Red Blaster
Member
i still remember when bebpo was hyping the jp release of the original back in 2005 as the best game ever
halcyon days
halcyon days
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Yakuza Kiwami = Review Thread -
- Thread starter Rymuth
- Start date
flipswitch
Member
1080p/60fps. I'm so glad they're remastering the series for newcomers. But this only includes the first game, right? Will they be remastering any others?
lucebuce12
Member
This is a remake of the first game,not a remaster. And they haven't announced any other plans... yet.
flipswitch
Member
No worries. Yes, remake.
The steel book edition looks great, and so is the price.
For the record, I've only played Yakuza 4.
Swearing you say?
I really enjoyed the translation at the time, even though it was so heavy on swearing, most of the threats from the street gangs were just LMAO and ridiculous. They toned it down in Kiwami which I'm disappointed about, but it keeps it in line with the rest of the later entries in the series.
It's not just 'f' words every three seconds, the one liners are actually funny in the original.
But that might just be my sense of humour, it might not be for everyone.
Shadowman16
Member
I remember discovering the game through Shemuedojo of all places and being sold on it because its a game set in Japan with fighting. Sure its not really all that like Shenmue, but it filled the void and ended up being really, really good (the characters all hooked me right from the get go, especially Kiryu, Haruka and Majima). Hard to believe I've been playing the series for over 10 years now...
Acquiescence
Member
You made a wise decision. If ever there was an example of a dub almost single-handedly ruining a game, it was the first Yakuza.
Rellik
Member
No worries. Yes, remake.
The steel book edition looks great, and so is the price.
For the record, I've only played Yakuza 4.
You played the best one.
I think the dub is unequivocally terrible but at the same time it kind of fits the silliness of the game. Like I was constantly laughing at how bad some of the performances were, especially Kiryu's, but they didn't feel that out of place.
The excessive swearing was cringey tho, especially coming from Kiryu, who you could tell was too gentle of a soul to talk like that all the time. Also it pissed me off when random thugs kept calling him "stupid old fuck" during fights
As for the translation itself, I thought it was pretty decent for the time. And about that, I'm happy to share that the most important and influential NPC in the original game is back in Kiwami.
The excessive swearing was cringey tho, especially coming from Kiryu, who you could tell was too gentle of a soul to talk like that all the time. Also it pissed me off when random thugs kept calling him "stupid old fuck" during fights
As for the translation itself, I thought it was pretty decent for the time. And about that, I'm happy to share that the most important and influential NPC in the original game is back in Kiwami.
We'll know in 4 days!
But still not good. It wavers from absolutely brutal to tolerable. I like Michael Madsen but his voice for Kiryu is not a good fit.
That and honestly some of the encounters in the game feel a bit outdated. I kind of feel like the multiple style part is shoehorned in here, I almost you've rather played the game with the one style from the original.
While I can see why people would play Zero first and think there's nothing wrong with going that way, Yakuza Kiwami might feel like a step back after playing Zero. Which it should, the base game is still a 12 year old game with updates while Zero benefits from 10 years of series development.
Null Pointer
Member
Guys, the Y0 / Kiwami "which do I play first?" argument is silly.
There are narrative details and substories that have been added to Kiwami that follow up on things that happened in Y0. They aren't written in a "prequel" way in Y0, they are written in a sequel way in Kiwami. In other words, Y0 was the prequel to Y1, but Kiwami is sort of a sequel to Y0.
The official SEGA recommendation is you play Y0 then Kiwami.
Edit: And when I say silly, I mean "amusing".
There are narrative details and substories that have been added to Kiwami that follow up on things that happened in Y0. They aren't written in a "prequel" way in Y0, they are written in a sequel way in Kiwami. In other words, Y0 was the prequel to Y1, but Kiwami is sort of a sequel to Y0.
The official SEGA recommendation is you play Y0 then Kiwami.
Edit: And when I say silly, I mean "amusing".
lucebuce12
Member
Shadowman16
Member
lucebuce12
Member
I'm so hyped
Queen Vulpix
Member
This will be the first game I ever play in the series so I'm pretty excited and looking forward to it! From all the screen shots I've seen of this series it certainly seems to have a fun, wacky vibe to it.
Peroroncino
Member
semiconscious
Member
I think the dub is unequivocally terrible but at the same time it kind of fits the silliness of the game. Like I waa constantly laughing at how bad some of the performances were, especially Kiryu's, but they didn't feel that out of place.
The excessive swearing was cringey tho, especially coming from Kiryu, who you could tell was too gentle of a soul to talk like that all the time. Also it pissed me off when random thugs kept calling him "stupid old fuck" during fights
As for the translation itself, I thought it was pretty decent for the time. And about that, I'm happy to share that the most important and influential NPC in the original game is back in Kiwami.
same. i mean, i'm currently re-watching the original star trek, a series which proves conclusively that there's definitely situations where cheesy performances can actually enhance someone's enjoyment of something
...played the game at release, & then replayed it a few years back, &, yeah, the dub's never bothered me whatsoever. in particular, hamill was obviously enjoying himself, which was just fine by me...
Jack Random
Member
Just pre-ordered the steel-book (which was cheaper than the standard edition for some reason). Can't wait to play!
I really want to preorder, but i'm hoping for some street-date magic...
Flachmatuch
Member
Well, at the fucking time it fucking came out the fucking game was so fucking awesome that the shitty dub didn't fucking matter at all.
Shimano: Shut the fuck up!!!
Mr. Nice_Guy
Member
You have to switch 4 and 3. Also 3 did have a forgettable antagonist. He had the potential to be absolutely amazing, but never got the chance to shine because he wasn't used in any capacity until the last third of the game.
On topic, god I can't wait for this. Only beat the original two years ago and I'm still excited as can be to jump in again.
Peroroncino
Member
No way in hell.
Mine
3 got carried away with some plot points, but overall it was amazing.
Shadowman16
Member
Agreed. I'd probably put 4 over 3 in terms of overall consistency, but in terms of antagonist 3 has it won easily. All I remember from 4's final fights were that ]
the Kiryu/Daigo match was seriously epic and took me by surprise, didn't see that coming a mile away
Police chief whats his face wasn't really all that fun to fight against. I'd go as far as saying he's probably the weakest of the final bosses bar maybe 6 and Kenzan - both of which also had amazing penultimate bosses. That and I still can't remember 1/4 of the boss fights of 4, so I really must replay it sometime!
On the other hand I love the antagonist from 3, sure he could of used more time to be fleshed out (they could have either dropped the cartel side of the plot or trimmed back on the Okinawa military base side of things) but his personality and boss music made things really unforgettable for me. Then again, the more I think about it the more I just really loved most of the boss fights from 3 as a whole (especially the late game ones).
EdwardTivrusky
Member
I haven't played them all but i think the main story threads in the Yakuza series are mostly straight faced crime drama that really draw me in and the wacky, fun vibes come from the side quests and mini games. It makes a nice break between the story beats to spend some time just wandering around being amused by everything Kamurocho has to offer. There's a good change of pace and tone between them that helps keep things fresh.
You're so lucky experiencing Yakuza for the first time in these new engines. They really help bring out the heart and passion of the team for Kamurocho, it's people and stories. If Yakuza Kiwami grabs you then i recommend getting Yakuza 0 later on. Definitely.
for those who are new to the series and have only played yakuza 0 like me.
yakuza 6 comes out in march.
no way yakuza 2 kiwami is coming out that soon. what's your plan for the rest of the series? is anyone going to try to play through all of them before yakuza 6 (just skip 2 i suppose?)
yakuza 6 comes out in march.
no way yakuza 2 kiwami is coming out that soon. what's your plan for the rest of the series? is anyone going to try to play through all of them before yakuza 6 (just skip 2 i suppose?)
Yep, that's what I plan to do. Sucks, but I don't have a PS2 so nothing much I can do about it. I've got Yakuza 3-5 lined up to play after I finish Kiwami.
Spieler Eins
Member
Let's wait for the announcements this week. Apart from the new graphics, Yakuza 6 doesn't look that appealing to me. If there's Kiwami 2 in the same engine, I might just skip 6 and wait for that one.
lucebuce12
Member
Yakuza games are standalone enough that you don't need to have played Y2 or Y3 to appreciate Y6.
At worst, watch the stories of Y4 and Y5 on youtube or something so that you're acclimated with the characters.
At worst, watch the stories of Y4 and Y5 on youtube or something so that you're acclimated with the characters.
Danny Dudekisser
I paid good money for this Dynex!
3 is also a pretty dramatic departure at the beginning, so if you have to skip 2... it's really not that big of a deal, in terms of being able to follow along.
They practically have to do a Kiwami 2 at this point, though. Yakuza 2 was one of the best in the series, and spruced up like Kiwami? Man, I can scarcely imagine how rad it'd be.
Anyway, the closer we get to the 29th, the more excited I get for this. Yakuza 0 convinced me to go out and buy some Yamazaki whiskey and uh... drink along with the game. I look forward to doing that again. Weird as fuck how absorbing these games really are.
psst... Madsen voiced Shimano, not Kiryu
Huh, well that makes more sense. It's been a while since I've played it! Still remember not liking the Kiryu voice actor, though initially when the second game came out I was worried I wouldn't like it as much without the super corny voice acting. Turns out I liked it so much that I couldn't imagine going back so I traded the first one in, which I now regret, even with Kiwami.
Spieler Eins
Member
0 > 3 > 4
From what I've played. 4 had the best Kamurucho to explore, but the main story was kind of crap.
From what I've played. 4 had the best Kamurucho to explore, but the main story was kind of crap.
Shadowman16
Member
I remember it taking me a little while to adjust to the Japanese voices in 2 as I was so used to the English ones from the first game. Which is strange considering the Japanese voices are a much more natural fit to the game when you consider the setting. But now 10 odd years later after playing all the games in the series I really couldn't imagine ever playing the game without the Japanese voices again, it'd probably not ruin the experience but it'd definitely hurt my immersion in the game.
Sumio Mondo
Member
That's how I'd rank them as well. Although I'm tempted to swap 0 with 2 thinking on it, game was phenomenally good, my favourite game this gen so far!
Autoignition
Member
This is crazy to me. The writing in 2 is so bad. Very few game narratives fall apart in the second half as hard as Yakuza 2.
Autoignition
Member
But what about this:
I said in the second half. Dead Souls is a mess from start to finish.
IrishNinja
Member
4 was my favorite right up until 0, now....damn
we need kiwami 2 for discussions like this, also kenzan was up there for me
we need kiwami 2 for discussions like this, also kenzan was up there for me
ScientificPizza
Banned
we really need kiwami 2. the story of 1 & 2 are a complete package in my mind
I thought the writing in Y2 was overall one of the strongest in the series, but it doesn't really hold a candle to 0's IMO. Not to mention that naturally Y2 isn't very fun to go back to after trying the PS3 titles, let alone the PS4 versions of some.
I loved him in the live action Ace Attorney movie
But what about this:
I loved him in the live action Ace Attorney movie
Should be in OT.
IrishNinja
Member
Here are mine.
0 > 4 > 1 > 3 > 2 > 5
I need to play dead souls, kenzan and ishin, I have them all just busy!
5 > 2 = 0 > 3 > 4 > 1
Ishin would probably be hanging around with 2 and 0 whilst Kenzan with 4 and 1 if I included them. Dead Souls can sit with Mikami's film.
I think the writing for Yakuza 0 and 2 go in different direction, one is a character arc whilst the other is a thriller where you don't know where you're heading but I'll give it to 2 because it's finale was what cemented the series as one of my top in gaming (Plus a great love story) oh and that use of
Ishin would probably be hanging around with 2 and 0 whilst Kenzan with 4 and 1 if I included them. Dead Souls can sit with Mikami's film.
I think the writing for Yakuza 0 and 2 go in different direction, one is a character arc whilst the other is a thriller where you don't know where you're heading but I'll give it to 2 because it's finale was what cemented the series as one of my top in gaming (Plus a great love story) oh and that use of
Crazy Ken Band in the Kiryu stabbing scene.