Current Events > How is Yakuza 2's story generally regarded? (spoilers)

(+) Yeah! (+)

Beat it last night (Kiwami), sans Majima's arc. I thought the pacing was bad, the villains were pathetic, Sayama was pathetic, the story beats were...IDK they were just making stuff up as they went along, weren't they

There were some awesome parts for sure but my brother says Ryuji and Sayama are well-regarded, which makes no sense to me. Ryuji is just Biff from Back to the Future 2. Sayama constantly says she is a supercop but does nothing other than get bailed out by Kiryu 6 times. Also Kiryu's got over a decade on her which was weird

Terada...I don't really have anything to say about him. It was a bit much to have his initial reveal, then Takahashi's, then Terada re-betraying him all like "I knew I couldn't trust you, mwuhahaha"

Also what the heck was up with Sayama charging a gun-toting dude from 30 feet away with nothing but a stick? Supercop my ass

Also love how Date and Soda show up with a helicopter all like "should we help them?" and go "nah let's fly off while they kiss with a CW teen alt song blasting in the background"

ALSO, Kiryu was exceedingly stupid in this one. Just a real big dope

Gameplay was great, if way too easy. Looking forward to Majima story since the cutscene with him defusing the bomb got me to like him

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The entire Korean mob thing was so stupid and distracting too

And clone Kazuki? What the hell lol

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this is my last bump. I would like to hear from those who feel opposite, but if the thread dies, it dies

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I guess when you put it like that, those are some good points. I think people regard 3 as having the weakest story although 4 seemed weaker to me.

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I'm surprised there's not more responses, we have some Yakuza superfans here

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They're probably working, like I should be

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I should also be working, but meh lol.

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Ryuji love gets me salty ngl

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My understanding is that it's one of the better received Yakuza games. I haven't played it, but the lady cop is apparently well received for being one of the moste fleshed out female characters in the franchise with a compelling motive, the bragadocious Kansai Yakuza is well regarded for being an entertaining large ham, and you punch a fucking tiger in the fucking face.

It's not a popular opinion, but Yakuza 4 is my favorite. Probably because it was my first Yakuza game. I just think the way they split the story up in that game made it feel more cohesive and alive.

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eston posted...

I'm surprised there's not more responses, we have some Yakuza superfans here

CyricZ wrote the Yakuza Kiwami HTML FAQ.

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No mention of future games please; tends to invite spoilers

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I'm at work

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MrMallard posted...

lady cop is apparently well received for being one of the moste fleshed out female characters in the franchise

that...does not bode well for the rest of the women in this franchise, at all. sayama was horribly written, straight up

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Tbf there are women/woman that are pretty well fleshed out later on in the series, but you will be waiting a while.

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I just don't want to see Kiryu be this big of an idiot again. Dude was straight up suicidal at the end for no reason, like 100% "fuck my adoptive daughter I'd rather die with this stranger 12 years my junior"

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Don't worry. That game is a masterpiece compared to Yakuza 3s weak plot, clunky gameplay, and general outdatedness.

I'm on 4 right now, and it's better than 3. Multiple characters means you get a break from kiryu. It's way too easy on normal, though. I might start 5 on hard unless it's considered a more difficult game in the franchise.

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when we getting a decent villain? They've all sucked thus far. I can't even remember the bad guy in 0. Shibusawa?

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alright i lied; this is the last bump. i'm so bored and caught up on work

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Hipparmchia posted...

when we getting a decent villain? They've all sucked thus far. I can't even remember the bad guy in 0. Shibusawa?

Tbh I don't like any of the villains after 2 and I thought 6 was the worst one by far.

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I just hope they just for some reason don't have Sayama show up again. Kiryu should be and deserves to be alone

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Hipparmchia posted...

when we getting a decent villain? They've all sucked thus far. I can't even remember the bad guy in 0. Shibusawa?

I thought 0-2s villains were fine, the best probably being Kiwami 1s Nishkiyama. But that's mostly because he actually had more development in 0.

Again, don't expect much from 3. The villains are garbage and the ending is pathetic.


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Nishiki is another one everyone says is a bro but I'm like uuhhhh, all he does is cry and snot and say he's nothing without kiryu? how is he a bro??

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Hipparmchia posted...

last bump

Hipparmchia posted...

i lied; this is the last bump

>.>

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It is the best ever, I played every single Yakuza game in a couple of months

the most memorable twist wow factor having story was Yakuza 2

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I don't really think any of the twists worked well

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Some of the later games have ok twists. 6 does not

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But...there's nothing to Ryuji's or Sayama's stories

They're both orphans from the Jingweon massacre. Ryuji's only goal is to be the strongest guy, which he never even comes close to doing. He steals a tattoo that doesn't belong to him, proceeds to never earn it, then get punked by some guy who isn't even a Yakuza

Sayama is a generic supercop "don't need anyone" character who never exhibits any of the traits she claims to have. She loses every fight, falls in love with some guy in the span of a week, then resigns to die with him for no reason

There's just nothing there

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That's fine I won't tell you not to. I would like there to be something more to them; I just genuinely don't know what you're referring to. So it's definitely not a case of me "(not wanting) there to be".

Unless they get backstory as the franchise goes on? Don't tell me if they do or don't, though. I'm pretty sure Ryuji's dead-dead but I wouldn't mind him coming back to earn the appreciation people have for him. Sayama IDK, I could see them ditching her early next game like they did with a bunch of characters from 0 to 1, but I could also see her sticking around long haul

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The plots in all of them are pretty stupid, frankly. You need to be in the mood for some real dude soap opera crime stuff. In regards to all other plots in the games, I would say 0, 1 and K2 are the only ones with really great stories. K1 if only because it literally sets up the rest of the games in the series, and only Majima's story in 0 was super good (Kiryu's was typical).

I thought they severely underutilized Ryuji, as he seemed to be the big bad guy, then the game takes a sharp turn into racism / korean mafia stuff, then shoves itself back into Ryuji again at the end. I get the Omi were the tools for the Korean mafia, but it still felt tacked on.

But Outlaw's Lullaby is an amazing track and it was one of the few games that Kiryu has real character in. I feel like after 3, he just kind of exists as this badass. K2 with him and Sayama was pretty nice, even if the age gap was wacked.

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I'm largely with you on that, TC. I also had 2 hyped to me as the best Yakuza story (this was before the existence of 0, mind you) and I was left wanting.

The characters are fine conceptually, but are poorly utilized. Sayama, as you said, was just kinda there given Kiryu is the protagonist and still has to solve things. I imagine you're meant to be gawking over the fact that she's a lady cop and strong and smart so much that you don't notice she really does little of importance.

Ryuji cuts a nice menacing and bombastic figure, but his motivation is literally just "I wanna win the fight", whether it's the Tojo/Omi conflict or just fighting Kiryu because he's a dragon, too.

Also hope you liked what you saw of Yayoi Dojima. She's gone. Not in any single other game.

It's funny. I tend to have three places I rank Yakuza games:

• Exemplary - Where they're absolutely the ones I recommend to newcomers. Yakuza 0 and 7 are here.
• Great - A fun and enjoyable ride that may have some flaws but is a well put-together package. Most games end up here.
• Passable - They've still got some good stuff, or maybe quite a bit of good stuff, but glaring flaws. Kiwami and 6 are here.

I really want to include Kiwami 2 in the "Exemplary" pile, because it's a great example of the Dragon Engine and the side stuff is awesome and fun, but the story alone knocks it back down to "Great", which seems like a weird criticism, but that's how I see these games.

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Kaldrenthebold posted...

The plots in all of them are pretty stupid, frankly.

Also this. Never go into a game of this series expecting high theater.

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CyricZ posted...

Also hope you liked what you saw of Yayoi Dojima. She's gone. Not in any single other game.

Aw I didn't mind her. I kinda liked her as the leader even though she was barely around. She was sensible and lowkey, that's what I liked about Sera

Like I wasn't attached to her or anything but it's weird to ditch her. If that means more Daigo tho I'm all for it

CyricZ posted...

Also this. Never go into a game of this series expecting high theater.

Well I guess I would say the stories in 0 and 1 were also outright bad, but not as bad as this one's. I'm in it pretty much just for Kiryu's character, even though he was like, brick-eatingly stupid in this game. Oh I guess I like Majima now too cuz he's funny. I liked him in 0 more still though

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Hipparmchia posted...

Oh I guess I like Majima now too cuz he's funny. I liked him in 0 more still though

Take some time for the Majima Saga.

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That's right; keep forgetting about that

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Cyric, why iyo do people tend to like Ryuji and Sayama

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I remember liking the original, but I played that more than ten years ago, and idk if I'd enjoy it now (I haven't enjoyed a Yakuza since Y2).

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Hipparmchia posted...

Cyric, why iyo do people tend to like Ryuji and Sayama

They're still solidly built as designed characters. Fanon creeps in.

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Aka cuz they're hot?

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Hipparmchia posted...

Aka cuz they're hot?

Yep.

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Lol. Kiryus the only hot character so far. Ryuji is literally Biff >.>

Yak 0 Majima was hot too I guess

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There are a great many hotties in the Yakuza series.

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There can only be one true dragon, butthead

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Majima is so sick. It's crazy how I could go from liking him most of the way thru 0, to hating him in 1, to loving him just because I get to play as him again

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The blind chick? She was so forgettable and part of why Majima's story ended up lame. Why's she even back? Though the foot scene was funny

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Imagine not liking Makoto. Seriously imagine that.

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Can you guys verbalize what you like about these characters aside from the fact they are (imo nonsensical) love interests for the protagonists?

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You keep thinking everyone is in this for oscar winning performances. Makoto is just a cute, very innocent girl caught up in all the madness and she is the catalyst, along with Lee and that other guy, for turning Majima into what he is in the rest of the series. Stepping into Majima's shoes and protecting her felt natural so I liked her, I don't really see the need for anything more tbqh

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