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Yakuza series - Playing vs Watching cutscenes

ACESHIGH

Banned
Just wanted to check with anyone experienced with the Yakuza series: I am currently playing Like a Dragon (on chapter 5) and while the game is decent, the story seems to be the main draw. I also played Yakuza 0 and found the story much better than the gameplay. Considering that these games are MASSIVE (north of 80 hours each) is it worth just watching the story on you tube vs playing all the games?

As an adult with a full time job, going through a single Yakuza game would take more than a month, and there are 8 of them available on PC (gamepass). So I don't think I can spend more than 650 hours to go over the whole series (not counting Judgement or the Japan only games)

Any opinions? Do I miss a lot by not playing the games and just watching the story? I am not talking about 100% them, just playing the main story and some extra missions.
 
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hayesdude

Neo Member
It really doesn't take 80 hours to just do the main content and a few side missions. I wouldn't even say it takes half of that. Some yakuza games are longer than others but I don't think any of them are close to 80 hours, if all your are doing is the main missions and a few side missions.
 

Relique

Member
A lot of these are nowhere near 80 hours. Especially if you just follow the main story with minimal side quests. I'd say it's closer to 30-40 hours on average. You'd also want to space them out as it's easy to burn out. I've been slowly playing them since the release of Yakuza 0 and am halfway through Yakuza 4. If your aim is to get through the series quickly then I guess you can watch the videos.
 

Aion002

Member
Play 7, it's a new start and you don't need to know about the others.


If you get hooked, then go play the others on your own pace... Or maybe not, just go watch/read about the game story over the internet.

Anyway... Why you need advice from random people on the internet? You're an adult with a full time job... I could be a 10 years old, you shouldn't listen to me!

Figure it out yourself Adult with a full time job!

Look Whos Talking Now Reaction GIF


:messenger_winking_tongue:
 

Vagswarm

Member
I was watching a Youtube video of "all cut-scenes" for Like A Dragon, and there was a lot of cut-scenes that were cut out. I was looking to replay some of the older ones to understand the story better, but they weren't on the video. It was some 3 hours long too.
 

Kagey K

Banned
I was playing watching Yakuza Like a Dragon last night and my controller disconnected for being idle for so long.
So far I'm interested in the story so it's not a big deal.
At the beginning of Yakuza 0 my controller disconnected several times for being idle too long.

It feels like there’s only about 20 mins of gameplay in the first 3 hours. 🤣
 
It may not be your thing. I really enjoy just running around in Kamurocho and seeing all the weird stuff the developers put into these games. The gameplay is mediocre (though I do enjoy Like a Dragon). It's a shame, but to me, it's comfort food.
 

RavageX

Member
The stories for the Yakuza games are pretty good (for me), I find the missions to be a nice break from the story sometimes, and often some of the silliness makes me laugh. Just watching the cutscenes, you are missing a lot.
However I do feel they are getting a bit lazy in some ways....
 

Tschumi

Member
Yakuza are among the first great series i have to accept I'll never beat. The gameplay, with those random fights with thugs, is king boring to me and i walk around streets like that from time to time here - they're pretty slum'y, nasty areas of big cities that i avoid out of boredom if nothing else :p

also i don't really find the yakuza culture to be particularly fascinating or engaging, they're a bit of an anachronism here and we're all too busy trying to make something happen to worry about dishonest grifters.. their parts of town smell and have heaps of ugly prostitutes stalking around them, so the story falls flat with me.

So, fluh, i play persona lol
 
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01011001

Banned
it is quite a mountain of content if you go onto gamepass and see 7 Yakuza games for sure... but... I mean, if you only do strictly main story stuff you should be done with them WAY faster.
 
Mostly its about 30hrs for main story and a few side quests. Sure some sidequests are quirky but its really short term fun/laugh. They are never deep enough that they go into a completely different story so I learned to actually not even bother with them anymore because the main story is A: way more interesting and B: it has more than enough of its craziness. I really dont care about playing 50 mini games inside the game itself.
 

TrueLegend

Member
I just downloaded Yazkuza 0 because Arkham Knight is still fucked on pc. I uninstalled it last time because it opened with half-hour of cinematic. Going to give it second chance.
 

YCoCg

Member
I just downloaded Yazkuza 0 because Arkham Knight is still fucked on pc. I uninstalled it last time because it opened with half-hour of cinematic. Going to give it second chance.
Yakuza 0 is very front loaded story wise but also slow, but it is a brilliant game and it honestly does a great job of setting up the series. The case with 0 is that it might seem like a basic story at the start but all the twists and how the two main characters stories come together is the highlight of playing it.
 

Hoppa

Member
I was thinking the exact same thing! Picked up Like a Dragon on gamepass, kinda expected it to be like Sleeping Dogs? But I played a bit.. ended up skipping like 5 consecutive cutscenes before taking control to walk from point A to point B for the next load of cutscenes. I'm going to start over and pay attention but I didn't realize the series was like this
 

FrozenFlame

Member
I wouldn't play them all in a row. Loved Yakuza Zero (first one I played), Kiwami 1 was OK and Kiwami 2 I felt it was just more of the same. I really don't feel like playing 3- to 6. Maybe I'll give 7 a try but I don't know much I need to know of the previous titles. In short, unless you really want more, just play Yakuza 0.
 

Rikkori

Member
Watch the cutscenes, the gameplay is very very weak & the overall transitioning between zones, encounters and dialog are almost sickening. The atmosphere is great but they just didn't have the technical chops to realise the open world vision they aimed for. Though at that point I'd say screw it altogether and just play something else or watch something else, it's not that great that it's worth watching. For me games like this were why I got rid of my PS4 Pro asap, because too many of them ended up being better 'watched' than played, and then when you break down watching them vs watching an actual show/movie, it just makes no sense.

IMO go watch Kaiji instead, you'll be way better for it.
 
I have only played through 0, Kiwami 1, Kiwami 2, and part of 3, but I would not have enjoyed my time nearly as much just watching the cutscenes. Especially the side quests in Yakuza 0 and Kiwami 2, many of which are hilarious and give the world a lot more life. Besides that, some of the mini-games are absolutely worth playing. In terms of time played it took over 80 hours for Yakuza 0 (I could have gone faster, but absolutely loved the world), 30 hours for Kiwami 1, and 45 hours for Kiwami 2. All of those could be played in a shorter amount of time, but I'm really not sure I would want to give any of that time.
 

GHG

Gold Member
Is your job playing videogames by any chance? Because based on your OP you make it seem like games are tasks that are required to be completed within a certain time-frame rather than something you do in your spare time that you enjoy.
 
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Manji Uzuki

Member
You can spend nearly 80 hours in these games because usually you end up doing lot of side content. Some mini games and side missions are really great and totally worth it. I'm playing 5 now and enjoying the taxi races for example.

My point is that the games are longer than it's main story because we have fun with them, which should be the main argument to play it instead of whatching cutscenes. My recomendation is to take your time with the games, if you don't want to play all the saga, most entries contain summaries of the plots of the previous ones
 

sublimit

Banned
Just buy the games and play them at your own pace and take your time with them. Play one now,another one after 6 months or something. It will take time to finsih them all but the memories of the games will stick with you forever.

Yakuza is all about the experience and immersion of being a badass beating the crap out of other badasses (as well as losers),going to hostess clubs and get to sleep with every lady from the club,the fun mini games,discovering all the surreal sidequests and exploring the cities.

Yes it also has great stories and characters but if you only watch the cutscenes you're missing out 80% of what the games are about and obviously you can't say you have "experienced the series".
 
sorry op but thats a ridiculous question. Why watch a movie when you can read its plot online? Why play a game when you can watch someone else play it? What kind of questions are these? If you don't enjoy the story to watch the cutscenes then, I dunno, maybe play something else better suited for your limited time? Most of us have jobs, families and whatnot as well and we manage. Sure it takes a game like AC Valhalla to finish in a month but there are not that many games that are 80+hours and certainly you do not have to play them all. As for Yakuza, 0 only takes 60+ hours if you do the job minigames and all the side stories and Like a Dragon is a jrpg. ALl the other yakuza games take around 20h to finish. You don't really have to play all yakuza games. Not all aged well and you'll get bored when you reach kiwami 2. Just read the plot for the rest.
 

Vagswarm

Member
RE: For those doing this: If you end up skipping the cut-scenes and jump right into the gameplay, it's definitely not going to be very fulfilling. The combat gets repetitive after a while (not that it's bad), but it's the story and characters that keep you engaged. At least in Like A Dragon, there's a lot of mystery and confusion as to what's going on and who is on which side, which makes it all the more enticing. The voice acting and dialogue is superb. I haven't skipped a single cut-scene and have been enjoying it a lot. The fights also become more meaningful when you know the backstory and relation of who you're fighting against.

I think some games are different than what you are used to, and playing it like the majority of games ruins the experience. I know my first run through with RDR2 was like this... I didn't expect it to be THAT massive in scope, and rushed through the entire second half.
 
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hyperbertha

Member
I played Yakuza zero for about 8 hours before quitting and just watching cutscenes on youtube. Gameplay was unforgivably bad, and the graphics during gameplay is ps3 era. Cutscenes have great graphics though. Then I just watched the rest of the series on youtube except 6, as that one is on the new engine and I figure the gameplay should be improved.
sorry op but thats a ridiculous question. Why watch a movie when you can read its plot online? Why play a game when you can watch someone else play it? What kind of questions are these? If you don't enjoy the story to watch the cutscenes then, I dunno, maybe play something else better suited for your limited time? Most of us have jobs, families and whatnot as well and we manage. Sure it takes a game like AC Valhalla to finish in a month but there are not that many games that are 80+hours and certainly you do not have to play them all. As for Yakuza, 0 only takes 60+ hours if you do the job minigames and all the side stories and Like a Dragon is a jrpg. ALl the other yakuza games take around 20h to finish. You don't really have to play all yakuza games. Not all aged well and you'll get bored when you reach kiwami 2. Just read the plot for the rest.
Op's question is valid. The best part of yakuza games is its story and great motion captured cutscenes. If the gameplay is a chore for him then he is allowed to just watch the good parts somewhere else. I did the same, even for red dead redemption 2 (didn't enjoy its gameplay).
 

bArTl3bY

Member
I would definitely recommend playing them - I averaged about 45 hours in 0, Kiwami 1, and Kiwami 2 and that's completing the main story along with enough side activity to get about half of the trophies in each. I'm currently 39 hours into Judgement (side note, holy shit what a great game this is) and a little over halfway through the story. No cutscenes or voice over dialogue skipped.

I don't think I'll have the patience to Platinum all of them but generally I'll complete the game, move onto the next one, and go back here and there and clean them up. I'm a huge fan of the series, though, if you're mostly concerned with just getting through the games, a 40-50 hour investment for each is pretty realistic.
 
Op's question is valid. The best part of yakuza games is its story and great motion captured cutscenes. If the gameplay is a chore for him then he is allowed to just watch the good parts somewhere else. I did the same, even for red dead redemption 2 (didn't enjoy its gameplay).

If you skip the side stories, minigames, Yakuza 0 is around 20h long if you rush it and he can certainly do that, if he wants to see the story. No reason to watch on youtube if you bought the game. Seems like a waste of money. Youtube is free.
 

synce

Member
This is what I don't understand. I played 0 and it was a decent game. Okay balance of cutscene to gameplay. I saw the first few hours of Like A Dragon and it was literally 99.9% cutscenes. I looked up a walkthrough on YT and again, 99% cutscenes. At that point why even play? You have much more control over the movie on YT.
 
This is what I don't understand. I played 0 and it was a decent game. Okay balance of cutscene to gameplay. I saw the first few hours of Like A Dragon and it was literally 99.9% cutscenes. I looked up a walkthrough on YT and again, 99% cutscenes. At that point why even play? You have much more control over the movie on YT.

I doubt what you saw. Like a Dragon is a jrpg. It has more gameplay than anything else.
 

Fbh

Member
I do think the story and characters are the main appeal, but I also find them a lot of fun to play. Love the random side activities and the combat is always fun.

One "house rule" I use that I think massively improves most games in the franchise (haven't played like a Dragon) is to not stock up on healing item and only use the healing items dropped during actual missions (the big fights against a lot of enemies usually drop a few here and there). The thing with yakuza is that it's really easy to stock up on healing items, so even in hard mode you can easily button mash your way through the game, which can make it feel a bit shallow or repetitive.

But once you can't rely on healing items the combat really start to shine, the bosses in particular become much better as you actually need to learn their moves and patterns and you also get more out of the different skills and moves you unlock.
 

Miles708

Member
Quite frankly, if you don't enjoy the gameplay, ain't nobody got time for that.

On the other hand, I saw a "yakuza 6 movie" video on YouTube and the freaking thing was 12 hours long. If you have time to dedicate 12 hours to a YouTube video, might as well break it up with some gameplay inbetween.

I would probably go the YouTube route for some chapters (3, 5, maybe 1) and play yakuza 4 and 6. The last one especially, it's simply the most satisfying to play.

Yakuza like a Dragon maybe takes more time than the others since the battles are slower. I'm currently going through that but yes, it's a long affair. Some optional battles are bonkers, unless you grind (meaning: spend even more time).

That said, this way of thinking could be extended to all jrps games, and even gta games. Not criticizing, just saying.
 
Enjoy the game for what it is. It's perfect for pick up and play for an hour or two a day because you learn the gameplay loop and the design is forgiving. I love the sidequests and little things you can engage in if you want. Want to throw darts? We got you. Want to hit the casino in the secret room through the public toilet and play blackjack for an hour? We got you. Want to gather flowers to get your romance on? What's wrong with you? 🤣. Want to beat people on the street dressed as a dominatrix? We got you. Want to take Ichiban Confections to the top? You can do that for hours. The game is cool as shit.

I will not take Yakuza LAD slander on this site.
 

Miles708

Member
Enjoy the game for what it is. It's perfect for pick up and play for an hour or two a day because you learn the gameplay loop and the design is forgiving. I love the sidequests and little things you can engage in if you want. Want to throw darts? We got you. Want to hit the casino in the secret room through the public toilet and play blackjack for an hour? We got you. Want to gather flowers to get your romance on? What's wrong with you? 🤣. Want to beat people on the street dressed as a dominatrix? We got you. Want to take Ichiban Confections to the top? You can do that for hours. The game is cool as shit.

I will not take Yakuza LAD slander on this site.
I'm at the part where i need 3 million yen and pretty much abandoned it for 3 weeks. The company minigame is just grinding through layers of menus, and I can't even kart without story exposition.

It's a good game but it's also a time sink, unless you want to engage in just the most useless side activities.
 
I'm at the part where i need 3 million yen and pretty much abandoned it for 3 weeks. The company minigame is just grinding through layers of menus, and I can't even kart without story exposition.

It's a good game but it's also a time sink, unless you want to engage in just the most useless side activities.

I got the 3 mil pretty quick. As you progress in the story there's a spot where you pick up like 2 mil in one shot.
 

MagnesG

Banned
Just wanted to check with anyone experienced with the Yakuza series: I am currently playing Like a Dragon (on chapter 5) and while the game is decent, the story seems to be the main draw. I also played Yakuza 0 and found the story much better than the gameplay. Considering that these games are MASSIVE (north of 80 hours each) is it worth just watching the story on you tube vs playing all the games?

As an adult with a full time job, going through a single Yakuza game would take more than a month, and there are 8 of them available on PC (gamepass). So I don't think I can spend more than 650 hours to go over the whole series (not counting Judgement or the Japan only games)

Any opinions? Do I miss a lot by not playing the games and just watching the story? I am not talking about 100% them, just playing the main story and some extra missions.
I have a better proposition, use speedhack and cheatengine to skip the obvious grinds and fetch quests when needed. Makes you feel the worth even with short sessions.
 
Personally I play the series for the mini games which you can't really experience on youtube. If you only like it for the crime drama then yeah, youtubing it would work.

I say this as someone who played all 13 entries.
(2 psp teen boxer games, 7 main games, 2 medieval ones, zombie game and lawyer game)
 

NeoIkaruGAF

Gold Member
Yep, I’m slowly playing through 6 and at the beginning of the game I barely pressed a button for a good 40 minutes. And the best the game has to offer is indeed the over-the-top quirkiness of its most... Japanese subquests and cutscenes. The gameplay is nothing too interesting, and it’s pretty repetitive. Kiryu is great, the main plot... not so much, tbh. It’s fun in small doses.
 

Polelock

Member
I finally got a Series X. I've never played a Yakuza game so I started today with Like a Dragon, I'm only a few hours in and I'm loving the story. Arakawa-San is a great character and his back story is amazing. I'm sure there is going to be a crazy switch up or something but I'm enjoying it greatly.
 
Jaguar Victory Jaguar Victory
Is it a sidequest? The story won't let me progress until i earn my remaining 2.450.000 yen

It's been a few months so I can't remember exactly what it was. I remember how I thought it was daunting and then I got it in one sesh. How far are you with Ichiban Confections and Part Time Hero? Also sell all your gold, silver plates and things at the pawn shop. I think one of the bosses for the previous story mission drops an item you can sell for 1mil or so.
 

Griffon

Member
I'll be frank, I kinda agree with OP here. The battles in Yakuza get very old very quickly, and there's way too much of it. I'd rather just freely explore Kamurocho and enjoy the story and side quests without being interrupted by shitty battles.
 
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