mochamaki
58 reviews liked by mochamaki
Resident Evil 4
2005
holy frickin moly
Judgment
2018
CASE NO. 13-2018
MINISTRY OF HEALTH V. TAKAYUKI YAGAMI
reading about RGG's history, it's evident there was a bit of a conscious tonal shift when the main Yakuza series was transitioning to the seventh generation — the development team wanted to move away from the more brazen kiryu portrayed in 2 and especially 1 in order to focus on a different side of the character, and thus began his arc from 3 - 6, his journey with the kids at morning glory, and the never ending struggle to crawl out of the hellhole he thrust himself into so many years ago, lest those he love suffer for it.
i bring this up because, as RGG's approach towards Kiryu's character changed, so did the series itself, going from very classic yakuza-flick inspired games to these more earnest, almost melodramatic titles, and as a result, Yakuza 3 in many aspects ended up being the bedrock for the next ten years of the franchise. I like both styles, but while I'm not here to argue about which one is better, a quick glance at the top spot of my series ranking (note when i made this review it was Yakuza 2, it is now Lost Judgment) should give you a good idea of my personal preference. regardless, playing through the post-2 games I'd always wonder how the series would have progressed if they had stuck with the tone and design goals of the ps2 games. this sentiment was amplified during my playthrough of 7 - probably the game that buckles down the most on the goofier reputation this series has garnered, especially across various social media circles. i don't take issue with it, but it's hard to deny a small part of me longed to see the more grounded experience of the older output ... in a twist of irony, my decision to not play these games in release order led me to gloss over the fact that, in those moments, my wish had already come true...
judgment is a look into that exact reality - an evidently tight budget does little to tarnish the most well executed story in this franchise yet; a delightfully gritty mystery that displays how over-ambition and guilt leads even the most well meaning of people astray, and their varying efforts to claw back to the path they were to walk, yagami and the crew's relentless search for the truth against those who will stop at nothing to conceal it leads to some of the highest points in this series for plot, characterization, conflict, theming and structure — rarely do they ever miss a beat on any of these fronts - even the crowbarring of side content into the main story, especially prevalent here and something I'd usually lambaste if it were any other game I find difficult to get mad at because of how on top of their game the writers were... out of the eleven RGG games I've played, this is only just the second one where i had bothered to do all the side content, because of how much of a joy i found it to simply exist within this world.
to continue on, in general this is probably my favourite iteration of kamurocho, yagami remarks about the city's seediness at the beginning of the game, saying something among the lines of "the brighter the lights, the darker the shadows", and you can physically feel this when walking around at night, the grading of the environments and the toned down glitz from 6 leads to something that looks like it was plucked from a neo-noir movie, small pockets of sensory overload do little to drown out the air of darkness that envelops the city, extremely apt given the lurking threat we spend so long investigating. despite that, the place still buzzes with life thanks to a much more expansive version of 0's friendship system and the side cases - the voice of kamurocho is really felt here, once again like the original games you really have to ruthlessly engage with the city to progress and upgrade, and yagami's position gives you a real chance to look into the lives of these people compared to the other protagonists, which i deeply enjoyed.
being a detective also leads to some real shake-ups when it comes to scenario design, while it can be hit or miss (mostly miss in regards to things like tailing and chases), the gradual deviation from the standard waypoint to waypoint progression of yakuza games is something that was sorely needed, and the overall vulnerability of yagami as a character compared to someone like kiryu leads to setpieces far more interesting than those in the main series... imagine my surprise when a protagonist in this series' first instinct when it came to infiltrating a building wasn't busting in through the front door!
my main complaints really largely lie with the combat, obviously an important thing to get right being a beat-em up - to give credit where credit's due, this game is responsible for some of the most innovative stuff to grace the series's combat since Y2, and as a result there is some real fun to be had in the moment to moment stuff, but the designers continue to stumble through their first attempts with dragon engine - the crane style is all but useless in ninety percent of combat encounters, it's borderline comical how utterly devoid of upgrades it is compared to tiger and genuinely makes me wonder if it was a late addition or something, and while we're on the topic of upgrades, this is probably the most atrocious game in the series when it comes to exp distribution... doing a few of the trite "interact with this character, walk to this location" story objectives can net you hundreds of skill points, something as simple as restaurant completion will earn thousands, yet genuinely taxing things like bosses and side cases dish out crumbs. there are the street fights, but the abysmally high encounter rate puts me off after a while, and while that makes them easy to grind, i find that to be a really shitty way to have to stay up to par in a game like this when it could have been done a million other ways - the reward for beating amon ( prerequisite of clearing every friendship and every side case , being far and beyond the most difficult fight in the game) in this game is three hundred sp ! talking to a character for a story objective is worth two thirds of that... even the keihin gang encounters (which are probably the most infuriating reoccurring combat events in the series) barely reward you with anything for going out of your way to engage with, and as a result it ends up being unnecessarily difficult to get yagami upgraded sometimes, a severe issue, as he can feel hopelessly sluggish without the adequate skills.
many of these things are relatively simple fixes i'd say, but alas this is the final product and unfortunately this is what has to hold the game back being such a crucial element. it's easy to see why judgment's shortcomings in gameplay can really hamper a person's experience of the game, and it certainly did mine in some regards, but as someone who usually never comes to this series for the punching, rarely does it stain what is in my eyes the apex of virtually everything RGG otherwise. a fascinating look into the mind, or more accurately, the eyes of toshihiro nagoshi. very much looking forward to playing lost judgment.
MINISTRY OF HEALTH V. TAKAYUKI YAGAMI
reading about RGG's history, it's evident there was a bit of a conscious tonal shift when the main Yakuza series was transitioning to the seventh generation — the development team wanted to move away from the more brazen kiryu portrayed in 2 and especially 1 in order to focus on a different side of the character, and thus began his arc from 3 - 6, his journey with the kids at morning glory, and the never ending struggle to crawl out of the hellhole he thrust himself into so many years ago, lest those he love suffer for it.
i bring this up because, as RGG's approach towards Kiryu's character changed, so did the series itself, going from very classic yakuza-flick inspired games to these more earnest, almost melodramatic titles, and as a result, Yakuza 3 in many aspects ended up being the bedrock for the next ten years of the franchise. I like both styles, but while I'm not here to argue about which one is better, a quick glance at the top spot of my series ranking (note when i made this review it was Yakuza 2, it is now Lost Judgment) should give you a good idea of my personal preference. regardless, playing through the post-2 games I'd always wonder how the series would have progressed if they had stuck with the tone and design goals of the ps2 games. this sentiment was amplified during my playthrough of 7 - probably the game that buckles down the most on the goofier reputation this series has garnered, especially across various social media circles. i don't take issue with it, but it's hard to deny a small part of me longed to see the more grounded experience of the older output ... in a twist of irony, my decision to not play these games in release order led me to gloss over the fact that, in those moments, my wish had already come true...
judgment is a look into that exact reality - an evidently tight budget does little to tarnish the most well executed story in this franchise yet; a delightfully gritty mystery that displays how over-ambition and guilt leads even the most well meaning of people astray, and their varying efforts to claw back to the path they were to walk, yagami and the crew's relentless search for the truth against those who will stop at nothing to conceal it leads to some of the highest points in this series for plot, characterization, conflict, theming and structure — rarely do they ever miss a beat on any of these fronts - even the crowbarring of side content into the main story, especially prevalent here and something I'd usually lambaste if it were any other game I find difficult to get mad at because of how on top of their game the writers were... out of the eleven RGG games I've played, this is only just the second one where i had bothered to do all the side content, because of how much of a joy i found it to simply exist within this world.
to continue on, in general this is probably my favourite iteration of kamurocho, yagami remarks about the city's seediness at the beginning of the game, saying something among the lines of "the brighter the lights, the darker the shadows", and you can physically feel this when walking around at night, the grading of the environments and the toned down glitz from 6 leads to something that looks like it was plucked from a neo-noir movie, small pockets of sensory overload do little to drown out the air of darkness that envelops the city, extremely apt given the lurking threat we spend so long investigating. despite that, the place still buzzes with life thanks to a much more expansive version of 0's friendship system and the side cases - the voice of kamurocho is really felt here, once again like the original games you really have to ruthlessly engage with the city to progress and upgrade, and yagami's position gives you a real chance to look into the lives of these people compared to the other protagonists, which i deeply enjoyed.
being a detective also leads to some real shake-ups when it comes to scenario design, while it can be hit or miss (mostly miss in regards to things like tailing and chases), the gradual deviation from the standard waypoint to waypoint progression of yakuza games is something that was sorely needed, and the overall vulnerability of yagami as a character compared to someone like kiryu leads to setpieces far more interesting than those in the main series... imagine my surprise when a protagonist in this series' first instinct when it came to infiltrating a building wasn't busting in through the front door!
my main complaints really largely lie with the combat, obviously an important thing to get right being a beat-em up - to give credit where credit's due, this game is responsible for some of the most innovative stuff to grace the series's combat since Y2, and as a result there is some real fun to be had in the moment to moment stuff, but the designers continue to stumble through their first attempts with dragon engine - the crane style is all but useless in ninety percent of combat encounters, it's borderline comical how utterly devoid of upgrades it is compared to tiger and genuinely makes me wonder if it was a late addition or something, and while we're on the topic of upgrades, this is probably the most atrocious game in the series when it comes to exp distribution... doing a few of the trite "interact with this character, walk to this location" story objectives can net you hundreds of skill points, something as simple as restaurant completion will earn thousands, yet genuinely taxing things like bosses and side cases dish out crumbs. there are the street fights, but the abysmally high encounter rate puts me off after a while, and while that makes them easy to grind, i find that to be a really shitty way to have to stay up to par in a game like this when it could have been done a million other ways - the reward for beating amon ( prerequisite of clearing every friendship and every side case , being far and beyond the most difficult fight in the game) in this game is three hundred sp ! talking to a character for a story objective is worth two thirds of that... even the keihin gang encounters (which are probably the most infuriating reoccurring combat events in the series) barely reward you with anything for going out of your way to engage with, and as a result it ends up being unnecessarily difficult to get yagami upgraded sometimes, a severe issue, as he can feel hopelessly sluggish without the adequate skills.
many of these things are relatively simple fixes i'd say, but alas this is the final product and unfortunately this is what has to hold the game back being such a crucial element. it's easy to see why judgment's shortcomings in gameplay can really hamper a person's experience of the game, and it certainly did mine in some regards, but as someone who usually never comes to this series for the punching, rarely does it stain what is in my eyes the apex of virtually everything RGG otherwise. a fascinating look into the mind, or more accurately, the eyes of toshihiro nagoshi. very much looking forward to playing lost judgment.
jumpy listen to me the birds are secret cameras installed by the government. the government is spying on everyone with birds. do not waste your seeds and crumbs of food on them jumpy. they don’t deserve your pity, they are using your human compassion against you in order to receive free food. they are spying on us and STEALING OUR FOOD jumpy you don’t understand the severity of this jumpy why are you opening the door oh jumpy please don’t leave this is very important
This review contains spoilers
no story greater shows how kazuma kiryu impacts lives with the one he's led greater than this one.
that charisma aizawa resented kiryu for so much in the final moments of yakuza 5 comes into full force the moment you step into onomichi. kiryu's actions rock the humble town to its very core, forever leaving his mark when he uncovers the secret it holds. the hirose family, originally antagonizing him, slowly comes to respect kiryu more and more, eventually sticking with him for the long haul and being fully willing to die for and with him as their aniki, and in the case of nagumo, as brothers.
and yet, it is ironically that same influence kiryu holds that has doomed both him and the people he cares about. countless lives of the people he had met had been thrown in danger or cut short as a result of getting swept up in kiryu's life, leading to him never knowing peace as those he holds dear to his heart are constantly threatened by those seeking to one-up him. it is this never-ending torture of a life that causes him to nearly snap into a righteous desire to snuff out the lives of iwami and sugai.
the story of kazuma kiryu and the legacy that has both blessed and haunted him does not end on a happy one - it is only the mask of a dead man that can end the curse he had inadvertently placed on his loved ones, doomed to walk the world as a corporeal ghost if it means keeping those associated with him out of harm's way - a pitifully ironic fate for the tale of a man who wanted nothing more than to walk the same path of his father figure with his head held high just the game prior.
although a janky, and sometimes frustrating combat system that lacks the tightness of yakuza games prior in favor of a looser and more realistic take on kiryu's fighting style plays a double-edged sword in yakuza 6, and the epilogue is admittedly an unfortunate case of the story not sticking to its guns (kiyomi's survival robs the story of one of its otherwise most deliciously harrowing moments and if it were up to me, I'd have kiryu die for real as him going into hiding feels somewhat like a betrayal of his arc from yakuza 5), none of that takes away from what I consider one of my favorite stories in this franchise thus far wholesale - yakuza 6 is otherwise a heartstring-tugging and beautiful ending note to the saga of kazuma kiryu.
that charisma aizawa resented kiryu for so much in the final moments of yakuza 5 comes into full force the moment you step into onomichi. kiryu's actions rock the humble town to its very core, forever leaving his mark when he uncovers the secret it holds. the hirose family, originally antagonizing him, slowly comes to respect kiryu more and more, eventually sticking with him for the long haul and being fully willing to die for and with him as their aniki, and in the case of nagumo, as brothers.
and yet, it is ironically that same influence kiryu holds that has doomed both him and the people he cares about. countless lives of the people he had met had been thrown in danger or cut short as a result of getting swept up in kiryu's life, leading to him never knowing peace as those he holds dear to his heart are constantly threatened by those seeking to one-up him. it is this never-ending torture of a life that causes him to nearly snap into a righteous desire to snuff out the lives of iwami and sugai.
the story of kazuma kiryu and the legacy that has both blessed and haunted him does not end on a happy one - it is only the mask of a dead man that can end the curse he had inadvertently placed on his loved ones, doomed to walk the world as a corporeal ghost if it means keeping those associated with him out of harm's way - a pitifully ironic fate for the tale of a man who wanted nothing more than to walk the same path of his father figure with his head held high just the game prior.
although a janky, and sometimes frustrating combat system that lacks the tightness of yakuza games prior in favor of a looser and more realistic take on kiryu's fighting style plays a double-edged sword in yakuza 6, and the epilogue is admittedly an unfortunate case of the story not sticking to its guns (kiyomi's survival robs the story of one of its otherwise most deliciously harrowing moments and if it were up to me, I'd have kiryu die for real as him going into hiding feels somewhat like a betrayal of his arc from yakuza 5), none of that takes away from what I consider one of my favorite stories in this franchise thus far wholesale - yakuza 6 is otherwise a heartstring-tugging and beautiful ending note to the saga of kazuma kiryu.
My darling son...
I feel like there's a popular opinion about Dragon Quest as a series that's been spread by word of mouth and thought of as true by many, many of whom have not even played a single game in the series. I guess it's similar to the "Superman is boring" opinion, where it's spouted the loudest by those who have not experienced the thing they're thinking negatively of. In my case, it's not like I knew of this opinion before I played Dragon Quest XI; my decision to do that was very random. But I became aware of this notion as I told my friend about me starting the game, to which he asked
"Isn't Dragon Quest really basic though?"
From its sea blue skies and bright green meadows, I think Dragon Quest XI enchants you very easily. It's a word that's been beaten to death, but I think the description of charming absolutely applies to this game. There's a sense of wonder that's felt when exploring this game's world that's first given to you when you venture out from your town for the very first time. Big-budget AAA games try to sell you this feeling, but always feel hollow whereas this game succeeds easily. Really it all happens due to the fact that Dragon Quest XI's world isn't massive, it's not even really all that big. It feels more condensed, with all the major cities in the world having huge distance between them, with roads that are filled to the brim with monsters on which you can experiment this game's battle system on. The battle system itself is really something that's super simple to pick up, to the point where you'll fool yourself into thinking that it's devoid of any depth but that's not really the case. You'd think a game like this would be extremely reliant on grinding to get you through most of your roadblocks, but every tough boss I faced in this game was almost always solved by just switching up my strategy and nothing more. Truth be told, I grinded very little in this game but I initially struggled on boss fights as I'd also convinced myself that there was very little meat in regards to combat, and when I easily plowed through the boss after I just simply switched out party members, I was pleasantly surprised.
The narrative of Dragon Quest XI is something I struggle to form a solid opinion on. On one hand, it's like I'm in a fantasy book and seeing every part of this world. On the other, it's just bloat. I guess that's one thing this and Persona 5 have in common, where I think that this game really loves to pad out its run time by you solving the problems of EVERY town you encounter like you're a for-sale handyman. Despite how unsatisfied I sound, for the most part, I don't think this really is a huge issue, as some plotlines (like the one about the mermaid) can be really great. Although it really does make me wonder that in this 60-hour game, how much of it was really necessary? Although I think my feelings on this regard really start dimming when I stop thinking of this as a normal narrative when the approach this game is going for is much more in line with an epic. Much like Journey to the West, you're there for the hero's birth and you're there when he receives his call to action; the goal of the protagonist is simple in nature, and the main bulk of the narrative focuses on his exploits. In the case of Dragon Quest XI, I really can't say I was really invested all the time by every single new plotline this game shoved in my face as it's all too...basic?
I really did think for most of my playtime that there was really nothing memorable here for me, but for some reason, after the final battle with Mordegon I felt a little bit sad that it was over. Maybe people were right about this franchise being basic, but I'm not really gonna let myself get caught up in that mindset when this is only my first game in the franchise. Really glad I played this one, it's given me a deeper appreciation for the genre as a whole. As for the post-game, I'll review it on its own in a few days. For now, all I can really say is
...to be continued.
I feel like there's a popular opinion about Dragon Quest as a series that's been spread by word of mouth and thought of as true by many, many of whom have not even played a single game in the series. I guess it's similar to the "Superman is boring" opinion, where it's spouted the loudest by those who have not experienced the thing they're thinking negatively of. In my case, it's not like I knew of this opinion before I played Dragon Quest XI; my decision to do that was very random. But I became aware of this notion as I told my friend about me starting the game, to which he asked
"Isn't Dragon Quest really basic though?"
From its sea blue skies and bright green meadows, I think Dragon Quest XI enchants you very easily. It's a word that's been beaten to death, but I think the description of charming absolutely applies to this game. There's a sense of wonder that's felt when exploring this game's world that's first given to you when you venture out from your town for the very first time. Big-budget AAA games try to sell you this feeling, but always feel hollow whereas this game succeeds easily. Really it all happens due to the fact that Dragon Quest XI's world isn't massive, it's not even really all that big. It feels more condensed, with all the major cities in the world having huge distance between them, with roads that are filled to the brim with monsters on which you can experiment this game's battle system on. The battle system itself is really something that's super simple to pick up, to the point where you'll fool yourself into thinking that it's devoid of any depth but that's not really the case. You'd think a game like this would be extremely reliant on grinding to get you through most of your roadblocks, but every tough boss I faced in this game was almost always solved by just switching up my strategy and nothing more. Truth be told, I grinded very little in this game but I initially struggled on boss fights as I'd also convinced myself that there was very little meat in regards to combat, and when I easily plowed through the boss after I just simply switched out party members, I was pleasantly surprised.
The narrative of Dragon Quest XI is something I struggle to form a solid opinion on. On one hand, it's like I'm in a fantasy book and seeing every part of this world. On the other, it's just bloat. I guess that's one thing this and Persona 5 have in common, where I think that this game really loves to pad out its run time by you solving the problems of EVERY town you encounter like you're a for-sale handyman. Despite how unsatisfied I sound, for the most part, I don't think this really is a huge issue, as some plotlines (like the one about the mermaid) can be really great. Although it really does make me wonder that in this 60-hour game, how much of it was really necessary? Although I think my feelings on this regard really start dimming when I stop thinking of this as a normal narrative when the approach this game is going for is much more in line with an epic. Much like Journey to the West, you're there for the hero's birth and you're there when he receives his call to action; the goal of the protagonist is simple in nature, and the main bulk of the narrative focuses on his exploits. In the case of Dragon Quest XI, I really can't say I was really invested all the time by every single new plotline this game shoved in my face as it's all too...basic?
I really did think for most of my playtime that there was really nothing memorable here for me, but for some reason, after the final battle with Mordegon I felt a little bit sad that it was over. Maybe people were right about this franchise being basic, but I'm not really gonna let myself get caught up in that mindset when this is only my first game in the franchise. Really glad I played this one, it's given me a deeper appreciation for the genre as a whole. As for the post-game, I'll review it on its own in a few days. For now, all I can really say is
...to be continued.
Signalis
2022
Signalis is a game which constantly leaves you with a want for something more, glimpses of beautiful warmth through its eternally stunning style mesmerise us into wanting more and more but after eternity we are left with nothing. The game and its story all exist through the lenses of homages, influences and references, all a parallel to characters who are nothing but memories of experiences they never lived and just as those characters mourn memories and lives that were never theirs we too become entrenched in a life we never lived, as tears flow and flow and we replay and relieve to find answers that will never ever come no matter how hard we look. And just as the characters, we are faced with the abominable challenge of loss and nothing more….
Please, just let me stay be your side a little longer.
Please, just let me stay be your side a little longer.
goopers... play this game if you LOVE little handhelds.... i LOVE my DS and i love shin megami tensei !!!!! the combat was pretty cool and the story was pretty cool but not cool enough for me to 100% new game plus it 5 times and fight lucifer superboss (wasnt super was kind of easy)
i think like its okay not ride or die but its pretty good and i wish atlus did cool things like this again i looove the vfx and sfx oh i love love loooove them but ATLUS SUCKS and they cant make their shit GOOD anymore WHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
https://twitter.com/rumblygoop/status/1662743683874127873?s=20 awesome ass image btw
i think like its okay not ride or die but its pretty good and i wish atlus did cool things like this again i looove the vfx and sfx oh i love love loooove them but ATLUS SUCKS and they cant make their shit GOOD anymore WHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
https://twitter.com/rumblygoop/status/1662743683874127873?s=20 awesome ass image btw
Yakuza
2005
this was one of the most soulful games ive ever played. the city of kamurocho is crime-ridden, dark, and brooding, yet it's still oozing with life and personality. the oppressive atmosphere does major favors for the story, and the simple yet effective themes of family bonds and choosing your own fate just heighten the narrative even more.
while the combat is admittedly very clunky and the camera controls are really annoying, i find it to be endearing rather than a hindrance, and it all just works towards making this a really good game. the story is a pretty basic crime thriller but it has beautiful moments like the scene with date and his daughter that set it apart from most stories in its genre.
overall, its a really damn genuine, down-to-earth game overflowing with charm with a well-thought out narrative and engaging characters.
while the combat is admittedly very clunky and the camera controls are really annoying, i find it to be endearing rather than a hindrance, and it all just works towards making this a really good game. the story is a pretty basic crime thriller but it has beautiful moments like the scene with date and his daughter that set it apart from most stories in its genre.
overall, its a really damn genuine, down-to-earth game overflowing with charm with a well-thought out narrative and engaging characters.
Yakuza Kiwami 2
2017
Possibly my least favorite game ever made. Maybe I'm biased because I played the original first which is my second favorite game of all time but nothing about Kiwami 2 works for me. The game uses revamped combat from 6, a combat system I already disliked, and throws it into a lame copy paste of random assets from other RGG games while labelling itself as the definitive Yakuza 2 experience. I guess I can give RGG credit for remaking all of Sotenbori for this game, but to be honest it was obviously just so they could paste it into a future Dragon Engine game with no worries.
The presentation is significantly worse, using the rather flat photorealistic Dragon Engine aesthetic as 6, losing all semblance of atmosphere from the original. Rain, a common weather motif that added to the Neo Noire vibe of the game, simply doesn't exist. Cutscenes are also presented in a worse fashion, with significantly weaker cutscene music to enhance this gloriously shitty remake. The two cutscenes with the added SiM music are already notorious enough but to cut it short- they're terrible. They don't fit the jazzy vibes of the original game and ruin one of my favorite moments in a video game ever.
The soundtrack is abhorrent, only reusing select tunes from the original while also having new music that is extremely forgettable. Not helping this is the fact that the remixes aren't very good either. Phenomenal tracks like Evil Itself and The Grudge arent present either which is super disappointing.
The cut shopping district is another example of Kiwami 2's rampant laziness, and instead just inserts a pointless Majima side story as a substitute. Shinseicho worked because it was a relatively small district that had everything tightly knit together which made discovering the clues very fun. That doesn't exist here.
There's no reason to play this when Yakuza 2 is one of RGG's best games ever. Nothing about this remake is superior to the original, in my opinion anyway. If you prefer this game that's fine but I'm simply tired of hearing that Kiwami 2 is better because it's less dated and blah blah bla-... Shut up!!! The Dragon Engine combat was far more dated than the original when it first came out. The fact that RGG is insistent on saying this is a superior product while refusing to make the original accessible outside of reprints of the PS2 game they did years ago is infuriating. Overall one of the most corporate games I've ever experienced, don't play this.
The presentation is significantly worse, using the rather flat photorealistic Dragon Engine aesthetic as 6, losing all semblance of atmosphere from the original. Rain, a common weather motif that added to the Neo Noire vibe of the game, simply doesn't exist. Cutscenes are also presented in a worse fashion, with significantly weaker cutscene music to enhance this gloriously shitty remake. The two cutscenes with the added SiM music are already notorious enough but to cut it short- they're terrible. They don't fit the jazzy vibes of the original game and ruin one of my favorite moments in a video game ever.
The soundtrack is abhorrent, only reusing select tunes from the original while also having new music that is extremely forgettable. Not helping this is the fact that the remixes aren't very good either. Phenomenal tracks like Evil Itself and The Grudge arent present either which is super disappointing.
The cut shopping district is another example of Kiwami 2's rampant laziness, and instead just inserts a pointless Majima side story as a substitute. Shinseicho worked because it was a relatively small district that had everything tightly knit together which made discovering the clues very fun. That doesn't exist here.
There's no reason to play this when Yakuza 2 is one of RGG's best games ever. Nothing about this remake is superior to the original, in my opinion anyway. If you prefer this game that's fine but I'm simply tired of hearing that Kiwami 2 is better because it's less dated and blah blah bla-... Shut up!!! The Dragon Engine combat was far more dated than the original when it first came out. The fact that RGG is insistent on saying this is a superior product while refusing to make the original accessible outside of reprints of the PS2 game they did years ago is infuriating. Overall one of the most corporate games I've ever experienced, don't play this.
so gas. you're actually a brainlet if you hate this game. travis is awesome. his girlfriend (forgot her name because i was too busy staring at her big breasts) is so hot lol. shinobu is the ultimate waifu because she loves nihongo almost as much as me. this game is so cool. travis is cool. cute girls, big boobs, suda51 FOR LIFE.
4 lists liked by mochamaki
