Okay, I've composed myself from crying at the last cutscene. Whew, okay.
Yakuza 5 is a fresh taste in my mouth after two games that weren't bad but didn't reach the same highs that my favorite (Yakuza 0) did. Yakuza 5 veers back hard in that direction, but I can't help but feel like some parts of the story weren't properly developed, along with gameplay choices that are a bit tough to process.
So, in the gameplay department? Everything is great, or, most things. I think Kiryu and Saejima are amazing, developing off their past kits, and making Saejima a literal beast that can melt anything is a lot more deserving of his character. Akiyama is great too, those aerial kicks flow like butter, and create a lot more fun moves out of making him damn near inhuman when it comes to hops and flows. Haruka is playable in this game, and her rhythm games are fun and adorable, my only issue is the lack of songs will leave you dancing to "So Much More" 10-15 times in her section so, hope you like hearing it, but I did.
I think the only gameplay gripe outside what I've mentioned is just how off-kilter Shinada feels. I totally respect the new approach they went with him, but he feels really strange in not great ways. I understand that he's supposed to be a weapons master rather than a beatdown brawler like the previous three characters. That makes sense! But, it's really hard to choose between the sturdy variants of weapons that deal fuck-all damage, or his fists, which actually do damage but no great combo really exists for him, so I tried to play him like Kiryu and it went...eh. I definitely did not feel like I mastered him the way I did other characters, and I think it really ruins what is an awesome game to play all the way through.
Now, the story. By God, Yakuza 5 drifts back to a pretty great story with loveable friends and villains. I think it does take a while to get good, Yakuza fans might not love how obtuse Kiryu and Saejima's parts are, but by Part 3 and Part 4, the ball is rolling enough to make you want to see how the game ends. The cutscenes are hefty, and the dialogue is huge, which really provides a ton of tenderness and love for these characters. Almost every line in the game is voice acted, at least.
I think the only part where the story goes wrong is somewhat retreaded ground and a few unlikeable "mastermind" villains that really don't show up at all until the end of the game. Got some major Jingu vibes here, people. I'm kinda missing that Ryuji Goda or Daisaku Kuse energy, someone who really is prevalent and eventually learns their lesson, at a cost, or through Kiryu's fists. I never really felt that in Yakuza 5, nor in 3 or 4. I think some moments are perfect, like Haruka's speech at the end of the game (Yes I cried, very, very fucking hard), but developing on that front throughout the game with more likable villains would help. Especially how interwoven the themes are in this game: get ready to take a shot every time someone mentions "dreams". But I like it like that, and it provides a more coherent theme for this story, and a lens in which you can analyze the characters through.
Yakuza 5 is a magnificent game that is a few steps away from perfection. It lands behind 0 and 2, at least to me, but it is a wonderful game that everyone who's continuing their way through the series should play. It's only held back by a few issues, but I'd still play this any day of the week (And I'm gonna, because I need that platinum trophy.)
Yakuza 5 is a fresh taste in my mouth after two games that weren't bad but didn't reach the same highs that my favorite (Yakuza 0) did. Yakuza 5 veers back hard in that direction, but I can't help but feel like some parts of the story weren't properly developed, along with gameplay choices that are a bit tough to process.
So, in the gameplay department? Everything is great, or, most things. I think Kiryu and Saejima are amazing, developing off their past kits, and making Saejima a literal beast that can melt anything is a lot more deserving of his character. Akiyama is great too, those aerial kicks flow like butter, and create a lot more fun moves out of making him damn near inhuman when it comes to hops and flows. Haruka is playable in this game, and her rhythm games are fun and adorable, my only issue is the lack of songs will leave you dancing to "So Much More" 10-15 times in her section so, hope you like hearing it, but I did.
I think the only gameplay gripe outside what I've mentioned is just how off-kilter Shinada feels. I totally respect the new approach they went with him, but he feels really strange in not great ways. I understand that he's supposed to be a weapons master rather than a beatdown brawler like the previous three characters. That makes sense! But, it's really hard to choose between the sturdy variants of weapons that deal fuck-all damage, or his fists, which actually do damage but no great combo really exists for him, so I tried to play him like Kiryu and it went...eh. I definitely did not feel like I mastered him the way I did other characters, and I think it really ruins what is an awesome game to play all the way through.
Now, the story. By God, Yakuza 5 drifts back to a pretty great story with loveable friends and villains. I think it does take a while to get good, Yakuza fans might not love how obtuse Kiryu and Saejima's parts are, but by Part 3 and Part 4, the ball is rolling enough to make you want to see how the game ends. The cutscenes are hefty, and the dialogue is huge, which really provides a ton of tenderness and love for these characters. Almost every line in the game is voice acted, at least.
I think the only part where the story goes wrong is somewhat retreaded ground and a few unlikeable "mastermind" villains that really don't show up at all until the end of the game. Got some major Jingu vibes here, people. I'm kinda missing that Ryuji Goda or Daisaku Kuse energy, someone who really is prevalent and eventually learns their lesson, at a cost, or through Kiryu's fists. I never really felt that in Yakuza 5, nor in 3 or 4. I think some moments are perfect, like Haruka's speech at the end of the game (Yes I cried, very, very fucking hard), but developing on that front throughout the game with more likable villains would help. Especially how interwoven the themes are in this game: get ready to take a shot every time someone mentions "dreams". But I like it like that, and it provides a more coherent theme for this story, and a lens in which you can analyze the characters through.
Yakuza 5 is a magnificent game that is a few steps away from perfection. It lands behind 0 and 2, at least to me, but it is a wonderful game that everyone who's continuing their way through the series should play. It's only held back by a few issues, but I'd still play this any day of the week (And I'm gonna, because I need that platinum trophy.)