Discussion Any Yakuza/Ryu Ga Gotoku fans on here?

MattDaSmitdog

Junior Member
Feb 16, 2022
6
22
36
Figured I put in a discussion of one of the biggest franchises in video games that deserves more love and attention. For anyone that's into Yakuza and any other games or spin-offs from the Sega dev studio Ryu Ga Gotoku, which ones are your favorites?

For me, I've completed two games in the franchise (Yakuza 0 and Yakuza 7/Like A Dragon). and am deep in the main campaign for Yakuza Kiwami. I have all the mainline games centered on Kiryu on my Xbox One. And also unlocked all the achievements on LAD. I also completed the main campaign on all difficulty levels on Binary Domain, the first game from RGG released a decade ago that I got when that was made BC for Xbox One and Series consoles.

What do you like the most, as well as hate? What would you love to see in the future for both Yakuza and other franchises from RGG like Judgment? Feel free to chime in and mingle like we're in the Heroine bar singing Baka Mitai together. :)
 

SteveGrabowski

Diamond Member
Oct 20, 2014
6,806
5,768
136
Well I just imported this from Japan a couple of weeks ago

rgg-ishin.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: MattDaSmitdog

MattDaSmitdog

Junior Member
Feb 16, 2022
6
22
36
Well I just imported this from Japan a couple of weeks ago

rgg-ishin.jpg

The elusive forbidden fruit that is the historical Japan Yakuza games for Yanks like me. Hell of a pipe dream if RGG put out official localized versions of Kenzan and Ishin on modern consoles Stateside.
 

SteveGrabowski

Diamond Member
Oct 20, 2014
6,806
5,768
136
I love the 龍が如く / Yakuza series. I'm still sad I have now finished Kiryu's storyline in 0-6 after completing 6 a couple of weeks ago.
The elusive forbidden fruit that is the historical Japan Yakuza games for Yanks like me. Hell of a pipe dream if RGG put out official localized versions of Kenzan and Ishin on modern consoles Stateside.

I just decided to study Japanese instead of waiting for localization. I'm not kidding, Ishin is the biggest reason I have been studying Japanese for 2.5+ years now. My Japanese goal for 2022 is to play this game by the end of the year. I have played a few other games in Japanese now (Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney 1-3 and Dragon Quest 1-3), but nothing as challenging as a Ryuu ga Gotoku game yet, at least not to completion (though I have gone and replayed a decent amount of 0 in Japanese, god I love that game).

One thing I just realized that is kind of funny: Kiryuu's name is written 桐生 but it sounds like 気・龍, where 気 = ki is like spirit and 龍 = ryuu is dragon. Don't know why it took me until playing 6 to realize that lol. Also I'm legit sad I have finished Kiryuu's main storyline of 0-6 after beating 6 about 3 weeks ago.

If I had to pick a favorite game in the mainline series it has to be 5, but I can't tell you why if you're still playing Kiwami 1 lol. 3 is the weakest gameplay wise IMO, but the story is extremely critical to the rest of the series.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MattDaSmitdog

MattDaSmitdog

Junior Member
Feb 16, 2022
6
22
36
I love the 龍が如く / Yakuza series. I'm still sad I have now finished Kiryu's storyline in 0-6 after completing 6 a couple of weeks ago.


I just decided to study Japanese instead of waiting for localization. I'm not kidding, Ishin is the biggest reason I have been studying Japanese for 2.5+ years now. My Japanese goal for 2022 is to play this game by the end of the year. I have played a few other games in Japanese now (Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney 1-3 and Dragon Quest 1-3), but nothing as challenging as a Ryuu ga Gotoku game yet, at least not to completion (though I have gone and replayed a decent amount of 0 in Japanese, god I love that game).

One thing I just realized that is kind of funny: Kiryuu's name is written 桐生 but it sounds like 気・龍, where 気 = ki is like spirit and 龍 = ryuu is dragon. Don't know why it took me until playing 6 to realize that lol. Also I'm legit sad I have finished Kiryuu's main storyline of 0-6 after beating 6 about 3 weeks ago.

If I had to pick a favorite game in the mainline series it has to be 5, but I can't tell you why if you're still playing Kiwami 1 lol. 3 is the weakest gameplay wise IMO, but the story is extremely critical to the rest of the series.

Being an Xbox owner and also a Game Pass subscriber, I sum up the reason for why journey into the series isn't as deep as it should: BACKLOG.
 

SteveGrabowski

Diamond Member
Oct 20, 2014
6,806
5,768
136
Being an Xbox owner and also a Game Pass subscriber, I sum up the reason for why journey into the series isn't as deep as it should: BACKLOG.

Haha took me five years to play through the mainline 0-6 series, but mostly because I didn't want to burn out on a series I really enjoyed by trying to play everything at once. It's a great ride, the series is constantly introducing new and interesting characters, and I love the combat. Series feels kind of like a modern Streets of Rage at times. Plus all the side content.

I still haven't played 7 even though it looks amazing, might give it some time since I just played 5 & 6 in the last few months. Can't believe Ryuu ga Gotoku Studios turned an April Fools' Joke into a full game. I remember seeing the video and thinking WTF how are they not making this into a real game? Thankfully they did.

 
  • Like
Reactions: MattDaSmitdog

SteveGrabowski

Diamond Member
Oct 20, 2014
6,806
5,768
136
Also I think it would have been hilarious if 7 was called 龍が如くヤクザ = Ryuu ga Gotoku Yakuza = Like a Dragon Yakuza in Japan since they call it Yakuza Like a Dragon in the US.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MattDaSmitdog

SteveGrabowski

Diamond Member
Oct 20, 2014
6,806
5,768
136
I still think it's funny that Yakuza Kiwami 2 taught me the highly important ~てしまう = ~teshimau form in Japanese, which can mean do something (and the result is bad) or do something to completion. Learned it from Kiryuu telling people he just beat down the phrase ったく、時間食っちまった = ttaku, jikan kucchimatta which is kind of like 'JFC you wasted my time' where ~cchimau is a contraction of ~teshimau and the -atta makes it past tense.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MattDaSmitdog

cmdrdredd

Lifer
Dec 12, 2001
27,052
357
126
I’ve played a few of the games but most recently Yakuza 7 and it was fantastic. The story in these games is always well done and just when you think you know what’s going on there is a huge plot twist that makes your jaw drop when you find out. Also all the humor in the games is well done with a lot of the jokes coming as the main character misunderstands a situation or is put in an awkward position (S&M guy for example or the boss who likes to dress like a baby).