Current Events > Yakuza fans: Which is the better Yakuza game?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Topic.

I liked 0 a tiny bit more, but Like a Dragon is still phenominal

From what I played so far:
0 > LAD > K2 > 3 > K1

I've only played LaD but it was amazing.

I plan in playing 0 at some point in 2023.

That's too hard. I love both and think they're easily #1 and #2 of the series. They could both be in either spot.

I'm not a fan, but if I had to choose between the two, I'd go with LaD.

I started not liking the structure of the series once it started having multiple playable protagonists, so it was refreshing that you only played as Ichiban in LaD.

plus, the combat from the other games had already grown old by then, so it was refreshing to move on to different gameplay mechanics.

Ichiban is also an upbeat, likeable character, whereas Kiryu is the same stoic badass throughout the series.

g0ldie posted...

Ichiban is also an upbeat, likeable character, whereas Kiryu is the same stoic badass throughout the series.

That's kind of why they started doing the multi protag thing. Gives you a breather from Kiryu. That said, I never really grew tired of Kiryu.

He's a great foil to batshit Majima.

don't get me wrong, I like Kiryu, but I think it's kinda ridiculous how he's like that almost all the time.

I hated the multiple protagonist thing because it was always forced how they came together at the end.

Yeah I like Ichiban more than Kiryu

0 because Majima is playable.

g0ldie posted...

don't get me wrong, I like Kiryu, but I think it's kinda ridiculous how he's like that almost all the time.

I hated the multiple protagonist thing because it was always forced how they came together at the end.

Outside of a few games (0,5,6,7) the main story is just a vehicle for the side content.

K2

It's honestly a very tough call.

0 was the perfect picture of its time, with extremely memorable characters, an unmatched aesthetic, and an incredibly tragic story in Majima's tale that definitely makes up for the fact that Kiryu is mostly there as an observer rather than a character.

Like a Dragon had an optimism all its own, and made Ichiban truly his own style of protagonist. It emphasized more than anything the themes of found family and being stronger together. It also tackled real social issues that the Yakuza games have stumbled on in the past.

CyricZ posted...

0 was the perfect picture of its time, with extremely memorable characters, an unmatched aesthetic, and an incredibly tragic story in Majima's tale that definitely makes up for the fact that Kiryu is mostly there as an observer rather than a character.

This is the only bad part about starting with 0. None of the other games lived up to it until 7.

Out of those 0. I like Judgement the best though.

party_animal07 posted...

This is the only bad part about starting with 0. None of the other games lived up to it until 7.

Still, I would never ask someone to play the worst game in a series to determine whether they'll stick through it all.

Even if someone were to play 0 and play no other games in the series, that's enough. :)

I feel like Yakuza: Like A Dragon has had the banging-est soundtrack since Yakuza 4. I was disappointed that some of the newer Yakuza games had more forgettable soundtracks, but LAD was great.

party_animal07 posted...

This is the only bad part about starting with 0. None of the other games lived up to it until 7.

Kiwami 2 was really good at least.

1 was okay and I couldn't make it through 3. I really want to play Like a Dragon but didn't want to skip the Kiryu games.

CyricZ posted...

Still, I would never ask someone to play the worst game in a series to determine whether they'll stick through it all.

Even if someone were to play 0 and play no other games in the series, that's enough. :)

I started with 0 even though "people" said it was a bad idea, ended up playing through the entire series afterwards with the exception of Dead Souls.

On topic, 0 holds a fondness for me that can't be matched by LAD. I think I got burnt out on the leveling grind for the classes on LAD, that's my only negative about it.

0>K2>LaD>4>3>1

Like a Dragon. 0 is cool and all but it's not even the best of the six games imo.

Sajo posted...

I started with 0 even though "people" said it was a bad idea, ended up playing through the entire series afterwards with the exception of Dead Souls.

Of course. i trust people to know themselves and what they take away from the series. Whether it's "wow that's interesting but moving on" or "maybe I'll check out a couple more of these" or "I'd live and die for my gorgeous Yakuza scrunklies". It's all valid.

What is the overall opinion of 6?

party_animal07 posted...

What is the overall opinion of 6?

I've heard it's "okay" compared to the other games

6 had a lot of cutscenes but I didn't mind watching a lot of 'em. The actual game seemed to go by really fast. Felt like one of the shortest in the series. Also a lot of the side quests just seemed more strange than they normally are. To the point where I felt like I was playing a Yakuza parody game. Still though it had its moments when you weren't taking care of a baby and I remember the end game being suitably epic.

party_animal07 posted...

What is the overall opinion of 6?

Not great

Breaker posted...

Out of those 0. I like Judgement the best though.

I started playing Judgement the other day. Finished the first chapter but so far it feels quite dry compared to the Yakuza games. Does it pick up?

I keep hearing that Lost Judgment is the best game. Is that true?

NeonTentacles posted...

I keep hearing that Lost Judgment is the best game. Is that true?

My main complaint with LJ is the main story takes a dip compared to Judgment, and it goes some places that I feel are... morally contentious.

School Stories side stuff is great, though. Pretty wholesome stuff by and large.

And the mechanics for combat are awesome.

I think Lost Judgment is the better game in most, almost all ways but there is just something about Judgment I really really did appreciate. It felt more like I was actually a detective and I thought the way the story pieced together and hit all its marks was satisfying. Sure tailing got kind of stupid at times but I also didn't need it almost entirely removed either from Lost Judgement. Plus those stealth sections sucked and one bugged out on me so bad I got so angry. I preferred just tailing people to the stealth.

It seems really superfluous and maybe I am just whack but I thought the "dating" was a lot better in Judgment too. I never really did any dating in Lost Judgment partly because I didn't realize how to start one and the others were DLC (which I had but just didn't care enough witg how it seemed to work once I finally triggered one).

I could say more but just don't feel like going into spoiler territory.

CyricZ posted...

My main complaint with LJ is the main story takes a dip compared to Judgment, and it goes some places that I feel are... morally contentious.

School Stories side stuff is great, though. Pretty wholesome stuff by and large.

And the mechanics for combat are awesome.

The one thing I hear is that School Stories is absolutely amazing and is basically an entire game within a game >_>

Kamil posted...

I thought the "dating" was a lot better in Judgment too. I never really did any dating in Lost Judgment partly because I didn't realize how to start one and the others were DLC (which I had but just didn't care enough witg how it seemed to work once I finally triggered one).

Dating in the Judgment series is 75% awful.