-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Yakuza 0 |OT| Yes, you can start with this one!
- Thread starter IrishNinja
- Start date
lucebuce12
Member
The series is similar to Metal Gear in regards to long and frequent cutscenes.
Fortunately, the dialogue is well-written, the voice acting is phenomenal, the motion capture is amazing and the story is top notch.
platypotamus
Member
It's funny. I Loathe cutscenes. Like loatheeeeeee them. I pretty much skip them in every game I play. I never skip them in Yakuza. My wife is always confused. I don't have a good explanation... I mean, Yakuza's cutscenes are great, but presumably there are other games with watchable ones. But she's always like "why do you even like this game, it doesn't seem like your style", and she's right, and I have no real answer aside from how great the games are.
lucebuce12
Member
It's difficult to describe but the cutscenes in this series genuinely feels like you're watching a TV show or a movie.
Perhaps it's the grounded story, the focus on high quality cutscenes or the writing but I can never get bored by a Yakuza cutscene but other games can definitely have some boring ones.
FrankWza
Member
The series is similar to Metal Gear in regards to long and frequent cutscenes.
Fortunately, the dialogue is well-written, the voice acting is phenomenal, the motion capture is amazing and the story is top notch.
Yeah its fine. OT2 Yu-Cutscene 0 A....Hideo Kojima game?
FrankWza
Member
I have to read everything since i dont know Japanese. Im glad the cutscenes have a pause option.
Shadowman16
Member
I generally feel the same way, but there have been a couple of cutscenes that undoubtedly drag on a bit too much in a couple of entries (Yakuza 6 has one right at the start of the final chapter that could have been cut by 66% and lost none of its message), 3 had a couple of cutscenes regarding government and the Okinawa military base that weren't the most interesting thing to sit through either!
On the flipside though the series has plenty of really tense, awesome cutscenes. My favourites are the pre boss cutscenes where the game does an excellent job of hyping you up for the impending battle - the dialogue, music etc. just does such an awesome job in that regard. Plus I love the exact moment where it transitions from cutscene to boss battle (complete with the freeze frame moment where the boss name flashes up on screen) - 0 has several excellent transitions like this (especially for Majima) though Ishin's final boss probably has the most hype pre boss cutscene in anything I've ever seen. I can rewatch that scene an infinite number of times and it never gets old.
eyeball_kid
Member
I think it's all of those things, but especially it's the great writing combined with fantastic performances by the actors (and by performances I mean both the VA and the motion capture). The result is something that (at least in Zero bc that's all I've played) makes you forget for a moment that you're watching CG characters in a videogame and are just sucked into the story and the charisma of these characters. This is what all narrative-driven games should aspire to, but so few seem to reach.
lucebuce12
Member
0 has both those things and doesnt have any of the story pacing issues that Y3 has.
Just move past Y3 and 4 and get into 0.
Grindlefly
Member
What is this? I've seen it mentioned a few times. Could someone explain? Spoiler if necessary but I'm really intrigued
lucebuce12
Member
It's an equippable accessory that you get through a substory.
The wording says something like "draws more attention to you" or something along those lines.
What the item does is make the enemies in combat not "wait their turn" before attacking, and all of them just keep coming at you and at you, even when you're on the ground.
It makes combat REALLY difficult and a LOT of people that are playing a Yakuza game for the first time just equipped the item without thinking about it and got really pissed/worried when the game suddenly became so difficult.
It's an item that's been in every Yakuza game but it was always a picture with the name "Charismatic Picture" or maybe "Charismatic Portrait".
Grindlefly
Member
Greatest Ever
Member
Holy shit, on Hard the combat is straight up cheap and unfair.
Go into 0. Has way more content than 3 and is better paced.
CaperStackingPaper
Neo Member
What about it is unfair? I think the way the combat is designed you can pretty much avoid all damage if you're careful.
If this is another case of Charismatic Autobiography... 🙈
eyeball_kid
Member
Since Majima only has one good eye, shouldn't he technically be kind of bad at fighting? What with no depth perception and all.
Started playing and got through the first chapter! Was the detail pop-in this bad in Y3/4? Its super noticeable. Why are there like 3/4 different cutscene styles? Games presentation is all over the place! Young Kazuma is no different from Old Kazuma lol. Wasn't expecting to be a brash hothead but c'mon! At least his outfit is less lame.
The guard rail butt slam looks real painful lol. Bot the box of nails why... just why?! That and the finger cutting scene made me die even though I looked away. x.x;
btw Thanks for the rehashed bait & switch, Segac!
>_>
The guard rail butt slam looks real painful lol. Bot the box of nails why... just why?! That and the finger cutting scene made me die even though I looked away. x.x;
btw Thanks for the rehashed bait & switch, Segac!
Playing as Kazuma actually in the Yakaza for all of 1 chapter
lucebuce12
Member
Not joking here, do you have an item equipped called "Charismatic Autobiography"?
If so, UNEQUIP IT IMMEDIATELY.
That is FAAARRRR from the most unbelievable thing in the series.
Though to be fair, most of them are all entertaining as fuck so we just don't question it!
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
edit: oh shit, wrong thread.
Charlouie Jonesman
Banned
Go and buy the game anyway.
eyeball_kid
Member
The general consensus seems to be that
Majima thought being with Makoto would put her in danger, even if he left the yakuza for good. And yeah, as far I could tell Sagawa was basically a fall guy in order to avoid a wider conflict. And he knew it; that ending scene was Sagawa basically being resigned to his fate.
ElephantEyelash
Member
If I remember correctly, every time I would save, Mr. Shakedown would end up in a different spot. Maybe going into stores would trigger it as well but dont quote me on that, I cant remember for sure. Each character has an item you can get via substories that is an "Encounter finder" that shows where Mr. Shakedown is. It was super handy for avoiding him (or farming him).
You can also encounter them while they're sleeping.
lucebuce12
Member
I think you need to unlock that particular ability at the CP shrine and I BELIEVE that it's Kiryu only.
They also only are sleeping AFTER they've already stomped your lungs out and stolen your money.
...so after an intense, explosive sweaty exchange they go somewhere to sleep it off?
...that puts things in a different light.
xChildOfHatex
Member
Just run away from him if you're not at least in the mid-to-late game. Near the mid-to-late game, Mr. Shakedown is great for farming money. Get the "Deep Pockets" perk from the Shrine, then let him beat you once you have around a billion or so yen. Then go back to him and beat the snot out of him for a huge return (50%, I think, though I might be forgetting) on top of your originally lost money. Rinse repeat for 30 minutes and you can basically upgrade everything.
He was too strong before. He mentioned it several times during the series.
bone_and_sinew
breaking down barriers in gratuitous nudity
What's a good way to beat (end game substory spoiler ahead be warned)
with Majima? He was easy to brute force with drunken master Kazuma but I'm having trouble keeping up with his speed as Majima.
Only time in the entire game I've considered moving from Hard to Normal
Amon
Only time in the entire game I've considered moving from Hard to Normal
Theonik
Member
They are actually really easy to beat with some patience and the right equipment and also the fastest way to make money in the game (kiryu only)
You can basically use them as money multipliers by investing CP with Kiryu,
eyeball_kid
Member
Mm I don't think that's true. I've never fought Shakedown (aside from the initial encounter) and I see him sleeping often. Or sometimes eating ice cream.
lucebuce12
Member
Did you lose that encounter?
eyeball_kid
Member
I don't remember losing it. He didn't take my money.
lucebuce12
Member
You're telling me you didn't lose to Mr. Shakedown the first time you fought him?
🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
eyeball_kid
Member
It didn't seem like I had cleared all his health, but he gave up and said he'll have to train or something? It was early on in the game, so I don't quite remember. I know he didn't take my money though, and I didn't get knocked down.
Spieler Eins
Member
I've got this game yesterday and quite far already, though after a good start I'm starting to get quite frustrated by the difficulty. I absolutely love that everything's based on the money- and CP systems, yet all of that seems to become a waste if the complete lack of challenge doesn't see any need for them. I play on hard, yet an ordinary fight is literally less demanding than playing Yoshi's Story. I mean, these games always got progressively easier the longer you played each one, but this must be a new low. I can't even imagine how this plays on normal or easy, what the hell. I almost thought I had accidently chosen easy or something.
lucebuce12
Member
fatherKratos
Neo Member
Never played any Yakuza game, but Sleeping Dogs is one of my all time favorites. Guess, i should give this one a try.
The Artisan
Member
figured i could post this here too
The environmental takedowns will probably remind you a fair bit of Sleeping Dogs. Let us know if you need any help.
This was also my first Yakuza game (i've played Shenmue tho, which is a little similar in some way) but i really enjoyed it. Its more accesible then you think. Also if you just want to play the main storyline thats also possible. The side activities are in place but at no point does the game really force you to put a lot of time in it.
fatherKratos
Neo Member
Thanks guys
Even though sleeping dogs hasnt done anything revolutionary to the open world genre, the story and the fresh & unique(atleast for me) HK setting got me hooked to it. Now that Sleeping Dogs 2 will never happen, really looking forward to this. Heard only good things about its story from everyone who has played it.