skormory
Feels like a labour of love that didn't know when to stop. Highly recommend playing this game, but I don't think I'll finish it any time soon.
2018
Weakest in the series by far. Playing these games in order this is the one that made the fatigue set in. While the story isn't too interesting and the combat is frustrating the characters made me keep going. Glad I beat it, but I'll never play it again.
Don't play on hard.
Don't play on hard.
2019
After finishing 3 after holding off on playing it for six months this was a breath of fresh air. Just feels like a more ambitious and better realised version of the games that came before. Combat still feels clunky but I enjoyed my time playing on hard this time.
Also, the music is strangely fantastic. Easily the best part of the game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUG3teTNsWI
Also, the music is strangely fantastic. Easily the best part of the game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUG3teTNsWI
2019
This is the kind of game that makes me want to write a video essay that will be seen by like ten people. Loved it from start to end. The story, music and gameplay all hit the series all time high and it's hard to see them ever topping this.
This review contains spoilers
I'm very torn on this one. I really liked it, but it doesn't quite feel finished. The main plot feels rushed, especially towards the end of the game. I did, however, really enjoy the characters. I didn't really mind the gameplay shift in the new engine as much as other people I've talked about the game with either. Playing this one did make me miss the other playable characters, though.
All that aside I didn't really like the ending. While I really enjoyed what they did with Kiryu's character I don't like how it ended with him still alive. Feels like an absolute cop-out and kinda soured how I feel about the game as a whole. Saying that, watching Kiryu walk away from the orphanage made me ugly cry, and there's not a whole lot of games that have made me do that.
All that aside I didn't really like the ending. While I really enjoyed what they did with Kiryu's character I don't like how it ended with him still alive. Feels like an absolute cop-out and kinda soured how I feel about the game as a whole. Saying that, watching Kiryu walk away from the orphanage made me ugly cry, and there's not a whole lot of games that have made me do that.
2017
Don't actually have that much to say on this one, to be honest. This is what I'd say is the baseline of the series. Story's good, gameplay's good and the characters are great! I played it a bunch and I very much enjoyed it.
2015
One of the best video games I've every played. This is Yakuza distilled into it's greatest parts. The plot is excellent, the gameplay is arguably even better and the characters and world feel so well fleshed out it's hard to put into words. I played the games in the order of Kiwami > Kiwami 2 > Zero and I think that was a mistake. Play Zero first and go in chronological order from there. This is, by far, the best way to get hooked on the series and it's not even close.
2016
Fantastic game. Got me hooked on the series. Story feels a bit silly at times but it's all to serve the character interaction. Combat and gameplay is exactly what you'd expect if you came from Zero. The team did a sublime job modernising a PS2-era cult classic.
Bland. Doesn't do anything for me.
Fun shooting meets a thick atmosphere of the pop-culture version of the old west. Exceptionally fun shooting makes this a great one to play over a couple of evenings.
2012
I had a great time sneaking around but it's not punishing enough when you're caught in my opinion. Replay it at least once every couple of years and enjoy it enough.
2016
Didn't enjoy this game as much as I'd hoped I would. Shooting is fun and all but the game drags on for quite a bit too long to be enjoyable all the way through. Dropped the game on what I've gathered is the second to last level on Ultra Violence and I don't intend on going back to finish it.
2018
Kickstarted the new wave of old-school shooters and is still one of the best ones I've played. Shooting feels good, you're incentivised to explore and the atmosphere is absolutely perfect. Highly recommend anyone who is even moderately into first person shooters to play this game.
1997
Thank you to Civvie11 for turning me onto this game. One of the best shooters I've played and I don't think I'll ever get sick of dying to my own dynamite. Still haven't finished the game on Well Done but I sure as hell intend to at some point.
1998
As someone born after this game came out I don't think I'll ever have the perspective of someone being excited for this game at release. I will however say I enjoyed it very much and I think I'll come back to it several more times in the coming years.
To all the people saying the gunplay sucks... I'd say I agree with the exception of the SMG. That thing feels godly and I enjoyed running through the game using it almost exclusively.
To all the people saying the gunplay sucks... I'd say I agree with the exception of the SMG. That thing feels godly and I enjoyed running through the game using it almost exclusively.