[1/10/24]
HOLY SHIT.
After almost 3 months, I've made it. 8 games beaten, and just one more to go before Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth releases on the 26th. This was The Big One for me. It's an RPG, so it's naturally gonna be. A soft reboot that's not only the beginning of a new story with new characters in a new location, but also changing the genre of this well-established franchise, all while having the subtitle serve as another major transition for the series (at least in the west)? It's insane how they stuck the landing with all of this. 50 hours and I didn't feel bored at any point. God, I cannot wait for Infinite Wealth. It's gonna be so awesome and so tragic.
This game made me realize that I have a thing for RPGs set in the modern day. This section of Yokohama is massive and is a dream come true after sticking around significantly smaller areas in the previous games. Sure, this game tones the wackiness that people know this series for way the fuck up, but it's all based on real-world concepts. It helps that new kid Ichiban Kasuga is implied to percieve the world as an RPG due to growing up on Dragon Quest. I love the hybrid combat they've created where positioning (uncontrollable, my only gripe with it) is a key factor and Ichiban can pick shit up like the other games. The job system, a subgenre of RPG that I've never looked into until this, is a perfect fit for the setting.
Whereas Kiryu is stoic and operates alone, Ichiban is the goofiest motherfucker around who knows when to get serious and has a crew that he'll do anything for. I love this cast so much. Adults all forced to deal with shitty circumstances, united by the one with probably the shittiest. The camaderie makes this entry the most wholesome one to me. The last member is my personal favorite even if they underperformed gameplay-wise in my run. Needing to build Ichiban and his party up to get people to love them after almost 15 years of Kiryu wasn't gonna be easy, but they nailed it.
Since Yakuza 0 in 2015, I feel like RGG Studio managed to hit a stride with their stories where they have some greater weight to them as to feel more than just a charmingly cheesy flick with the same structure of mystery-filled first half and an action-packed second half with some equally cheesy twists. The essence is still there, but everything else surrounding it is so much more genuine. This style of storytelling with the aforementioned party makes this my second favorite story in the series. I think the sheer stupidity of Yaluza 4 gives it a so-bad-it's-good quality, but if we're talking about genuine quality, this one is up top. Also, this game is funny as fuck and I don't recall stifling a laugh this often in recent memory.
This might have become my new favorite RPG. With the improvements coming to Infinite Wealth, that might be a short-lived title, but it's worthy of it nonetheless.
HOLY SHIT.
After almost 3 months, I've made it. 8 games beaten, and just one more to go before Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth releases on the 26th. This was The Big One for me. It's an RPG, so it's naturally gonna be. A soft reboot that's not only the beginning of a new story with new characters in a new location, but also changing the genre of this well-established franchise, all while having the subtitle serve as another major transition for the series (at least in the west)? It's insane how they stuck the landing with all of this. 50 hours and I didn't feel bored at any point. God, I cannot wait for Infinite Wealth. It's gonna be so awesome and so tragic.
This game made me realize that I have a thing for RPGs set in the modern day. This section of Yokohama is massive and is a dream come true after sticking around significantly smaller areas in the previous games. Sure, this game tones the wackiness that people know this series for way the fuck up, but it's all based on real-world concepts. It helps that new kid Ichiban Kasuga is implied to percieve the world as an RPG due to growing up on Dragon Quest. I love the hybrid combat they've created where positioning (uncontrollable, my only gripe with it) is a key factor and Ichiban can pick shit up like the other games. The job system, a subgenre of RPG that I've never looked into until this, is a perfect fit for the setting.
Whereas Kiryu is stoic and operates alone, Ichiban is the goofiest motherfucker around who knows when to get serious and has a crew that he'll do anything for. I love this cast so much. Adults all forced to deal with shitty circumstances, united by the one with probably the shittiest. The camaderie makes this entry the most wholesome one to me. The last member is my personal favorite even if they underperformed gameplay-wise in my run. Needing to build Ichiban and his party up to get people to love them after almost 15 years of Kiryu wasn't gonna be easy, but they nailed it.
Since Yakuza 0 in 2015, I feel like RGG Studio managed to hit a stride with their stories where they have some greater weight to them as to feel more than just a charmingly cheesy flick with the same structure of mystery-filled first half and an action-packed second half with some equally cheesy twists. The essence is still there, but everything else surrounding it is so much more genuine. This style of storytelling with the aforementioned party makes this my second favorite story in the series. I think the sheer stupidity of Yaluza 4 gives it a so-bad-it's-good quality, but if we're talking about genuine quality, this one is up top. Also, this game is funny as fuck and I don't recall stifling a laugh this often in recent memory.
This might have become my new favorite RPG. With the improvements coming to Infinite Wealth, that might be a short-lived title, but it's worthy of it nonetheless.