• 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.

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii | Review Thread

RavageX

Member
This will be the first Yakuza game I skip since Yakuza: Dead Souls. I am not optimistic about the future of the series.
This kinda where Im at. It feels like they are just taking advantage of a characters popularity instead of having a proper focus (IMO). Gaiden felt like that to me also and I didn't care for most of it.

Im not buying this one. I own all the others except gaiden(played on gp).

I will play it at some point, but Im not optimistic despite reviews.
 
That’s a really good score. They’re on a hot streak with Yakuza.

On a side note it’s crazy how slow this game’s review thread is compared to another game’s review thread.

People would rather fight and hate than celebrate.
 

sloppyjoe_gamer

Gold Member
Is it just me or is the series inexorably declining in quality as they continue to release new episodes ?

I think what people are noticing (at least me), is that they seem to be reusing many of the same sound effects, and animations from the prior games. That to me, when noticeable makes it look like they're not putting as much effort in some areas?
 

MiguelItUp

Member
Man, I thought it was going to be unlocked already. When I opened Steam and looked just now the Play button flashed green and then disappeared. Such a tease! :(

I think what people are noticing (at least me), is that they seem to be reusing many of the same sound effects, and animations from the prior games. That to me, when noticeable makes it look like they're not putting as much effort in some areas?
Yeah, it honestly feels like they have "in-between games" that re-use assets, but also change up gameplay a bit to make things feel "fresh". All while working on other and more involved projects.
 

Kacho

Gold Member
Is that Samoa Joe?

DSza5KC.png
 

SonicJams

Member
Pre ordered and ready to play soon! These games are so treasured for me. Nothing gets me in the zone more after a hard day or week at work than sitting down on my recliner, dimming the lights and the basking in the yakuza world.

My wife loves me watching play them as well funny enough. Something very relaxing about it for her.
 
Last edited:

nowhat

Member
Preordered and preloaded, a bit over five hours to go where I live.

I've been trying to get into KCD 2, but... it hasn't quite captivated me yet. I think I'll need to get some proper time off work and really try to give it a go. The Yakuza series though (or "Like a Dragon" - ehh, I'll still call it Yakuza) is just what the doctor ordered. It's like comfort food for me. Yes, I know exactly what to expect, even if there are new mechanics involved. Yes, it probably will be very overwhelming and silly. And yes, if/when that one theme with the electric piano starts playing, I'll be all cloudy-eyed even if the moment isn't that emotional. Pavlov would be proud. I'm a good dog.
 
Last edited:

Humdinger

Gold Member
For people complaining about reused assets, that's just a feature of Yakuza games. It's something you notice once you play a few of them. They are constantly copying and pasting stuff, one game to another. And now they have multiple series to draw from. It's why they're able to put out games on a yearly basis. It's also probably why they've been able to make it as a studio and stay profitable. They were hanging by a thread for a long time, from what I hear.

So it's just something you have to accept about these games. You'll see the same things (locations, animations) over and over. In a way, I find it sort of comforting, lol (e.g., returning to Kamarocho for the umpteenth time). As long as they mix it up enough to keep things feeling fresh, I'm okay with it.
 

DeVeAn

Member
I always saw the Main city as a character itself. I have played all the games and seeing different parts of the city change/closed off areas/new buildings etc. over the years I thought was a nice detail.
 

nowhat

Member
A few hours in - this is like the definition of comfort food for me. Yes, it may not be the most healthy or nutritious. But oh man, do I love it. Yakuza games are like pizza. Maybe not that enjoyable every time. But ehh, it's still pizza. And this seems really tasty, but not in any way artisanal or winning any awards kind of pizza - just something that fills your stomach and makes you happy. I'm totally fine with that.
 
Last edited:
How much ship/naval combat is there? I know it's a pirate game but I hate naval combat in games so if there isn't a lot or it can be avoided often, I'll check this out.
 
Last edited:

HRK69

Member
I don't know what's wrong but this one runs like absolute trash

I had zero issues with the previous installments
 

nowhat

Member
I don't know what's wrong but this one runs like absolute trash

I had zero issues with the previous installments
On what platform? Seems to run just fine on PS5 basic.

Gawd, I just love Majima's Japanese VA. No, I don't speak Japanese, but I'm able to read text, so I prefer the original actors. And he's just so incredible, even if I don't understand a word.
 

xenosys

Member
A few hours in - this is like the definition of comfort food for me. Yes, it may not be the most healthy or nutritious. But oh man, do I love it. Yakuza games are like pizza. Maybe not that enjoyable every time. But ehh, it's still pizza. And this seems really tasty, but not in any way artisanal or winning any awards kind of pizza - just something that fills your stomach and makes you happy. I'm totally fine with that.

Pretty much sums up the series.

They're never going to win any awards in any category and don't push any boundaries, but you pretty much know you're going to get a decent experience, at the very least, with Yakuza.
 
Did Yakuza 4 and 5 not sell well? Is that why things were rough?
Internationally, yeah.

3, 4, and the spinoff Dead Souls didn't sell very well, so when 5 got released in Japan, we waited a long time for it to get localized. Had to look on wikipedia to remember, but it took 3 years from Japan's release to a PSN/digital-only localization. A lot of us thought it was over lol.

Yakuza's international comeback after that is quite amazing.
 

SkylineRKR

Member
Yakuza was dead after 2. Then, Sega came back with a very late and butchered Yakuza 3 localization, which was a success despite going directly against FFXIII. But Yakuza 4 and Dead Souls bombed, and Y5 got a miracle digital only release.

Yakuza 0 however was a resounding success, their biggest ever. Since then the series always comes out in the west, and each game being localized faster with LaD being world wide. They even remastered and localized Ishin out of nowhere. The series enjoys usually health sales. Infinite Wealth sold over a million in a week. Its pretty sick, if you compare this series to its PS3 days; Like a Dragon probably outsold games such as Veilguard for example.

I think we can thank the PS4. On that system, Japanese games sold like hot cake again. NieR and Ace Combat also sold like mad on it. Those IP went nowhere on PS3 and 360.
 
Last edited:

MiguelItUp

Member
Having a blast with this so far, and I haven't come across any issues. I noticed a lot of people on the Steam forums mentioning issues with AMD GPUs, but I'm running a 7900xtx and have had no issues at all. I just noticed some really minor bugs, but nothing to ruin gameplay at all.
 

Evil Calvin

Afraid of Boobs
Amazon delivering mine today. How large is the XSX install? My internet sucks....so I may have to wait until tomorrow to play. (unless the content is on the disc....which usually isn't)
 

Paasei

Member
Getting my copy tomorrow. Demo was great fun and I’m working my way through the main line of the Yakuza franchise.
Then I can also pick up the one in the historic setting they are working on.
 

Humdinger

Gold Member
Yakuza was dead after 2. Then, Sega came back with a very late and butchered Yakuza 3 localization, which was a success despite going directly against FFXIII. But Yakuza 4 and Dead Souls bombed, and Y5 got a miracle digital only release.

Yakuza 0 however was a resounding success, their biggest ever. Since then the series always comes out in the west, and each game being localized faster with LaD being world wide. They even remastered and localized Ishin out of nowhere. The series enjoys usually health sales. Infinite Wealth sold over a million in a week. Its pretty sick, if you compare this series to its PS3 days; Like a Dragon probably outsold games such as Veilguard for example.

I think we can thank the PS4. On that system, Japanese games sold like hot cake again. NieR and Ace Combat also sold like mad on it. Those IP went nowhere on PS3 and 360.

That's interesting. Like a lot of people I suppose, Yakuza 0 was my first Yakuza game, and I loved it. I went on to play Kiwami 1 and 2, got burned out, stayed away for a couple years, and then just recently played through Yakuza 6 and LAD Gaiden: Man who Erased His Name, both of which I thought were great.

There are so many Yakuza games I have yet to play - Yakuza 3, 4, and 5, the two main LAD games, the two Judgment games, and this one. By the time I've finished them all, I'm sure they will have released eight more, heh.

I'm glad RGG turned the corner. It's a great series. I owe GAF for that discovery - all the people laughing about it made me give it a shot.

That's another thing I appreciate about Yakuza, btw - the fanbase is friendly and easy going. Fans of other games can get Very Serious sometimes about their beloved game, and very defensive about criticism, but Yakuza fans aren't that way (at least I haven't met any). They are a friendly, lighthearted group who like over the top melodrama, punching people, and having a laugh.

 
I am very happy to see such a renowned and serious, dramatic franchise let its hair down with entries like this. I am enjoying the demo and will play the full game. I don't play the Yakuza games although I am aware of them and respect them. This type of combat, exploration, and wackiness is right up my alley, though!
 
Top Bottom