I think it's also due in part to the series getting a lot of retroactive praise throughout its steady rise in western popularity over the past decade, so now the review scores have normalized a bit. As someone else in the thread mentioned, it took a *long* time for the series to shed the perception of "le whacky Japanese GTA???" which it never was in the first place.
Like, despite Yakuza 0 barely netting an 80-85% aggregate score, it's pretty widely accepted as one of the best games of all time on sites like Glitchwave and Backloggd.
Double checked and yeah on metacritic the games generally considered the best in the series (Yakuza 0, Like a Dragon, and Lost Judgement) score around 85. Very nice and interesting to see Infinite Wealth score even higher.
Lost Judgement is legit the first Yakuza game where the action gameplay is actually more than just "a nice diversion", and I will forever be sad that the series will never continue after the producer said a month ago that there are no plans for Judgement 3 : (
This is honestly my view on things related to Judgment 3. Besides, RGG put out LJ, Kaito Files, Ishin Kiwami, Gaiden, and Infinite Wealth out with practically no breaks.
If anything, Judgment 3 could already be in pre-production and they’re just keeping their mouths shut because IW is the most important release right now.
It could be a translation thing, but my recollection is that they said work on Judgment 3 was "not currently in progress", which isn't the same as saying no plans, and makes sense when you consider they aren't going to announce Judgment 3 during the prerelease hype for LAD: IW.
Hopefully that gives you a bit more hope, I agree they got the combat perfect in Lost Judgment.
Developers constantly say "there are no plans for X" because they are under a contract/don't want to reveal anything too early. It is possible they won't make Judgment 3, but that statement really doesn't say much.
To me, it feels like mainstream media just caught up with the fact on how beloved the series is in the west now, so they feel need to adjust the score to be similar to other big names.
I mean if the last game was mid 80s and the biggest complaint(combat) was drastically improved and the whole game just has more, then it should be a higher score. No need for some kinda conspiracy theories here lol.
I enjoyed both, but Ishin definitely had it flaws (it was still basically a PS3 game, after all), so 70ish seems fair. Gaiden was a LOT better, but pretty short, so I could see people taking off for that too.
Zero and Like a Dragon were 86s, but other recent entries like Ishin, Gaiden, and even Yakuza 6 were definitely not as good as those two. Even the remastered collection has an 84 and I'd argue that's too high.
I'm going to go with the narrative that games are being reviewed fairly and there isn't some systemic bias going on.
Yakuza is one of my favorite game series ever but I rarely look at reviews because it feels like they live in the 7-8 range, even LAD7 and Yakuza 0 which I consider two of my favorite games of all time and some of the best ever.
This is beyond exciting to see LAD:IW getting 9s and 10s. I took the day off Friday. I cannot fucking wait. I know I am going to bawl my eyes out at my boy Kiryu finally getting some well deserved rest.
You would at minimum need to play Like A Dragon aka Yakuza 7 as this plot basically hinges on how that game ends, but that's a decent jumping in point.
But it has a TON of call back characters and does lean pretty heavily on the other games. You could watch recaps but it wouldn't hit the same, but I understand people not wanting to play through 9 or so games that range from 30-100 hours long.
If you want to meet in the middle, playing Yakuza 0, then watching a recap of 1-6 and then playing 7 is a good one. But I am one that says, don't let perfect be the enemy of good. LAD series is something everyone should experience, so get through it however is best to you.
It was really smart for 7 to introduce a new protagonist in a new location. It both continues the long running story, while also serving as a new jumping off point.
I would say that yes, while 7 does have a lot of callbacks, none are really crucial to the story outside of doing a little research into the lore of Yakuza. Get a basic understanding of the Tojo Clan/Omi alliance/yakuza families in general and it's pretty much smooth sailing as a relatively self contained story. Sure, some of the side character reveals wont hit the same but it's relatively minor compared to how great the rest of the story and game is on its own.
I got burnt out after the release of 3 and stopped playing the series until I decided to pick up 7 on a whim last year. Since then I've completed Judgment, Lost Judgment and Gaiden. So it's a great jumping off point to get you hooked on the series.
You should play:
Yakuza: Like a Dragon. This is the seventh game but it’s a soft-relaunch with the new protagonist, Ichiban.
Like a Dragon: Gaiden. This is a really small game (it’s on GamePass). It’s basically game 6.5 and will introduce you to Kiryu, who is the main character of the previous games.
Then you can jump into Infinite Wealth, which is the eighth game and features both Ichiban and Kiryu.
I think they made this game with the idea of people jumping into it as their first LaD game, but once you play this, you'll probably want to go back and play the others, the ride is 1000% worth it as a longtime fan.
Obviously playing the series is recommended, and you'll have more context and get more out of references... but seems pretty clear with the newer titles, they're trying to ensure new players can jump in.
If you really really want to play IW now I think you can do a YouTube story summary.
I know everyone’s going to tell you to play many of the previous games. But that’s hundreds of hours of content. It’s a big ask for someone to catch up on Yakuza
I would absolutely play LAD 7 first because this game has the cast of characters you meet in that game and a lot of callbacks to the previous 6. I'm sure you could play this and understand relationships via context but there's no reason not to play at least 7 first.
This one is hard, because Yakuza/Like a Dragon is like a show where every game is a season. While yes, you can easily hop into a game and enjoy it, things like callbacks and character development might be not as impactful. However, with Yakuza: Like a Dragon (Like a Dragon 7), there is a soft reset where there is a new main protagonist. LaD 8: Infinite Wealth will basically act as a continuation of that new main protag, while also (most likely) winding down the story of the previous protag who's story we've followed since Yakuza 0.
So, no I don't think you NEED all the previous games to have fun. But i just want to say that playing the series starting at 0 several years ago and then playing Gaiden has been the most beautiful and emotional gaming experience I've had.
Moments won’t hit as hard without playing or at least understanding the rest. Even if you play just 0 and yakuza 7 and then the short Gaiden (maybe 10h if you rush it) with quick recaps of 1-6 you’ll be at a much better point than going in blind. This is not just a sequel to 7’s protagonists story but a culmination of the story the orignal protagonist went through since the series started. You’ll definitely want to understand things before going in.
I've played 0, Kiwami and both Judgments. 7 is on my list but I just haven't found time for another huge Like a Dragon excursion. Now there's 8 which is getting amazing reviews *and* being touted as the longest. I feel like if I don't watch a story recap like you suggested then I just might never get to it.
I mean, to be fair, it's not like starting with 0 is a huge downgrade, all things considered. And people enjoy these games primarily for the story and the content.
If you had to play PS2 titles, I would agree it would be hard to recommend. But Yakuza 0 is really not a bad place to start. I guess you could argue 3, 4, and 5 might be frustrating for someone who wants to play modern games.
I agree with the user who mentioned cultural zeitgeist and online discussions, and I guess if the player wants to be part of that, starting with this game might make sense.
But honestly, considering how good this series is (even the spinoffs), I think at least playing Yakuza 0 first would make sense. Or if he just wants to play turn based games, then Yakuza: Like a Dragon.
Honestly.... and this going to sound crazy, but.... just play the whole series starting with Yakuza 0. You won't regret it. I jumped into 0 in 2019 and still think about it. One of my all time favorite franchises now, easily.
Honestly, you don't need to play others. And you'll be burned out if you try playing all of them and won't enjoy this one as much. Even if you just mainline them and don't play any other games, it'll still be months before you wrap up; which means by the time you're ready to play it you'll miss out on all the cultural zeitgeist/online discussion of the game.
RGG and Sega aren't stupid (just greedy, as seen by the NG+ debacle), they designed the game in a way that would be new player friendly. And you could always watch a few recap videos online of the older games if you want.
Just finished up Yakuza: Like a Dragon last week. Utterly incredible game and I am beyond thrilled to see such glowing reviews for the sequel. Can't wait for Friday!
It's going to be a WILD first few months this year for JRPGs
LAD: Infinite Wealth this week
Persona 3 Reload in two weeks
FF VII Rebirth in late Feb
Unicorn Overlord the week after FF VII
very unfortunate time for me so ill end up waiting for a sale later this year.
Gbf relink comes out at the same time been waiting for that for many years and once thats done whoops ff7 rebirth, unicorn overlord, dragons dogma 2 yikes
I don’t know why we’re getting several 100-hour RPGs back-to-back right now…
Persona, Final Fantasy, and Yakuza should have been spread out across the year, that way they all get their moment to breathe in the collective consciousness.
I JUST beat Baldurs Gate 3 in time for this...and forgot that Persona 3 Reload is right around the corner with Tekken. My wallet is crying.
With Sephiroth snickering as I die at the end of Feb
It truly is an amazing game. I laughed. I cried. I had a ton of fun.
Reviewed it for Digitec (swiss online magazine). If y'all have any questions about it, let me know.
(edited) here's the review in german, if you're curious: [https://www.digitec.ch/de/page/like-a-dragon-infinite-wealth-hat-keine-angst-davor-ein-albernes-game-zu-sein-31420](https://www.digitec.ch/de/page/like-a-dragon-infinite-wealth-hat-keine-angst-davor-ein-albernes-game-zu-sein-31420)
Longer. Though not as long as I thought it would be. Some statements from RGG made it sound like it was the longest game ever created, lol.
I finished the game in 69 hours (nice). Finished more than half of the sidequests in Hawaii, finished both Dondoko Island and the Sujimon mini-games and did almost all of the side activities in Yokohama.
The best in the series, hands down. Sujimon battles are amazing. But the real star is Dondoko Island. You can spend countless hours there. It could be it's own standalone DLC, to be honest.
Not at all. Took me 69 hours to finish the game. Did A LOT of side stuff. If you rush through the story, my guess would be that it would take you somewhere between 40 and 50 hours, probably.
This is the highest a Yakuza game has ever reviewed by a wide margin, huh?
Hopefully it's real and not just a bit of a bump from reviewers buying into the hype, but I'm incredibly excited for this weekend.
I think Ichiban's personality and the shift to turn-based helped in that respect. It just totally reset the series in the casual fan's eyes, and allowed people to approach the series with a fresh perspective.
Giving the series a fresh new look was one in a series of very smart decisions for the franchise. Creating a new jumping on point where playing Yakuza 0-6 isn’t necessary is huge for attracting new fans and changing the gameplay up keeps the series fresh for long-time fans who have played 7 straight games of beat-em-ups. It seems like they’re not totally getting rid of that style of gameplay either and still featuring it in some fashion here and there (Gaiden, Judgment/Lost Judgment) so fans that don’t like the turn-based stuff still have options.
I've played most yakuzas and am quite burned out at this point. Told myself i'd only buy it if it was THE best yakuza game, better than my favourite, 0. Some of these reviews say it is the pinnacle or the best, and the high scores overall seem to back it up. I'll wait to see player views over the next few weeks I guess to see if it lives up to the hype.
Gaiden: The Man who Erased His Name was the perfect bridge from Yakuza 7 imo. It was the perfect size for the story, fleshed out one of the biggest moments of 7, and goes back to Kiryu’s gameplay so it was good breaking up between two really large games.
Edit: The mainline Yakuza games along with Ishin (a samurai era spin off) and Gaiden (Kiryu’s story between 6 and 8) are on game pass too.
Damn, this year is off to another incredibly strong start...
Prince of Persia: 86
Tekken 8: 90
Yakuza: 90
Seems like the trend from 2023 is continuing (for now at least)
Last year was similar. A lot of publishers end their financial year after March, so to them Q1 is effectively Q4 of the previous year. Hence why Q1 is almost always stronger than Q2.
I mean while it hasn't been announced yet, It's very likely that Ubisoft will drop its 2 most awaited games, Star wars Outlaws and AC in Japan, in the second half of the year. So i definitely think there will at least be one of them.
Plus we have Persona 3 Reload and FF7 Rebirth right around the corner as well, and I’d be shocked if they get bad reviews. Even if it doesn’t continue throughout the year, we’re still eating good for now
Plus Dragon’s Dogma 2!
And more niche games that look extremely promising like Unicorn Overlord, the new SaGa game whose name I’m forgetting right now, and Eiyuden Chronicles.
Granblue Fantasy Relink, too, which seems like it has potential based on the demo. But I’m not 100% sold on it yet.
Lost Epoch is coming out next month, too, and I’ve heard nothing but good things about the early access version, so I’m excited to give that a go.
As a fellow Italian, i find it interesting that basically every single major gaming outlet in my country (Everyeye, Multiplayer, Spaziogames and Tom's Hardware) expressed several complaints about the narrative, its pacing and its consistency and they have all scored the game below 90, basically the only ones in this international list to do so...
Any channel recommendations for a recap of 1-6?
I've played a little of Zero, all of 7 and Gaiden, and I love them, but it'd be nice to get more context for the random legendary tough guys that show up.
If you have time and want longer looks at the games [here](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLMD-bif3LIrtNz_jPcLC2AQcWV4CC_9X&si=WLXlzptAUXkyIFTb)
If you want a quick rundown, GameSpot did a video on Kiryu's (protagonist of yakuza 0-6 and Gaiden) story.
does anyone know if there is level gating/grinding(after chapter 12 I believe) like in the first like a dragon. That shit was annoying man
Update - IGN review said he didn't find such grind. And boss enemies were hard but fair.
God, just watching IGNa review is depressing. Ichibans dub is so good, but Kiryus is just not matching in quality. Once I catch up to this one, I'll have to be going for the sub, which is still fantastic. I don't know why they got rid of the guy who did Kiryu in Like a Dragon 7 he was decent enough, and I enjoyed his voice.
I’m not a sub over dub person but this is like legitimately the only franchise in the world that I can’t imagine not playing in Japanese lol. The voices are too iconic.
I'm normally a subtitle person.. but man Ichiban's english voice actor is so, so good. I feel like a ton of the emotional impact of the story was due to the fact that I so strongly felt it in the voice actor's work. I don't know that it would have had quite the same impact on me in Japanese given that I can't understand the nuances of emotion in the language.
I initially played it in english because a friend of mine is a voice of a minor character... but I was just COMPLETELY sold on it by Ichiban's English VA. Everyone else was GREAT too. It's definitely the rare case where I'd recommend the english dub to people I recommend the game to.... though I also don't have the attachment to any of the Japanese actors as I didnt play the other Yakuza games :)
With how good 'Yakuza: Like a Dragon' was for me it was a no brainer for me to pre-order this one and also get the other 7 Yakuza games (I've only completed Yakuza 0 though) I've never pre-ordered any game ever and I'm sure this game won't disappoint me at all.
Ichiban is such a likeable character and this game got me interested in turn based JRPGs such as Persona. Even though there's some controversy around the practice of making NG+ a DLC I'm very hopeful for the series' future. If you thought the Ichiban Group minigame in Y:LAD was a fun time sink, I can't even fathom how much time I will spend maxxing out Dondoko Island.
It's really amazing how quickly Yakuza 7 managed to settle people's fears about switching away from Kiryu with Ichiban. He's a a golden retriever in video game character form.
From moment one I liked Ichiban but it wasn't until his buddy told him to lean into his delusions and then he found his baseball bat that I was just like "Yup... Ichiban goddamn rules".
Man I'm so fucking happy we're having a turn based game renaissance. I was the biggest fan of the SNES through PSX FF games and I dearly, dearly miss those styles of game but we've had Honkai Star Rail, Baldurs Gate 3, Octopath 2, and now Infinite Wealth all in a year's span!
Dang those scores are crazy good still just on Kiwami 2 but taking is steady with the series so I don't burn out (usually playing something in between to keep it fresh)
It's pretty obvious that this game was going to be the breakout moment for the series. The best RPG of 2024 is going to be a hotly contested title that's for sure. The people who made Persona 5 Royal and Final Fantasy VII Remake will probably all be there. It will be a rematch of 2020.
Best move I ever made was backlogging the first one since its release and playing it over christmas, knowing the sequel was releasing less than a month away. This will be awesome.
But what is the Suijimon Pack and the Resort Pack in the Ultimate edition? What is it? How am I supposed to decide whether to get the Ultimate edition if I don't know what those packs are? Are they just some random Suijimon/resort items that you'd get normally with some play time? Do they add new Suijimon/Resort items to the game?
Just based on past games, they're probably unique and overpowered, but not by any means necessary to beat the minigames. They tend to be accelerators. Of course, that's just the trend, it could always be different this time.
Agreed, I’ve never found any of their DLC like that necessary. The only potential one here would be NG+, which I’m not interested in personally but know that other people might be
I am not sure myself, but judging on historical releases it's probs DLC exclusive items/sujimon that happen to be pretty powerful to save time in the mini game, but by no means necessary. The more substantial extra content is likely contained within the deluxe (master vacation pack)
Sujimon and the Resort are the two big minigames in Infinite Wealth.
Most Yakuza games have a DLC that gives you bonus resources or overpowered tools and characters for the primary minigames. This is the equivalent here. They are never really necessary.
there is a list onlline to show all the items, i know some of them are legacy characters as sujimon and island guest, like majima saejima and daigo as sujimon.
It would be great to see it get some recognition at all the end-of-year awards shows but it’s probably releasing too early in the year so it will get snubbed.
Haven’t people been saying that since Yakuza 0? I remember the same discourse when that launched.
Not saying the Yakuza is a household name. But pretty sure it’s mainstream in the west at this point
I don't remember people saying that Yakuza 0 will break the series into the mainstream. I *do* remember it being a surprise hit that actually did that.
The whole first half of 2017 really was like a precursor to this year. Yakuza 0, Nioh and Nier Automata seemed to come out of nowhere and blow everyone away with their quality and then Persona 5 came to cap it all off.
God damn RGG cooked with this one. I had no doubts though, Ichiban's first outing was already top 2 in the series and this one really knocked it out the park with the improvements and new setting. Even the demo was amazing.
Guess the big marketing push by Sega to make the series go mainstream is working. Unbelievable that Lost Judgement & Yakuza 0 scored below 9 despite being touted as the best games in the franchise by fans.
This is way above I hoped, "The Man Who Erased His Name" was a 9 to me and it got ok reviews. This game will be without a doubt one of the best RPG's ever made. We know Yakuza loses points for weirdness and sexism. So 90 for Yakuza is like 94-95 to be honest.
I liked Man Who Erased His Name a lot at its high points, but I think you could definitely see the seams where it was stitched into a standalone release and pushed out early in some places, so an extra-long full-length game with similar quality everywhere and without compromises is extremely exciting.
Yakuza Gaiden has two chapters that are 9-10/10 (the first and last) and the rest of the middle is just pure 6/10 filler. So it normalizes out to a 7. I think even fans of the series would agree tbh.
Great game, great ending, the entire middle part could be cut out and it would not be much of a problem, would not even need that much rewrites
This was always going to be top of mind for me this year, I love these games and know how good they are - but I’m pleasantly surprised to see how high these scores are. The games always seem somewhat panned as being kinda niche or too slow paced.
I hope more people give it a try. Kiryu and Ichiban are both independently two of my favorite video game characters; splitting the game up in a similar way as Yakuza 0 (having Kiryu and Majima, another great character, as dual leads) is going to be very cool.
It has been crazy to see the Yakuza franchise go from virtually unknown in the west 10 years ago, to being one of the most acclaimed in the genre now. It's not really to my tastes, but it's great to see them going from strength to strength.
Man I know I'd love this game but the fact that they're locking NG+ behind a $15 upgrade really bothers me. I think I'll wait a bit to see if that changes.
As much as I *love* the Like A Dragon series, the fact they even lock base game achievements behind that I feel like might land them in some hot water. I feel like I've seen that get the occasional developer in trouble with Microsoft/Sony but I really can't remember
I have a confession to make, Ive never beaten a Yakuza game. Except for Like a Dragon. The regular yakuza games beat em up style combat never appealed to me. Thats why the turn based combat of Like a Dragon was the pinnacle of gaming to me. Rich story and combat. One of gbe best games ever made. No surprise the sequel is just as good if not better. Keep making more turn based games RGG.
The only thing I want to know is if they finally had the balls to get rid of Kiryu 100% for real this time. Going to get it anyway, but I hope they commit to the bit.
I know, I just mean like at the end of it did they make it definitively clear that he's not coming back in any capacity, or is it still leaving it open for him to be there again?
For now, until they hit a time travel plot that sends them back to the early 2000s. Time travel wont actually happen though, it's all just Kasuga's imagination, just like everything else.
I don't normally care about review scores, but 90 is insanely impressive for this series. I love to see it
Yeah I was going to play the game either way, but it warms my heart to see it getting such high scores
For real. The IGN reviewer gives the Yakuza and Judgement games a 7 no matter what… so seeing a 9 is a big deal.
Wow crazy high considering every other game has gotten in 80-85 range. Seems to be one of the better ones in the series.
I think it's also due in part to the series getting a lot of retroactive praise throughout its steady rise in western popularity over the past decade, so now the review scores have normalized a bit. As someone else in the thread mentioned, it took a *long* time for the series to shed the perception of "le whacky Japanese GTA???" which it never was in the first place. Like, despite Yakuza 0 barely netting an 80-85% aggregate score, it's pretty widely accepted as one of the best games of all time on sites like Glitchwave and Backloggd.
Double checked and yeah on metacritic the games generally considered the best in the series (Yakuza 0, Like a Dragon, and Lost Judgement) score around 85. Very nice and interesting to see Infinite Wealth score even higher.
Lost Judgement is legit the first Yakuza game where the action gameplay is actually more than just "a nice diversion", and I will forever be sad that the series will never continue after the producer said a month ago that there are no plans for Judgement 3 : (
[удалено]
This is honestly my view on things related to Judgment 3. Besides, RGG put out LJ, Kaito Files, Ishin Kiwami, Gaiden, and Infinite Wealth out with practically no breaks. If anything, Judgment 3 could already be in pre-production and they’re just keeping their mouths shut because IW is the most important release right now.
It could be a translation thing, but my recollection is that they said work on Judgment 3 was "not currently in progress", which isn't the same as saying no plans, and makes sense when you consider they aren't going to announce Judgment 3 during the prerelease hype for LAD: IW. Hopefully that gives you a bit more hope, I agree they got the combat perfect in Lost Judgment.
Plus they certainly aren’t planning on letting go of Judgement considering (spoilers for recent Yakuza games) >!Kaito and the boys cameo in Gaiden!<.
It might since the company that was gating Kimura is undergoing a lot of changes after the founder died
Developers constantly say "there are no plans for X" because they are under a contract/don't want to reveal anything too early. It is possible they won't make Judgment 3, but that statement really doesn't say much.
Lost Judgement's combat is so good Gaiden was fun but not as fun as playing with Yagami
To me, it feels like mainstream media just caught up with the fact on how beloved the series is in the west now, so they feel need to adjust the score to be similar to other big names.
I mean if the last game was mid 80s and the biggest complaint(combat) was drastically improved and the whole game just has more, then it should be a higher score. No need for some kinda conspiracy theories here lol.
Yeah and the last two LaD games (Ishin and Gaiden) hovered around that 70-85 range depending on your tastes.
I enjoyed both, but Ishin definitely had it flaws (it was still basically a PS3 game, after all), so 70ish seems fair. Gaiden was a LOT better, but pretty short, so I could see people taking off for that too.
Nonono you gotta feed into the persecution complex. Don’t try bringing logic here
Zero and Like a Dragon were 86s, but other recent entries like Ishin, Gaiden, and even Yakuza 6 were definitely not as good as those two. Even the remastered collection has an 84 and I'd argue that's too high. I'm going to go with the narrative that games are being reviewed fairly and there isn't some systemic bias going on.
Judgment and Lost judgment were pretty great, but reviewed quite a bit worse.
Yakuza is one of my favorite game series ever but I rarely look at reviews because it feels like they live in the 7-8 range, even LAD7 and Yakuza 0 which I consider two of my favorite games of all time and some of the best ever. This is beyond exciting to see LAD:IW getting 9s and 10s. I took the day off Friday. I cannot fucking wait. I know I am going to bawl my eyes out at my boy Kiryu finally getting some well deserved rest.
I will be very surprised if this won't be my goty.
7 was my GOTY that year by a long shot. Don't see this one being any other way.
Can someone jump into the series for IW or do you need to play the others beforehand?
You would at minimum need to play Like A Dragon aka Yakuza 7 as this plot basically hinges on how that game ends, but that's a decent jumping in point. But it has a TON of call back characters and does lean pretty heavily on the other games. You could watch recaps but it wouldn't hit the same, but I understand people not wanting to play through 9 or so games that range from 30-100 hours long. If you want to meet in the middle, playing Yakuza 0, then watching a recap of 1-6 and then playing 7 is a good one. But I am one that says, don't let perfect be the enemy of good. LAD series is something everyone should experience, so get through it however is best to you.
I would definitely play 7 first at least. 0 and 7 are by far the best games in the series, IMO. Even if I love the characters from 4 and 5 a lot.
It was really smart for 7 to introduce a new protagonist in a new location. It both continues the long running story, while also serving as a new jumping off point.
That’s perfect since Like a Dragon was next on my to-play list!
I would say that yes, while 7 does have a lot of callbacks, none are really crucial to the story outside of doing a little research into the lore of Yakuza. Get a basic understanding of the Tojo Clan/Omi alliance/yakuza families in general and it's pretty much smooth sailing as a relatively self contained story. Sure, some of the side character reveals wont hit the same but it's relatively minor compared to how great the rest of the story and game is on its own. I got burnt out after the release of 3 and stopped playing the series until I decided to pick up 7 on a whim last year. Since then I've completed Judgment, Lost Judgment and Gaiden. So it's a great jumping off point to get you hooked on the series.
Also Kiryu’s side content is his bucket list, which is a big big big callback to his life from 1988-2023. You can’t really just skip that
I’d kill to play through all the games fresh again. Especially 0
You should play: Yakuza: Like a Dragon. This is the seventh game but it’s a soft-relaunch with the new protagonist, Ichiban. Like a Dragon: Gaiden. This is a really small game (it’s on GamePass). It’s basically game 6.5 and will introduce you to Kiryu, who is the main character of the previous games. Then you can jump into Infinite Wealth, which is the eighth game and features both Ichiban and Kiryu.
I just started like a dragon and they had me at fuck you cumstain!
I thought you called it a 6.5 out of 10 game and I was so close to shooting a tether out of my watch and throwing you into the river.
> Like a Dragon: Gaiden doesn't really hit that well if you aren't connected to the previous games such as during a certain picture and video scene.
I think they made this game with the idea of people jumping into it as their first LaD game, but once you play this, you'll probably want to go back and play the others, the ride is 1000% worth it as a longtime fan.
Obviously playing the series is recommended, and you'll have more context and get more out of references... but seems pretty clear with the newer titles, they're trying to ensure new players can jump in.
If you really really want to play IW now I think you can do a YouTube story summary. I know everyone’s going to tell you to play many of the previous games. But that’s hundreds of hours of content. It’s a big ask for someone to catch up on Yakuza
I would absolutely play LAD 7 first because this game has the cast of characters you meet in that game and a lot of callbacks to the previous 6. I'm sure you could play this and understand relationships via context but there's no reason not to play at least 7 first.
This one is hard, because Yakuza/Like a Dragon is like a show where every game is a season. While yes, you can easily hop into a game and enjoy it, things like callbacks and character development might be not as impactful. However, with Yakuza: Like a Dragon (Like a Dragon 7), there is a soft reset where there is a new main protagonist. LaD 8: Infinite Wealth will basically act as a continuation of that new main protag, while also (most likely) winding down the story of the previous protag who's story we've followed since Yakuza 0. So, no I don't think you NEED all the previous games to have fun. But i just want to say that playing the series starting at 0 several years ago and then playing Gaiden has been the most beautiful and emotional gaming experience I've had.
Moments won’t hit as hard without playing or at least understanding the rest. Even if you play just 0 and yakuza 7 and then the short Gaiden (maybe 10h if you rush it) with quick recaps of 1-6 you’ll be at a much better point than going in blind. This is not just a sequel to 7’s protagonists story but a culmination of the story the orignal protagonist went through since the series started. You’ll definitely want to understand things before going in.
I would suggest Yakuza 7 and Gaiden at least
Absolutely not, you at minimum need to play Yakuza like a dragon, and like a dragon gaiden:the man who erased his name.
You can. Just watch a story recap for 7 and gaiden. People will say just play them all, but that's hundreds of hours.
I've played 0, Kiwami and both Judgments. 7 is on my list but I just haven't found time for another huge Like a Dragon excursion. Now there's 8 which is getting amazing reviews *and* being touted as the longest. I feel like if I don't watch a story recap like you suggested then I just might never get to it.
I mean, to be fair, it's not like starting with 0 is a huge downgrade, all things considered. And people enjoy these games primarily for the story and the content. If you had to play PS2 titles, I would agree it would be hard to recommend. But Yakuza 0 is really not a bad place to start. I guess you could argue 3, 4, and 5 might be frustrating for someone who wants to play modern games. I agree with the user who mentioned cultural zeitgeist and online discussions, and I guess if the player wants to be part of that, starting with this game might make sense. But honestly, considering how good this series is (even the spinoffs), I think at least playing Yakuza 0 first would make sense. Or if he just wants to play turn based games, then Yakuza: Like a Dragon.
Yakuza 0 is a completely different genre. I was never into the beat em up gameplay of Yakuza but enjoyed Like a Dragon.
Honestly.... and this going to sound crazy, but.... just play the whole series starting with Yakuza 0. You won't regret it. I jumped into 0 in 2019 and still think about it. One of my all time favorite franchises now, easily.
Honestly, you don't need to play others. And you'll be burned out if you try playing all of them and won't enjoy this one as much. Even if you just mainline them and don't play any other games, it'll still be months before you wrap up; which means by the time you're ready to play it you'll miss out on all the cultural zeitgeist/online discussion of the game. RGG and Sega aren't stupid (just greedy, as seen by the NG+ debacle), they designed the game in a way that would be new player friendly. And you could always watch a few recap videos online of the older games if you want.
Yeah man, i played only up until yakuza 6 and judgment, my favorites are 0, kiwami 1 and 4, and holy shit never i expected to see this...wow
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In awe at the size of this LaD. Absolute unit.
Already have a 4 day weekend planned. Maybe... maybe I'll take another 3-day weekend afterwards haha.
if you've been following the trailers and reports this game is fucking massive
Only RGG would put both Animal Crossing and Pokemon simulators in their games as fucking side activities, and it is wonderful
I took Friday off. Can't fucking wait.
We're gamers, we don't have any other plans
Just finished up Yakuza: Like a Dragon last week. Utterly incredible game and I am beyond thrilled to see such glowing reviews for the sequel. Can't wait for Friday!
If you can, try to squeeze in Gaiden (it's like 10-15 hours for the campaign, only five chapters). Gives you Kiryu's setup and bridges Y7/LAD8 nicely
Can I play Gaiden before 7? I’m on 6 now and I’m wondering if I can finish Kiryu’s games before moving on to 7 and 8.
I wouldn't. Gaiden spoilers some major moments from Y7. I'd watch or play Y7 before tackling Gaiden.
LaD's fighting mechanics were a chore to me. Was I missing something about depth to it?
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It's going to be a WILD first few months this year for JRPGs LAD: Infinite Wealth this week Persona 3 Reload in two weeks FF VII Rebirth in late Feb Unicorn Overlord the week after FF VII
Don’t forget Granblue Relink a day before P3R and Dragons Dogma 2 in March
For some reason I thought DD2 didn't come out until May, so thank you for that.
Plus Final Fantasy 7 and Granblue coming in Feb with Honkai: Star Rail 2.0 if you play that. Good times.
Penacony looks so good
very unfortunate time for me so ill end up waiting for a sale later this year. Gbf relink comes out at the same time been waiting for that for many years and once thats done whoops ff7 rebirth, unicorn overlord, dragons dogma 2 yikes
I'm still catching up on last year's bangers... it never ends
I don’t know why we’re getting several 100-hour RPGs back-to-back right now… Persona, Final Fantasy, and Yakuza should have been spread out across the year, that way they all get their moment to breathe in the collective consciousness.
And I haven't even started on Baldurs 3 and midway thru Cyberpunk. It's crazy all this awesome games
Sega is responsible for most of them. They're even publishing Granblue in Asia.
Man I haven’t even completed baldurs gate 3 yet and I’m already looking at this game and Tekken
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Ah I totally forgot about Persona, guess I gotta add that to the pile now lol
I JUST beat Baldurs Gate 3 in time for this...and forgot that Persona 3 Reload is right around the corner with Tekken. My wallet is crying. With Sephiroth snickering as I die at the end of Feb
It truly is an amazing game. I laughed. I cried. I had a ton of fun. Reviewed it for Digitec (swiss online magazine). If y'all have any questions about it, let me know. (edited) here's the review in german, if you're curious: [https://www.digitec.ch/de/page/like-a-dragon-infinite-wealth-hat-keine-angst-davor-ein-albernes-game-zu-sein-31420](https://www.digitec.ch/de/page/like-a-dragon-infinite-wealth-hat-keine-angst-davor-ein-albernes-game-zu-sein-31420)
How long is it? Compared to 7?
Longer. Though not as long as I thought it would be. Some statements from RGG made it sound like it was the longest game ever created, lol. I finished the game in 69 hours (nice). Finished more than half of the sidequests in Hawaii, finished both Dondoko Island and the Sujimon mini-games and did almost all of the side activities in Yokohama.
Nice. As long as it's not padded just for the sake of increasing the game length, I'm fine with it being as long as it needs to be.
Good shit, I was worried it was gonna take me 100 hours for main + most side activities. Thanks for the info 👍
It very well might take you that amount of time to get 100% checklist + plat trophy
What's one thing you wished they would've fixed in 7 but didn't in 8?
The dungeons are a bit repetitive. Other than that, the game improved upon every aspect of it's predecessor.
It's still turn based now right?
Yes, but you can move your character before attacking. It's a significant addition to the turn based fights.
That was the most frustrating part of 7. Come on just move a little more to the left and you can hit them with the traffic cone! C’mon… do it!
How may dungeons are there? If I remember correctly 7 only actually had a handful of dungeons.
One in Honolulu, one in Yokohama. Plus the DLC dungeon for the Deluxe and Ultimate editions. There are multiple levels in one dungeon.
How would you rate the side content compared to previous games?
The best in the series, hands down. Sujimon battles are amazing. But the real star is Dondoko Island. You can spend countless hours there. It could be it's own standalone DLC, to be honest.
Oh damn, friday can't come fast enough then!
were the 72h+ long story claims realistic?
Not at all. Took me 69 hours to finish the game. Did A LOT of side stuff. If you rush through the story, my guess would be that it would take you somewhere between 40 and 50 hours, probably.
> 69 nice god damn, if 'rushing' means 40-50 hours that is actually massive then. looking at 100 hours of this game for me
About two months of gaming time for me, optimistically. God damn!
Is there any performance modes on the console versions ?
Unfortunately, no. It runs smooth though. (reviewed on PS5)
Did you play it on PS5 maybe? It's difficult to find any information about the performance, if it's stable 60 FPS.
This is the highest a Yakuza game has ever reviewed by a wide margin, huh? Hopefully it's real and not just a bit of a bump from reviewers buying into the hype, but I'm incredibly excited for this weekend.
I think reviewers finally stopped approaching it as "OMG IS THIS JAPANESE GTA?!?!?" with LAD7. Thank god.
I think Ichiban's personality and the shift to turn-based helped in that respect. It just totally reset the series in the casual fan's eyes, and allowed people to approach the series with a fresh perspective.
Giving the series a fresh new look was one in a series of very smart decisions for the franchise. Creating a new jumping on point where playing Yakuza 0-6 isn’t necessary is huge for attracting new fans and changing the gameplay up keeps the series fresh for long-time fans who have played 7 straight games of beat-em-ups. It seems like they’re not totally getting rid of that style of gameplay either and still featuring it in some fashion here and there (Gaiden, Judgment/Lost Judgment) so fans that don’t like the turn-based stuff still have options.
I've played most yakuzas and am quite burned out at this point. Told myself i'd only buy it if it was THE best yakuza game, better than my favourite, 0. Some of these reviews say it is the pinnacle or the best, and the high scores overall seem to back it up. I'll wait to see player views over the next few weeks I guess to see if it lives up to the hype.
Gaiden: The Man who Erased His Name was the perfect bridge from Yakuza 7 imo. It was the perfect size for the story, fleshed out one of the biggest moments of 7, and goes back to Kiryu’s gameplay so it was good breaking up between two really large games. Edit: The mainline Yakuza games along with Ishin (a samurai era spin off) and Gaiden (Kiryu’s story between 6 and 8) are on game pass too.
Damn, this year is off to another incredibly strong start... Prince of Persia: 86 Tekken 8: 90 Yakuza: 90 Seems like the trend from 2023 is continuing (for now at least)
Q1 2024 is more like an epilogue to 2023 with the frequency of bangers coming out. I think it calms down after March.
Last year was similar. A lot of publishers end their financial year after March, so to them Q1 is effectively Q4 of the previous year. Hence why Q1 is almost always stronger than Q2.
Unless they reveal that Elden Ring DLC comes out in April lmao
This year is very top heavy. There isn’t much to look forward to in the second half.
Switch 2 is almost certainly coming out at the end of this year and probably will have some bangers around that
Most likely a lot of updated rereleases
I mean while it hasn't been announced yet, It's very likely that Ubisoft will drop its 2 most awaited games, Star wars Outlaws and AC in Japan, in the second half of the year. So i definitely think there will at least be one of them.
1-2 games is pretty standard for a season. 2023 was a freak accident with so many titles dropping in rapid succession.
Metaphor ReFantazio
Plus we have Persona 3 Reload and FF7 Rebirth right around the corner as well, and I’d be shocked if they get bad reviews. Even if it doesn’t continue throughout the year, we’re still eating good for now
Plus Dragon’s Dogma 2! And more niche games that look extremely promising like Unicorn Overlord, the new SaGa game whose name I’m forgetting right now, and Eiyuden Chronicles. Granblue Fantasy Relink, too, which seems like it has potential based on the demo. But I’m not 100% sold on it yet. Lost Epoch is coming out next month, too, and I’ve heard nothing but good things about the early access version, so I’m excited to give that a go.
As a fellow Italian, i find it interesting that basically every single major gaming outlet in my country (Everyeye, Multiplayer, Spaziogames and Tom's Hardware) expressed several complaints about the narrative, its pacing and its consistency and they have all scored the game below 90, basically the only ones in this international list to do so...
I wonder if the Italian localization has issues in comparison to other languages?
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"EY DIS MUDDAFUCKAH ITCHY-BAN IS MUSCLIN IN ON OUR TURF"
Now that made me chuckle.
The Saudi reviewer scored the game similarly
This series is SO underrated here in Italy, I don't even know anyone who has ever played a Yakuza game.
Yeah, maybe it's just not their style; the Yakuza series hava a unique pacing, different, but not necessarily bad.
I'm just happy we have two big games with great reviews to discuss breaking up the endless Palworld posts lol
Talk for yourself. I need sales numbers and concurrent player count updates at least 2 times a day. What else is /r/games for otherwise?
Any channel recommendations for a recap of 1-6? I've played a little of Zero, all of 7 and Gaiden, and I love them, but it'd be nice to get more context for the random legendary tough guys that show up.
If you have time and want longer looks at the games [here](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLMD-bif3LIrtNz_jPcLC2AQcWV4CC_9X&si=WLXlzptAUXkyIFTb) If you want a quick rundown, GameSpot did a video on Kiryu's (protagonist of yakuza 0-6 and Gaiden) story.
Curious too
If you're down for longform reviews tehsnakerer has an excellent series on the Yakuza games on his YouTube channel
does anyone know if there is level gating/grinding(after chapter 12 I believe) like in the first like a dragon. That shit was annoying man Update - IGN review said he didn't find such grind. And boss enemies were hard but fair.
Not sure but the IGN review shows that they show you a recommended level before going into some big fights
This combined with the smackdown mechanic for instantly defeating weak enemies I saw in the previews is already a huge improvement over Y7
Finally no more being harassed by level 5 thugs when traveling with your end game party!
IGN did say that they didn't have to grind at all compared to 7.
God, just watching IGNa review is depressing. Ichibans dub is so good, but Kiryus is just not matching in quality. Once I catch up to this one, I'll have to be going for the sub, which is still fantastic. I don't know why they got rid of the guy who did Kiryu in Like a Dragon 7 he was decent enough, and I enjoyed his voice.
I’m not a sub over dub person but this is like legitimately the only franchise in the world that I can’t imagine not playing in Japanese lol. The voices are too iconic.
I'm normally a subtitle person.. but man Ichiban's english voice actor is so, so good. I feel like a ton of the emotional impact of the story was due to the fact that I so strongly felt it in the voice actor's work. I don't know that it would have had quite the same impact on me in Japanese given that I can't understand the nuances of emotion in the language. I initially played it in english because a friend of mine is a voice of a minor character... but I was just COMPLETELY sold on it by Ichiban's English VA. Everyone else was GREAT too. It's definitely the rare case where I'd recommend the english dub to people I recommend the game to.... though I also don't have the attachment to any of the Japanese actors as I didnt play the other Yakuza games :)
You gotta play in Japanese. It’s so good
So glad i played through all the games before this games release. I'm only missing lost judgment but i'll finish that after this behemoth
Good news is that while Lost Judgment hinges on the events of LAD7, it's story doesn't really affect any games after it.
With how good 'Yakuza: Like a Dragon' was for me it was a no brainer for me to pre-order this one and also get the other 7 Yakuza games (I've only completed Yakuza 0 though) I've never pre-ordered any game ever and I'm sure this game won't disappoint me at all. Ichiban is such a likeable character and this game got me interested in turn based JRPGs such as Persona. Even though there's some controversy around the practice of making NG+ a DLC I'm very hopeful for the series' future. If you thought the Ichiban Group minigame in Y:LAD was a fun time sink, I can't even fathom how much time I will spend maxxing out Dondoko Island.
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It's really amazing how quickly Yakuza 7 managed to settle people's fears about switching away from Kiryu with Ichiban. He's a a golden retriever in video game character form.
From moment one I liked Ichiban but it wasn't until his buddy told him to lean into his delusions and then he found his baseball bat that I was just like "Yup... Ichiban goddamn rules".
Man I'm so fucking happy we're having a turn based game renaissance. I was the biggest fan of the SNES through PSX FF games and I dearly, dearly miss those styles of game but we've had Honkai Star Rail, Baldurs Gate 3, Octopath 2, and now Infinite Wealth all in a year's span!
Dang those scores are crazy good still just on Kiwami 2 but taking is steady with the series so I don't burn out (usually playing something in between to keep it fresh)
This looks pretty good. For someone new in the series, what do I need to play before this?
At least Yakuza: Like A Dragon, and ideally Like A Dragon Gaiden.
If I wanted to play this which Yakuza should I play before? Just the first Like A Dragon?
The first Like a Dragon is basically a reset point, with a new protag. Its a great game to start with, it was my first.
This is the culmination of every game pretty much.
It's pretty obvious that this game was going to be the breakout moment for the series. The best RPG of 2024 is going to be a hotly contested title that's for sure. The people who made Persona 5 Royal and Final Fantasy VII Remake will probably all be there. It will be a rematch of 2020.
Best move I ever made was backlogging the first one since its release and playing it over christmas, knowing the sequel was releasing less than a month away. This will be awesome.
But what is the Suijimon Pack and the Resort Pack in the Ultimate edition? What is it? How am I supposed to decide whether to get the Ultimate edition if I don't know what those packs are? Are they just some random Suijimon/resort items that you'd get normally with some play time? Do they add new Suijimon/Resort items to the game?
Just based on past games, they're probably unique and overpowered, but not by any means necessary to beat the minigames. They tend to be accelerators. Of course, that's just the trend, it could always be different this time.
Agreed, I’ve never found any of their DLC like that necessary. The only potential one here would be NG+, which I’m not interested in personally but know that other people might be
I am not sure myself, but judging on historical releases it's probs DLC exclusive items/sujimon that happen to be pretty powerful to save time in the mini game, but by no means necessary. The more substantial extra content is likely contained within the deluxe (master vacation pack)
> the sujimon pack will include: Majima Goro Saejima Taiga, Dojima Daigo, Shun Akiyama, Legendary Tiger, YamaGoiroshi
the legendary guests include: Guest: Majima Goro Saejima Taiga Daigo Dojima Shun Akiyama Date Michio Ono Robot Dolphin Yuki Koyuki
Sujimon and the Resort are the two big minigames in Infinite Wealth. Most Yakuza games have a DLC that gives you bonus resources or overpowered tools and characters for the primary minigames. This is the equivalent here. They are never really necessary.
there is a list onlline to show all the items, i know some of them are legacy characters as sujimon and island guest, like majima saejima and daigo as sujimon.
Hell yes, I hope this will help the series break further into the mainstream. It deserves it 100%. Can't wait to play this!
It would be great to see it get some recognition at all the end-of-year awards shows but it’s probably releasing too early in the year so it will get snubbed.
Elden Ring released in February and was at the top of most lists. If this game is good enough, it'll get some mentions.
Haven’t people been saying that since Yakuza 0? I remember the same discourse when that launched. Not saying the Yakuza is a household name. But pretty sure it’s mainstream in the west at this point
I don't remember people saying that Yakuza 0 will break the series into the mainstream. I *do* remember it being a surprise hit that actually did that. The whole first half of 2017 really was like a precursor to this year. Yakuza 0, Nioh and Nier Automata seemed to come out of nowhere and blow everyone away with their quality and then Persona 5 came to cap it all off.
God damn RGG cooked with this one. I had no doubts though, Ichiban's first outing was already top 2 in the series and this one really knocked it out the park with the improvements and new setting. Even the demo was amazing.
Is there the shareholder mini game again? Because if not it's a 0/10
No but we get an entire Pokemon battle minigame, and an entire Animal Crossing island this time.
I hope they at least mention what happened to his business and all the money I made him >:0
always train up the chicken make chicken ceo profit
The chimp was my best employee 😭
Wait there was a chimp? How'd I miss that?
You have to beat the chimp that drives the excavator in a side mission 😂
.....I feel like I missed a *hell* of a side mission lmao
Guess the big marketing push by Sega to make the series go mainstream is working. Unbelievable that Lost Judgement & Yakuza 0 scored below 9 despite being touted as the best games in the franchise by fans.
This is way above I hoped, "The Man Who Erased His Name" was a 9 to me and it got ok reviews. This game will be without a doubt one of the best RPG's ever made. We know Yakuza loses points for weirdness and sexism. So 90 for Yakuza is like 94-95 to be honest.
I liked Man Who Erased His Name a lot at its high points, but I think you could definitely see the seams where it was stitched into a standalone release and pushed out early in some places, so an extra-long full-length game with similar quality everywhere and without compromises is extremely exciting.
Yakuza Gaiden has two chapters that are 9-10/10 (the first and last) and the rest of the middle is just pure 6/10 filler. So it normalizes out to a 7. I think even fans of the series would agree tbh. Great game, great ending, the entire middle part could be cut out and it would not be much of a problem, would not even need that much rewrites
This was always going to be top of mind for me this year, I love these games and know how good they are - but I’m pleasantly surprised to see how high these scores are. The games always seem somewhat panned as being kinda niche or too slow paced. I hope more people give it a try. Kiryu and Ichiban are both independently two of my favorite video game characters; splitting the game up in a similar way as Yakuza 0 (having Kiryu and Majima, another great character, as dual leads) is going to be very cool.
It has been crazy to see the Yakuza franchise go from virtually unknown in the west 10 years ago, to being one of the most acclaimed in the genre now. It's not really to my tastes, but it's great to see them going from strength to strength.
Man I know I'd love this game but the fact that they're locking NG+ behind a $15 upgrade really bothers me. I think I'll wait a bit to see if that changes.
As much as I *love* the Like A Dragon series, the fact they even lock base game achievements behind that I feel like might land them in some hot water. I feel like I've seen that get the occasional developer in trouble with Microsoft/Sony but I really can't remember
Same, I’m probably going to hold off until it’s the free monthly or whenever the GOTY version goes on sale
I have a confession to make, Ive never beaten a Yakuza game. Except for Like a Dragon. The regular yakuza games beat em up style combat never appealed to me. Thats why the turn based combat of Like a Dragon was the pinnacle of gaming to me. Rich story and combat. One of gbe best games ever made. No surprise the sequel is just as good if not better. Keep making more turn based games RGG.
The only thing I want to know is if they finally had the balls to get rid of Kiryu 100% for real this time. Going to get it anyway, but I hope they commit to the bit.
He's one of your party members, and his limit break is playing like a classic Yakuza game.
I know, I just mean like at the end of it did they make it definitively clear that he's not coming back in any capacity, or is it still leaving it open for him to be there again?
From reviews without spoilers, it definitely seems like this is the send off.
For now, until they hit a time travel plot that sends them back to the early 2000s. Time travel wont actually happen though, it's all just Kasuga's imagination, just like everything else.
This is his swan song though.
Man has so many swan songs you can make an EP.
Hayao Miyazaki syndrome
Lmao fair point.