#it's a rgg game so of course i'll be there

[blueberrybluestar]

what is happening. no seriously what the hell IS this. i need answers. is it lad 8? is it another spin off? why is my boy ichi butt naked in hawaii/america? hello???????? i am interested but at the same time i'm SO confused

[todayisafridaynight]

*head in hands* whats the opinion on the yakuza tv series brother

i cant have an opinion on a thing when the thing aint even out yet brother

[peemanne]

quick little burst of text i wanted to get out of my system. made for my super awesome backloggd whoa haha hey isn't that a cool thing where you can follow me isn't that awesome

transcript below if you need it and/or are too lazy to go to the site:

ok i'll make my big boy pants incomprehensible raving ramble review later when i stop sitting on my ass and finish all the other ones for this series. but for now i just NEED to talk about this game man.

infinite wealth to me is like another yakuza 5. yeah, there are some obvious flaws, some really weird story decisions and, hell, both even have divisive final bosses that i grew to really really like over time. but the things that ARE present are so full of heart and so genuine that i can't help but overlook those flaws. ichiban and friends are still such amazing characters who i loved to just see hang out. ichiban himself still proves to be an amazing protagonist, his cheerful and energetic demeanor feeling so refreshing. and of course star of the show himself, the dragon of dojima. maybe i was a little split on kiryu coming back after 6 and even getting a whole ass mini spinoff just to try to make having his mug on the cover art feel justified. but now that i've finally heard the final verse off of kazuma kiryu's swansong? everything in this game feels like a love letter to the LEGACY this man has left on the series. anyone who can call themselves an rgg fan will get so much out of the life links. so much out of the story's main themes of living life and not throwing yourself away. so much out of slowly, but so so surely seeing kiryu realize that the life he's living is one worth fighting for. and i know it will, because it definitely meant so much to me.

infinite wealth isn't perfect. the story is maybe a little mixed. the pacing really falters at times. but this game is worth so much more than the sum of its parts to me. maybe even worth an infinite wealth eh eh eh eh eh

(additionally, just like yakuza 5, this game's combat system is puhpuhpuh-peak and also the ost bangs. kooky has held me captive for months on end now. i would make the whole save me joke but i don't want to escape)

[tanimuradefender]

Quick Q&A

Even though I'm not really known in the Yakuza sphere what so ever, I thought it would be fun to have a pinned Q&A on some basic Yakuza related questions so people can get an idea of me and my relationship towards the game.

q: How did you discover the Yakuza series?

a: Funny story, my brother and I were at Target and noticed Yakuza 0 in a display for only $6 so we decided to grab it and give it a shot. I can't recall if he had heard about the series before or not, but I hadn't heard about it until I saw it in person. The copy belonged to my brother but he let me borrow it so I could play it while he was gone for a summer. The rest is pretty much history.

q: What games have you played so far?

a: I have played through 0 all the way through 6, minus the Black Panther games as I only now have the resources to play the fan translation. I do plan on beating them at some point but it's not that high of a priority. I am also going to play through the Judgement games, as I already have beaten Judgement and will be playing Lost Judgement as soon as I'm able!

q: Who are your favorite characters?

a: So in order, it goes... 1. Kiryu 2. Tanimura 3. Akiyama 4. Saejima 5. Daigo 6. Mine 7. Rikiya 8. Ryuji 9. Date 10. Nagumo (Of course there are characters off this list that I enjoy, but this is just my top ten.) This list is separated from Judgement characters and there's no Like a Dragon or Infinite Wealth characters because I haven't played it yet. I do like Ichiban with the small amount of information I have of him (4 hours in Like a Dragon). I also think my list of favorite Judgment characters should remain separated, so expect that soon.

q: What's your favorite RGG game?

a: No contest, it's Yakuza 4 followed up by Judgement. Behind those two are Kiwami 2 and Y0. While all the games are enjoyable in their own ways, Yakuza 4 was the most refreshing game I played throughout 2023 and was well needed after my experience with 3. Plus it has Tanimura in it, so you know.

q: Thoughts on Judgement?

a: Of what I've played so far (on chapter 11 as of writing this) I'm a huge fan and really enjoy the rooster of characters involved in this game. I'm also a big fan of the detective elements when I'm typically not a fan of those elements in other games. I have somewhat of a love-hate relationship with Yagami though, but it doesn't reduce my enjoyment of the gameplay or story. And after beating it I can say it's very well written and I'm such a huge fan.

If I can think of anymore I'll add them here and edit when needed.

first posted: 2/26/2024

last edited: 3/4/2024

[jesselemonbubbles]

love in heart still just gets me giggling, like

i found out that the membership card gets you new courses at 5 and 10 visits, and it's just a fun button mashing game if you're NOT into the girl, so i was like. yeah i'll do that! i wanna get the high scores! my gayness is my shield!

and then. well. out comes this guy who says shit like "my succulent hercules"

and let me fucking tell you. the first time i played his course, it ended instantly. i think the second time i managed to make it through but i got extremely, extremely distracted thinking he was about to put a lollipop (not what it was) in his mouth (he didn't) and almost lost.

i am not better than the straight men who play these minigames. i am simply gay. PLEASE rgg can we get some real male softcore porn- what who said that.

[cowboymantis]

OKAY I figured out how I'll do the gifsets!!!

So just planning on making random gifsets for my favourite things bc I love doing those anyway!

But here are the ones I've settled on (for now, if I want to add another category I'll just edit this and add onto it):

[RGG] Gifsets

( via #rgg-gifsets )

Focuses on my favourite characters from Yakuza. All spin-offs included! Had to make a special category for Yakuza, simply because there are... so many...

[Games] Gifsets

( via #games-gifsets )

Focuses on my favourite characters from videogames. Well, any that aren't Yakuza characters, obviously.

[Toku] Gifsets

( via #toku-gifsets )

Focuses on my favourite characters from Tokusatsu shows/movies.

[Drama] Gifsets

( via #drama-gifsets )

Can be jdrama, kdrama, whatever. As long as it's not Toku! Focuses on my favourite characters from dramas.

[BiasETC] Gifsets

( via #biasetc-gifsets)

Started as a "bias" category (like for kpop) in my drafts, but settled on a much more broad one, but I like the term bias, so I kept it.

So this is basically for musicians and actors in general! Focuses more on the person themselves, not specifically the media they're in, as in a character they play, so if an actor I like plays a character that isn't my fav, WELL here's my less specific category :'D

[MV] Gifsets

( via #mv-gifsets )

MV = music video AND movie, but of course also shows count. Basically, just random media gifsets of either a certain mv/show I really like, a character I like that doesn't fit the other categories, or just think it looks cool! Since I'm not sure if I'll include much anime, I didn't want to do a specific anime category, so this can go in there too.

The format I'll (hopefully, if I remember) post them in:

Let's say, for example, if the first gifset in the category for BiasETC is of Taemin, then it'll be like this:

[BiasETC] Gifsets #1 - Taemin

I'll number them all, starting by 1 for each tag individually just for better organization. The numbers don't mean anything special, literally just to keep track!

But what if I decide a couple posts later (or just directly after that one), to make a part 2? Then I just keep the numbers going normally! So if I make a part 2, for example it could look like this:

[BiasETC] Gifsets #15 - Taemin [Part 2]

There is no time limit for this and there is no goal of how many posts I want to do until I stop, as long as I literally consume ANY type of media that moves, I will be adding onto this! :D And it will be completely random, just whenever I feel like it! Literally all just for fun

Why such a complicated, overly specific guideline list??? Because I love sorting random things, hell I've got hundreds of google docs just for lists about my current interests!!! Also it helps me better to keep track of what I've posted on here :]

Before I even started Kamen Rider, or Super Sentai, I have made specific lists with every season and special/movie on them, so that I can then make another list, aka my watchlist, to properly note down what I've watched. And for some reason, making the list was just as much fun as finally watching it, I was almost sad when I was done 😭😭

So yeah. You can always find this OG post again under #gifsets-explanation , and I'll be adding this onto all the posts I make!

I'll try to make a specific tag for every gifset I post, so if I ever make more parts, they can all easily be searched for. With the previous Taemin example, it could be something like #gifsets-taemin

[autisticwriterblog]

Snowflake Challenge #6

In your own space, share a favourite piece of original canon (a show, a specific TV episode, a storyline, a book or series, a scene from a movie, etc) and explain why you love it so much. Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

I'm a big fan of the Yakuza/Like a Dragon video game series (called Ryu ga Gotoku in Japanese). They also have a spin off series called Judgment, about a different protagonist but set in the same world. They are set in a series of fictional versions of locations in Japan (such as a city called Sotenbori, which is modeled after the real life Dotonbori, Osaka), and follow a series of protagonists through violent stories about the yakuza and organised crime. They're gritty and violent games that take themselves very seriously... but also have some of the weirdest, silliest sidequests and minigames I have ever seen. 

I joined the fandom in 2019 after playing Yakuza 0, and have been in love with these games ever since. But my favorite game in the series is Yakuza: Like a Dragon (RGG 7), so that's what I want to talk about for today's challenge.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon stars a new protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga, who starts the game by taking the fall for a murder at his boss' request and spends 18 years in prison. Ichiban is an incredibly endearing character, loyal to a fault and a massive dork who loves Dragon Quest and helping everyone he meets. After being shot, Ichiban wakes up in Ijincho, Yokohama, where he begins his quest to work out what happened to him and cope with how much the world has changed in 18 years. 

Other than adoring Ichiban, I love this game because they were brave enough to drastically change the combat system, switching to a turn-based RPG complete with classes (called jobs in the game), a result of Ichiban's overactive imagination and love of JPRGs. And it was a big gamble, but in my personal opinion, it worked. I love the old games and their beat-em-up combat, but I also love turn-based RPGs, and LAD implements all the changes so well. The combat is fun and creative, especially when experimenting with all the different classes.I never get tired of dungeon crawling to level up and find upgrade materials in this game. 

Due to being an RPG, the game of course gives Ichiban a collection of party members who all provide their own skills in battle. You meet your party members throughout the game, and they're all such entertaining and interesting characters who I love spending time with. You can take part in Drink Links at the bar, where you have conversations with your allies that teach you more about them, and also unlock new classes for them to use in combat. 

Honestly, I could ramble about this game forever, but I'd end up going into spoiler territory. So I'll stop here. Thanks for reading my infodump about this video game! 

[thecindercrow]

3, 23, 26 for the ask game?

3. 1-3 games you’ve played in the past 12 months that you really enjoyed

Death's Door, Ghost Trick, and LaD Gaiden

Death's Door is one I'm ashamed I ignored for so long based off knowing so little about it, even while knowing you play as a crow. I thought I wouldn't really like the combat style and mechanics, but Tunic changed my mind on that, so I gave Death's Door a shot and loved it! The combat was fun, the aesthetic and vibes are lovely, and the music is so good. Ghost Trick was another one on the periphery, but it got harder to get to the more time went on. When the Switch port/remaster was announced I was immediately on board. And boy, it did not disappoint. Phenomenal game. And of course LaD Gaiden. I'll admit I was a little unsure about this one when it was announced, but it surprised in some of the best ways. I hope they make some more small, supplemental games like this.

23. A “Wow” moment of awe

This is so open-ended. Well, big spoilers for Disco Elysium, but one that comes to mind is the reveal of the phasmid at the end. Finally seeing this mythical, beautiful thing at the end of this long, harrowing week, and realizing that it's just been right there the whole time. You could write essays about it, but that moment right there was beautiful.

26. Realism or stylized?

Stylized. I don't really mind realism either, but you get so much more personality and deliberate aesthetic out of stylized. Even if it's something like RGG games, where there is a mostly realistic base but with a stylized finish and flair. Does that make sense?

[iri-vail]

alright i finished gaiden and i need to scream

I MISSED KIRYU I MISSED HIM SO MUCH AND NOW HE'Ll BE GONE! I know he'll be in infinite wealth but...i don't think it will be the same. Feels like gaiden sent him off with a bang, and infinite wealth will finish the job.

I love this series' handling of tone so much. like, gaiden was 0 levels silly again, and kiryu was at his most uninhibited yet i think? But seeing him this defeated, it really hammered home again and again how over the course of the series, we've watched everything get taken from this man. and i haven't kept up with the promos for infinite wealth, but it seems he'll die soon, too. It's insane how real this man feels at this point, i've spent so much time playing as him, have seen so much of his life...

I really love that they included yumi and kazama again! I kept reminding myself, all of that happened in what, 2005? 20 years, and he still has that ring. He still sings that song for Nishiki, which I totally made Akame sit through again and again, because someone other than me needs to remember my brother!

The song for Haruto was also so great, and of course, everything else with the kids... the finale was heartbreaking, Kiryu getting shown just how much of their lives he's missed. I really hope there's gonna be some kind of reunion or Something, because I couldn't take it otherwise. Also, I need justice for Haruka! I need to see my daughter again, she was barely in 6, too, rgg let me see her!!!!

Hmm what else. I really loved the combat! And I'll miss it. I know there's the spinoffs that will stay action focused, but there's really nothing that can replace a Kiryu rampage. Tiger Drop my beloved.

I loved the characters they introduced and I'm glad they didn't kill them off. Nishitani and Shishido were amazing.

Oh yeah MY MAN DAIGO! My boy. The way he kept glancing at Kiryu, disbelieving, almost shy. He's such a wet blanket still, but with a backbone of steel, I'm so glad he got to see Kiryu again. I hope they'll get a proper goodbye. There's a lot Kiryu has fucked up during his life, and I'm glad gaiden at least touched upon that with his speech to Shishido, but I think he Really has shit to make up to Daigo. I hope they'll get that moment.

The last boss fight was amazing. Reminded me a lot of the showdown with Ryuji in 2 or the finale of 5. Though I don't even remember that guy's name, yakuza 5's last fight felt so gritty, so all out no holds barred violent, and gaiden managed this again. The game was a lot more violent in general I think? Or maybe I'm remembering wrong, but there were several moments where I couldn't believe they actually just did that. The whole execution scene for one, Nishitani being stabbed, something else I can't remember right now. It was good! It really made it feel like Kiryu had lost all faith, all idealistic notions towards this life, and was defeated enough to just go along with it. I loved his freakout when Nishitani "died". I can imagine a younger Kiryu who would have beaten Shishido and Tsuruno half to death for that.

Overall, such a great game. I think I had as much fun with this as with 0 and 6! At the same time, it's made me feel...queasy, kind of empty and unsettled. I'm honestly amazed at what they've created with these games. Sure, they're not perfect and some are better than others, but overall it's been such a journey. I played the first of these games in 2019, started with 0 and worked my way up, so this feeling that we're heading towards the end, that Kiryu's story and maybe his life will end... I don't know, it's unsettling.

I liked 7 well enough but the combat especially didn't really click for me...so I'm curious how I'll like infinite wealth. I've played the demo and....it's interesting, but I'm not fully on board yet. Anyway, that's it for rambling. I am emotionally exhausted and will go to bed now....

[skeysesil]

Tomoya Nagase - Kiryu Kazuma

So, for almost a year now I've been yelling about how SEGA used Tomoya Nagase as model for Kiryu in Yakuza 0 and had the audacity to deny, making the fandom connect Takaya Kuroda to the character he's voicing and his looks. BUT I am here to show you the truth, because not only did Tomo serve as an unwilling model, the 2005 drama "Tiger and Dragon" in which he starred played also a role in the development of the first Ryu ga Gotoku game, the infamous PS2 version.

If you're ready for the ride of your life, you know what to do.

And if you haven't played RGG/Yakuza Kiwami yet, skip through because this includes a minor spoiler.

We're all familiar with Kiryu's features and how sharp his bone structure is throughout the series, but pay attention specifically to his lips, the placement of his cheekbones, eyebrows, and overall physiognomy.

handsome motherfucker

NOW have a look at the real life "Kiryu Kazuma"

Tomo is quite known for his portrayal of Yakuza characters in the early 2000s jdramas; "Tiger and Dragon" had a run time from April 15th to June 24th, 2005, where he plays the role of Toraji Yamazaki, a stereotypical yakuza who is hoping to become a rakugo (comic) storyteller. The irony of the situation is that his best friend in the entire story is a designer named Ryuji. [if you know, you know]

Does this "aesthetic" look familiar character-wise? thought so too

now some random information that is really important:

Tiger and Dragon came out in the first half of 2005, while PS2 Yakuza was released on December 8th the same year

Tomoya and Kiryu have the same place of birth and height

due to some problems, I can't upload a video, but in an episode of T&D, Tora is called and walks on his kyodai [Tsuruko] who is threatening another yakuza at gunpoint, taking charge of the situation and the role of a shield, demanding his brother to leave snatching the gun from Tsukuro's hand, he awaits the police to break into the building, getting cuffed and sent to jail, obviously for a crime he didn't commit, does it sound familiar? OF COURSE! it's the same script presented by SEGA with the death of Dojima scene where Kiryu covers up for Nishiki, sending him away with Yumi, getting sent to the joint for 10 years

ONE more ironic aspect that has to be pointed out is that in the 2007 live-action Yakuza movie "Like a Dragon", Kiryu was played by Kazuki Kitamura, WHO starred together with Tomoya in "Tiger and Dragon"; I guess this is the perfect representation of SEGA trying to decide who to choose to play the mighty Dragon of Dojima on screen

0 versus Kiwami, anyone?

I could go on and on about this, and frankly, I am not the only one who says that Tomo could've easily portrayed Kiryu in an RGG based movie, but unfortunately he is now retired from the entertainment industry so...huge loss.

If anyone is interested, I can also make a post on how SEGA used Tomoya as a model for Nishiki as well, using both his image from the late 90s and his character Sakaki Makio from the hilarious drama "My Boss, My Hero", juuust let me know. [I'll throw in a bonus, don't worry]

Thank you for coming to my TED talk, enjoy your ride back home.

[watasemasaru]

if you're still feeling like playing the rgg game can you answer: a3, a4, a7, b4, b5, c2, c10, e2, f7?

Yeah yeah yeah! <3

A) Just Your Faves:

3.Favorite Protagonist(s) Ichiban Kasuga Ichiban is just such a breath of fresh air; he's funny, relatable, charismatic. I'm more partial to a protag that's upbeat and a little dumb as opposed to someone stoic. I'll give Majima an honorable mention as he's also a lot of fun to walk through a story with.

4. Favorite Antagonist(s) Jin Kuwana. Like many who love this character, it's tied to a personal history of being bullied. There's only so much "waiting for things to change" before you can't take it anymore. Having someone like Kuwana who has decided that kids are dying now, I'm not waiting for the law is a comfort. "Doing what is right" isn't always going to mean following the law. AND HE'S SUPER CUTE JUST LOOK AT HIM. HE'S MY BABYGIRL

7. Favorite substory(ies) I loved hunting for the squirrels in Lost Judgment, and looking for cats in Judgment. In general I love answering the call of the primal urge to hunt and gather.

B) Let's get Personal:

4. Who would you like to post more, but don't? Why don't you? Watase...because I've combed through his tag like five or six times and reblogged everything just as much...and a good bit of the tag is just me being an idiot LMAO

5. Which character do you think you would bump heads with most if you knew them in real life? Masato Arakawa & Yoshitaka Mine. The problem being we're too much alike. The three of us in a room would be an insufferable nightmare. Three introverted loners, two with a complex of being the sibling no one not even your own parents liked? We gotta open a window the edge and depression is curling the paint help.

C) Let's be Subjective

2. Which game had the worst plotline? It's a tie between Y4 & Y6. TBH I couldn't tell you one fucking thing about Y6 and I played it twice other than its shit ending...all of it is shit I hate Y6 LOL. And Y4 is just - I don't get how it's a fan favorite, Akiyama I'm certain is the only reason why anyone holds it in such regard.

10. Which game do you think should get a remake? You could remake Y6 and retcon Haruka shaking up with bighead and I'd be satisfied. You could retcon all of Y6 and I'd be over the moon. Part of that game's problem is it just felt like prestige tv. One really long showcase of star studded named like Shun Oguri, Beat Takeshi, Tatsuya Fujiwara, and Hiroyuki Miyasako. I mean I guess Y0 did that too but it did it well, this one did not.

E) This or That?

2. Bops: Haruka Sawamura, T-SET, or Dream Line? Haruka Sawamura. So Much More is THE song okay. It's bright and catchy. And of course the all star remixes are so goodddddd. It's funny her VA sings the same way for Rise Kujikawa, but I absolutely hateeee her! The character's personality definitely helps make music likeable.

F) Insert Yourself

7. Who are you fighting on top of the Millennium Tower rooftop? I'm getting at least one swing at Kiryu and I'm gonna be screaming my qualms and crying the whole time cuz I'm so mad LMAO. You could line them all up and let me get one hit in though, I'll think of a reason why later >:3

[noizplayssomestuff]

I made the mistake of reading comments on one of the walkthrough forum threads again and just. It's so odd to me.

I feel like fandom on tumblr is so different than in those. Most of what I see in the RGG fandom here is positive and the sentiment of "I play the game because I like it and the characters", meanwhile the people on those sites seem to somehow hate everything that came out after the PS2 games and I just. Huh?

Then. Don't play them? If you hate the enriched story and character dynamics, as well as just hating on all the mechanics I mean. You can just not buy and play them. I mean I get that some ppl buy a game and go "oh this isn't for me" and that is fine, of course it is. I don't like each game I try either.

But then I don't make myself hate play it and keep buying the games, hoping they suddenly cater to me specifically again? And I certainly don't go out of my way to go into threads of players seeking help, telling them "I'll tell you how you beat this: delete the game it's garbage". I mean, why? That seems like such a waste of energy and is both mean and toxic for the rest of the thread.

I'm always glad when ppl just ignore such comments then, but sadly and often enough ppl take the bait and start arguing, which wouldn't be all *that* bad, except there is a place for that and it's not walkthroughs or help threads.

I know I'm rambling but I have encountered this for all the RGG games I had to look something up for and it's just so odd to me.

TLDR; If someone is looking for/offering help on a game they are enjoying, why the hell do some people feel the need to start shit/spew hate for the game there. I just don't get some people.

[todayisafridaynight]

What’s the moment in Yakuza that made you go “I’m In.” As in the moment that made you obsessed.

there wasnt ever really one Singular moment that made me go 'ok im obsessed now', it just kinda gradually happened and now here we are almost a year later

[peemanne]

pee-man's yakuza ost review: the original

guess who's obsessing over shirtless guys fighting on rooftops again!!!!!!! so i've been working on a little personal project which naturally involves me typing up a bunch of yakuza related stuff and i usually listen to said soundtrack whenever i write about it because a) it reminds me of my experiences with the games themselves and b) buzz lightyear video game osts video so while i'm doing that i got the idea to do this little thing on the side: i'm gonna review each game's ost as i write about them, keeping things fresh in my mind and to give another shot to tracks i might've missed or forgotten about. when it's all over, i'll do the natural gamer thing and make a Tier List™️ because of course i will plus i haven't listened to most of the japanese only spinoff ost's so i finally get an excuse to fully listen to those too. yippee!!

Naturally we start with the first game: Yakuza for the PS2. (quality for certain tracks can get a little questionable towards their ends: i just listened to them via spotify myself)

The first two PS2 games have a very unique sound to them that the later entries don't really have. A lot of the current composers haven't really gotten on board yet, so Hidenori Shoji's directed and (I think) also composed most of the tracks by himself. What results is a more rough, edged feel to the sound. It's almost grunge-like rock, and I'm definitely a fan of what comes out of it.

My personal top 5 includes: 1) Turning Point, with its sirens and dream-like rhythms 2) Pray Me, with unintelligible English lyrics, unironically my favorite part of it 3) For Whose Sake, conveying so much sorrow 4) son of a gun, if you want reasoning just listen to 1:08-1:20 5) Funk Goes On, which kept me coming back for street fights just to hear it again

Some tracks I appreciated more this time include:

Blow To The City: This is a pretty damn solid panic theme! I love the unease that comes with those piano chords in the middle.

Singin' Bass: Fun little track for the hostess minigame. I dig how laid back it is, and I really like those little touches and whispers of sax.

Coming To My Life: The... uh... noises at the start threw me for a loop when this first came on, but aside from that, another cool laid back song. The vocals are very, how you say, "video game music" like? But yeah, whatever, cool track.

Poison Pill: I honestly didn't even know this track existed. But hey, it sounds awesome, and it's more music, so that's a win. I like the main riffs quite a bit, and of course, that signature PS2kuza siren. I love that siren so much.

You of course have your iconic first appearances of what would be legendary tracks with pretty strong first outings, with what is basically the game's main theme, Receive You, and our favorite one-eyed mad dog's first ever theme, Receive You the Prototype. And, yeah! They're pretty solid tracks, and it's no wonder they've been the basis for so many renditions later down the line. Receive You actually won 2nd place in a little OST bracket on Youtube awhile back: that should speak to it's legacy a lot. I love the other renditions a LOT, but the originals still stand strong as great tracks.

Overall, pretty strong soundtrack! Even in their first outing, RGG had their priorities straight and their music department on fire. While, spoiler alert, I still like Yakuza 2's OST more, there are some really good tracks here, and they do so much to enhance the moment's they're played in, as well as really helping in Yakuza 1's atmosphere, which I'd argue is one of the game's strongest elements. I'd STRONGLY recommend a listen to anyone who's only every heard the Kiwami renditions.

[todayisafridaynight]

late to the corn train because boy do i suck at allowing myself to be corny but the way you do art is just... totally mindblowing to me. the way you draw as quickly and post as often as you do while still putting out really high-quality work? insane behaviour. i couldn't even DREAM of working at your pace. oftentimes also tuning into stream while i have CSP open myself really helps to get me going. so, thanks for that

also... i'm not aware of the details or how things happened before ca. a few months ago when i got back into RGG, but i'm also really grateful for i guess the space you've created where people feel comfortable enough to just pop off in your inbox (like this lol). of course you get the occasional Weirdo (affectionate?) but for the most part i love it when you get these hugh jass asks AND LEAVE HUGH JASS RESPONSES, like, everyone's just speaking their mind and geeking out over this silly video game series, in one little space where we can all feed off each other. and i think that's beautiful.

anyway don't listen to your brain when it plays tricks on you, you're valued

talkin bout my art output this week has got to be the most unfortunate timing ever i havent been able to post a damn thing so it feels inappropriate to praise me for it LOL but i'll take it for. Every Other Week :) i will force myself to take it :^)

i'll always say im really happy i can inspire people to create !! if that's what im readin anyway idk it still feels weird to think that BUT ITS STILL IMPORTANT TO ME. i cannot stress the importance of people making things and expressin creativity so its always cool to hear im vaguely a part of that... woAh..

and on THAT note i am ALSO really glad people are so cozy in my inbox. yes even the weirdos (affectionate) (concerned) (mostly affectionate). it makes checking the inbox a roulette of an experience and im always happy to get to do it :)

ALSO NO DONT WORRY LMAO you aint ever said nothin toxic or outta pocket- no one has really (to me) so if i ever feel weird or bad about somethin said it's a me problem LOL

[peemanne]

Yakuza 2 (2006) Review: Turning Up the Heat

i'm just copying the intro from the last one and you cannot stop me Hey, it's Pee again! So there's this site called Backloggd that's basically just letterboxd for video games and I've been writing a bunch of reviews there, with a bunch of longer ones for RGG games because of course so. I've got one currently cooking for 0 and in the meanwhile, I've decided to put them up here too, for archiving or whatever. I also get to put silly captions on them now. So with that out of the way, here's the original Yakuza 2

Also might as well plug my backloggd in here if you wanna see the rest of the stuff I've done hehehehehe

This review contains minor spoilers. Reviewed on Jul 16, 2023 Completed on the Playstation 2 (via PCSX 2) Rating: 9/10 (4.5 Stars)

I really, really liked Yakuza 2. The more I think about it, the more I just think to myself "Damn, I really really liked that one". Should probably preface this review with a little disclaimer: I've been playing these games in an odd order. Started with 0, played the original 1+2, played Like a Dragon, then Judgment, and then went to the Remastered Collection. And even after all of that, I still look back at this entry, which came so early in the franchise, and I look back at it pretty fondly.

I'll start off with the combat. I admittedly did not enjoy the original Yakuza's combat that much. It was serviceable, and laid out some great groundwork that would be expanded upon for a whole series, but ultimately Kiryu didn't feel that good to control. The janky camera definitely didn't help that much. But when I went to Yakuza 2, I could immediately feel the difference. Kiryu is as smooth as butter here. He's fast, even right off that bat. He's strong, which is made to feel even better with the immaculate sound design returning from the first game. The heat actions are really beefy feeling in this one. Yakuza 2's combat doesn't feel dated at all. It also gave us ultimate essence, which is the funniest heat action ever. Shoutout to the PS2 faxxing gif. The combat shines even more via some pretty sick boss fights. This game introduced Feel the Heat, which really adds a lot to the experience. I'd like to highlight Hayashi for this. He just randomly shows up with a LOT of health bars, a fun moveset, and 2 different phases, the second one having him RIP OUT some pipes from the wall and use them as kali sticks. And when you finally beat him down, his FTH has him backed up and stuck against the wall, and Kiryu delivers some of the most heavy feeling punches in the series. All of this added up for a super memorable fight, even though he held almost 0 story importance.

Speaking of Hayashi, Evil Itself is an amazing track that I wish they remixed for Kiwami 2. Speaking of Evil Itself, let's talk about the soundtrack. The original 2 PS2 games have a pretty unique sound compared to the rest of the series. It has this rough, harsh edge to it, and it really makes it feel like its own thing. Aside from the aforementioned Evil Itself, some pretty good stand out tracks for me are Hit & Kill, The Grudge, Bad Fortune Flower, and North Menace. Then there's A Scattered Moment, which is an amazing final boss theme. It personally makes the final boss for me, it's such a beautiful track. There's also, of course, the GOAT, Outlaw's Lullaby. One of the best regular fight themes in the series, made even better with the Kiwami remix. I love Outlaw's Lullaby so much. It's half the reason I went back to Sotenbori so much. I'd just ride the taxi just to get into street fights for no reason just to hear more Outlaw's Lullaby. I will now go listen to it again. I love it. I love it so much. I love it so mu

Anyways, the story. I understand it's definitely a love-or-hate-it kind of deal. If you've played this game before, you are DEFINITELY aware the shenanigans that occur during the finale. But in spite of all of those shenanigans, I can't bring myself to dislike this game's story. The main driving force for it is probably the main villain, Ryuji Goda. He has such a rich presence, and he absolutely steals the show whenever his mug shows up on screen. Some might call his motivations stupid, but I think they fit his character well. And especially during the later parts of the game, you only grow to like him even more. Aside from Ryuji, though, the other characters are really good too. Kiryu's characterized pretty well here, with the events of the first game still coming back to affect him. Kaoru's a pretty cool character, and her relationship with Kiryu brings out the strengths in both their characters. Plus it's just really sick fighting with her. Killer Kawara's a pretty interesting case part of the story, with his past and all coming back into the spotlight in the present. I only wish he got more screentime, but he's one of the more interesting parts of the story for me. Also Date's with him. And Date's still the goat. What a guy. Again, even with all the super goofy plot twists, I just really like Yakuza 2's story. I wouldn't say it's one of the stronger ones in the series, but I do think it still stands as a pretty decent plot with some amazing characters. I'd also just like to say that this game has one of my favorite scenes in the series, that being the one with Kiryu smoking in the rain.

Yakuza 2 surprised me as a strong entry in the series. I am of the belief that this game has barely aged at all, and I would definitely recommend it to any yakuza fan who hasn't given it a try yet. It's a very unique experience, and it's fun to see just how far this series has come, and just how strong it was even back then. Anyways listen to As a man, as a brother