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Yakuza 0. 1/24/17 Less than a month to go. Let's make a difference.

Ooh I didn't know that.
I was stuck on the second fight.
I mean how the fuck I am supposed to deal with this guy. I invoke some ghost and it seems I can't deal damage as long as they're alive... But they respawn as soon as they're dead :/

Everyone that has a tiger drop-like counter needs to use it (read: Shinada sucks). You can probably bait the slow backhand to counter even after the clones are out. I don't remember whether the clones die in 1 hit or not but if they do you can probably run around and tackle them to put them out quickly.

Man I've had Yakuza 0 preordered for a long while now and I am HYPED. I've been on media blackout so I can go all in on release day.
 
I've been so busy I haven't turned on any of my systems in like a week, there's no way I'm gonna finish Yakuza 4 before this comes out so looks like I won't be getting it day 1.
 

D-Man

Member
Is anyone's Amazon pre-order still saying "delivery date pending"? I've had the game pre-ordered since the day it went up, so it kinda worries me that the delivery date hasn't updated at all like it normally does.
 
Can we expect reviews to be around where Gravity Rush 2/The Last Guardian are, 81-84 range?

Yakuza 5 is sitting at an 83, and pretty much everyone that's played Y0 says that it's perhaps the best entry in the series. So, I wouldn't be surprised to see it sitting in the high 80's.
 

StereoVsn

Gold Member
I've been so busy I haven't turned on any of my systems in like a week, there's no way I'm gonna finish Yakuza 4 before this comes out so looks like I won't be getting it day 1.
Yakuza Zero is a prequel so you should get it Day 1, finish it and then complete Yakuza 4. And then get Kiwami which will be out this summer.
 
I have 4 and 5 and haven't played either yet. I wonder if I should skip those games and get this, Kiwami, and 6 next year. Hopefully I wouldn't be missing that much.
 

Jimrpg

Member
I'm working on a review for this game, so I don't think I'm allowed to say much of anything right now.

Already put in over 30 hours.

Sounds like you're going to play more! :)

oh damn... i hope they ship it fast! is it being shipped EMS?

It's ok I'm used to it. I think the express option was another $10-15 (maybe a week faster). I like physical over digital in general except on Steam so I have to wait on it.

Will the western release feature any cut content whatsoever, or is it more of a pretty much 100% translation?

Pretty sure nothing is cut. Probably learned their lesson after Yakuza 3.
 

Jimrpg

Member
Having played the game I'd be surprised if it didn't get in the high 80s. I'm predicting 87 MC.

Well it's hard to say, the series isn't for everyone at least the past entries.

The best games in the series Y2 and Y4 had good to great reviews.

I honestly don't know what to expect from reviewers at this stage.
 

bigjig

Member
Well it's hard to say, the series isn't for everyone at least the past entries.

The best games in the series Y2 and Y4 had good to great reviews.

I honestly don't know what to expect from reviewers at this stage.

Maybe, a bad localization could definitely bring it down a notch. For me though this is the best all-round Yakuza game I've played. Best side quests, best story, best characters, best minigames, best gameplay. If reviewers don't come around for this one I don't think they ever will honestly.
 

Jimrpg

Member
Maybe, a bad localization could definitely bring it down a notch. For me though this is the best all-round Yakuza game I've played. Best side quests, best story, best characters, best minigames, best gameplay. If reviewers don't come around for this one I don't think they ever will honestly.

Yep by all accounts, it's the best yet, so I'm really excited. I guess my concern was that as John Hardin noted, it was the most requested game for review he'd ever seen at Atlus. I hope that excitement translates well. There are Yakuza quirks that newcomers to the series will not be familiar with or complain about. Like for example the transition from rendered cut scenes that are fully voiced to an in game engine conversation between two characters with dialog boxes and no voices has always been jarring for me but I've dealt with it because it was a niche Yakuza game. Or you walk into a convienence store and buy things from a menu. For me, that's just how the series has always been but maybe for newcomers it might be a bit old school.
 
Someone posted the opening/intro for Yakuza 0:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ-sM6OMFyE

Yuck, I don't like the new song at all, sounds really generic.

Ah, man that was awful. Seriously, did not like the new music even one bit. Bubble was perfect for this intro :(

Just listen to this. It's a prefect match.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvaHPJN4-vw

I'm really hoping they didn't have to change much of the game's OST. Few of the songs that were featured in Japanese trailers were amazing. Especially the ones in that 15 minutes story trailer.

EDIT: I wonder if John can comment on that in the community thread. Music licensing could be a bitch so I understand that they had to change some of them but I'm really hoping that they've managed to keep most of the OST intact.
 

bigjig

Member
Yep by all accounts, it's the best yet, so I'm really excited. I guess my concern was that as John Hardin noted, it was the most requested game for review he'd ever seen at Atlus. I hope that excitement translates well. There are Yakuza quirks that newcomers to the series will not be familiar with or complain about. Like for example the transition from rendered cut scenes that are fully voiced to an in game engine conversation between two characters with dialog boxes and no voices has always been jarring for me but I've dealt with it because it was a niche Yakuza game. Or you walk into a convienence store and buy things from a menu. For me, that's just how the series has always been but maybe for newcomers it might be a bit old school.

Yeah definitely, I think what holds Yakuza back isn't even its innate "Japaneseness" but more just a general lack of budget. Typically the games that score really well with reviewers (Uncharted 4, GTAV, etc.) don't score well because they are so much better than other games, but because the sheer amount of money poured into them helps smooth out areas in which they are lacking (imo, the gameplay mechanics). Yakuza doesn't really have that luxury so while I hope it does really well, as you say, you really can never tell with reviewers these days. A minor inconvenience and you could have someone like Jim Sterling giving it like a 5/10 lol
 

Tailzo

Member
Having played the game I'd be surprised if it didn't get in the high 80s. I'm predicting 87 MC.

I haven't played the game, but I have played all other yakuza games, except Ishin and the psp games. I would be very happy, but surprised, if Yakuza 0 got over 75 MC.
 

aravuus

Member
Huh, I had no idea some (many?) people consider Y0 to be the best game in the series. I was possibly planning on playing all the games in chronological order in the coming months/years, starting with Y0, but I'll have to see if getting into the earlier games is too hard after Y0.
 
I haven't played the game, but I have played all other yakuza games, except Ishin and the psp games. I would be very happy, but surprised, if Yakuza 0 got over 75 MC.
I'm not expecting anything mind blowing with reviews but come on man 75 is easily doable :)

I think Yakuza 4 sits around 78 or so on Metacritic so I expect Y0 to settle for a 80-81 score.
 
Ah, man that was awful. Seriously, did not like the new music even one bit. Bubble was perfect for this intro :(

Just listen to this. It's a prefect match.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvaHPJN4-vw

I'm really hoping they didn't have to change much of the game's OST. Few of the songs that were featured in Japanese trailers were amazing. Especially the ones in that 15 minutes story trailer.

Hmm...guess when you don't have a song like Four Faith to easily remedy this situation, you tend to go for something less creative.

This happens because of licensing agreements, the most disappointing case was the changes in 5, but those were expected. Rule of thumb with localized Yakuza titles, if the songs were done in-house, then they're safe otherwise low of chance (if any) of it being kept. Kind of a bummer, because I know this means that the
end credits song
is probably getting chopped too and I like that one.

I do wonder how they'll handle the main song in Kiwami, because it's a remix of the original "Receive You" theme and I am curious if there is any grounds in keeping it.
 
Hmm...guess when you don't have a song like Four Faith to easily remedy this situation, you tend to go for something less creative.

This happens because of licensing agreements, the most disappointing case was the changes in 5, but those were expected. Rule of thumb with localized Yakuza titles, if the songs were done in-house, then they're safe otherwise low of chance (if any) of it being kept. Kind of a bummer, because I know this means that the
end credits song
is probably getting chopped too and I like that one.

I do wonder how they'll handle the main song in Kiwami, because it's a remix of the original "Receive You" theme and I am curious if there is any grounds in keeping it.
So this basically means that any Yakuza 0 song with lyrics is a goner? Ughhhhhh...
 

bigjig

Member
I haven't played the game, but I have played all other yakuza games, except Ishin and the psp games. I would be very happy, but surprised, if Yakuza 0 got over 75 MC.

Yakuza 5 got an 83 metacritic, and Yakuza 0 is a lot better imo. I think you're being a little too pessimistic but who really knows lol
 
releasing this on the same day as RE7? man....

is this a remake of yakuza on ps2? if so, I already beat it many years ago when it came out. is this remake worth it? I still have my original ps2 disk.
 
releasing this on the same day as RE7? man....

is this a remake of yakuza on ps2? if so, I already beat it many years ago when it came out. is this remake worth it? I still have my original ps2 disk.
Yakuza: Kiwami is the remake and its coming out mid 2017 (summer) and yes,it is definitely worth it even if you've played the original already.


Yakuza 0 which is what this thread is about, is a prequel which takes place in the 80s and it is an absolutely incredible game. I preordered it months in advance and I don't do that for just any game.
 
There was a samurai spin-off of the yakuza series 9-10 years ago but only Japanese release. I have always wished since then they will release a english version in the west. I hope maybe one day that game gets a remake.
 
There was a samurai spin-off of the yakuza series 9-10 years ago but only Japanese release. I have always wished since then they will release a english version in the west. I hope maybe one day that game gets a remake.
Yeah, Yakuza: Kenzan which was a ps3 exclusive.

There was another one a few years ago too, named Yakuza: Ishin which came out on both ps3 and PS4. Really wish they'd get localized but it's incredibly unlikely.
 

Jimrpg

Member
Yeah definitely, I think what holds Yakuza back isn't even its innate "Japaneseness" but more just a general lack of budget. Typically the games that score really well with reviewers (Uncharted 4, GTAV, etc.) don't score well because they are so much better than other games, but because the sheer amount of money poured into them helps smooth out areas in which they are lacking (imo, the gameplay mechanics). Yakuza doesn't really have that luxury so while I hope it does really well, as you say, you really can never tell with reviewers these days. A minor inconvenience and you could have someone like Jim Sterling giving it like a 5/10 lol

It makes the game an easy target having small little things like that. I can see some reviewers wondering about the hype around the game and then declaring boldly that "It's NO GTA!"

The thing is, its never felt like a game with a small budget to me personally, for one they've been getting Japanese stars to fill some of their roles so that's no small feat. And while they'll always gone with Kamurocho, more often than not, they have had new areas which means a new look and new assets, especially with the historic games like Kenzan and Ishin. Finally there's always so much detail everywhere I look, things like signboards on streets, things in shop windows, items inside shops are all wonderful to look at and browse. Maybe not to the level of an Uncharted, but there is some great detail here if you chose to slow down and have a look around. Areas change from game to game too. I'm expecting the 80s Yakuza 0 Kamurocho to look very different to the 2012 Yakuza 5 Kamurocho.
 

Tailzo

Member
Yakuza 5 got an 83 metacritic, and Yakuza 0 is a lot better imo. I think you're being a little too pessimistic but who really knows lol

I am known as a very positive and optimistic guy, so I don't know :)

The reason I say so, was kind of reflected in another thread on neogaf right now. High scores are rarer now than before. Critics are harsher than before. A Ps4 game might be viewed differently than a niche late released ps3 game reviewed only by those still interested in ps3 releases.

But I love being wrong in these cases :)
 

Jimrpg

Member
I haven't played the game, but I have played all other yakuza games, except Ishin and the psp games. I would be very happy, but surprised, if Yakuza 0 got over 75 MC.

I'm not expecting anything mind blowing with reviews but come on man 75 is easily doable :)

I think Yakuza 4 sits around 78 or so on Metacritic so I expect Y0 to settle for a 80-81 score.

I'm guessing 80 MC, though I haven't played it or anything. Just guessing!

I think Sega and Atlus will be plenty happy with that.
 

oneida

Cock Strain, Lifetime Warranty
releasing this on the same day as RE7? man....

is this a remake of yakuza on ps2? if so, I already beat it many years ago when it came out. is this remake worth it? I still have my original ps2 disk.
no, yakuza 0 is not a remake of 1, kiwami is. if you've already played 1, you can skip kiwami, since it is just Yakuza 1 ported to a different game engine. there's some quality of life changes, but you won't miss anything at all passing up on it later this year.
 

Tailzo

Member
no, yakuza 0 is not a remake of 1, kiwami is. if you've already played 1, you can skip kiwami, since it is just Yakuza 1 ported to a different game engine. there's some quality of life changes, but you won't miss anything at all passing up on it later this year.

I'm not sure I can agree with skipping any Yakuza game at all :p

I'll buy Kiwami anyway, even if I did play it before. It looks a real remake, and not even a remaster.
 

Jimrpg

Member
no, yakuza 0 is not a remake of 1, kiwami is. if you've already played 1, you can skip kiwami, since it is just Yakuza 1 ported to a different game engine. there's some quality of life changes, but you won't miss anything at all passing up on it later this year.

I haven't played Kiwami, but no way any one should miss out on playing Yakuza 1 (first time or otherwise), one of the best games in the series in terms of story (tie for me with Yakuza 4). It's also been about 10 years since its released, I really can't wait to see what it looks like on PS4 (hopefully improved on the Yakuza 1&2 HD version). Funny that the core structure of the game remains largely unchanged.

Also, I just ordered Yakuza Ishin! (and preordered DQVIII). A very expensive January which may include a preorder for Nioh later too. I now have all the Yakuza games except for the PSP ones. (Are they available on the PS Vita shop, that would be a hassle to switch memory cards and PSN shop region, but at least it would be doable sometime down the track should I run out of Yakuza games.)

Dang, they are still available on Play-Asia, $45 and $50 respectively. Guess I'm skipping them for now.. but that is awesome that PSP games are still available in 2017.

EDIT: There is a 'PSP the best' version available for $25 and $45 respectively. Makes the first game reasonably cheap to get.
 
Decided to finish off Yakuza 5 before this, jeez i did not remember how many attacks just knock you down and i gotta mash X to get back up :E I don't think i even have the basic fall recovery move on all characters.

Does Zero still have the same fighting system? :D
 
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