Post by DarkJuno on Sept 21, 2016 1:24:18 GMT
So, Yakuza 5 was "free" for PS+ users a month or so ago, and because I'm stupid like this I went and bought Yakuza 4 first to play it. After watching the overly long videos about the first three games to catch me up on the storyline, I played....and played....and played.
I think I love it. Not the creepy/weird side stuff that I can still mostly respect from over here, but I think I totally dig the Japanese TV slow burn Crime Drama vibe of the story mixed with the shockingly brutal yet wacky violence in the clunky fight scenes. It's like, they know exactly what sort of game they want to make, and dammit, they nail it for better or worse, and I can't help but applaud the gumption for doing so. I can completely understand why people might dislike this series or even think it's bad, but from at least this fourth one and hopefully on, it's (mostly) playable and actually pretty fun and entertaining, so long as you are okay with exactly the sort of storytelling it's trying to do and tell. It's weird, it's way more limited in its open world then your average open world game like GTA or Saints Row, but in some ways it's actually a little better? Like, the buildings you're able to enter are far, far easier to notice and feel more prominent, and you can do something in all of them. Combat is clunky as I said, but pretty decent, and dammit, much like using environmental kills in Sleeping Dogs, I can't get enough of murdering gangsters and punks with potted plants and bicycles. Honestly, graphics are good for a PS3 game, and it looks and feels like Japan, just with less people in the streets.
I'm actually disappointed I didn't try this out with the older games back in the day, since I'm sure I would've liked them then, though trying to go back and play those first two PS2 games and 3 on the PS3 is apparently a bad idea, since as dated as they look at the time, now they'd be excruciating to slog through, so I was glad for the recap videos. Also, this seems to be a good one to jump on since you play as a bunch of new characters before you play as Kiryu, the main character, so it's been good about easing me in. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised I actually dig this game, since I liked Shenmue a lot back on the Dreamcast, despite even back then acknowledging and being annoyed by its flaws.
So, anyone else like this series that somewhat uncomfortably glorifies the Yakuza? Though in all fairness, it's not any different then movies and shows here glorifying the mob.
I think I love it. Not the creepy/weird side stuff that I can still mostly respect from over here, but I think I totally dig the Japanese TV slow burn Crime Drama vibe of the story mixed with the shockingly brutal yet wacky violence in the clunky fight scenes. It's like, they know exactly what sort of game they want to make, and dammit, they nail it for better or worse, and I can't help but applaud the gumption for doing so. I can completely understand why people might dislike this series or even think it's bad, but from at least this fourth one and hopefully on, it's (mostly) playable and actually pretty fun and entertaining, so long as you are okay with exactly the sort of storytelling it's trying to do and tell. It's weird, it's way more limited in its open world then your average open world game like GTA or Saints Row, but in some ways it's actually a little better? Like, the buildings you're able to enter are far, far easier to notice and feel more prominent, and you can do something in all of them. Combat is clunky as I said, but pretty decent, and dammit, much like using environmental kills in Sleeping Dogs, I can't get enough of murdering gangsters and punks with potted plants and bicycles. Honestly, graphics are good for a PS3 game, and it looks and feels like Japan, just with less people in the streets.
I'm actually disappointed I didn't try this out with the older games back in the day, since I'm sure I would've liked them then, though trying to go back and play those first two PS2 games and 3 on the PS3 is apparently a bad idea, since as dated as they look at the time, now they'd be excruciating to slog through, so I was glad for the recap videos. Also, this seems to be a good one to jump on since you play as a bunch of new characters before you play as Kiryu, the main character, so it's been good about easing me in. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised I actually dig this game, since I liked Shenmue a lot back on the Dreamcast, despite even back then acknowledging and being annoyed by its flaws.
So, anyone else like this series that somewhat uncomfortably glorifies the Yakuza? Though in all fairness, it's not any different then movies and shows here glorifying the mob.
