Idk if everyone realizes how insane it is that you just blew through the Yakuza series but that shit is hella tight. Respect and admiration, son. You made your pops proud.
@@YourFavoriteSon1 I love your content. Immediately subscribed... you have a nice and attractive voice & cadence that's easy to understand. Where are you from? Love your accent...
@@YourFavoriteSon1 how long did it take you to go through the games??... i started with 0 when it arrived on playstation extra in august and as of today ive made it to chapter 10 of yakuza 7...
This game's success or even its mere existence is just bizarre, how RGG managed to change both the main protagonist and the freaking genre 15 years into a franchise was incredible risky, and the weirdest thing about it is that...it worked! Anyway, great job, son, covering 8 Yakuza games in the span of 2 months is impresive.
I did not like the turn-based system at all tbh, and I usually do like turn based systems. It got old and repetitive way quicker than it should have, there weren't too many truly distinct enemy types just enemies that debuff differently, and usually in these games end game spells and abilities do good to curb these issues, but the end game abilities in this game felt the same just more damage. The story was absolutely top tier though.
@@FeiFongWang you gotta understand that they were trying something new. the Dragon Engine action gameplay wasn't good when it first started out, but now it's getting improved as they work more with it. the turn-based will be the same as that: improved.
i was super worried about yakuza 7. kiryu is probably my favorite protagonist in any video game and the idea of a series without him was horrifying. ichiban QUICKLY won my affection. he’s the most likable guy ever.
1:50:47 I also think the cutscene is supposed to show that Ichiban is coming back to his senses and seeing the world in a hopeful light again. Instead of the angry Ichiban that's confused and vengeful from before, he's back to seeing the world as a video game, his true nature back.
I mean ... Its original name was always like a dragon(ryu ga gotoku) they just basically rebranded so they can incorporate more of their spinoffs and to stay true to the original concept of the game. (I mean, for a series called yakuza. Kiryu isnt even a part of the yakuza, heck hes actively trying to get away from it)
Kinda stupid lol. They finally after years started having success with the yakuza series in the west, then they change the name of the series, the gameplay, and the character. Tbh it’s the only one in the series I never finished lol.
The thing I noticed and really liked is that the male party members all have a consistent color scheme. Ichiban is Red, Adachi is Blue, and Nanba is Green. This probably has some deeper connection to classic JRPGs where characters or classes/jobs would have clear color palettes attached to them.
It was important to really distinguish their color because otherwise they would have looked too samey when you see their 8bit versions during loading screens.
i think that was part of it, friend of mine pointed out that if you compare how ichiban was designed and put the warrior character from final fantasy next to him, you can see theres a bit of a resemblance design wise
I don't give a fuck what people say about the English dub. Any actor that can give that kind of performance and make me cry like a baby when Ichiban lays his heart out to his brother deserves commendation. Superb fucking shit, man!
@@fireflocs That's like saying that lung cancer is the best type of cancer. I don't know if it is or not, but I'd still rather not have cancer of any kind.
This was my favorite Yakuza Game. Even after playing 0-6. This game did it. It had a strong story. Ichiban truly is an amazing character full of heart, and charisma. He truly is the best of us.
The stabbing actually took away all of the emotional impact for me. It comes out of nowhere and feels really weird that Ichiban just let the guy walk away. Also having played the other games, I almost knew it was too sweet of an ending for something to not go wrong at the last second, so I was expecting something to happen. It makes sense because it helps build Ichiban's character, but it sucks that it instantly killed an interesting character that could have had a nice redemption arc. I hope this will be explained in the sequel but that guy stabbed his brother in a very public place, and I wonder how he suffered absolutely no repercussions for doing so, or why Ichiban didn't tell the authorities? He's not involved with the Yakuza anymore since they dissolved by the time that happens. It felt rushed, I guess.
You couldn't finish True Final Millennium Tower because you kept getting one-shotted? You are grounded until you learn to grind for stat boosting drinks in Sotenbori.
Yeah. I always hit all the side content up when available, so I had Eri whenever my party would've been shorted. I also was mega ultra rich from pushing through that business.
@@MrBoggy101 I'm glad I wasn't the only one. When he started talking about how hard it was to get 3 million yen I was like... It was hard?? Because I was playing the business nonstop before I even "needed" to
I wish I had known about her before because I spent that entire section of the game with only three party members so there were a few times when I got into some close calls losing a fight.
I just wanna advise that if you don't want to do the management mini game (I mean what's wrong with you, but you do you) if you do part time hero finding the cats and kappa statues you'll get well over 3 million yen and it takes no time at all
The only thing I have to say is that Eri is one of the best characters with her own clerk job. Thumbtack scatter is one of the best (if not the best) ability to deal with a lot of enemies at once,
I had eri as my popstar character for healing and saeko with the (can't remember class name) the one with the whip lol. It had this special move called spinning queen which was great for confusing enimies if you were dealing with a large group
@@nessadvantage9447thing is thumbtack scatter can ohko a lot of weaker enemies. That means in every battle, because she is fast (not as fast as joon-gi han) she will probably be the first or second turn, and you can end up with half the enemies dead by the second turn.
I thought they were great. Yakuza 7 was my first Yakuza game, and then I went back and played the others. I felt by 4 the combat was getting a bit stale, it was barely anything more than button mashing
Certainly better than the sum of its parts alone. I was a bit skeptical of the switch in combat to being turn based, (Even though i was raised on and love turn based rpgs). Overall i really dig Like A Dragon. 🐉
Hello son, I definitely enjoy the game, and how the shift represents the different perspective ichiban has. I don't enjoy it as much as the standard battle style is. I'm a little burnt out on turn based rpgs. I can definitely agree that his attitude and perspective is refreshing
Yakuza like a dragon is honestly one of my favorite games all the time. The story, characters, and gameplay are great but I do agree in chapter 12 the game does get grindy money and gameplay-wise. I really don't like that chapter but overall it's a amazing RPG game.
It's surprising you didn't find much use for Eri in fights. I used her through the entire game. Her thumbtack AOE is nuts early game (especially if you make her a weapon early on that has crazy stats for how early you can get it), and her generally high dmg with status effects included is great. I was always a bit gutted that she wasn't in cutscenes (a la Vincent and Yuffie in FF7) because she's the only character in the game this happens with and it felt kind of mean when she's in every fight for me.
I feel you, but Eri and the whole Ichiban Holding subplot just don't fit in with the main story well. I kinda wish they could add some extra plot to integrate them into Yakuza 8's story.
I also loved Eri and she was in my party often. After catching multiple Ls against Kiryu and recognizing he didn't hit women (such a gentleman lol) her and Seiko made that battle much more manageable ❤
Your ability to pump out such high quality content at the rate you have been is inspiring. I haven't played any of the yakuza games but these videos are great regardless.
Your deep dive retrospectives have given me exposure to games I have NEVER thought of playing or heard of. So thank you so much being so passionate about game you cover. I hope you get some well deserved rest after so many hours of editing this.
with saejima and majima, you can be the lowest possible level and still beat them. also, saejima is weak to a move called dart airstrike which eri can use as the best dmg dealer
Well done on finishing the mainline series of Yakuza retrospectives! One thing I'd like to note about Eri; she is actually pretty darn strong as a physical attacker, either as a Dealer or Matriarch. I actually used her as part of my True Final Millennium Tower group and was the true MVP in many of the match-ups along the way. I know you can get that platinum trophy, Son. Keep up the good work.
Hey Son, good video, very proud of you. I think Yakuza 7 is one of the best in terms of writing, solely because of the cyclical nature of the story. Arakawa losing his father before eating Peking Duck and then Ichiban losing Arakawa before he has it is a good example. The ending of the game hits me really hard and honestly when I beat the game I cried because of how beautifully the story was crafted. The beginning of Masato’s life was at those coin lockers with Arakawa taking him and running off with him, hoping he is still alive. The end of his life being at those same coin lockers but with Ichi carrying him off, hoping he can be saved. It was that beat that hit me so hard and just absolutely made this one of my favorites in the series.
This has been a great series of videos. As someone with no deeper knowledge of the Yakuza games I have thoroughly enjoyed your deep dives into the stories I would otherwise never have looked into.
Ichiban talking to Masato into putting the gun down breaks me every time. Such a good game with amazing characters. Thanks for covering the games through your retrospectives. I've been playing through all the Yakuza games (Judgment and Lost Judgment included) and I've been enjoying listening to other people's takes on them.
Like a Dragon has a special place in my heart. I played it expecting to hate the new combat system, but i ended up falling in love with this game, with its characters, its soundtrack, everything. Before i noticed, LaD became my favorite game not only in the entire series, but in every game i've ever played. Ichiban is such an amazing protagonist that made me feel hope, right when i was going through a hard time. He's really inspiring to me, and i can't say the same about many other videogame characters. . Thank you so much for this video! I first came here because of silent hill, but i'm definetly staying to see the rest of the Yakuza series vids!
I downloaded this game not expecting much because it was free on the store and I don't have any history with previous Yakuza games (yet!) And I can't describe how much I love it and Ichiban. Great video as always son, can't wait to see what content comes next.
Not gonna lie, I absolutely loved the shift over to a turn-based RPG. It allowed the series' serious-comedy aspect to shine with stuff like what actions characters took to perform "magic" (like healing by lying down to take a nap). While I don't think Kiryu can ever truly be replaced in this series Ichiban was a great character, and the game's story and characters in general stood up to the Yakuza standard. Absolutely loved the time I spent with the game. Can't wait to see you cover the Judgement games. While I don't quite like them as much as the rest of the franchise they were still fun.
@@jamesgratz4771 Oh not for any particularly bad reasons. I just generally prefer the cast and game style of Like a Dragon compared to Judgement. Both Judgment games were fun with the second one being better than the first (mostly just because of refinements to everything). At the end of the day my preferred version of this franchise is the regular Yakuza games (in large part because of how much I like Kiryu), but all versions of the franchise are fun in their own ways.
Only after you mentioned it I realised that Kashiwagi is the Bar owner LOL. I love how this series has characters returning or showing in different games. Such fun. And great video as always son!
Just a quick but important criticism around @11:21 you said the hostess is Masato's GF when that is 100% not the case as she works the bar and is only nice to him due to "Customer Is Always Right Stuff". See what Yumeno says in the bathroom is dickish but also right at the same time, the Western Version of buying a "Lambo" for a Hooter's girl, saying they will be together forever and other borderline incel shit saying that he "owns" her. See a KEY part of Masato character is his MASSIVE inferiority complex as even tho two girls ARE into him, he cant accept them as he NEEDS is the "NUMBER ONE GIRL" to feel valid to himself. Like, another point is how much of a cock he is to Ichiban even tho Ichiban has been nothing but nice to him, with people like him it's all about "Dont be a better person, just FEEL better than everyone else.". During the game, there are SEVERAL times when Masato had already clearly won but he risk everything as he has to get a PERFECT win instead of walking away with a a win, like having to WIN the election in the Greyzone which be part of his downfall and had no reason to it other to show off how great he was to himself....
The script in itself show she accepts him calling her "his girl" and such. She'd still be pushing away if what you'd said is true. What you say sounds very revisionist just to align the past Masato with present Masato. She accepted so he thinks they are the same page.
For me I need to do as much side content as possible before moving on with the main quest. I was always prepared for main story fights this way and never had to "grind"... even though that's technically what side content is... favorite Yakuza game hands down. I usually experience some burn out while playing the other titles; didn't experience it once on this game! Congratulations on making it through so many so quickly son!!!
Yakuza Like A Dragon was so enjoyable and had so much fun stuff to do that even the difficulty spike and ridiculous final achievement I didn't mind so much. Throughout the game I felt itching for a real challenge as I was pretty experienced at JRPGs in general, and I saw this final dungeon as giving me that challenge. I do wish the challenge was spread throughout the game instead of being large spikes like you mentioned, but given this was the first Yakuza game I got all achievements on goes to show how much I enjoyed it.
I just managed to finish this game last night, a few hours before you uploaded this video. I had never played a Yakuza game before. I watched your video on Yakuza 1 and really enjoyed it. I’m a big JRPG fan, so I decided to give Like A Dragon a shot. Thank you for getting me into this series. I gotta go back and play the others now.
I really enjoyed Like a Dragon but it does have difficulty issues. Most normal enemies feel like nothing but late game big enemies felt like they would be near impossible or just take a completely unreasonable amount of time without access to the orbital laser from completing the management side activity. It felt like a major crutch for my play through but it also felt like it was often the only move doing anything
I felt mostly the same way. There are three major late game fights that were the only ones that gave me any trouble. Even with some grinding they were tough
did you not take advantage of the enemies elemental/stat vulnerabilities? Yes a lot of enemies were sponges at late game, but actually taking the stat/elemental stuff into consideration does actually do something. I personally never had an issue until the second to last boss fight
@@Zerovin there are big enemies late game that are resistant to the damage of the laser and changing up the strategy was required but for nearly all save them the laser just felt like the most efficient way through the fight due to the sheer damage. also I dont know if the next to last boss is even doable if you didnt get the skill where he can revive himself. I think I remember having to go back and get that since I had long since stopped training that class
@@somebodynowhere well that sounds like a you problem then, it’s not the games fault you didn’t engage with the systems in place and resorted to “big laser go brrr” for most fights
I think 100 percent Masato Arakawa is alive still, restarting his life, and starting from the bottom again? That sounds like what Ichiban did from the homeless camp, starting from the bottom, plus the homeless camp is specifically for sending bodies to either get rid of or save their life, Ichiban is also praying over a picture of Aoki, not Masato, which I think is symbolic that Aoki died and went back to Masato
Hey son, I’ve been listening to you talk non-stop these past few weeks about those Yakoozah games you like so much. And I think it’s time I got into them to see why you enjoy them. My Windows 98 computer might be a bit dusty though. Also please call your mum back, she wants to know what you want for dinner.
i think yakuza 7 actually impacted my view on the series to an (kiwami means) extreme level, and the only reason i viewed it as such was thanks to the cutscene after defeating kiryu, i looked back on every single fight with certain characters who had tattoos and viewed them all as mythical beasts duking it out, a legendary dragon versus a half-dragon koi, a golden dragon, or a okinawan viper, etcetera, etcetera. i will always view yakuza 7 as a golden statue in comparison to the rest thanks to this outlook, because it made these tales of the japanese criminal underworld feel all the more amazing to go through, even on repeat playthroughs amazing video btw!! i’m close to reaching the end and i love the narration you give, alongside how certain fights were and how events in the story were an impact :)
Eri isn't great? Oh come on, we all how how freaking great her thumbtacks scatter skill is, it's the strongest aoe skill early game. And if you let her join your party after Nanba left, she could also make up for the missing 4th team member slot for a short period before Han aka Korean Vergil joins in. Plus the actress who plays her is cute (she also looks way cuter irl than her in-game model).
I've thoroughly enjoyed these retrospectives God_son. I may not be able to watch all of this one rn,as I'm currently mid playthrough of this. This and yakuza 5 are the only ones i could play along with your review schedule. Sorry for the long text, thanks for your excellent content and dedication
Ichiban Kasuga reminds me of the scarface movie...because it's about an ordinary man who joined the Yakuza at the lowest rank and went on to becoming the top dog in all of Yokohama,Japan.He defeated the best of Yakuza Clans,rose through the business ranks made some friends and enemies along the way while getting betrayed but kept going.i really feel for this character.
I'm glad you made this video covering the story in pretty good detail. Just finished 6 and watched this. Now I'm finally ready to dive into LAD Gaiden 👍🏻 so glad they went back to the style they had before this one for Kiryu's sake 💪🏻
Man this story got to me emotionally. After playing my 2nd playthrough of Infinite Wealth, it just makes me appreciate the character growth in everyone. Even seeing that Watase was stabbed in Man Who Erased His Name. Especially with Ichi's family links (spoooooilers) just drives the nail in how important family is, was, and will always be. Gameplay wise I really preferred a lot of the battle mechanics they made for ease of life access. Not as great mini games as 7, that's for sure. And oh boy....don't get me started on that platinum trophy. I loathe that Tower achievement.... Absolutely beautiful video, thank you so much for pouring your heart and soul into the video and just how detailed everything was. Been a new fan, but will be staying around 💕
Long videos, great presentation suitable for watching or listening and you get all this for free and dont have to watch ads every 5 minutes... he truly is a favorite son!
I started with 7 as well and finished 0 recently. I’m not a huge fan of the brawler gameplay and Kiryu as a character (so far) hasn’t been nearly as entertaining or interesting as Ichiban. I’m going to play Kiwami next to see how I feel about the series as a whole
In my top three Yakuza games! It's amazing how RGG Studios theme the combat around their main characters, and the justification for going JRPG was brilliant. Great characters, great story, great time.
i genuinely love this game’s story, it’s probably my favourite in the series still. it’s so direct, humble and has a large central focus on how the characters interact with the events of the story (which is something i missed in the sort of more scattershot nature of infinite wealth’s story)
The reason why the Kiryu fight isn't overwhelming is because he never targets your female party members under any circumstances. The only thing to be careful about is a Tiger Drop on Ichiban, as a follow-up combo can quickly turn into a game over. Lol, literally wrote this comment right before the video acknowledged it.
There's a reason why 3 million yen was picked as the candidate entry fee: It's the same amount you get for completing one business cycle of the business management mini-game at rank 1. I got to rank 1 in chapter 5, the mini-game is completely doable that early. There's are two other big benefits to finishing this game as early as possible: hitting rank 1 will get Eri's bond level to 5, meaning you can make her a permanently back-up party member with no consequences. This is useful when Namba leaves and you have 3 party members for awhile, Eri will give you a fourth. Also, the second best set of armor in the game is available for only money in the romance workshop in chapter five, but at a cost of over five million yen a set (plus over 22 million yen to upgrade the workshop to be able to make that armor). Finish the business management mini-game, acquire top-tier armor and even the toughest boss fights won't scratch you.
hey there, love your history and retrospective of the yakuza + judgment series. will you be releasing Yakuza Man with no name and Infinite Wealth anytime soon?
Kiryu and Tendo are both weak to cold damage. So is Saejima. Since YFS thinks Kiryu and Tendo resist _everything,_ I don't believe YFS ever actually _got a move that deals cold damage._
I really appreciate what you said about the dub. I mostly watch this stuff while I'm cooking so it certainly helps me. I'm surprised you didn't talk more about the gameplay, IMO it has a lot of cons but I think it's a significant improvement over the old style.
Jorgu moment, but hey they bamboozled me too. I thought Judgement and LJ won't come out on pc any time soon so a month ago I finished em both on PS4 with less than 30 fps which was a pain. And tbf I'm more excited about that gaiden spin off and ishin rather than mainline entry. I really hate jrpgs.
There may never be another Earthbound/Mother game from Nintendo, so lets all be thankful for SEGA's Yakuza's series for taking Like a Dragon into a Dragon Quest inspired JRPG with a few other nods to other JRPGs. Final Fantasy's Summons becoming Like a Dragon's PUND BUDDIES was genius.
@@pocketcircuitfighter6291 emphasize on the "gotten away with it". He himself was a public figure, stabbing Masato outright in public. What im saying is that he's getting away with this cheap shot for a branded villain
Great retrospective! My only point of criticism would be that at several points in the video you state how the characters' default jobs aren't good, when in fact they are one of the best jobs each character can have (with the exception of Saeko).^^
Darryl Kurylo did such a great job in this dub. I've been playing Yakuza since it starting on PS2, it's was great to have him voice Kazuma Kiryu again.
When the English speaking guy was asking Ichiban how to get to the train station, I was instantly thinking of Monty Python's take on the Hungarian to English phrase book. "I will not buy this record, it is scratched."
I really wish you did a retrospective on lad gaiden and infinite wealth :( im usually never a long video watcher but your yakuza videos are so fun to watch!!!
Two things that I don't think were brought up in your video: 1: When you unlock the management minigame, you can unlock Eri fairly early on, and since you unlock it before Nanba leaves the party for a bit, you can have her fill in the last party slot so you can have a full party until he comes back, which is a major help going into the boss battles before you get Joon 2: I'm not sure if you noticed, but the guy who introduces Sujimons, the professor dude, sounds very similar to the voice actor for evil congressman from Persona 5 (Can't remember his name, been a while since I last played). Just thought it would be a good thing to point out given some of the Persona 5 references in the game.
I've only realised this recently but at the end of chapter 2 you can see tendo and ishioda in the room, something you'll never realise on your first playthrough but you'll definitely realise when playing the game again
Idk if everyone realizes how insane it is that you just blew through the Yakuza series but that shit is hella tight. Respect and admiration, son. You made your pops proud.
Thanks Dad!
Dead Souls? Kurohyou?
Hear, hear!
@@YourFavoriteSon1 I love your content. Immediately subscribed... you have a nice and attractive voice & cadence that's easy to understand. Where are you from? Love your accent...
@@YourFavoriteSon1 how long did it take you to go through the games??... i started with 0 when it arrived on playstation extra in august and as of today ive made it to chapter 10 of yakuza 7...
This game's success or even its mere existence is just bizarre, how RGG managed to change both the main protagonist and the freaking genre 15 years into a franchise was incredible risky, and the weirdest thing about it is that...it worked!
Anyway, great job, son, covering 8 Yakuza games in the span of 2 months is impresive.
It sure is strange and lucky that it worked!
Gotta love how an April fools joke made them scrap their whole combat system half way through development to make it a jrpg.
I did not like the turn-based system at all tbh, and I usually do like turn based systems. It got old and repetitive way quicker than it should have, there weren't too many truly distinct enemy types just enemies that debuff differently, and usually in these games end game spells and abilities do good to curb these issues, but the end game abilities in this game felt the same just more damage. The story was absolutely top tier though.
@@FeiFongWang you gotta understand that they were trying something new. the Dragon Engine action gameplay wasn't good when it first started out, but now it's getting improved as they work more with it. the turn-based will be the same as that: improved.
I mean it's arguable if they changed the Genre. It was already an RPG more than an action game. They just added a turn based mechanic lol
Ichiban is a treasure.
The best RGG character also.
Truly embodies the soul of an aspirational hero.
He’s a fucking Himbo and a dork. I love him so damn much
@@OExplosionhe is now a CEO lol
i was super worried about yakuza 7. kiryu is probably my favorite protagonist in any video game and the idea of a series without him was horrifying. ichiban QUICKLY won my affection. he’s the most likable guy ever.
@@Spartan-sz7km That's just a schizophrenic delusion lmao
“But ichiban doesn’t listen” could be a whole ass tagline of this game. Which is my favorite in the mainline series btw lol
tbf, listening to what other people tell them to do isn't really a thing any Yakuza protagonist does
1:50:47 I also think the cutscene is supposed to show that Ichiban is coming back to his senses and seeing the world in a hopeful light again. Instead of the angry Ichiban that's confused and vengeful from before, he's back to seeing the world as a video game, his true nature back.
Naming it Like a Dragon is a the type of power move you'd usually only expect from Resident Evil.
Resident evil biohazard
I mean ... Its original name was always like a dragon(ryu ga gotoku) they just basically rebranded so they can incorporate more of their spinoffs and to stay true to the original concept of the game.
(I mean, for a series called yakuza. Kiryu isnt even a part of the yakuza, heck hes actively trying to get away from it)
@@xyzen9673 Kiryu: Civilian for 6 games
Western companies: We’ll call it YAKUZA!
@@krillin2591 but it was RGG Studio that decided to call it that, not a western company
Kinda stupid lol. They finally after years started having success with the yakuza series in the west, then they change the name of the series, the gameplay, and the character. Tbh it’s the only one in the series I never finished lol.
The thing I noticed and really liked is that the male party members all have a consistent color scheme. Ichiban is Red, Adachi is Blue, and Nanba is Green. This probably has some deeper connection to classic JRPGs where characters or classes/jobs would have clear color palettes attached to them.
Good catch :)
Saeko is white, Eri is grey, Joon-gi Han is silver and Zhao is gold
It was important to really distinguish their color because otherwise they would have looked too samey when you see their 8bit versions during loading screens.
i think that was part of it, friend of mine pointed out that if you compare how ichiban was designed and put the warrior character from final fantasy next to him, you can see theres a bit of a resemblance design wise
I don't give a fuck what people say about the English dub. Any actor that can give that kind of performance and make me cry like a baby when Ichiban lays his heart out to his brother deserves commendation. Superb fucking shit, man!
Dub is great, I just can’t see myself using it though because having played all the old games it’s weird to hear anyone in kamurocho speaking english
Who has a problem with the English dub?
It's one of the absolute best in gaming.
I used dub cuz I was lazy reading and goddam were the voice actors so good. I love them, I'm glad we have dub.
@@fireflocs That's like saying that lung cancer is the best type of cancer. I don't know if it is or not, but I'd still rather not have cancer of any kind.
@@LordChii. I hate it, just cuz I have to hear it at all, or hear idiots claim its better than the F*CKING ORIGINAL.
When I heard Ichiban saying that he's a Dragon Quest fan, I instantly thought: "I like this guy, I REALLY do."
This was my favorite Yakuza Game. Even after playing 0-6. This game did it. It had a strong story. Ichiban truly is an amazing character full of heart, and charisma. He truly is the best of us.
Liking before even watching, as Like a Dragon was powerful enough to bring me to tears with the story.
Same. Witcher 3, LAD, & P5R are the only games to ever actually bring me to tears.
Yuhh
Me too. The ending gets me every time.
Might've jumped the gun, the dub makes my ears bleed. Like, he played it in dub, whatever, but why make us listen to it?
@@theperson8539well you see that my friend is an opinion if you don't like the dub that's on you, doesn't mean we didn't like it.
The final scene of Ichi talking the young master off the edge only for him to get stabbed gets me teary eyed every time
The stabbing actually took away all of the emotional impact for me. It comes out of nowhere and feels really weird that Ichiban just let the guy walk away.
Also having played the other games, I almost knew it was too sweet of an ending for something to not go wrong at the last second, so I was expecting something to happen. It makes sense because it helps build Ichiban's character, but it sucks that it instantly killed an interesting character that could have had a nice redemption arc.
I hope this will be explained in the sequel but that guy stabbed his brother in a very public place, and I wonder how he suffered absolutely no repercussions for doing so, or why Ichiban didn't tell the authorities? He's not involved with the Yakuza anymore since they dissolved by the time that happens. It felt rushed, I guess.
@@doctorbrown5957 wasnt it in gaiden that the daidoji ordered the hit. It would make sense that he just disappears if the daidoji are involved.
No consequences? He got life in prison, did you not watch the post credits?
You couldn't finish True Final Millennium Tower because you kept getting one-shotted? You are grounded until you learn to grind for stat boosting drinks in Sotenbori.
I just used ichi’s survive ko attacks move
The game tells you that you should train before the majima fight. Read what the game tells you
1:14:40 funny how I had Eri unlocked before this part so I was still running with a full party even after Nanba's departure
Yeah. I always hit all the side content up when available, so I had Eri whenever my party would've been shorted. I also was mega ultra rich from pushing through that business.
@@MrBoggy101 I'm glad I wasn't the only one. When he started talking about how hard it was to get 3 million yen I was like... It was hard?? Because I was playing the business nonstop before I even "needed" to
I wish I had known about her before because I spent that entire section of the game with only three party members so there were a few times when I got into some close calls losing a fight.
I just wanna advise that if you don't want to do the management mini game (I mean what's wrong with you, but you do you) if you do part time hero finding the cats and kappa statues you'll get well over 3 million yen and it takes no time at all
The only thing I have to say is that Eri is one of the best characters with her own clerk job. Thumbtack scatter is one of the best (if not the best) ability to deal with a lot of enemies at once,
That and Joon-gi Han’s Divine Shot
I had eri as my popstar character for healing and saeko with the (can't remember class name) the one with the whip lol.
It had this special move called spinning queen which was great for confusing enimies if you were dealing with a large group
@@nessadvantage9447thing is thumbtack scatter can ohko a lot of weaker enemies. That means in every battle, because she is fast (not as fast as joon-gi han) she will probably be the first or second turn, and you can end up with half the enemies dead by the second turn.
Hey Dad, how do you feel about the changes made in Yakuza Like A Dragon? 🐉
It's as ridiculous as ever to read the dialogue out loud, so I enjoyed the game even with the completely different battle system.
I thought they were great. Yakuza 7 was my first Yakuza game, and then I went back and played the others. I felt by 4 the combat was getting a bit stale, it was barely anything more than button mashing
I love the RPG style and it is easily my favorite RGG game.
Edit: I love how Nanba runs.
Certainly better than the sum of its parts alone. I was a bit skeptical of the switch in combat to being turn based, (Even though i was raised on and love turn based rpgs). Overall i really dig Like A Dragon. 🐉
Hello son, I definitely enjoy the game, and how the shift represents the different perspective ichiban has. I don't enjoy it as much as the standard battle style is. I'm a little burnt out on turn based rpgs. I can definitely agree that his attitude and perspective is refreshing
Yakuza like a dragon is honestly one of my favorite games all the time. The story, characters, and gameplay are great but I do agree in chapter 12 the game does get grindy money and gameplay-wise. I really don't like that chapter but overall it's a amazing RPG game.
It's surprising you didn't find much use for Eri in fights. I used her through the entire game. Her thumbtack AOE is nuts early game (especially if you make her a weapon early on that has crazy stats for how early you can get it), and her generally high dmg with status effects included is great.
I was always a bit gutted that she wasn't in cutscenes (a la Vincent and Yuffie in FF7) because she's the only character in the game this happens with and it felt kind of mean when she's in every fight for me.
I feel you, but Eri and the whole Ichiban Holding subplot just don't fit in with the main story well. I kinda wish they could add some extra plot to integrate them into Yakuza 8's story.
I also loved Eri and she was in my party often. After catching multiple Ls against Kiryu and recognizing he didn't hit women (such a gentleman lol) her and Seiko made that battle much more manageable ❤
Fantastic video as always son, I’d definitely love to see you take on the Judgement/Lost Judgement games (in time of course)
Will do!
I've been waiting for this entry since you first started the Yakuza retrospectives, it's one of my favorites as well. Excellent work as always, son!
Your ability to pump out such high quality content at the rate you have been is inspiring. I haven't played any of the yakuza games but these videos are great regardless.
Same here, dude. Totally agreed. Our son is an absolute beast.
It’s cus 80% of it is just him reading a plot summary
I wouldn’t exactly call it “high quality”
@@soloconnell34it's a plot summary one has to write, analyze for mistakes, and sprinkle own commentary on top
Your deep dive retrospectives have given me exposure to games I have NEVER thought of playing or heard of. So thank you so much being so passionate about game you cover. I hope you get some well deserved rest after so many hours of editing this.
Just waiting for that 15 hour full series retrospective video with some more wild ass additional stuff right at the end
1:03:48 you can unlock eri earlier before the JGH giving you a 4th member for his fight
with saejima and majima, you can be the lowest possible level and still beat them. also, saejima is weak to a move called dart airstrike which eri can use as the best dmg dealer
Well done on finishing the mainline series of Yakuza retrospectives! One thing I'd like to note about Eri; she is actually pretty darn strong as a physical attacker, either as a Dealer or Matriarch. I actually used her as part of my True Final Millennium Tower group and was the true MVP in many of the match-ups along the way.
I know you can get that platinum trophy, Son. Keep up the good work.
Really good at clearing the room too I love the dealer move set
Hey Son, good video, very proud of you. I think Yakuza 7 is one of the best in terms of writing, solely because of the cyclical nature of the story. Arakawa losing his father before eating Peking Duck and then Ichiban losing Arakawa before he has it is a good example. The ending of the game hits me really hard and honestly when I beat the game I cried because of how beautifully the story was crafted. The beginning of Masato’s life was at those coin lockers with Arakawa taking him and running off with him, hoping he is still alive. The end of his life being at those same coin lockers but with Ichi carrying him off, hoping he can be saved. It was that beat that hit me so hard and just absolutely made this one of my favorites in the series.
A 2 hour retrospective for Like a Dragon was exactly what I was waiting for. Thank you!
This has been a great series of videos. As someone with no deeper knowledge of the Yakuza games I have thoroughly enjoyed your deep dives into the stories I would otherwise never have looked into.
Fun fact: the Honk Honk feature is a reference to the recurring "Puff-Puff" events you can trigger in the Dragon Quest series.
Ichiban talking to Masato into putting the gun down breaks me every time. Such a good game with amazing characters.
Thanks for covering the games through your retrospectives. I've been playing through all the Yakuza games (Judgment and Lost Judgment included) and I've been enjoying listening to other people's takes on them.
Like a Dragon has a special place in my heart. I played it expecting to hate the new combat system, but i ended up falling in love with this game, with its characters, its soundtrack, everything. Before i noticed, LaD became my favorite game not only in the entire series, but in every game i've ever played. Ichiban is such an amazing protagonist that made me feel hope, right when i was going through a hard time. He's really inspiring to me, and i can't say the same about many other videogame characters.
. Thank you so much for this video! I first came here because of silent hill, but i'm definetly staying to see the rest of the Yakuza series vids!
I downloaded this game not expecting much because it was free on the store and I don't have any history with previous Yakuza games (yet!) And I can't describe how much I love it and Ichiban. Great video as always son, can't wait to see what content comes next.
Not gonna lie, I absolutely loved the shift over to a turn-based RPG. It allowed the series' serious-comedy aspect to shine with stuff like what actions characters took to perform "magic" (like healing by lying down to take a nap). While I don't think Kiryu can ever truly be replaced in this series Ichiban was a great character, and the game's story and characters in general stood up to the Yakuza standard. Absolutely loved the time I spent with the game.
Can't wait to see you cover the Judgement games. While I don't quite like them as much as the rest of the franchise they were still fun.
I only played the first judgment. It was really good! Why didn’t you like it as much ?
@@jamesgratz4771 Oh not for any particularly bad reasons. I just generally prefer the cast and game style of Like a Dragon compared to Judgement. Both Judgment games were fun with the second one being better than the first (mostly just because of refinements to everything). At the end of the day my preferred version of this franchise is the regular Yakuza games (in large part because of how much I like Kiryu), but all versions of the franchise are fun in their own ways.
@@loli-knightxardej2252 oh see kiryu is cool but I always like goro more. He was more interesting imo and I wish we got to play as him more
Only after you mentioned it I realised that Kashiwagi is the Bar owner LOL. I love how this series has characters returning or showing in different games. Such fun.
And great video as always son!
Ichiban was a breath of fresh air for the series. His optimism is contagious.
You just can't help but root for the guy.
Just a quick but important criticism around @11:21 you said the hostess is Masato's GF when that is 100% not the case as she works the bar and is only nice to him due to "Customer Is Always Right Stuff". See what Yumeno says in the bathroom is dickish but also right at the same time, the Western Version of buying a "Lambo" for a Hooter's girl, saying they will be together forever and other borderline incel shit saying that he "owns" her.
See a KEY part of Masato character is his MASSIVE inferiority complex as even tho two girls ARE into him, he cant accept them as he NEEDS is the "NUMBER ONE GIRL" to feel valid to himself. Like, another point is how much of a cock he is to Ichiban even tho Ichiban has been nothing but nice to him, with people like him it's all about "Dont be a better person, just FEEL better than everyone else.".
During the game, there are SEVERAL times when Masato had already clearly won but he risk everything as he has to get a PERFECT win instead of walking away with a a win, like having to WIN the election in the Greyzone which be part of his downfall and had no reason to it other to show off how great he was to himself....
The script in itself show she accepts him calling her "his girl" and such. She'd still be pushing away if what you'd said is true.
What you say sounds very revisionist just to align the past Masato with present Masato. She accepted so he thinks they are the same page.
For me I need to do as much side content as possible before moving on with the main quest. I was always prepared for main story fights this way and never had to "grind"... even though that's technically what side content is... favorite Yakuza game hands down. I usually experience some burn out while playing the other titles; didn't experience it once on this game! Congratulations on making it through so many so quickly son!!!
Another one for the record books. Good job.
This will be a hell of a retrospective when you merge it with the other parts. And I’m here for it.
Yakuza Like A Dragon was so enjoyable and had so much fun stuff to do that even the difficulty spike and ridiculous final achievement I didn't mind so much. Throughout the game I felt itching for a real challenge as I was pretty experienced at JRPGs in general, and I saw this final dungeon as giving me that challenge. I do wish the challenge was spread throughout the game instead of being large spikes like you mentioned, but given this was the first Yakuza game I got all achievements on goes to show how much I enjoyed it.
You have done an excellent job on this. I am proud of you, son.
Thanks!
Appreciate the refresher before I start Infinite Wealth. Come to you for the Boglim and stay for the Yakuza...who would've thought?
I just managed to finish this game last night, a few hours before you uploaded this video. I had never played a Yakuza game before. I watched your video on Yakuza 1 and really enjoyed it. I’m a big JRPG fan, so I decided to give Like A Dragon a shot.
Thank you for getting me into this series. I gotta go back and play the others now.
Ichi is my favorite character in gaming. I don't think I could go back and play old Yakuza games without him.
I really enjoyed Like a Dragon but it does have difficulty issues. Most normal enemies feel like nothing but late game big enemies felt like they would be near impossible or just take a completely unreasonable amount of time without access to the orbital laser from completing the management side activity. It felt like a major crutch for my play through but it also felt like it was often the only move doing anything
I felt mostly the same way. There are three major late game fights that were the only ones that gave me any trouble. Even with some grinding they were tough
god the fucking Pier Reviewer types were such a miserable slog the first time I encountered them
did you not take advantage of the enemies elemental/stat vulnerabilities? Yes a lot of enemies were sponges at late game, but actually taking the stat/elemental stuff into consideration does actually do something. I personally never had an issue until the second to last boss fight
@@Zerovin there are big enemies late game that are resistant to the damage of the laser and changing up the strategy was required but for nearly all save them the laser just felt like the most efficient way through the fight due to the sheer damage. also I dont know if the next to last boss is even doable if you didnt get the skill where he can revive himself. I think I remember having to go back and get that since I had long since stopped training that class
@@somebodynowhere well that sounds like a you problem then, it’s not the games fault you didn’t engage with the systems in place and resorted to “big laser go brrr” for most fights
1:18:57 I think the reason is because that skill can only be used on humanoids, that's why you can't use it on the tiger and the machinery
Damn son, i think this is the only video in which you did not utter the phrase "bread and butter"
lmao
Just finished all your Yakuza videos awesome work man couldn't stop watching em all. NIce work son.
I think 100 percent Masato Arakawa is alive still, restarting his life, and starting from the bottom again? That sounds like what Ichiban did from the homeless camp, starting from the bottom, plus the homeless camp is specifically for sending bodies to either get rid of or save their life, Ichiban is also praying over a picture of Aoki, not Masato, which I think is symbolic that Aoki died and went back to Masato
I mean when he got stabbed it was around his kidneys nothing super vital and if he got to a hospital he could recover
Hey son, I’ve been listening to you talk non-stop these past few weeks about those Yakoozah games you like so much. And I think it’s time I got into them to see why you enjoy them. My Windows 98 computer might be a bit dusty though. Also please call your mum back, she wants to know what you want for dinner.
i think yakuza 7 actually impacted my view on the series to an (kiwami means) extreme level, and the only reason i viewed it as such was thanks to the cutscene after defeating kiryu, i looked back on every single fight with certain characters who had tattoos and viewed them all as mythical beasts duking it out, a legendary dragon versus a half-dragon koi, a golden dragon, or a okinawan viper, etcetera, etcetera.
i will always view yakuza 7 as a golden statue in comparison to the rest thanks to this outlook, because it made these tales of the japanese criminal underworld feel all the more amazing to go through, even on repeat playthroughs
amazing video btw!! i’m close to reaching the end and i love the narration you give, alongside how certain fights were and how events in the story were an impact :)
Eri isn't great? Oh come on, we all how how freaking great her thumbtacks scatter skill is, it's the strongest aoe skill early game. And if you let her join your party after Nanba left, she could also make up for the missing 4th team member slot for a short period before Han aka Korean Vergil joins in. Plus the actress who plays her is cute (she also looks way cuter irl than her in-game model).
I'm now waiting for Infinite Wealth, a complete history and retrospective.
Heya son, keep this amazing work that u do on those vids up! Waiting eagerly for more content 100%
Been waiting for this video! When I heard it was gonna be an RPG I was all "wtf?" but it works so well.
The business management is the second most addicting money grind in the who series next to the Cabaret Club in Zero.
I just finished the game yesterday. I waited to watch this until then. I’m looking forward to your retrospective…son
I've thoroughly enjoyed these retrospectives God_son. I may not be able to watch all of this one rn,as I'm currently mid playthrough of this. This and yakuza 5 are the only ones i could play along with your review schedule. Sorry for the long text, thanks for your excellent content and dedication
Ichiban Kasuga reminds me of the scarface movie...because it's about an ordinary man who joined the Yakuza at the lowest rank and went on to becoming the top dog in all of Yokohama,Japan.He defeated the best of Yakuza Clans,rose through the business ranks made some friends and enemies along the way while getting betrayed but kept going.i really feel for this character.
I'm glad you made this video covering the story in pretty good detail. Just finished 6 and watched this. Now I'm finally ready to dive into LAD Gaiden 👍🏻 so glad they went back to the style they had before this one for Kiryu's sake 💪🏻
Man this story got to me emotionally. After playing my 2nd playthrough of Infinite Wealth, it just makes me appreciate the character growth in everyone. Even seeing that Watase was stabbed in Man Who Erased His Name. Especially with Ichi's family links (spoooooilers) just drives the nail in how important family is, was, and will always be.
Gameplay wise I really preferred a lot of the battle mechanics they made for ease of life access. Not as great mini games as 7, that's for sure. And oh boy....don't get me started on that platinum trophy. I loathe that Tower achievement....
Absolutely beautiful video, thank you so much for pouring your heart and soul into the video and just how detailed everything was. Been a new fan, but will be staying around 💕
Yakuza 7 was my first Yakuza. I loved it so much I binged 0-6. Currently on Judgment. Can't believe I used to think Yakuza was overrated...
Same.
ready to start down this path myself
Judgment is goated and Lost Judgment is a very good sequel.
Long videos, great presentation suitable for watching or listening and you get all this for free and dont have to watch ads every 5 minutes... he truly is a favorite son!
I really hope you'll make a retrospective video for both Like A Dragon Gaiden and Infinite Wealth!
Yakuza 7 is what got me into the series. Went on to play Kiwami 1 and 2 and loved them as well!
I started with 7 as well and finished 0 recently. I’m not a huge fan of the brawler gameplay and Kiryu as a character (so far) hasn’t been nearly as entertaining or interesting as Ichiban. I’m going to play Kiwami next to see how I feel about the series as a whole
In my top three Yakuza games! It's amazing how RGG Studios theme the combat around their main characters, and the justification for going JRPG was brilliant. Great characters, great story, great time.
The bread physics made the game worth it
i genuinely love this game’s story, it’s probably my favourite in the series still. it’s so direct, humble and has a large central focus on how the characters interact with the events of the story (which is something i missed in the sort of more scattershot nature of infinite wealth’s story)
Can’t wait for you to cover the Judgment games.
Soon
@@YourFavoriteSon1will you do infinite wealth soon?
17:11
Its not a ramen shop, its gyudon.
Come on...
Son, it's not slander when it's written! It's libel! 1:04:30
J Jonah Jameson is that you?
My first Yakuza game, and I'm absolutely in love with the series now thanks to it.
The reason why the Kiryu fight isn't overwhelming is because he never targets your female party members under any circumstances. The only thing to be careful about is a Tiger Drop on Ichiban, as a follow-up combo can quickly turn into a game over.
Lol, literally wrote this comment right before the video acknowledged it.
1:19:42 You know you can tag out team members, right? Swap them during battle?
To clarify Ichiban Kasuga never met KIryu Kazuma in prison because both were separate prisons until after the fact.
There's a reason why 3 million yen was picked as the candidate entry fee: It's the same amount you get for completing one business cycle of the business management mini-game at rank 1. I got to rank 1 in chapter 5, the mini-game is completely doable that early. There's are two other big benefits to finishing this game as early as possible: hitting rank 1 will get Eri's bond level to 5, meaning you can make her a permanently back-up party member with no consequences. This is useful when Namba leaves and you have 3 party members for awhile, Eri will give you a fourth. Also, the second best set of armor in the game is available for only money in the romance workshop in chapter five, but at a cost of over five million yen a set (plus over 22 million yen to upgrade the workshop to be able to make that armor). Finish the business management mini-game, acquire top-tier armor and even the toughest boss fights won't scratch you.
hey there, love your history and retrospective of the yakuza + judgment series. will you be releasing Yakuza Man with no name and Infinite Wealth anytime soon?
this is a phenomenal recap for a game i find myself lost in the story sometimes
Id love to see yakuza on the list of "top 10 games you play as a dragon"
Pleaseeee make a video on infinite wealth its such a good followup to this masterpeice
Kiryu and Tendo are both weak to cold damage. So is Saejima.
Since YFS thinks Kiryu and Tendo resist _everything,_ I don't believe YFS ever actually _got a move that deals cold damage._
Ichiban I too love Dragon Quest 🔥🔥
I really appreciate what you said about the dub. I mostly watch this stuff while I'm cooking so it certainly helps me. I'm surprised you didn't talk more about the gameplay, IMO it has a lot of cons but I think it's a significant improvement over the old style.
I think Masumi Arakawa allwas know that Ichiban was he's son that the feeling I get from whan I played it
I spent most of the game spamming the Orbital Laser once I got it lol
"Ichiban is about to forge his story now" man this aged like milk
RGG making me look like a fool
Jorgu moment, but hey they bamboozled me too. I thought Judgement and LJ won't come out on pc any time soon so a month ago I finished em both on PS4 with less than 30 fps which was a pain. And tbf I'm more excited about that gaiden spin off and ishin rather than mainline entry. I really hate jrpgs.
I'm so glad this video exists. Infinite Wealth is finally discounted so I'm getting it and this is a great recap of the 7, thank you son.
There may never be another Earthbound/Mother game from Nintendo, so lets all be thankful for SEGA's Yakuza's series for taking Like a Dragon into a Dragon Quest inspired JRPG with a few other nods to other JRPGs.
Final Fantasy's Summons becoming Like a Dragon's PUND BUDDIES was genius.
this is my first comment ever on youtube, you made me play yakuza, thanks
So.. we are getting a Gaiden and IW video in the future, right?
Lol, I had so much money because of the business mini-game. I wasn't forced to play it. It's one of my favorite things to do in all the Yakuza games.
Its just so easy to get money
Sometimes i would go on remote play while at work and just mash x for free money
@@blueriversrapper good use of work time 👍 I approve
Kume is the biggest villain in the whole series.
He isn't even un the top 100
@@pocketcircuitfighter6291 he literally committed murder and gotten away with it
@@kevinmulia6503 literally evry villain in rgg has killed someone
@@pocketcircuitfighter6291 emphasize on the "gotten away with it". He himself was a public figure, stabbing Masato outright in public. What im saying is that he's getting away with this cheap shot for a branded villain
Great retrospective! My only point of criticism would be that at several points in the video you state how the characters' default jobs aren't good, when in fact they are one of the best jobs each character can have (with the exception of Saeko).^^
Darryl Kurylo did such a great job in this dub. I've been playing Yakuza since it starting on PS2, it's was great to have him voice Kazuma Kiryu again.
Was going through the comments to see if anyone mentioned this! Happy someone did!
When the English speaking guy was asking Ichiban how to get to the train station, I was instantly thinking of Monty Python's take on the Hungarian to English phrase book.
"I will not buy this record, it is scratched."
I really wish you did a retrospective on lad gaiden and infinite wealth :( im usually never a long video watcher but your yakuza videos are so fun to watch!!!
Two things that I don't think were brought up in your video:
1: When you unlock the management minigame, you can unlock Eri fairly early on, and since you unlock it before Nanba leaves the party for a bit, you can have her fill in the last party slot so you can have a full party until he comes back, which is a major help going into the boss battles before you get Joon
2: I'm not sure if you noticed, but the guy who introduces Sujimons, the professor dude, sounds very similar to the voice actor for evil congressman from Persona 5 (Can't remember his name, been a while since I last played). Just thought it would be a good thing to point out given some of the Persona 5 references in the game.
So much Love for Ur Great Work! I enjoyed the whole Video :) Thank You!
I've only realised this recently but at the end of chapter 2 you can see tendo and ishioda in the room, something you'll never realise on your first playthrough but you'll definitely realise when playing the game again
It's night and yet, the son is up in the sky.
Here I am