Ryū ga Gotoku is the game Rockstar wanted to make, but unfortunately they don't understand enough about game design to do it with GTA. How in the world could I have never heard of Yakuza 1? I didn't know a beat 'em up game could be so good. I know the studio had low expectations for this new IP in the release date, but even after 19 years later, the game remains magnificent.

The devs and writters care for the plot and the setting is jaw-dropping! Sega made a game that seems like a lot of fun to being a member of the organized crime. Kamurochō is the ultimate experience of what Tokyo's center should be like. So much cultural wealth, neon signs, yakuza dogmas, tattoo meanings, just magnificent. Fantastic representation. The plot is extremely dramatic with good twists, like if The Godfather had been filmed in Japan.

Combat is heavy and slow, but it reminds me of From Software games in a way; smashing buttons will be highly punitive, so you have to predict your rival next move and be assertive. Resident Evil 4 was definitely the game of the year in 2005, but I believe Yakuza is good as God of War and Shadow of The Colossus. Phenomenal. The only REALLY bad thing about Yakuza 1 is the camera during combat, dreadful, it almost ruined the combat experience in the last quarter of the game.

ps: played Kristian Zdunek's Restored version with PCSX2 settings as indicated by him. Phenomenal work, the Japanese dubbing is very solid. I can't say anything about the original NTSC version.