Yakuza 5

[Centrale]

Ah hell, there's not enough space on my 60GB fat PS3's system storage to install! Looks like I'll have to replace the HDD before I can play it. It's never really come up before because I have used the PS3 for only a few games, and all of them were either disc-based or small games.

[George]

Yeah it needs at least 50gb to install. While we are talking about it, one of my biggest pet peeves is the whole 'I wasn't dead' then hit us with a stupid reason (bullet proof vest, rubber bullets). Sometimes killing a character is more impactful. See Games of Thrones.

[Ben]

Damn, Saejima's story really ground this thing to a total halt, holy shit.

We already had to do the filler "prison break" scene once in Yakuza 4, why'd we have to repeat it again in 5? I feel like between this and Condemned 2, Sega's gotta have some rule about keeping bears out of their games...

Still digging it though lol and I'm sure the other characters will make up for it but holy crap, talk about a waste of a character...

[Sharky]

Damn, Saejima's story really ground this thing to a total halt, holy shit.

We already had to do the filler "prison break" scene once in Yakuza 4, why'd we have to repeat it again in 5? I feel like between this and Condemned 2, Sega's gotta have some rule about keeping bears out of their games...

Still digging it though lol and I'm sure the other characters will make up for it but holy crap, talk about a waste of a character...

But the bear chase in Condemned 2 was awesome, my favourite part of the second game! So good.

[Ben]

0.o

Dang this brings back memories, haha.

(By the way Haruka's adventure isn't much of an improvement, though at least it's great to visit Yakuza 2's Osaka again.)

[cube_b3]

Yeah it needs at least 50gb to install. While we are talking about it, one of my biggest pet peeves is the whole 'I wasn't dead' then hit us with a stupid reason (bullet proof vest, rubber bullets). Sometimes killing a character is more impactful. See Games of Thrones.

I've not played 5 but the whole mass murder fake out from Yakuza 4 was extremely annoying.

[Ben]

So here are sort of my impressions so far, I'll review the game for my blog/Gamefaqs.com when I actually finish it. But my impressions so far, from about halfway (I think) through Haruka's story....are that Yakuza 5's on the level of the other PS3 Yakuza games.

In other words, it's a good game, one with a stunning amount of content and some kickass moments. I'm still enjoying this series, but I'm still finding myself wishing that the urgency that the PS2 Yakuza games had wasn't lost in the PS3 ones.

Yakuzas 1 and 2 really pulled you immediately into a clockwork storyline and didn't let you go. I mean sure they went on their slight detours, but for the most part the first 2 games grabbed hold and took you along for the ride on this intense, constantly evolving storyline.

The PS3 games, while still good, have become so in love with gimmicks that they allow their storylines to get interrupted for hours on end. Yakuza 3 had you doing those endless and tedious missions for the orphan kids, Yakuza 4 forced you to spend what felt like ages wandering through a prison courtyard talking to one person after another. Yakuza 5 I thought started on the right note, with Kazuma's story being awesome and a return to form....but then you get to the other characters, and then Yakuza 5 makes you do that prison thing again, then it forces you into an hours-long hunting tutorial to learn a skill that you don't even need to complete the game, before then forcing you to spend hours with Haruka's boring pop star adventure that has nothing to do with the storyline....

I mean, again, I like this series, and I have fun playing it, but I reallllllly don't see why the PS3 Yakuza games are so eager to interrupt their compelling storylines with (I'm just going to say it) this pointless bullshit, lol. I literally fell asleep last night while playing Haruka's storyline.

(Sigh.)

Anyway. Loved Kazuma's adventure. I dislike both Saejima's and Haruka's......I'm sure the game will pull things back together again but I just wish the series would stop slowing itself down with this filler gameplay. I think everyone involved is capable of better than that.

(Edit: Well, looks like I was actually pretty much done with Haruka's adventure, not halfway through it. Well, good. Can't wait for this game to kick ass again.)

[Centrale]

I can appreciate that you don't like certain aspects of the game... but the game is what it is - not what you expect or think it should be. I just personally don't get it when reviewers dislike a game because the game is different from what the reviewer thinks it ought to be. Just experience it for what it is. You can still dislike it but I don't think it's fair to classify certain aspects as pointless. As for me, I haven't been able to play 5 yet - but I specifically remember really liking the orphanage sequences in 3, even though that's not something I ever would have imagined wanting to do in a game. And I don't really remember the prison courtyard in 4 taking very long to get through. Yakuza has developed into a series with an ensemble cast, not just Kiryu's story. It's like wanting the X-Men to just be about Professor X or something. Anyhow, just my 2 cents.

[George]

I actually like the stories and build-ups that connect because the gameplay changes it up enough for me to be interested. Like Saijima did depart from Kazuma's overall plot a bit, but he is living a seperate life and it makes sense. Not to mention his fighting has his own style to it and adding the hunting elements was cool enough.

Yakuza games on PS2 didn't have this whole 'urgency' as you claim. Maybe cuz you skipped the side stuff? I mean, Yakuza still had many wasted chapters on side characters you never controlled. Like, Dante's daughter and other missions that where main missions.

I think at least this way we get different views from different angles.

[Myriad the Stargazer]

hey guys is there a Yakuza 5 spoiler forum? would love to talk to ya'll about that amazing ending!

[Aki-at]

hey guys is there a Yakuza 5 spoiler forum? would love to talk to ya'll about that amazing ending!

Use the spoiler tag. Delete the spaces.

[spoiler ] [/spoiler ]

[spoiler]Like so and yes I cried manly tears.[/spoiler]

[Sharky]

Haruka's bit isn't for me... Everything else is totally for me.

[Phantasos]

So here are sort of my impressions so far, I'll review the game for my blog/Gamefaqs.com when I actually finish it. But my impressions so far, from about halfway (I think) through Haruka's story....are that Yakuza 5's on the level of the other PS3 Yakuza games.

In other words, it's a good game, one with a stunning amount of content and some kickass moments. I'm still enjoying this series, but I'm still finding myself wishing that the urgency that the PS2 Yakuza games had wasn't lost in the PS3 ones.

Yakuzas 1 and 2 really pulled you immediately into a clockwork storyline and didn't let you go. I mean sure they went on their slight detours, but for the most part the first 2 games grabbed hold and took you along for the ride on this intense, constantly evolving storyline.

The PS3 games, while still good, have become so in love with gimmicks that they allow their storylines to get interrupted for hours on end. Yakuza 3 had you doing those endless and tedious missions for the orphan kids, Yakuza 4 forced you to spend what felt like ages wandering through a prison courtyard talking to one person after another. Yakuza 5 I thought started on the right note, with Kazuma's story being awesome and a return to form....but then you get to the other characters, and then Yakuza 5 makes you do that prison thing again, then it forces you into an hours-long hunting tutorial to learn a skill that you don't even need to complete the game, before then forcing you to spend hours with Haruka's boring pop star adventure that has nothing to do with the storyline....

I mean, again, I like this series, and I have fun playing it, but I reallllllly don't see why the PS3 Yakuza games are so eager to interrupt their compelling storylines with (I'm just going to say it) this pointless bullshit, lol. I literally fell asleep last night while playing Haruka's storyline.

(Sigh.)

Anyway. Loved Kazuma's adventure. I dislike both Saejima's and Haruka's......I'm sure the game will pull things back together again but I just wish the series would stop slowing itself down with this filler gameplay. I think everyone involved is capable of better than that.

(Edit: Well, looks like I was actually pretty much done with Haruka's adventure, not halfway through it. Well, good. Can't wait for this game to kick ass again.)

Gotta agree with the others guys, the Yakuza games always had an self inflated infatuation with their own geeky, embellished perspective of Japan which meant playing around with superfluous, gimmicky but optional shit to do aside from the main story. Since the focus on the storyline was always there, the added attention to all the mini-games and side quests probably aren't to your liking but they were always there.

When it comes to "urgency", I don't really agree in the sense that every single Yakuza sequel has risen the stakes to ridiculous levels in order to keep things interesting and 5 was their best effort when it came to that sort of spectacle. Although I agree that the story of 1 and 2 are generally better, not because of the sense of urgency since like others have said, they're just as, if not more "urgent" than the original games because of 2 things: The pacing is much better since they both have a single storyline to deal with instead of juggling branching baggage that was an inevitability as the series kept growing and because the stakes actually *were* higher in those stories since they're completely self contained. Aside from Ryu and Haruka, you had no idea who was gonna bite the bullet or not and since they weren't preoccupied with maintaining a big, consistent story at the time, the writer went all out. Yakuza 2 still has the best story of the series, although 5 is the one with the best character arcs. Even Haruka's story is pretty digestible because it's actually pretty dark considering her career choice. It's not often you see the dark side of the Pop Idol business in Japanese media.

One thing people should take into account is that Yakuza 1 and 2 were written by a different guy than the current team, who was an actual crime novelist, which is why their stories are so good.

[Ben]

Gotta agree with the others guys, the Yakuza games always had an self inflated infatuation with their own geeky, embellished perspective of Japan which meant playing around with superfluous, gimmicky but optional shit to do aside from the main story. Since the focus on the storyline was always there, the added attention to all the mini-games and side quests probably aren't to your liking but they were always there.

Optional is they key word there. I love the ridiculous side stuff, I just wish it were kept as side stuff. Saejima's whole hunting adventure should have been optional. I'm not sure why we spent hours doing hunting tutorials, which were required, for a gameplay feature that was optional.

Eh.

Yakuza games on PS2 didn't have this whole 'urgency' as you claim. Maybe cuz you skipped the side stuff? I mean, Yakuza still had many wasted chapters on side characters you never controlled. Like, Dante's daughter and other missions that where main missions.

Yeah don't get me wrong, the series has always had it here and there, but in the PS3 games it seems like they've thrown all sense of pacing out the window and got a little too carried away.


Just my opinion though.

Like I know Haruka had her whole thing in Yakuza 2 but it didn't take up nearly as much time as it does in 5. That's really all I'm saying. I don't mind the little detours, but I think the PS3 Yakuza games have been guilty of almost taking themselves off course. It's hard to feel absorbed in a storyline (IMO) when the game pulls you away from it for extended periods of time.

One thing people should take into account is that Yakuza 1 and 2 were written by a different guy than the current team, who was an actual crime novelist, which is why their stories are so good.

That said, I still think the writing in 3 and beyond is excellent, I just think it's become unfocused and padded.

Still enjoying the game though. I like the character switching dynamic between Haruka and Akiyama. Akiyama's combat style's insanely addictive. Plus I love wandering through Osaka.

[Ben]

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.