Shantae
Banned
I'm one of the many people who got into the series in a pretty big way with Yakuza 0. It's still probably my favorite in the series, and since then I've played Kiwami 1, Yakuza 3, Yakuza 4, Yakuza 5, and Yakuza 6. I still haven't gotten around to Kiwami 2, but I just purchased it recently. For the most part, I like all the games. Some of them were a little weaker than others in terms of story, but overall, I liked all of them.
I finally started playing Judgment recently, which is technically another Yakuza game, and it should be exactly what I was hoping for. Was really into the idea of this new franchise in the Yakuza universe, but you play as a detective, and it was a murder mystery. I'm about half way through the game, so I haven't finished it yet, but I feel confident in being able to say my problem still exists. The game focuses heavily on Yakuza families, and conflicts with Yakuza members. Even our main character, even though he is not a Yakuza himself, has a close relationship with one of the family leaders, and his partner is a former Yakuza.
I love these games largely because of the world you get to inhabit, plus all the zany sidequests always have funny and interesting stories themselves. The main stories in them are interesting, but I think the one thing that bums me out is the focus on bad people. As much as I love the mainline Yakuza series, and like characters like Kiryu, and Majima...I also can't entirely relate to them because they have this Yakuza code of morality that I just can't get behind. Kiryu often does irrational stuff throughout the series in the name of following tradition within the Yakuza. I understand it creates drama, and action for the game itself, but I wish we had a game from the same team without all the criminal underworld stuff.
Coming back to Judgment, it was exciting when I first heard about the game because it was finally a chance to break away from the criminal underworld story stuff, and focus on a story about chasing a serial killer. Yet where I'm at in the story, it seems to be going in a very similar direction as so many other Yakuza games....real estate thing goes south, involves yakuza who are upset that they lost their investment...serial killer may be part of it, ugh. I like the game a lot, but I so wanted a different kind of story.
As much as I love these games, and their goofy side stories, it is always a strange disconnect when you compare the character's actions from the side stories to that of what happens in the main story. I almost would be happy with a game that had a more light hearted main story, and focused on the crazy side story stuff as the real development for the characters. As it is, it really feels like the side stories don't really happen because the main game never really addresses them. For example, in Yakuza 0, you can invest so much time doing slot car racing, and form bonds with a bunch of people there...but you can't really imagine Kiryu doing that stuff outside of the side story. I would be happier if they made a character in which these side activities are believably done within the world of the game by these characters.
I just felt like venting about this, because as I've been playing Judgment recently, this has been my major complaint about it. Still constantly getting chased by Yakuza assholes, and still dealing with a story revolving around their world. Some of the most fun I had in a Yakuza game actually was in Yakuza 5 where you play as Haruka and try to work on her idol career. There wasn't any combat in that section, and I was engaged with her story. I wouldn't mind if they tried some new types of games within this engine and world they've created. It doesn't have to even have fighting in it to be fun I think.
I finally started playing Judgment recently, which is technically another Yakuza game, and it should be exactly what I was hoping for. Was really into the idea of this new franchise in the Yakuza universe, but you play as a detective, and it was a murder mystery. I'm about half way through the game, so I haven't finished it yet, but I feel confident in being able to say my problem still exists. The game focuses heavily on Yakuza families, and conflicts with Yakuza members. Even our main character, even though he is not a Yakuza himself, has a close relationship with one of the family leaders, and his partner is a former Yakuza.
I love these games largely because of the world you get to inhabit, plus all the zany sidequests always have funny and interesting stories themselves. The main stories in them are interesting, but I think the one thing that bums me out is the focus on bad people. As much as I love the mainline Yakuza series, and like characters like Kiryu, and Majima...I also can't entirely relate to them because they have this Yakuza code of morality that I just can't get behind. Kiryu often does irrational stuff throughout the series in the name of following tradition within the Yakuza. I understand it creates drama, and action for the game itself, but I wish we had a game from the same team without all the criminal underworld stuff.
Coming back to Judgment, it was exciting when I first heard about the game because it was finally a chance to break away from the criminal underworld story stuff, and focus on a story about chasing a serial killer. Yet where I'm at in the story, it seems to be going in a very similar direction as so many other Yakuza games....real estate thing goes south, involves yakuza who are upset that they lost their investment...serial killer may be part of it, ugh. I like the game a lot, but I so wanted a different kind of story.
As much as I love these games, and their goofy side stories, it is always a strange disconnect when you compare the character's actions from the side stories to that of what happens in the main story. I almost would be happy with a game that had a more light hearted main story, and focused on the crazy side story stuff as the real development for the characters. As it is, it really feels like the side stories don't really happen because the main game never really addresses them. For example, in Yakuza 0, you can invest so much time doing slot car racing, and form bonds with a bunch of people there...but you can't really imagine Kiryu doing that stuff outside of the side story. I would be happier if they made a character in which these side activities are believably done within the world of the game by these characters.
I just felt like venting about this, because as I've been playing Judgment recently, this has been my major complaint about it. Still constantly getting chased by Yakuza assholes, and still dealing with a story revolving around their world. Some of the most fun I had in a Yakuza game actually was in Yakuza 5 where you play as Haruka and try to work on her idol career. There wasn't any combat in that section, and I was engaged with her story. I wouldn't mind if they tried some new types of games within this engine and world they've created. It doesn't have to even have fighting in it to be fun I think.
