I can't stay mad at this one, man. For all its weird lore inclusions, stilted dialogue, injecting Genesis into one of the most pivotal scenes of the original game, etc., I can't get mad at it.

Zack is still such a fun and endearing character, I think his his interactions with characters like Aerith, Cloud and Sephiroth are all really good. And man, I forgot how much they really hammer home that this game's ending was gonna be heartbreaking.

Combat here is surprisingly nice, too. Not nearly as good as Remake or Rebirth, but I clicked with it way more than the PSP original. Even if I eventually got a really disgusting build with Darkness going on where I was nearly one-shotting everything in my path on Hard mode, but hey, I think more RPGs should let you find ways to one-shot enemies as a hilarious joke. Zack is both the strongest Dragoon AND Dark Knight in the whole franchise even if he's technically neither, it's messed up.

Don't go into this one expecting the exact same level of quality as Remake or Rebirth, though. This is very much still a side project and it stays true to the spirit of the original PSP game, like... shockingly true. At times I like to joke around and call it "Crisis Core Kiwami", as it reminds me of how the Yakuza Kiwami games have a ton of new gameplay features that weren't in the originals, but then you look at stuff like cutscene animations and it's lifted directly from the original game it's remaking.

While we're talking about this still being a PSP game in spirit, expect to do a lot of missions if you wanna unlock the really fancy shit that lets you turn Zack into an overpowered sicko. I only managed to complete 50% of all side missions before I beat the game in my ~20 hour playthrough, there's a LOT to go through.

Anyways, game's a mess, but I can't stay mad at it. It's an endearing mess, it'll probably make you chuckle and smile about as much as it'll make you groan and facepalm. Pick it up on sale if you need more Zack in your life before that third FF7R game drops.

Probably the sickest finale Square's done for one of their games since Kingdom Hearts 2. Every new chapter kept blowing my mind, like I felt like I was dreaming. From combat, to minigames, to set pieces, to boss fights, it doesn't skimp out on any of that shit.

I loved all the mainline HD era Final Fantasy games so far (FFXIII, FFXV, and FFXVI), but with those I can't help but feel like there's elements missing that would make them better. To me, Rebirth is the game I've been wanting since XV. A game that promises AND delivers on what I wanted Versus XIII to be all those years ago.

I can't believe this game is real AND we have one more coming after this. I am both incredibly excited and deeply terrified for what comes next.

Played this on the PS3 HD remaster using a guide. So much better than people give it credit for. Yeah the Kiwami remakes are the shiny, newer games, and I can still have fun with them, but I really don't see them as replacements.

The Yakuza series, at least from the first game up to 0, are very clearly meant to build on each other mechanically, and it wasn't until 6 where we got our first drastic mechanical shake-up. With that in mind, it's why I recommend OG Yakuza 1 + 2 as the starting points if you can find a way to play them. Yakuza 1 is definitely Yakuza at its most "barebones", but that doesn't make it bad at all. Quite the opposite, really, I think its simplicity really add to its charm. It feels pretty snappy once you unlock more moves, with heat moves that are much more to-the-point than in later entries, feeling almost like extensions of your base moveset rather than the crazy spectacle super moves like in later games. Not saying this is better than what later games do, just that there's something equally satisfying to it, in my eyes at least.

Before I finish this write-up, I'm aware that one major barrier for people wanting to try the original PS2 games is the official translations, especially for Yakuza 1 with its, uh... "colorful" English dub. Although I do consider the HD remasters on PS3/Wii U to be the best way to "play" them, there is another option.

YouTube user Sylwahan had worked for years on an undub patch for the PS2 version of Yakuza 1 that not only restores Japanese audio, but also re-translates all the text to better fit the original dialogue, as well as a bunch of other little adjustments to make it all work seamlessly. Here's a trailer for it, with details on how to install it in the description: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXsiu9PUbxM

Last I saw on Sylwahan's Twitter, he's been working on a similar patch for Yakuza 2, which hopefully won't be as heavy work for him considering he won't have to replace the audio on it, as Yakuza 2 was never English dubbed.

Anyways, point being: I don't hate the Kiwami remakes at all (though Kiwami 1 has some really annoying design aspects), and while starting from 0 into the Kiwami remakes and so on is the most logical starting point for most because it's what's available on modern platforms (hell, it's how I started the series myself, too), I personally believe starting from the PS2 originals and onward is what truly feels the best. This is one franchise where each subsequent game evolves from what came before, I truly think it's fascinating watching this series evolve and seeing what sticks around and changes.

If you're willing to give Yakuza 1 a shot, I highly recommend it. There's a lot to this game that even the newer games don't exactly replicate, it's such a unique experience even amidst this franchise's long history.

Much more fun than the original, I think. Though it still feels held back by budgetary constraints, I think the devs are closer to realizing the game they wanted to make. Legit my biggest issues mostly relate to how stiff cancelling into certain moves can be at times, and the fact that a lot of late-game enemies love teching out of combos and it can be a wild goose chase.

But ultimately, yeah I had fun. Combat felt like a step back at first, but once you get into the rhythm of tagging to different characters mid-combo, knowing when to use your skills in a combo, etc., it becomes a lot more fun.

Also, it has one of the best New Game Plus modes I've seen in an action RPG. I don't wanna spoil it for people but like, there are much more successful, higher-budget games that don't even do what this game does with NG+, it's kinda nuts.

Might actually be the most disappointing game I've played all year. The low number of newcomers isn't even the worst of it, if I'm being brutally honest. The single-player content is lacking, they've completely gutted the online matchmaking for no reason, and the treatment of the English dub is absolutely appalling with supposed use of AI generation.

It's a shame, because I actually really dig a lot of what this game does mechanically. As someone who loved pulling off stylish shit in Storm 3 and 4 it was nice to see them embrace that and let players get wild with combos. Unfortunately a lot of this game's issues prevent me from playing more. Maybe down the line things will get better, but right now I think I'll just play other fighting games in the meantime.

Also holy shit, CyberConnect2 and Bandai Namco, PLEASE stop beating around the bush and implement rollback netcode. I would love all your fighting games way more if the online didn't make me wanna die.