Author Topic: Yakuza 5  (Read 32520 times)

Offline Randroid

  • *
  • Posts: 518
  • Total Meseta: 15
Re: Yakuza 5
« Reply #30 on: December 29, 2015, 05:40:26 pm »
For the record I'm back into this game and loving and not wanting it to end.

I just don't understand why they had to have those several hours that just ground the whole thing to a stop. Saejima could have been cut and the game would have been so much better.


But ah well. Back to the awesomeness.

I agree with you man. I'm at Saejima's storyline and while his city part is way better than his prison gameplay, it's still dragging things down bigtime. Which is too bad, cus I like him as a character.

Can't wait to get to my fav character Akiyama. Glad to hear that his gameplay is on point.

Offline Ben

  • *
  • Posts: 1665
  • Total Meseta: 1
Re: Yakuza 5
« Reply #31 on: December 29, 2015, 06:47:00 pm »
I agree with you man. I'm at Saejima's storyline and while his city part is way better than his prison gameplay, it's still dragging things down bigtime. Which is too bad, cus I like him as a character.

Can't wait to get to my fav character Akiyama. Glad to hear that his gameplay is on point.

Yeah Akiyama sorta has to split his chapter with someone else but all in all I think it ended up working well.

Saejima's story also had farrr too high of an Encounter rate for my liking, and his city (despite being pretty) was pretty questionably designed and not all that interactive.

Offline Randroid

  • *
  • Posts: 518
  • Total Meseta: 15
Re: Yakuza 5
« Reply #32 on: January 07, 2016, 02:57:15 am »
Ah Yeah! Got to Akiyama's chapter and he saves this game big time and I'm also kinda loving the Haruka/Akiyama combo play.

Juuuuust when Haruka's game was getting stale they drop Akiyama in. They balance pretty well.

Also, wow, take Haruka's city roaming, battle dancing and concert events, expand on them so they aren't so casual and you've got yourself the perfect template for a Project Diva RPG. Get on it Sega.

Offline Sharky

  • *
  • Posts: 3882
  • Total Meseta: 44
Re: Yakuza 5
« Reply #33 on: January 07, 2016, 10:47:17 am »
I think I heard that there will be an RPG element in the next Project Diva game... Though I know nothing about how it plays out.
Made by SEGA

Offline Ben

  • *
  • Posts: 1665
  • Total Meseta: 1
Re: Yakuza 5
« Reply #34 on: January 07, 2016, 11:26:57 pm »
The whole Haruka thing is just pretty bizarre. I guess Sega was trying to like create cross-over appeal with their Miku fans or something, but it's somewhat unexpected what a big role her storyline seems to be playing in the game as I near the end.


That said I am slightly revising my opinion in that I think Yakuza 5 is a level above the other PS3 Yakuza games...still don't feel that it hits the level of the PS2 ones though, for reasons that I've described earlier. I think it might have if not for Saejima/Haruka's sections.
« Last Edit: January 08, 2016, 12:49:33 pm by Ben »

Offline Ben

  • *
  • Posts: 1665
  • Total Meseta: 1
Re: Yakuza 5
« Reply #35 on: January 08, 2016, 10:41:19 pm »
Well, just beat the game!

I'll try to have my review up on my blog in the coming days, I'll drop a link in this topic in case anyone wants to know my final thoughts.  :afroman:

Can't believe it's been almost 5 years (March 2011) since the Western release of Yakuza 4....I feel old.
 
« Last Edit: January 08, 2016, 11:59:43 pm by Ben »

Offline George

  • *
  • Posts: 6263
  • Total Meseta: 668
    • http://www.segabits.com/
Re: Yakuza 5
« Reply #36 on: January 09, 2016, 01:47:22 am »
Yeah I'm working on my review this weekend (been busy) and I agree with Haruka part but damn did I feel like they did a splendid job with this one. I think you should replay Yakuza 1/2 because I felt like they also had pacing issues. The issue with the multiple characters is that you get to a height of a story then have to RESTART a start for a new character and one of the issues that Yakuza team has is they grind the start of a story rather slowly but when the pieces start clicking I'm like "Damn."

Offline Sharky

  • *
  • Posts: 3882
  • Total Meseta: 44
Re: Yakuza 5
« Reply #37 on: January 09, 2016, 02:08:58 am »
Glad there is no Haruka gameplay in Yakuza 0... In fact I think it'll be the best in the series so far with only Kazuma and Majima playable with a number of fighting styles you can switch between.
Made by SEGA

Offline Pao

  • *
  • Posts: 694
  • Total Meseta: 7
Re: Yakuza 5
« Reply #38 on: January 09, 2016, 02:59:54 am »
I echo the Haruka sentiment, I'm not done with that part yet and it already bored me.

Offline NoirSuede

  • *
  • Posts: 58
  • Total Meseta: 1
Re: Yakuza 5
« Reply #39 on: January 09, 2016, 08:54:10 pm »

Also, wow, take Haruka's city roaming, battle dancing and concert events, expand on them so they aren't so casual and you've got yourself the perfect template for a Project Diva RPG. Get on it Sega.
A Miku RPG would never happen since a RPG implies that Miku (and every other Vocaloid in the game) has her own personality, which is a massive red flag in the Vocaloid scene.

Offline Phantasos

  • *
  • Posts: 206
  • Total Meseta: 4
Re: Yakuza 5
« Reply #40 on: January 10, 2016, 08:01:53 am »
Glad there is no Haruka gameplay in Yakuza 0... In fact I think it'll be the best in the series so far with only Kazuma and Majima playable with a number of fighting styles you can switch between.

Well, there is Haruka gameplay in Yakuza 0, just not with Haruka.

I don't mind her campaign in 5, even though the gameplay's kinda easy but I definitely like her story.

Offline Ben

  • *
  • Posts: 1665
  • Total Meseta: 1
Re: Yakuza 5
« Reply #41 on: January 10, 2016, 08:15:56 pm »
Yeah I'm working on my review this weekend (been busy) and I agree with Haruka part but damn did I feel like they did a splendid job with this one. I think you should replay Yakuza 1/2 because I felt like they also had pacing issues. The issue with the multiple characters is that you get to a height of a story then have to RESTART a start for a new character and one of the issues that Yakuza team has is they grind the start of a story rather slowly but when the pieces start clicking I'm like "Damn."

I know what you mean about the occasional pacing issues in Yakuza's 1 and 2 but I found them to be more occasional than the ones in 3, 4, and 5.

I re-played through Yakuza 1 actually right after beating Yakuza 4 and while there were occasional filler missions, there were none such as throwing 1 character into a prison yard and then onto an isolated mountain for hours on end with no connection to the rest of the story just as the story was picking up steam.

With 1 and 2 I remember it being more like the occasional collect-a-thon fetch quest, or something like that. It felt like Yakuza's 1 and 2 were more afraid to interrupt their storylines, where 3 (and especially 4 and 5) I guess partially due to 4/5's multiple character structure, they didn't seem to care as much.

I dug Yakuza 5. With the exception of its soundtrack (which was leagues behind Yakuza 4's,) I think it's a better game than the past couple installments and definitely a worthy entry. I'll have more of my thoughts in my review. There are areas in which I REALLLLLLY wish this series would move forward, but I still have a blast playing them and am stoked to continue playing future installments.
« Last Edit: January 11, 2016, 01:22:49 am by Ben »

Offline Randroid

  • *
  • Posts: 518
  • Total Meseta: 15
Re: Yakuza 5
« Reply #42 on: January 11, 2016, 01:31:48 am »
I'm coming up to the end of the game. Funny how you single out Saejima as dragging the story down, since I gave up on Yakuza 4 during Saejima's story. After 5 though, I plan to revisit 4 again.

Poor Saejima. Can't catch a break in his games and can't catch a break on these boards as well.

Offline Phantasos

  • *
  • Posts: 206
  • Total Meseta: 4
Re: Yakuza 5
« Reply #43 on: January 11, 2016, 02:27:18 pm »
Saejima's one of the best characters in the series but most of the writers have fuck clue how to retire him from the game's plot so they send him to prison every time. Sometimes the logic's hilarioys, others is just obvious they had no idea what they were doing.

Apparently they nailed him plotwise in 0, which I'm drooling over since that one looks fucking great.
« Last Edit: January 11, 2016, 02:29:35 pm by Phantasos »

Offline Ben

  • *
  • Posts: 1665
  • Total Meseta: 1
Re: Yakuza 5
« Reply #44 on: January 12, 2016, 12:46:54 am »
Yeah I mean it doesn't help that they repeated his "prison" sequence almost beat for beat in Yakuza 5; you basically wander a courtyard for 2 hours talking to people.

Interesting character story-wise, it's just too bad that they seem to be saddling him with the "game-extending gameplay" every time he's featured.