I have played all Yakuza parts. I think having done that this game is a 10/10 for me because as it takes you back to all those events in the previous games it takes you back to the experiences you made in those games at those times. I absolutely loved the Kyru part the memoirs bit was just so fucking beautiful.
Whoaaaa how cool! Been following you for a while and I know this isn’t your normal taste for games. It’s really cool to see you branching out. And grats on landing these sponsorships! Your style of completionist reviews is an immensely helpful tool for consumers like me who watch reviews to make purchasing decisions.
Ive been working my way through the series for a few months now, only at 4 (started at 0) and i absolutely love the series and cant wait to get to this game
Enjoy the ride man I started Yakuza 0 January 2023 and caught up to Gaiden in January 2024. Took me a whole year to catch up and now it saddens me to be on the last game in a while So really do everything you can to enjoy the series as much as possible because suddenly you’ll be fully caught up and you’ll miss it a lot
I only finished Yakuza 7for the first time last week, and the only experience I'd had with the series prior to that was the spinoff Judgement and a brief go at Yakuza 0. Boy, oh boy was Yakuza 7 a great time! For all the surreal weirdness the game has, the main story is frequently as serious as a coffin nail. And, as a guy who's been out of a job for 3 and a half years, there's a lot of stuff in the main cast's plight that I find very relatable.
Idk i really wanted to like it and i reached the arch where they were helping the lady bar owner at the river. The combat got too repetitive and it was annoying how had to fight enemies over and over when exploring. So i dropped it, i am wondering what i am missing out.
@@Dee-yj1immissing out on a fantastic story and fantastic characters. If you don't care about Yakuza games, you aren't gonna care. As a long time fan these games definitely do huge justice for the story and characters. I can see how if you don't have that attachment the appeal would be lessened
That contrast is absolutely the series' claim to fame. Gritty crime drama main plots, wacky/goofy side-quests, and an absolute fuckton of things to do, all crammed into an open world that, while not very big, is incredibly distinct and dense. There's a reason that they're my favorite open-world games.
SEGA will absolutely never allow their cash cow Kiryu to die. It will never happen. Kids 100 years from now will be playing as a cyborg Kiryu. He's just gonna be a small piece of brain matter encased in an androids body soon
The DLC stuff is slimy, and hurts because the game is so good. One additional gripe I'd give (and this may sound weird, especially from a fan) is that a lot of the game relies heavily on knowledge of previous games. I mean, there's sidequests and events and skits and things built upon like decades worth of games. Sidequests built and referencing sidequests from previous games. I absolutely loved it, but what about new fans who've only played the previous like a dragon? That game had the fanservice too, but this game it's amped up (and ofc for story reasons so it actually makes sense). It fits the story, but it's a lot for a newcomer to the series, and I'm wondering if it'll work for people who don't know. Besides that, i think the side content feels like maybe the strongest it's ever been in these games. The most serious, melodramatic, intense, heartfelt, yet zany, hilarious, funny and goofy game out there.
Like a dragon was my first yakuza game. I do not feel the same about them relying on past things. And if they do as a person who only knows the last game it doesn't bother me.
@@craigtrish2011dramatic? brother if you’re paying $20 extra for a new game + mode that was free on all the titles previous to this one then you’re a consumer sheep who likes getting ripped off, thank god not everyone is like you
Its not really a big deal because its clearly not meant to be part of the full game experience. Its tacked on trash to fool people into thinking its content. Not all turn based rpgs have NG+ and this one absolutely should not. I would rather have this trash content as DLC than included in the game, but it shouldnt exist at all. If you do NG+ do it right or dont do it all
@@neodav00001 Yep no review needed after first LaD. Haven't played any of the Kiriyu 1s but LaD def pulled me in to turn based games again. Unfortunately, idk if I can look at turn based the same after LaD. I don't really like Beat em up styles but maybe 1 day I will play Kiriyu arc just because he is such a presence in LaD series. Highly anticipating next LaD game. I just hope they make every skill for classes and mini games new this time around and at least 40-50 Karaoke songs. 🤣🤣5 per char would be nice I can understand that would cost a bit of money though sadly. The fact they gave me a mini pokemon, sims, and guitar hero game inside of the game was legendary imo.
None of the other reviewers touched the most obvious question "should you play the previous installments?" You handled that right away so you get a thumbs up from me!
Damn' thanks! There's a sale now in Steam on it and its DLCs (-40% on all). Was wandering whether the NG+ DLC was worth it. And then I found you again answering all my questions. Muchas gracias again! I didn't buy the game at launch because of very hard work during 4 months (crunch period) but I played 99% of its 1st iteration and fell in love passionately with the tone, story, incredibly funny but very solid combat, my beloved main characters, great and numerous mini-games, etc. Ichiban has joined my favorite heroes of all times with Jill Valentine (Resident evil 3), Link, Lt Ripley (Alien), Conan (Schwarzenegger), Dante from Devil may cry 1, etc. and the latest entry, Karlach (BG3) of course!
i gotta buy it, i spent 563 hour on the like a dragon, i just love the combat, the world, characters, the minigames, bug hunting, side storys, ect i did everything
Playing on steam deck, I've managed a more or less locked 40 FPS by liberally using FSR 2 on performance mode and the mixture of low and medium settings
@@thelastmotel Even if they were not canon ya know the characters and stories really just suck you in for sure after LaD series. I found myself wanting to play the Kiriyu arcs just to learn more. Beat em up has never been my things since dynasty warriors. Might have to try them out though for the lore alone.
I’m sad that every content about this game has those comments about NG+. I have finished Like a Dragon, and I haven’t even considered playing NG+. If you hate that, blame it on Sega then. I bet those people complaining didn’t even play this series. I can’t afford this game yet, but after playing 7 and now Judgment, I really believe that these games are created by a passionate team.
I am seeing same gameplay as judgement / lost judgement except for the fighting styles, great fun experience as always playing one of these games. Thanks for the great content as always, just subbed👍👍🎅
I really liked your breakdown and review of this game. I just got done playing it the other night and I am sad that it’s over. What an amazing game. Thank you for the review. It was very well said and I think your analysis is spot on.
I really liked Lost Judgment's story too, but I'll acknowledge the After-School Special nature of it holding court on bullying, its social roots, bystander syndrome, how horrible it is, and all its long-term effects.
@@notvkn I dont think he will do that,u can see from all these commment asking for persona etc He said multiple times he's not into 'school' and 'kawaii' stuff and prefer crpg/tbs I think the only reason he play this yakuza=tbs it's unlikely he will play most jrpg with 'cute' or 'school' girl character
@@notvkn More than anime girl I would say it is just developing the friends aspect of it. I just ain't into anime girls part of games like that either still the back stories and where the confidants lead are all well done. It has never been about dating the girls to me but more hearing their stories. Persona does a great job at making you forget about relationships but making you want to just learn more about the characters in general and help them develop into better characters overall.
Been a fan of Yzkuza since they started releasing them on PC (I can't remember which one was first), but I played all of them and aside from 3 and 4 I enjoyed my time with all of them. I have been having a lot of fun with this one, but I can't indulge in the side content too much because of other games coming out this month so I hope 10 days will be enough to finish the main story before Banishers comes out. Thanks for the review Mort!
@@jekw23bro don't listen to this guy. One of the worst things I hate about yakuza fans is blindly hating on certain games and affecting the opinions of newcomers. Yakuza 3 is my favorite of the games and there are people who will tell you to straight up skip it 💀 All the games are great, have fun with them.
One of my favorite parts about this game is it continues the trend of me not being able to decide my favorite of the series, because nearly every new entry has something to it that I adore and can only get from that entry, I could never just say “yea this one’s my favorite”. If I had a top 10 favorite games list, half of it would likely be Yakuza games lol. If I had any one minor complaint about this game, it’d be that the directional attacks, ability to move, and combos with party, if used efficiently, make the game incredibly easy. That coupled with the fact that regular attacks restore MP makes combat so much more consistent, yet at the same time I don’t know if I ever felt worried I’d lose a fight even once, not like in 7 where I definitely had some scrapes with death. I suppose in a way, this is also a pro as well as a con, because it really does flow so well for me. I liked 7, but I’m still more of a beat ‘em up guy in regard to this series, but this game’s flow REALLY hit hard for me and I found myself doing far more job switching this time so I could gather different abilities and make everyone exactly how I wanted them.
I have watched Luke Stephens review of this game and after watching this video. I bow to your approach to reviews. You are the best game reviewer i am watching by far. Wish you all the best.
I was thinking of getting this game but was waiting for a discount. I was pleasantly surprised it had a major discount in the PS store and it barely came out. My first thought was it must of suck for it to have a price cut like that already. Glad you made this video. Im thinking of getting it. Love the Yakuza games.
This game is everything I wanted in a sequel! Sure the paid NG+ is terrible and two optional dungeons were so boring I thought it was going to fall asleep. Other than that this is a GOTY contender for me. Congrats on 100% this beast!
So happy that you liked the game. If you ever want to get to older entries you should have fun completing them as well, assuming you are willing to master some minigames. Well, A LOT of minigames.
This was one of my favorite games i've ever played. i didn't purchase any DLC from day 1 and i'm glad i didn't. i completed all the side quests before completing the main game, which made it incredibly long. I was about 115 hours in before completing the main story. i did the same thing - beat dondonko island before progressing in game. that was the best possible option because then you can go on a spending spree. i dedicated a full week IRL to dondoko island, and i'm glad i did. what an addicting side game! anyways, i'd happily rate this game a 9.5/10. almost perfect aside from a few flaws like the dungeons and first 5 hours as well. once you're in hawaii, the game just explodes in terms of fun. one of the best ever made!
I'm not going to watch this video yet because I am only halfway through the series and am being sensitive to spoilers but holy shit. Did you actually 100% this game that fast? You're doing the Lord's work out here.
Finished the game today. Mostly afree with your review. Complaints about the combat are 100%, ai'm really impressed with how much it is improved since 7 but is has the exact same Extreme Damage Essence Of spam tactic in late game. Idk if I would agree that the story was overall great. Personally I am not a fan of cult leader villains and Bryce doesnt do much to escape that mold. The beginning is slow but I would say the progress of the hunt for Akane, as well as her weak presence in the story overall (her and one other key character dont even show up in the epilogue at all) really stunt Ichiban's half of the story. Kiryu's however feels like a perfect send off, especially with all the side content
It's a shame about the difficulty, but I seem to encounter that issue with a lot of RPGs - complex and satisfying combat, but little reason to utilize it. I will say, I started the Hawaii dungeon as soon as I got it at level 20, and the combat system shined so much fighting purple and purple boss enemies. I actually had to use consumables, had people die, and really utilized the positioning. Luckily this is an easy fix, and hopefully PC mods come out that up the difficulty before I start Legend mode. Small side note: The permanent stat bonuses from other jobs is bugged for a lot of us and not transferring over apparently. I guess that's is a positive since the combat gets too easy.
0:27 this is the first video Im watching of yours, and this alone made subscribe, a review is very different from a 100% review, thx for taking the time to
you need to buy the DLC that gives you the big swell dungeon if you wanna just platinum the main game. it will take forever to grind the hawaiian/yokohama dungeon once Kasuga reach around level 60, he needs to be a level 70 for a trophy required to get the platinum. they just don't give enough EXP unless you bought the DLC/premium adventure and big swell dungeon.
As much as I agree, I'm kind of sick of hearing about this. Most people are gonna get this 100 hour game and either go half way or complete it and never look back. New game plus is reserved mostly for veteran gamers, the silent majority are casuals. Hell it's already sold 1 mil, people are clearly still buying the game regardless of the online uproar. This new game plus outrage just comes across as the outrage of the week, similar to how Hogwarts Legacy was boycotted only for it to become one of the best selling games of the year.
I just finished t he last chapter, exactly 100 hours and i still have another 20 or so hours of postgame at the very least. Not even going to touch NG+. In any case, fantastic game.
I live paycheck to paycheck and would still prefer to pay $90 or $100 for a fully complete game. This "DLC" is not DLC. A good example of actual DLC would be like the expansions added in Skyrim. They just took a few things out of the game and told us it was extra content. It's not even about the money for me, it's the principle of it. Pretty soon we're gonna be paying $10 per chapter, plus $5 per additional jobs other than the defaults. Can't believe they did this to an otherwise phenomenonal game. Very sad
The $70 version is absolutely the full game. The DLC is a tacked on cash grab, NOT cut content. The preorder jobs are far more egregious but I preordered the game and havent even used them
There were rumors that the NG+ mode had a secret or added ending to the base game story ending? Can you confirm this? Because if not, then the DLC route SEGA took makes even less sense than it already did. Besides that, I fullheartedly agree with your video. Very well put together!
Thank you for being so thorough in your reviews! So what kind of side projects are you working on? What other irons do you have in the fire, in case the algorithm randomly decides to nuke your channel like it does sometimes?
i played all yakuza titles which is available on pc with all sides quest done. my least favorites were the ones with turn based combat because i absolute suck at it and i am not a patient person, but the yakuza storyline is what i am here fo at the end of the day (= and it's still my favorite video game series. i think they can at least do what new atlus (company of persona games) game promised, tedious street encounters with low level enemies can be old school beat em up brawler, and the story important high level enemy and boss fight can still be turn based. or perhaps they can find a happy medium like final fantasy 7 remake did.
That is sad, Legend mode and the True Millennium Tower was some of the most fun I had with the first game, it looks like this game's version of it is bad. The Dragon Engine (Kiwami 2, LAD6 and 7) plays well enough, but seems terribly optimized for Steam Deck. Even Kiwami 2 had my Steam Deck's fan on full blast for a good chunk of the game. Maybe the entire time and I just got used to the sound.
Game was great, though perhaps not quite the jump in quality in the 4 years it took to make. Would've wanted a smidge more post game and then the DLC situation is atrocious. That said, my #1 gripe: PLEASE KEEP CHARACTERS STILL WHEN IT ISNT THEIR TURN IN COMBAT. The absolute most annoying thing in this game (and it was also a problem in the last game) was waiting around for ideal positioning on an AOE attack or heal because one of the targets keeps wanting to shuffle in and out of the radius. It also adds an element of planning for future turns by allowing you to pre-position characters who aren't making melee attacks in proper range for an ally's buff or heal.
@@billcipher147I kind of feel sorry for some people who are determined to rush through the game as fast as possible. I’m really enjoying taking my time as I’m pretty sure these games don’t reward grinding during the main game. I like to enjoy the story. It’s quite slow paced but great characters and plot so I’m having a blast.
I just beat the game yesterday. I absolutely loved it but I did have a couple things that I did not like at all. For one I hated that most of the game the you could not choose the party that you wanted. Kasaga had his 4 party members in Hawaii while Kiryu had his for party members in Ijincho. I hated that Kiryu's party had no auto heal option which made the game more difficult for team Kiryu. Lastly I feel the games difficulty spike was much too much in chapters 13 and 14. I had to level up my party to level 50 before I was able to win the battle with Majima, Daigo, and Saejima. Then the game got really unfair when it was time to head to the Millennial Tower to battle Ebina. By the time I got my party here All of my party members were at level 53-54. Everyone had six star clothing and weapons but I was fighting against NPC characters who were only at level 47 that were tanky as hell. The Seiryu Clan grunts and warriors all seemed like mini bosses. It had me thinking how in the hell am I at level 53-54 fighting against NPCs who were only at level 47 taking damn near 10 minutes per fight because my attacks were hardly doing any damage even when I was using status effects like increasing my party's attack and decreasing the enemy's defense. Then the battle with Ebina was so unfair. It was so easy to get his health down to half but then he started oneshotting my party members. I only lost to him one time and then beat him my second attempt but I still thought he was unfair and when I finally did beat him my entire party was knocked out except Kiryu. His attacks did so much damage that it was the super difficult to keep my party members alive. Then because team Kiryu didn't have an auto recovery ability by the time I made it to Ebina I had used all my recovery items that recover 500 to 800 hit points and all I had left was recovery items that recovered 100-300 hit points so of course as soon as I used one of the recovery items and restored 300 hit points he would attack that party member and knock them out. I got lucky and used a poundmate and then one of Kiryu's special attacks to defeat Ebina. My last gripe against the game is that I hated the fact that I was hardly ever able to use the abilities to heal my entire team or buff my entire team because they have to be in that damn circle and most of the time they're spread out all across the battlefield. Even towards the end of the game where the circle was getting bigger and bigger my team was still acting really stupid and spread out so far that I would only be healing one or two of my team members or buffing one or two of my team members at a time. Again it was a great game and lots of fun, but those were the faults of the game to me.
i played yakuza: like a dragon about 20~ hours but couldn't continue felt bored the loop of how story is done and combat got boring for me as well(loved persona 5) but just not this for some reason, my question is looking at this i see it the exact same as the previous game, is there enough of a difference and improvement for me to like it more
I'm loving the game at least once I got to chapter 3. Have no plans in getting the NG+ now that I know what to expect. Even if it was semi-decent I wouldn't get it because I refuse to put up with such blatant cash grabbing.
I love the series but am sitting this one out. Locking basic game functions out to DLC really bothered me, and I don't find the new localization decisions to be to my tastes either or good for the franchise. I hope this is just a momentary lapse in their judgement and I'll be back for game 10! Thanks for the review Mort, professional as always (and sorry for a negative post)
@@scaryeris6798 Asmongold fan? I don't follow. I am not trying to poo poo on the game - as I said, I am a fan of the series - I just choose to vote with my wallet when these companies make decisions I disagree with. I want gaming to be in a good state again without Californian's censoring things/inserting their politics and predatory monetary practices. Please don't let myself or anyone else lower your enjoyment. My issues will not be similar to others.
It's not the same as the literal Japanese but this game's translations aren't much different to previous games. I speak the language, so I will often say out loud "They didn't say that!" but eh. It doesn't radically alter the story or the context @@JayW-kh2df
If you liked the Yokohama/Hawaii dungeon and you liked the gameplay within it, would you say the DLC is still worth buying for the dungeon and party interactions alone?
I’ve only played Like a Dragon and have a good idea on what’s going on. It’s an incredibly addictive game so you can just skip to there if you want lol.
Sucks that the monetization is such a sore spot for this one but on the bright side the game is fantastic and the dlc sucks so much there's no incentive to buy it
like a dragon infinite wealth There s no need for dubbing but it s a American person s wish that American songs be played on the radio once in a while There are many good songs in America too
Infinite wealth was 4/10 story, 7/10 combat, 10/10 side quests, 10/10 mini games, and 0/10 for that NG+ garbage which needs to be protested at every turn so other companies don't start to follow suit. After everything that averages out to a 6/10
I've played all the main line games to mostly completion back when I was a teenager (that means getting most, if not all, trophies) Would you recommend this game to someone who doesn't have as much time to play anymore due to work? Or is the hour commitment too much?
@MortismalGaming Yeah, so it's as big as Yakuza 0 and like a dragon. I'll probably wait for this game to be on sale. Your review made me more motivated to buy the game.
I want to say sorry for doubting your integrity i know the world is a difficult plsce and we all have to take little sacrifices to keep our head from drowning i trust your ability to choose where to draw the line for content i enjoy it and hope you dont take my statement about content for views personally i have seen too many creators go the wrong way but you never gave me really a reason to doubt you i want to say sorry
I have played all Yakuza parts. I think having done that this game is a 10/10 for me because as it takes you back to all those events in the previous games it takes you back to the experiences you made in those games at those times. I absolutely loved the Kyru part the memoirs bit was just so fucking beautiful.
My condolences if you had to learn how to play mahjong for 100%.
mahjong is fun
Does this game add some special twists to mahjong? It isn't really all that complicated.
I did that for Yakuza 0. NEVER AGAIN!
@@8wayz2shineMy dude, 90's computer "mahjong" is not remotely the same thing as actual mahjong.
god damn. both majong and shogi...
Like a dragon
Touched for the very first time
Like a Dragon was beautiful. Infinite Wealth is divine. Probably the best Yakuza game released thus far. 9.3/10 for me
Love your honest approach to reviews, so incredibly rare these days
Whoaaaa how cool! Been following you for a while and I know this isn’t your normal taste for games. It’s really cool to see you branching out. And grats on landing these sponsorships! Your style of completionist reviews is an immensely helpful tool for consumers like me who watch reviews to make purchasing decisions.
Ive been working my way through the series for a few months now, only at 4 (started at 0) and i absolutely love the series and cant wait to get to this game
Enjoy the ride man
I started Yakuza 0 January 2023 and caught up to Gaiden in January 2024. Took me a whole year to catch up and now it saddens me to be on the last game in a while
So really do everything you can to enjoy the series as much as possible because suddenly you’ll be fully caught up and you’ll miss it a lot
my favorite franchise but try not to get burned out lol
The best game I've ever played. I freaking love this series
Ever? What are you like 13
@@johncorley9785 yep. What are you like a douche?
love seeing your channel at the top of my search
Way better than the annoying IGN and Gameranx that are first no matter what game you type in
I only finished Yakuza 7for the first time last week, and the only experience I'd had with the series prior to that was the spinoff Judgement and a brief go at Yakuza 0.
Boy, oh boy was Yakuza 7 a great time! For all the surreal weirdness the game has, the main story is frequently as serious as a coffin nail. And, as a guy who's been out of a job for 3 and a half years, there's a lot of stuff in the main cast's plight that I find very relatable.
How the hell have you been “out of a job” for 3 years? Just get another one?
@@kunaly.5831i think they are just one of those lazy bums
Idk i really wanted to like it and i reached the arch where they were helping the lady bar owner at the river.
The combat got too repetitive and it was annoying how had to fight enemies over and over when exploring.
So i dropped it, i am wondering what i am missing out.
@@Dee-yj1immissing out on a fantastic story and fantastic characters. If you don't care about Yakuza games, you aren't gonna care. As a long time fan these games definitely do huge justice for the story and characters. I can see how if you don't have that attachment the appeal would be lessened
That contrast is absolutely the series' claim to fame. Gritty crime drama main plots, wacky/goofy side-quests, and an absolute fuckton of things to do, all crammed into an open world that, while not very big, is incredibly distinct and dense. There's a reason that they're my favorite open-world games.
I’m so glad you covered this. The game looks and feels phenomenal.
Sadly I still need to finish Lost Judgement, Yakuza 7 and Ishin 😆
SEGA will absolutely never allow their cash cow Kiryu to die. It will never happen. Kids 100 years from now will be playing as a cyborg Kiryu. He's just gonna be a small piece of brain matter encased in an androids body soon
Not a new thing
look at tekken,mortal combat,gta,assassin creed,etc,etc,etc
So many cashflow with only little inovation
overstatement of the century
The DLC stuff is slimy, and hurts because the game is so good.
One additional gripe I'd give (and this may sound weird, especially from a fan) is that a lot of the game relies heavily on knowledge of previous games. I mean, there's sidequests and events and skits and things built upon like decades worth of games. Sidequests built and referencing sidequests from previous games. I absolutely loved it, but what about new fans who've only played the previous like a dragon? That game had the fanservice too, but this game it's amped up (and ofc for story reasons so it actually makes sense). It fits the story, but it's a lot for a newcomer to the series, and I'm wondering if it'll work for people who don't know.
Besides that, i think the side content feels like maybe the strongest it's ever been in these games. The most serious, melodramatic, intense, heartfelt, yet zany, hilarious, funny and goofy game out there.
Like a dragon was my first yakuza game. I do not feel the same about them relying on past things. And if they do as a person who only knows the last game it doesn't bother me.
Lord Shrub! It's so good to see you again!
@@shadyhavok1 well, HOW do you feel?
Only reviewer who purely discussed paywall issues
@@ThayneJiutsuWho?
So dramatic over a tiny 'issue' xD. Imagine crying about a dlc under $20. Get something better in life to cry over.
@@craigtrish2011dramatic? brother if you’re paying $20 extra for a new game + mode that was free on all the titles previous to this one then you’re a consumer sheep who likes getting ripped off, thank god not everyone is like you
Its not really a big deal because its clearly not meant to be part of the full game experience. Its tacked on trash to fool people into thinking its content. Not all turn based rpgs have NG+ and this one absolutely should not. I would rather have this trash content as DLC than included in the game, but it shouldnt exist at all. If you do NG+ do it right or dont do it all
@@craigtrish2011 I mean if you have your "daddy's" money to throw over , you could always spend.
Came here just to leave a like and a comment. Your content is pure gold, but I don't want any spoilers, I'm still at chapter 9 hahahah
26 hours in and I’m only just now in chapter 5😂
Let's be honest, some of us didn't need reviews. I love the series, there was no chance I wasn't going to order it well in advance.
@@neodav00001 Yep no review needed after first LaD. Haven't played any of the Kiriyu 1s but LaD def pulled me in to turn based games again. Unfortunately, idk if I can look at turn based the same after LaD. I don't really like Beat em up styles but maybe 1 day I will play Kiriyu arc just because he is such a presence in LaD series. Highly anticipating next LaD game. I just hope they make every skill for classes and mini games new this time around and at least 40-50 Karaoke songs. 🤣🤣5 per char would be nice I can understand that would cost a bit of money though sadly. The fact they gave me a mini pokemon, sims, and guitar hero game inside of the game was legendary imo.
@@DHankins19 if you decide to play through the kiryu games you'll go through an amazing journey
None of the other reviewers touched the most obvious question "should you play the previous installments?" You handled that right away so you get a thumbs up from me!
Trust me though, playing the previous games amplifies the satisfaction of this game 100x more.
Damn' thanks! There's a sale now in Steam on it and its DLCs (-40% on all). Was wandering whether the NG+ DLC was worth it. And then I found you again answering all my questions. Muchas gracias again! I didn't buy the game at launch because of very hard work during 4 months (crunch period) but I played 99% of its 1st iteration and fell in love passionately with the tone, story, incredibly funny but very solid combat, my beloved main characters, great and numerous mini-games, etc. Ichiban has joined my favorite heroes of all times with Jill Valentine (Resident evil 3), Link, Lt Ripley (Alien), Conan (Schwarzenegger), Dante from Devil may cry 1, etc. and the latest entry, Karlach (BG3) of course!
i gotta buy it, i spent 563 hour on the like a dragon, i just love the combat, the world, characters, the minigames, bug hunting, side storys, ect i did everything
Just finished it, very very fun. Combat is improved and hawaii is fun to get around
@@cole9693 bought it, im addicted to like a dragon infinete wealth atm 65h in and im 75% done with the game so far
Very straightforward and helpful
Probably gonna grab it on sale. The base is very long already. I don't have the time to play the NG+ anyway.
Just remember that when every game locks basic features behind a paywall in 5 years.
I played on steam deck and just locked the FPS at 30 because a turn based RPG does not need any more than that.
Playing on steam deck, I've managed a more or less locked 40 FPS by liberally using FSR 2 on performance mode and the mixture of low and medium settings
honestly you could push it to high settings with 40fps. I just love how almost well-optimise this game is for the steam deck
9th, yakuza main line game. Folks seem to not count Yakuza 0. Great vid Mort!
....Then how about Gaiden? It is the tenth in the main line. Lmao.
@FredMaverik it's a Gaiden so it's a side story and not enumerated. I guess it would technically be 9 and infinite wealth is 10 then lol.
There are 23 Yakuza games, and thanks to the Kiryu sections of this game, all are canon, and all are mainline.
@@thelastmotel Even if they were not canon ya know the characters and stories really just suck you in for sure after LaD series. I found myself wanting to play the Kiriyu arcs just to learn more. Beat em up has never been my things since dynasty warriors. Might have to try them out though for the lore alone.
I’m sad that every content about this game has those comments about NG+. I have finished Like a Dragon, and I haven’t even considered playing NG+. If you hate that, blame it on Sega then. I bet those people complaining didn’t even play this series. I can’t afford this game yet, but after playing 7 and now Judgment, I really believe that these games are created by a passionate team.
I am seeing same gameplay as judgement / lost judgement except for the fighting styles, great fun experience as always playing one of these games. Thanks for the great content as always, just subbed👍👍🎅
I really liked your breakdown and review of this game. I just got done playing it the other night and I am sad that it’s over. What an amazing game. Thank you for the review. It was very well said and I think your analysis is spot on.
this is like that judgment/lost judgment situation: lad has the better cohesive story but IW has a way better combat and gameplay
Basically
I really liked Lost Judgment's story too, but I'll acknowledge the After-School Special nature of it holding court on bullying, its social roots, bystander syndrome, how horrible it is, and all its long-term effects.
i agree but the story drop off is way worse in infinite wealths case
I actually like the plots in the Judgement games better
@@vladik87 me too both like a dragon were definitely more jrpg (anime) with things like the journey and power of friendship being main themes
Nice to see you doing more and more JRPGs..... Next stop, Granblue Fantasy Relink?
@@notvkn I dont think he will do that,u can see from all these commment asking for persona etc
He said multiple times he's not into 'school' and 'kawaii' stuff and prefer crpg/tbs
I think the only reason he play this yakuza=tbs
it's unlikely he will play most jrpg with 'cute' or 'school' girl character
@@notvknYeah,me too
that's the biggest obstacle for him to review jrpg in general
@@notvkn More than anime girl I would say it is just developing the friends aspect of it. I just ain't into anime girls part of games like that either still the back stories and where the confidants lead are all well done. It has never been about dating the girls to me but more hearing their stories. Persona does a great job at making you forget about relationships but making you want to just learn more about the characters in general and help them develop into better characters overall.
Rare to see you reviewing Like A Dragon/Yakuza game!
maybe because its tbs
@@dereknichols4376 tbs?
@@samuel.jpg.1080p 'turn based' I assume
@@Iymarra ah. Yeah probably because of that since I know this channel is geared more towards RPG games
He actually said in another review that he loves jrpgs just doesn’t do a lot of reviews for them
Been a fan of Yzkuza since they started releasing them on PC (I can't remember which one was first), but I played all of them and aside from 3 and 4 I enjoyed my time with all of them. I have been having a lot of fun with this one, but I can't indulge in the side content too much because of other games coming out this month so I hope 10 days will be enough to finish the main story before Banishers comes out.
Thanks for the review Mort!
What was it about 3 and 4 that you didn’t like? I’m planning on kind of working backwards so expect to hit these at some point.
@@jekw23 the gameplay is outdated.
@@jekw23bro don't listen to this guy. One of the worst things I hate about yakuza fans is blindly hating on certain games and affecting the opinions of newcomers. Yakuza 3 is my favorite of the games and there are people who will tell you to straight up skip it 💀
All the games are great, have fun with them.
@@REDEEMERWOLF plan to. They are just so freaking gorgeous I still love just wandering around.
One of my favorite parts about this game is it continues the trend of me not being able to decide my favorite of the series, because nearly every new entry has something to it that I adore and can only get from that entry, I could never just say “yea this one’s my favorite”. If I had a top 10 favorite games list, half of it would likely be Yakuza games lol.
If I had any one minor complaint about this game, it’d be that the directional attacks, ability to move, and combos with party, if used efficiently, make the game incredibly easy. That coupled with the fact that regular attacks restore MP makes combat so much more consistent, yet at the same time I don’t know if I ever felt worried I’d lose a fight even once, not like in 7 where I definitely had some scrapes with death.
I suppose in a way, this is also a pro as well as a con, because it really does flow so well for me. I liked 7, but I’m still more of a beat ‘em up guy in regard to this series, but this game’s flow REALLY hit hard for me and I found myself doing far more job switching this time so I could gather different abilities and make everyone exactly how I wanted them.
I have watched Luke Stephens review of this game and after watching this video. I bow to your approach to reviews. You are the best game reviewer i am watching by far. Wish you all the best.
I was thinking of getting this game but was waiting for a discount. I was pleasantly surprised it had a major discount in the PS store and it barely came out. My first thought was it must of suck for it to have a price cut like that already. Glad you made this video. Im thinking of getting it. Love the Yakuza games.
Literally HOW
The man. The legend. The 100% machine!
This game is everything I wanted in a sequel! Sure the paid NG+ is terrible and two optional dungeons were so boring I thought it was going to fall asleep. Other than that this is a GOTY contender for me. Congrats on 100% this beast!
So happy that you liked the game. If you ever want to get to older entries you should have fun completing them as well, assuming you are willing to master some minigames. Well, A LOT of minigames.
Just started playing the series with 0 myself. Will be fun to get into this one later this year. 100% getting this game when it’s on sale later
If you are on Xbox or pc, nearly the entire franchise is on gamepass
This was one of my favorite games i've ever played. i didn't purchase any DLC from day 1 and i'm glad i didn't. i completed all the side quests before completing the main game, which made it incredibly long. I was about 115 hours in before completing the main story. i did the same thing - beat dondonko island before progressing in game. that was the best possible option because then you can go on a spending spree. i dedicated a full week IRL to dondoko island, and i'm glad i did. what an addicting side game! anyways, i'd happily rate this game a 9.5/10. almost perfect aside from a few flaws like the dungeons and first 5 hours as well. once you're in hawaii, the game just explodes in terms of fun. one of the best ever made!
As a customer, I’m disappointed for the DLC
As a trophy huntress, I’m happy that the platinum/100% isn’t as horrible as Kiwami 1, or 0.
So happy you covered this. Another winner Mortim!
Love the video. If I had to review games after 100%ing them I would be reviewing very very few games.
Just beat the base game, really loved it. One of the best!
Just finished the game and finally able to watch this vid! Left a like as well to help the algorithm. Great review as always!
That's rad!
I'm not going to watch this video yet because I am only halfway through the series and am being sensitive to spoilers but holy shit. Did you actually 100% this game that fast? You're doing the Lord's work out here.
Had it about a week early but yeah
This game really should be titled Like a Draggin' Infinite Grind.
Finished the game today. Mostly afree with your review. Complaints about the combat are 100%, ai'm really impressed with how much it is improved since 7 but is has the exact same Extreme Damage Essence Of spam tactic in late game.
Idk if I would agree that the story was overall great. Personally I am not a fan of cult leader villains and Bryce doesnt do much to escape that mold. The beginning is slow but I would say the progress of the hunt for Akane, as well as her weak presence in the story overall (her and one other key character dont even show up in the epilogue at all) really stunt Ichiban's half of the story. Kiryu's however feels like a perfect send off, especially with all the side content
Funny how the longest story in the series lacks the time to give some important characters and villains screen time
For Mort to say the "DLC sucks" with his temperate personality--it must be pretty bad. Definitely staying away.
It's a shame about the difficulty, but I seem to encounter that issue with a lot of RPGs - complex and satisfying combat, but little reason to utilize it. I will say, I started the Hawaii dungeon as soon as I got it at level 20, and the combat system shined so much fighting purple and purple boss enemies. I actually had to use consumables, had people die, and really utilized the positioning. Luckily this is an easy fix, and hopefully PC mods come out that up the difficulty before I start Legend mode.
Small side note: The permanent stat bonuses from other jobs is bugged for a lot of us and not transferring over apparently. I guess that's is a positive since the combat gets too easy.
Yeah. You defined Yakuza 7 and 8 perfectly. Its all a BIG YAKUZA FEVER DREAM! 😅😅😅😅
Only reviews i trust.
yoooo lets go! I've been loving this game, excited to see what you say about it.
0:27 this is the first video Im watching of yours, and this alone made subscribe, a review is very different from a 100% review, thx for taking the time to
"Menacing Men" is gold
Goddamn that was fast. I’ve tried playing Majong in all the Yakuza games but I just suck at it
Respect that you tried it so much. I’ve avoided it so far but I do want to try all the mini games at some point
you need to buy the DLC that gives you the big swell dungeon if you wanna just platinum the main game. it will take forever to grind the hawaiian/yokohama dungeon once Kasuga reach around level 60, he needs to be a level 70 for a trophy required to get the platinum. they just don't give enough EXP unless you bought the DLC/premium adventure and big swell dungeon.
It would be worth it if thay did not do such a slimy thing as locking ng+ behind a 15$ pay wall
As much as I agree, I'm kind of sick of hearing about this. Most people are gonna get this 100 hour game and either go half way or complete it and never look back. New game plus is reserved mostly for veteran gamers, the silent majority are casuals. Hell it's already sold 1 mil, people are clearly still buying the game regardless of the online uproar. This new game plus outrage just comes across as the outrage of the week, similar to how Hogwarts Legacy was boycotted only for it to become one of the best selling games of the year.
I don't have time for NG+. Persona 3 Rebirth and eiyuden chronicles all come out in the first 4 months of the year.
People are upset and rightfully so because this can be the beginning of monetizing basic functions that have been free since the beginning.
I just finished t he last chapter, exactly 100 hours and i still have another 20 or so hours of postgame at the very least.
Not even going to touch NG+.
In any case, fantastic game.
As always your reviews don't disappoint. Thanks for making this!
A real shame with the NG+ stuff, it led me to not buy the game at at launch. i loves the previous game but will buy it later at a cheaper price.
First Yakuza game, Mort? Seems like a great game. I'll follow your advice and leave the DLC for what it is. :)
I live paycheck to paycheck and would still prefer to pay $90 or $100 for a fully complete game. This "DLC" is not DLC. A good example of actual DLC would be like the expansions added in Skyrim. They just took a few things out of the game and told us it was extra content. It's not even about the money for me, it's the principle of it. Pretty soon we're gonna be paying $10 per chapter, plus $5 per additional jobs other than the defaults. Can't believe they did this to an otherwise phenomenonal game. Very sad
The $70 version is absolutely the full game. The DLC is a tacked on cash grab, NOT cut content. The preorder jobs are far more egregious but I preordered the game and havent even used them
There were rumors that the NG+ mode had a secret or added ending to the base game story ending? Can you confirm this? Because if not, then the DLC route SEGA took makes even less sense than it already did.
Besides that, I fullheartedly agree with your video. Very well put together!
Thank you for being so thorough in your reviews!
So what kind of side projects are you working on? What other irons do you have in the fire, in case the algorithm randomly decides to nuke your channel like it does sometimes?
i played all yakuza titles which is available on pc with all sides quest done. my least favorites were the ones with turn based combat because i absolute suck at it and i am not a patient person, but the yakuza storyline is what i am here fo at the end of the day (= and it's still my favorite video game series.
i think they can at least do what new atlus (company of persona games) game promised, tedious street encounters with low level enemies can be old school beat em up brawler, and the story important high level enemy and boss fight can still be turn based. or perhaps they can find a happy medium like final fantasy 7 remake did.
Thx mate, always appreciate your honest reviews!
You need infinite wealth to afford some of these "ultimate editions".
£95 for a video game is disgusting.
"A very bizarre little game" - so a typical activity for a Yakuza game, lol.
Mort, have you ever sleep 😂
Waiting for this review BTW...
That is sad, Legend mode and the True Millennium Tower was some of the most fun I had with the first game, it looks like this game's version of it is bad. The Dragon Engine (Kiwami 2, LAD6 and 7) plays well enough, but seems terribly optimized for Steam Deck. Even Kiwami 2 had my Steam Deck's fan on full blast for a good chunk of the game. Maybe the entire time and I just got used to the sound.
I respect you for 100% this huge ass game
If ya want a challenge I recommend LAD0, very great game considered to be grindy due to lots of RNG but it's doable.
I've never played the Yakuza series but always wanted to and I wonder if I get the like a dragon starter pack for PS5?
Game was great, though perhaps not quite the jump in quality in the 4 years it took to make. Would've wanted a smidge more post game and then the DLC situation is atrocious. That said, my #1 gripe: PLEASE KEEP CHARACTERS STILL WHEN IT ISNT THEIR TURN IN COMBAT.
The absolute most annoying thing in this game (and it was also a problem in the last game) was waiting around for ideal positioning on an AOE attack or heal because one of the targets keeps wanting to shuffle in and out of the radius. It also adds an element of planning for future turns by allowing you to pre-position characters who aren't making melee attacks in proper range for an ally's buff or heal.
Did... Did you finish mahjong??
I will never understand how people can play game so... efficiently. I've seen people 100% complete games before I even finished their main story, lol
Not meant as an attack by the way, I'm more impressed than anything.
@@billcipher147I kind of feel sorry for some people who are determined to rush through the game as fast as possible. I’m really enjoying taking my time as I’m pretty sure these games don’t reward grinding during the main game.
I like to enjoy the story. It’s quite slow paced but great characters and plot so I’m having a blast.
So how sick did the experience make you? 😅
I just beat the game yesterday. I absolutely loved it but I did have a couple things that I did not like at all. For one I hated that most of the game the you could not choose the party that you wanted. Kasaga had his 4 party members in Hawaii while Kiryu had his for party members in Ijincho. I hated that Kiryu's party had no auto heal option which made the game more difficult for team Kiryu. Lastly I feel the games difficulty spike was much too much in chapters 13 and 14. I had to level up my party to level 50 before I was able to win the battle with Majima, Daigo, and Saejima. Then the game got really unfair when it was time to head to the Millennial Tower to battle Ebina. By the time I got my party here All of my party members were at level 53-54. Everyone had six star clothing and weapons but I was fighting against NPC characters who were only at level 47 that were tanky as hell. The Seiryu Clan grunts and warriors all seemed like mini bosses. It had me thinking how in the hell am I at level 53-54 fighting against NPCs who were only at level 47 taking damn near 10 minutes per fight because my attacks were hardly doing any damage even when I was using status effects like increasing my party's attack and decreasing the enemy's defense. Then the battle with Ebina was so unfair. It was so easy to get his health down to half but then he started oneshotting my party members. I only lost to him one time and then beat him my second attempt but I still thought he was unfair and when I finally did beat him my entire party was knocked out except Kiryu. His attacks did so much damage that it was the super difficult to keep my party members alive. Then because team Kiryu didn't have an auto recovery ability by the time I made it to Ebina I had used all my recovery items that recover 500 to 800 hit points and all I had left was recovery items that recovered 100-300 hit points so of course as soon as I used one of the recovery items and restored 300 hit points he would attack that party member and knock them out. I got lucky and used a poundmate and then one of Kiryu's special attacks to defeat Ebina. My last gripe against the game is that I hated the fact that I was hardly ever able to use the abilities to heal my entire team or buff my entire team because they have to be in that damn circle and most of the time they're spread out all across the battlefield. Even towards the end of the game where the circle was getting bigger and bigger my team was still acting really stupid and spread out so far that I would only be healing one or two of my team members or buffing one or two of my team members at a time. Again it was a great game and lots of fun, but those were the faults of the game to me.
Man am i glad that this game made me stop playing yakuza. your review esp the dlc bits has made me decide i'll get this when it's on cheap sale.
I'm enjoying 0-6 and 7, I haven't bought IW so gonna find a way to get it deeply cheap.
@@vurhn2009 just wait. it will be on steep discount by thanksgiving
i played yakuza: like a dragon about 20~ hours but couldn't continue felt bored the loop of how story is done and combat got boring for me as well(loved persona 5) but just not this for some reason, my question is looking at this i see it the exact same as the previous game, is there enough of a difference and improvement for me to like it more
Great video, thank you.
Really bummed they didnt have a similar challenge to the final millennium tower from the first game
as someone who 100% yakuza 7
no
I'm loving the game at least once I got to chapter 3. Have no plans in getting the NG+ now that I know what to expect. Even if it was semi-decent I wouldn't get it because I refuse to put up with such blatant cash grabbing.
I love the series but am sitting this one out. Locking basic game functions out to DLC really bothered me, and I don't find the new localization decisions to be to my tastes either or good for the franchise. I hope this is just a momentary lapse in their judgement and I'll be back for game 10! Thanks for the review Mort, professional as always (and sorry for a negative post)
Lmao asmongold fan makes public declaration that no one cares about, more news at 11
@@scaryeris6798 Asmongold fan? I don't follow. I am not trying to poo poo on the game - as I said, I am a fan of the series - I just choose to vote with my wallet when these companies make decisions I disagree with. I want gaming to be in a good state again without Californian's censoring things/inserting their politics and predatory monetary practices. Please don't let myself or anyone else lower your enjoyment. My issues will not be similar to others.
It's not the same as the literal Japanese but this game's translations aren't much different to previous games. I speak the language, so I will often say out loud "They didn't say that!" but eh. It doesn't radically alter the story or the context @@JayW-kh2df
There is over 2 months worth of content in the game and you're crying about ng+ which you wont even see for a long time? Grow the hell up
Oh you're one of those people 😂@@JayW-kh2df
If you liked the Yokohama/Hawaii dungeon and you liked the gameplay within it, would you say the DLC is still worth buying for the dungeon and party interactions alone?
No
no
Great.... Now I just need to finish Yakuza 3 and beyond to get to this one 🤣
I’ve only played Like a Dragon and have a good idea on what’s going on. It’s an incredibly addictive game so you can just skip to there if you want lol.
@@TheStr8tshooter I could, and they've made it easy to. But I legit love the games and the story so I wanna play my way there!
As for the steam deck, I'm not exactly sure what you mean when it comes to steam cloud? For me it transfers all of my saves
Best. Game. Ever.
Sucks that the monetization is such a sore spot for this one but on the bright side the game is fantastic and the dlc sucks so much there's no incentive to buy it
like a dragon infinite wealth There s no need for dubbing but it s a American person s wish that American songs be played on the radio once in a while There are many good songs in America too
Infinite wealth was 4/10 story, 7/10 combat, 10/10 side quests, 10/10 mini games, and 0/10 for that NG+ garbage which needs to be protested at every turn so other companies don't start to follow suit. After everything that averages out to a 6/10
no way bro just gave the combat a 7
Do you need to beat the game twice on new game + for the 100%
No
You don't have to beat it, but you do have to play it
Hey man, what type of microphone do you use? Reason I ask is because it sounds really good :)
Shure SM7B
I've played all the main line games to mostly completion back when I was a teenager (that means getting most, if not all, trophies)
Would you recommend this game to someone who doesn't have as much time to play anymore due to work?
Or is the hour commitment too much?
It took more than 100 hours
@MortismalGaming Yeah, so it's as big as Yakuza 0 and like a dragon.
I'll probably wait for this game to be on sale.
Your review made me more motivated to buy the game.
I have absolutely no interest in this game, but I'm here for Mort! Love your reviews. Keep up the great work!
Great game, instant classic...only thing that was not great, the game is extremely easy, especially if you grind just a bit.
What was your playtime for this game without the new game plus?
I want to say sorry for doubting your integrity i know the world is a difficult plsce and we all have to take little sacrifices to keep our head from drowning i trust your ability to choose where to draw the line for content i enjoy it and hope you dont take my statement about content for views personally i have seen too many creators go the wrong way but you never gave me really a reason to doubt you i want to say sorry
That's a very responsible thing to say, good for you.^^
I was never concerned about it, dont sweat it
Sweet jiminy jesus, it hasn't been more than a week.
I dont know how he 100% games so fast. I've still failed to 100% any game lol