regret it.

Congrats on platinums!

 

[VaDiMkA]

Agreed. 

Once you go Yakuza, there´s no way back... 

 

I´d really recommend Judgement. Its basically the same good old Yakuza game, only with another main. The biggest negative in Judgement is that you dont have this cool "rip of your jacket to show off your tattoo" move. Otherwise ,minigames and substories are on par with Y0.

 

My personal favorites were the Revelations. Every time i found one it was just ... ...XD

 

[Ninjise]

It's on my top of the list series that if I could delete my memories and replay them again, I would do it right away. Crazy to think this all started with reading a magazine with a Yakuza 3 review.

 

Also have high expectations from Judgement and its sequel, it's a great era to be a Yakuza fan in general.

[Artty44]

4 hours ago, VaDiMkA said:

Agreed. 

Once you go Yakuza, there´s no way back... 

 

I´d really recommend Judgement. Its basically the same good old Yakuza game, only with another main. The biggest negative in Judgement is that you dont have this cool "rip of your jacket to show off your tattoo" move. Otherwise ,minigames and substories are on par with Y0.

 

My personal favorites were the Revelations. Every time i found one it was just ... ...XD

 

 

I'm looking forward to Judgment. Will load that up after Like A Dragon.

 

Great video, that first Akiyama revelation cracks me up ?

Edited May 10, 2021 by Artty44

[Artty44]

This series keeps on giving. Loved Like A Dragon and what they did with the series. The story was strong as well as the gameplay, though I know turn-based isn't for everyone. 

 

Will take a short break for 7 Deadly Sins then on to Fist of the North Star Lost Paradise and on to Judgment which I am massively looking forward to.