To preface I have not played any Yakuza game prior to this one, so I really went into this game with really no idea what I was getting into. The phrase, GTA in Japan does this game such a disservice for so many different reason.
The focus of my insane love for this game is due to the story. In all 17 chapters there are at least 1-5 moments in EACH that will bring up some kind of emotion. I don't have reactions to most stories, but I caught myself visually reacting to multiple parts of this story. It goes places and there is truly not a single moment where you are not 100% engaged waiting to see what happens next.
Which is why this next parts even crazier, the sub-stories that you run into naturally in-between missions are always engaging and even funny enough to draw your attention away to do because you truly feel like you are making an impact in the world and are well rewarded when you do the right thing. There are too many to talk about but there wasn't a single one where I thought, "Well that was a waste of time" They all just fleshed out main characters and made you that much more engrossed in the world.
Leading into the most important part of the equation the Main Characters. Kiryu and Majima are the single two most likable characters in any game. I love these two guys so much and they just kept charming you every time they swapped stories. You constantly want to see what they do next and you just always want to be with them. They are so cool and so likable and noble and funny they are both the complete package and by the end of the story you are ready to go on a 10 year journey with them the 50 or so hours spent with them isn't even enough.
As a kid who wasn't allowed to play GTA a young kid, my open world fix was brought to me by River City Ransom, that was the coolest game and it felt like a huge world where I could go anywhere. Little did I know that 20 years later I would be playing the spiritual successor to my favorite game without knowing it. The combat in this game is so fucking satisfying. I played it on hard so I would never be able to mindlessly button mash I constantly had to be on the top of my game. Utilizing all 3 fighting styles was always always felt like a good change of pace considering each characters 3 styles all felt different, and each boss required you to be proficient in each. Every boss was so challenging and really made you use what you've learned in every previous fight, and there was an importance to each fight.
I can't overstate how much I fucking love this game and to me it is truly perfect.
The focus of my insane love for this game is due to the story. In all 17 chapters there are at least 1-5 moments in EACH that will bring up some kind of emotion. I don't have reactions to most stories, but I caught myself visually reacting to multiple parts of this story. It goes places and there is truly not a single moment where you are not 100% engaged waiting to see what happens next.
Which is why this next parts even crazier, the sub-stories that you run into naturally in-between missions are always engaging and even funny enough to draw your attention away to do because you truly feel like you are making an impact in the world and are well rewarded when you do the right thing. There are too many to talk about but there wasn't a single one where I thought, "Well that was a waste of time" They all just fleshed out main characters and made you that much more engrossed in the world.
Leading into the most important part of the equation the Main Characters. Kiryu and Majima are the single two most likable characters in any game. I love these two guys so much and they just kept charming you every time they swapped stories. You constantly want to see what they do next and you just always want to be with them. They are so cool and so likable and noble and funny they are both the complete package and by the end of the story you are ready to go on a 10 year journey with them the 50 or so hours spent with them isn't even enough.
As a kid who wasn't allowed to play GTA a young kid, my open world fix was brought to me by River City Ransom, that was the coolest game and it felt like a huge world where I could go anywhere. Little did I know that 20 years later I would be playing the spiritual successor to my favorite game without knowing it. The combat in this game is so fucking satisfying. I played it on hard so I would never be able to mindlessly button mash I constantly had to be on the top of my game. Utilizing all 3 fighting styles was always always felt like a good change of pace considering each characters 3 styles all felt different, and each boss required you to be proficient in each. Every boss was so challenging and really made you use what you've learned in every previous fight, and there was an importance to each fight.
I can't overstate how much I fucking love this game and to me it is truly perfect.