"Even if your wings catch fire, the sight of you reaching out, ever higher, will dare others to try...." I teared up. This is exactly why I enjoy this channel, and your work GC. Don't ever stop. You inspire me, and I'm sure many others as well.
Hahaha FUN FACT: I didn't know I had written a poem until I went to proofread the script two days later! No one's going to believe me, but it was flat out a total coincidence.
The Japanese always crunching their asses off, that is no surprise. Plus a lot of things are reused so it cut some development time off. Not to mention very little mocap sequences and voice acting as well. Like nearly all of the side and substories are not voice acted in anyway, and they reused the same animations everytime. But yes this is probably the biggest one of the whole series yet. I'm not trying to undermine that.
@@linhza501 ah actually there's a few parts in Saijima's side of there story, when you start doing the Hunting subquest. the first couple parts there's no voice acting, but as you get deeper into it, you start learning about the guys past and there's voice acting in it. Haruka's other than the main plots on the schedule board, most of the other stuff don't have voice acting. Akiyama I feel like probably got the most shafted as far as stuff to do, but he does get a few things here and there, but it's alot less compared to what Akiyama got in Yakuza 4. the taxi driver substory for Kiryu has a little bit of voice acting towards the end of it, when you start racing the big names.
I finished it yesterday and that shit was fun but draining... Trying to get through the game I got very stressed out when I realised I was about to spend a bunch of hours on a mountain before getting on with it.. Or finishing Haruka part only to realise there was ANOTHER character to play as.. And then the final mission became this never ending thing of bosses.. I was exhausted by this game.. But I think I'm gonna really enjoy the new game plus down the line
One detail I really appreciated in this game that I think is worth mentioning: As you point out, and is pretty much impossible to miss with how much Yakuza 5 beats you over the head with it, is that the game is about dreams. Every single character has something they're striving towards in relation to dreams. Saejima dreams to be with people he trusts, whether that's in prison or in the yakuza. Haruka dreams to be an idol and bring joy to as many people as she can. Akiyama dreams of helping others turn their lives around, to ensure that the dreams of others don't die even when they're at their lowest, or even gone entirely. Shinada has lost his dream of being a baseball pro, and now simply dreams of being loved, wanted, and to belong somewhere. Every single character has their thoughts and feelings on dreams and what they dream of explored in depth. Except for Kiryu. Kiryu is the starting character, and his own story has little or no mention of that theme of dreams whatsoever. He's in a new city, he's all alone, he's absolutely miserable and really doesn't make much attempt to hide that... Kiryu really is at one of the lowest points of his life, having given up his life at the orphanage to give Haruka and the kids a shot at achieving their own dreams, without him there to hold them back. Kiryu is trying to keep his head down and be nothing more than a humble taxi driver, actively fighting against the plot's attempts to drag him back into another Tojo conflict. And through all of that, we get no real insight into what it is that Kiryu WANTS. We never get to see what his dream is. For most of the game, Kiryu has no real dream that he's fighting for. He's fighting, as usual, because he HAS to, not because he WANTS to. And it ends with him bleeding out in the snow, at the edge of death, with no regard for his own well being, trying desperately to make it back to his friends. Kiryu's first, and only mention of dreams, is when he sees Haruka cradling him in her arms. The moment Kiryu sees her there, he immediately assumes that it can't be real. That it has to be a dream. All around every character fighting for their own ideals behind dreams, taking down a yakuza conspiracy, fighting off an army on the streets of Kamurocho... Kiryu's dream, in typical Kiryu fashion, was the simplest of everyone: to be with his daughter again, even for one brief moment. Once he has that, despite the exhaustion and agony, Kiryu smiles for the first time in Yakuza 5. His dream has come true, and nothing else matters.
I disagree, but I think you actually hit the nail on the head about Kiryu in regards to the theme of dreams without realizing it. We don't know what his dreams are because HE doesn't know what his dreams are. He's conflicted in what he wants to do, because he can't really do one or the other without disturbing someone else's dreams. He doesn't know what to feel or how to go about getting back on track. This is the discussion the game wants to have with us. Dreaming brings with it all sorts of challenges, but not having one or being lost in the pursuit of one is one of the greatest challenges of all.
So, this is definitely a bit of headcanon, but I think the games support it - Note that during the four-way faceoff, Kiryu says 'Nobody's been waiting longer for this fight than me'. On some level, he recognizes his own power, and relishes it. I think Yakuza 0 shows this, as well. He does dream of the yakuza life, even still, but now it's something of a child's dream. He understands the real yakuza aren't what he wanted to be as a child, and besides, he discovered a new path and a new dream when he learned his power could be used for Haruka's protection. As she gets older, the yakuza fail him (repeatedly), and he says to hell with it, I'll go back to where I was happy, at the orphanage. Except now, he's not using his power at all. The dragon is hibernating, and atrophying, and Kiryu is starting to experience some cognitive dissonance at this. Now his dreams of being the best and protecting Haruka are at odds instead of in sync, but he makes the adult choice to look after his kids and let the past be the past. Then the damn tojo come knocking AGAIN, so he goes and does his thing. It's a bit rote, but he's doing things absolutely on his own terms. He shows very little deference to anybody, and directly tells people what he thinks they should be doing. He gets stabbed for his trouble. For the first time, his core dreams are really threatened. He nearly dies, and Haruka is visibly traumatized. He was not the strongest, and he did not protect her. This is unprecedented failure for Kiryu. Even Yumi and Nishiki weren't this bad. So it's understandable that he's gunshy in Yakuza 4, showing up only when Haruka, specifically, is the one to tell him to go. He does his bit and gets back home quickly to be with his family, though it's notable that his ideals of brotherhood get some exercise and he makes some lifelong friends. By the time 5 rolls around, he's come to put Haruka firmly ahead of his dreams of being the best hero-yakuza. In fact, he's buried that dream. Now everything is for her, and that causes her to loom large in her absence. He's unable to engage with anyone or anything on a deep level - Even fighting. Kiryu actively avoids fighting multiple times in Chapter 1 of Yakuza 5. That's pretty unprecedented for our favorite punchman. Kiryu's part in the tale of dreams in Yakuza 5 is, at first, the most relatable one - The person who's old, and tired, and has responsibilities that preclude dreaming. Directly, in Yakuza 5's characteristic bluntness: If he does Yakuza things, people will connect him to Haruka, and end her dreams. Until the yakuza things happen to Haruka independently of him, and can only be sorted out by what he has to offer. For me, the entire finale of Yakuza 5 is basically Kiryu Part 2, because now he's back in sync. Being the strongest and protecting Haruka are the same thing again. He even has friends that he trusts implicitly, to the point of trusting Shinada (to protect Haruka!) simply because he recognizes Akiyama is a terrific judge of character. So when he gets to the four-way faceoff, ALL his dreams are coming true around him. His opponents are noble, strong, and determined. The man at his side is the strongest he's ever known, AND they get to fight, too! And above all, it's all for Haruka. When he says 'Nobody's been waiting longer for this fight than me', it's because it's THE fight, the one he's been dreaming of his whole life, the first time he's firing on all cylinders, friends, family, and fists. Thank you for coming to my TED talk
@@Trygon That was actually an amazing explanation on the themes surrounding Kiryu, it really helped put words into a lot of feelings I had on the game. Thank you for your TED talk xD
Funny how Yakuza 5 first came out during an Earthquake and was used as a form of escapism from a major disaster and the remastered collection came so close to a global pandemic and was also used widely as a form of escapism
It's not much, but he does get to self-actualize in a BIG way. The substory where the dude that fired him comes for a loan is Akiyama at his most Akiyama, being better than anyone expects is possible (because you don't need to worry about being fucked over with a pocketbook that fat)
I'm so grateful I got into the Yakuza series. These games have some amazing life lessons to share with you underneath all of their badassery and wackiness
Am i the only one at they end of every yakuza game shouting like hell for the protagonist(s) to not turn their back on the beaten antagonist(s) only for them to get back up with a gun in their hand.
Now I've played most of the yakuza games and while I understood the plot mostly and only a few speckles of what the games main telling was about, I never truly understood what the games were truly about. After binging all of your videos on the yakuza games, I now have a new sense of understanding of what Ryu Ga Gotuko Studios wanted to show the players and I now want to replay them again. I'm glad to have stumbled upon your channel and I can't wait to see what's in store for your later videos. Thank you and keep up the good work!
I loved the conclusions to Akiyama, Kiryu, and Haruka's arcs, but Shinada's scene at @44:36 was the scene of the finally that actually made me cry. I just love every scene with Takasugi and Shinada and the way their relationship progresses throughout the game is both funny and heartwarming.
I was super debating including it because Baba is used so poorly in the larger scope of the story, and also because his arc features a lot of discussion about suicide, and I didn't want to affect anyone by showing it! He was a compelling character when the crime drama stuff didn't need him to be a super big component in the mystery; there's so much emotional takeaway from him that gets undermined by making [spoiler spoiler]. I'm talking about the end of Saejima's section if you remember that last set of cutscenes.
5 is my favorite Yakuza game. Shinada being my favorite of the 4 brawlers. The game just did so much for each character and made it feel way more cohesive than 4. Haruka feels like an actual person and not just a McGuffin. I’m sad he didn’t touch on Majima’s story in this game but I can understand why. Great video and he kept it mostly story detail spoiler free. Which I think is huge. Also complete the Saejima hunting story if you play it. Just do it. It’s so much fun and makes Saejima a damn sight better over his iteration in 4.
I'm really glad Haruka was a character with some amount of agency in this game, and that she was used to have a broader discussion about certain issues. 5 might not be my favorite, but it's UP THERE. Definitely one of the more memorable ones. I don't think I'll ever get the side story content I did out of my head!
The "watashi wa koko ni iru yo" gets me every single damn time, fuck! Also if the developers seem dismissive of Westerners, it's likely out of lack of plans at the time to bring it to the West. Dead Souls pretty much put the kibosh on localizing the series for a bit, and only after a fan outpouring on Twitter did it finally make its way to a digital download only release, and let the series hold on just long enough to really blow up.
Yeah pretty much! I totally forgot to mention how poor Dead Souls' sales were in this one >_< Although, I guess I was more focused on explaining what Yakuza means to its Japanese audience, and why there's so much more emphasis on the experience being designed around them.
Dead Souls seemed very much like a game that the team *believed* westerners would like without a leg to stand on. Makes it ironic that the main appeal to us is that it’s a Japan simulator! (With some artistic liberties.)
25:10 See, I love Haruka's section precisely BECAUSE she doesn't do the same thing every single character you've played over 5 1/2 games does. It's different and the dance battles are well designed and you just want to help her succeed. It was also nice, for once, to run around the city without serious guys in suits and every punk in Osaka wanting to throw down every 10 feet (there are WAY too many of those in 5, IMO)
I *loved* Haruka's section. It's a good breather from how heavy the combat in 5 is certainly! I do wish I had some fights though. I just wanna see the little girl we've watched grow up beat up some dudes who go too far.
Just finished this game last week and started 6. Honestly 5 is tied with 0 for my favourite Yakuza game right now. The amount of content in this game is impressive and I never got bored playing it. Ended up finishing the game with over 90 hours of playtime yet only 45% completion. It really feels like this is the game all the previous games were leading up to. Shinada's part has definitely my favourite story in this series so far
I'm surprised so many people don't like Shinada's section as much as I did! I think it's really good up until they have to try and make it fit into the greater narrative as a whole. I think Yakuza 5 might have benefitted from just being small stories about different people that weren't necessarily connected, but they're also stuck with being a crime drama as well, so the balance there is really difficult.
With a story as beautiful as this, I don't seem to understand why people try and poke holes in the plot so often when there aren't even any to find lmao
YOO JUST FOUND YOU LAST WEEK JUST FINISHED THE PAST YAKUZA RETROSPECTIVES A FEW DAYS AGO AND A WHOLE NEW ONE COMES OUT WHEN IVE BEEN WANTING MORE!! Epic!! Thanks for the quality content you’ve made me want to replay yakuza all over again.
Hahaha thanks for watching all of them, and hope you both enjoyed this new one! I straight up can't get enough of this series; every time I finish a Yakuza game, I feel burnout for ONE day and immediately just wanna pick up the next one!
Glad you enjoy it! I really enjoyed Yakuza 5 despite some of its shortcomings. Even though it has its flaws, it's so evident how much stronger the dialogue and flow of the game in general is in it compared to previous games. Truly a step up in scope and goals.
Best review/analysis of Yakuza 5 that I've seen, thank You so much for making these videos, idk why You aren't more popular but damn, Your content is top notch! The best of the best! Keep up the good work!
Update: I have the Yakuza Collection, 0, Kiwami 1, Kiwami 2, 6, and Like A Dragon. I finished 0, Kiwami 1, Kiwami 2, the HD remaster of 3, and am currently on 4.
These videos just reaffirm how connected the Yakuza games are to Persona (5 specifically) in terms of their themes. And it's just... it's a heavy feeling because I'm also hearing these interpretations of the Yakuza plots with some great Lo-Fi music in the background. I very much enjoy these videos.
43:47 Damn, your final takeaway about embracing the need of feeling part of something greater yourself and ultimately what matters is not whether or not you achieve your dreams but having people who care about you and support you hit so much... Ultimately, having good people, great friends around you is what's the most valuable thing you can have in life. That's what I thought and think too.
This is an amazing retrospective for an amazing series. Thank you for your dedication. You've beautifully summed up what I love about Yakuza. I'm eager to hear your analyses on the rest of the games, especially Yakuza 0. Keep up the good work 👍🏻
For me, this was one of the most irregular Yakuza games I've played. It's so long ang the structure makes it so hard to pick up that I dropped the game multiple times, but as I was fighting for the protagonist's beliefs, as the song "Dream" started to sound as everything was ending, while I was screaming at the TV in excitement at every twist and every big moment of the finale, as tears dropped and my heart melted seeing these characters I've grown to love so much closing the story, I could only think about how much I love the Yakuza series. As always, great analysis!
Honestly, I am glad I ran into these videos, I know these games aren't perfect, but this series was introduced to me at a time where I really needed them, and I didn't even know it. To this day, I still think back on the series, and even got the original PS2 games to play. The stories of these games were ones I really loved and enjoyed, in fact, these videos served to me as a reminder of what these games stood for. Can't wait for Yakuza 0, 6, and Like a Dragon!
Watched all your yakuza retrospectives over the past couple days and found a whole new appreciation for this amazing series, can't wait for the next one
I was really mid on 4 and 5's stories when I played them last year, but your videos really helped me appreciate their meaning, especially without being so convoluted
The craziest thing is that, after all the cards are on the table, even 4 and 5 actually don't have any plotholes or inconsistencies. It might feel like it sometimes, but that just means that you might've missed something usually. It's honestly kinda amazing that they managed to keep the stories together and grounded like this, what with all that's going on lol
When I was a kid, and this is absolutely true, my dad once gave me advice about having dreams. I wasn't even in my 20's yet, but it had a pretty big impact on me that I'm still struggling with and only recently, in my mid 30's have barely started to work through. He told me 'Fuck your dreams, they'll only ruin your life'. No joke. Even if it wasn't verbatim, that was pretty much what he told me. I'd like to think that it was his way of trying to shield me, his visually impaired failure of a son, from being too hurt from not being able to do as much as you'd like or that your dreams might not ever come true no matter what you do so it might even be better to not even try in the first place but... being told your whole life that that you can't do something, that you're different, or that you can only be a burden to someone because of your issues has a way of making things... very hard for you mentally. It's like being given a box of crayons and being told to color in the blank sheet of white paper that is your life with the colors you think you have. Let me tell you, you don't automatically pick bright or vibrant colors and struggle to even imagine they exist in the first place even when they are literally being handed to you by someone who is telling you that it's okay to use a baby blue here or a yellow there. All you can see are everything but those colors even though you know they're there. You just don't think they're the colors that best fit you because you've spent your whole life being told you only have those other colors. Yeah, Yakuza 5 resonated with me and I was... well, I loved the game. Honestly, if they had ended the series there, I would've been fine with that. Then again, hearing this talk of dreams in the analysis is... well, got my gears spinning and thinking about my own past and how, even now, I'm struggling to make some dreams come true now that I get that it's fine to have them. Meh. Who said games don't teach you shit?
@@GCVazquez thank you! I look forward to it. I'm taking a more completions route this time around and finished all of Kiryu's side stories and challenges, now I'm playing as Saejima and finished all the hunting/village side stories, just made it into the city. So far the game has been really good. But man do I want to see your latest video haha
I am so glad about this video series! feels great to see somebody having this passion for these games and yeah these vids motivated me a lot to try out the ones I haven't tried!!!
There's something so genuine and earnest about the story in this game that really makes me love it. I know popular sentiment is that Y5 has one of the weaker plots (and I definitely have my complaints with some aspects, like how Park was handled, whatever the hell was going on with Majima, and Saejima Prison Segment 2.0) but there are so many beats that really nail it (Kiryu's fight at the end of his section and the following "I'm not an angel" convo plus his Depression Arc and "Why does this happen whenever I get involved?" in the early finale, the Side Stories (I'm a sucker for rhythm games so I adored Haruka's part but found the other side stories to be pretty fun too), a Daigo plan actually kind of succeeding for once, a final fight that came out of nowhere but was still incredibly fun and visceral to play, and p much all of Shinada's stuff) that are straight-up some of THE Yakuza moments of all time to me. Plus every character gets a key scene with a fire extinguisher, somehow. Every single time it came up again I cackled and added a tally to my mental list. Each time I saw a fire extinguisher in 6 onward I stopped to take a picture of Yakuza 5's Best Character. Just a shame that Haruka wasn't allowed to fight in this one because she's simply too powerful. Kiryu only taught her one technique and that technique was the tiger drop. Let her loose on Sotenbori's citizens and there's no telling what havoc she'd wreak.
This video reminds me that I have to continue my Yakuza 0 playthrough. I don't know why but I take long breaks in my two Yakuza playthroughs I did until now, even though I have a great time playing them.
God damn it. I was about to say "Your ability to scrub through moments in the game for extremely related and reinforcing footage is gettin' insane (up through 2:40)" and then you hit me with the whisper in my ear. Fuckin' talented asshat lol. 3:56 - and they fuckin' succeeded. Big fan of this look inside, I'll hold my tongue since I type too much, but this entry hit home hard for me and has, for the time, become my favorite Yakuza- so hearing dev side tales is extremely appreciated. How laser focused 5 was on a core theme of dreams stood out like crazy, and it built a nice cohesion between their different stories that I didn't feel 4 landed on with its cast. There's more to it than just "Everyone's story touches on dreams" there's plenty going on that makes 5 work where I felt 4 didn't, but that was an extremely noticable one throughout my playthrough for certain. The engine is mighty impressive, enough so where (and grain of salt because remaster collection) I couldn't tell this ran on a PS3. 3 and 4, oh yeah, I could tell. But the most 5 had going that felt of that era is INSANE culling on NPCs, like they vanish at a sneeze, but that's not like a bad sign of the era, that's one of the signs of the era that meant they got the engine to run properly and use resources well, it literally only stands out when you begin to think of it as a next gen title and then see a crowd vanish and go "Oh wait, no, no, this was last last gen, and that's the only remnant lol". 9:50~ - This scriptin' kills it, the line on decisions/consequences is killer shit. 10:50 - The fear and glee of a person who found a fight they didn't expect in Yakuza lol 13:00 - I went OFF talking about Saejima through my playthrough like 6 damn times. I won't here, but holy hell and a half they did him right here. His view on strength going from a passable and simplistic one to a view that strength is will- the will to carry on and so much more- they really took a simple character motivator and expanded it to the moon by giving him some more mentor traits and allowing him to explain his views on what strength is (as well as challenging that with how he views his bro throughout the game). Sick damn game. 13:30 - 5 is huge, no one disputing that, but I was surprised how huge by the end because it felt so right throughout. I didn't go all completionist or nothing but it still took 160~ hours to beat and I was shocked to see that because it didn't feel anywhere near there. But then you get thinking... you note the cities, the entire days spent hunting or driving a cab- HOLY SHIT THERE WAS A WHOLE RACING CAB GAME I DID FOR A DAY- Like there's so MUCH it might as well be 5 games, but all 5 are so good (subjective shit) that it felt like a brisk walk. 14:30 - This is the kind of perspective I adore gettin' from these retrospectives. Because at no point would I have known this without sitting down to really research for myself- so I am thankful people such as you take the time to share that information :) 18:00 - AKIYAMA GETS NOTHING. The side stories were such a huge improvement on the formula, and I adored finishing all of them and seeing so much more of these characters whether that time was used to better express those characters or to offer a path of growth for them. And Akiyama getting nothing is pretty fuckin' apt when the game gives every other character incredible growth or expression or hopeful ends- and he just kinda, goes for the ride because his personality would encourage him to go along for the ride. I mean, not to belittle his whole deal in 5, but he's the least important character and there's a BASEBALL PLAYER involved- like how did Akiyama manage that? I love Akiyama! And I get a smile out of his little ending! But man, the game didn't quite squeeze enough in to give him a side story or meaningful path beyond being 'involved'. And that's 'fine', I just love the character and wanted to see him explode as much as, well, literally everyone else did this time around lol. 20:40 - I'm not gonna cry about Saejima and the beautiful way his motivations are explained and evolve yet again and you can't force me with this pitch perfect thread on the theme. 21:50 - I'm gonna cackle seeing all these reactions, too real, too damn real lol 23:50 - I love how everyone's reaction to this scene is "GET IT, HARUKA, GET IT!" lol Hey, on the bright side, she gets a heat move during Akiyama's first fight with Kanai lol, you gotta squint your eyes to give it to her, but she got a hit in there by throwing the extinguisher lol 24:36 - Oh Park, I dread that my first reaction to you was so upset at how you convinced Kiryu to give up Haruka, you did good through this in my opinion, you did good. 25:30 - I spent so much time in 5 as Haruka doing dance stuff, my lord. Love to see it. Now that + tiger dropping would make 5 the best game ever made. 27:30 - Amen to this read on Haruka's struggles. It's part of why the absolute best and most uplifting moments in her segment are the moments she's making genuine friends and getting to go out and eat with them. There few and far between, but those stand out as the most happy moments in her whole tale and it becomes pretty clear why when you look closer and realize every other segment is playing a role- but when she's with her new school friends? That's when she gets to just be and that's nice :) 30:00 - HELL YEAH THAT COUNTS. And also I love the read on Akiyama, "funder of dreams", it's how I saw him through all of 4 and it's what he can offer here in 5, at least. 31:17 - :( :( :( :( 34:38 - Seriously, you can feel free to take a grain of salt on me but hear me out. I used to be big on writing and I still do my fair share, and the way you frame your arguments or explain themes especially in this particular piece on Y5, it's got some fuckin' honed talent goin' there. So whether you owe it to raw practice, or whatever literature catches your fancy and inspired or influenced you, or just a mix of life experiences causing you to think in these terms- know it's workin' and it's fucking killer stuff. I mean this read on Shinada hits, is all I'm sayin', but I just gotta say it loud because I don't swing by and catch a vid to yell about all that often lol. You're a good writer, your efforts have been paying off with fantastic quality. And that coupled with your growing editing prowess and the drive you've used to make all this over the years- you're fuckin' killin' it, man. I hope you're having fun with it :) 34:50 - lol, I'm glad as fuck that YOU caught on to how hot you were cookin' lol. Let it be known I rambled prior to hearin' that. 40:47 - Maybe the hardest decision in the game lol. 42:00 - Subjective shit, but it really did work more often than not- but damn if that one quote didn't clear up a fuckload of wondering. If the initial plan was to make it just Kiryu and the writing diverted THIS MUCH all while trying to tackle a core theme? Yeah I can see why there are a couple moments of "Eh... alright, dreams I guess". I'm one to give credit for the successes and mitigate the impact of the losses. 45:00 - I gotta point out: In this televised broadcast Akiyama kicks TOTAL ass, punches a guy out, kicks a guy out, throws a guy to the ground, and does a fucking roundhouse. Meanwhile Kiryu punches a single guy before stancing up. The wildly different amounts of effort between the two tickles the hell outta me. 45:47 - God that's a good line and a good read. Phenomenal work, GC. 46:00 - Oh how embarrassing, GC left his webcam on during an everyday occurence in his den. Also sick pipes :D Oh, and this is an off shoot fuckin' deal but I'm commenting your way so I might as well. Fuckin' whenever the hell I read that blitzball piece you wrote up since I spotted it on twitter the 2 hours a year I use twitter- a good read, great work there as well :P I would have said as much in a comment relavent to the piece, but I didn't, and I'm here, so there's that lol. Great stuff, GC, have a good one :) Oh dear. This is a mess and a half and I even began this comment thinking "I'll just watch and say Great job if I enjoy". I blame yakuza? Or just my specific brand of unnecessary excitement? Ah well. Doesn't help that there is no such thing as formatting on a comment so it destroyed what I typed. Whatever, what's done is done, thank ya for creatin' and sharin' your take on Y5 :) Have a good one (again).
Thank you for giving the video a look Red! And for reading the article! And for the compliments to my writing on this one especially; I REALLY went back and reworked a lot of how the scripts get made to give it a more thought provoking tone. Hopefully I can keep this going for Zero- but what I wrote for Yakuza 5 was a huge lightning bolt to the head when I sat down to do it. Thank you again!
I have finally come back to watch this, after the long-ass journey of 100%ing Yakuza 5. This and TehSnakerer will be my listening material as I earn those last few trophies. So glad to come back to it, I love this series of vids dude. Now I just need to try and beat you to Yakuza 6 xD
Believe me, the runtime I had on this thing when I was done with the rough cut? It almost WAS another full-length movie! Hahaha, thank you for the kind words. Hopefully I keep getting better!
In terms of villains, this game could've been much better. Some of them i feel like we're misused? That's at least how i feel about Kurosawa. ( Great video, you definitely deserve more views for this. You earned a sub )
while not my favorite in the series, 5 is honestly up there for me. I absolutely loved it, it was the one i've dumped the most time in and the game I still have been going back to to do little side things, or just go hunting as Saejima or do a concert as Haruka, among other things. As much as the game goes above and beyond to remind you of it's themes, I enjoyed every second of it. but most importantly 5 gave me my boy Shinada, and I will forever love it for that, his baseball minigame, and the fact that he's one of the few characters that's actually good with weapons and makes them worth it, which was a nice change of pace compared to different combos of punching kicking, and smashing everything into oblivion and occasional snowmen in Saejima's case. I do wish Akiyama could have gotten his own chapter and side story though. While he and Haruka make a great duo, I feel like it was a mix of they felt like neither could carry an entire part/chapter on their own, when I think they very well could have. What I would have loved to see is perhaps a proto version of the real estate stuff from 0, but not quite the same idea or gameplay. Just Akiyama trying to build up Sky Finance in Osaka, it's rep, the office, finding clients, employees, etc. If 5 ever gets Kiwami'd like 50 years from now, I hope they give our favorite slacker something.
Definitely one of the Best Games in the Series after Yakuza 0 all things considered, and the one I sank almost as many hours into (perhaps more tbh). It even manages to outdo that game a little in the breadth of content it has to provide its players with! After I finished with Yakuza 6 (and as a result all the mainline games up until that point), I ended up going back to this Game not long after to finish off all the Substories, Side Stories, and anything else I might have missed out on and felt like doing (and ofc Fighting Amon lol). There's a lot to do in this Game and is pretty much fun as hell throughout (even if the Random Encounters on the streets got more annoying this time round), and along with both 0 & the Kiwami 1 Remake almost represents the series peaking in what it could do with the series Brawler Style Gameplay. Providing the Best of said Gameplay that Yakuza has to offer its players. And as someone who would love to visit Japan someday myself, it was great to see all these Recreations of existing Japanese Cities and to walk around in them as the Characters. Great Video on Yakuza 5 there man, and I loved the poignant point made about the Game's central themes as well! The Game's story itself may fall apart in quite a few places, but it still manages to be an exhilarating & emotional roller coaster throughout...
This is a really interesting look at the game. Yakuza 5 is a game I do love in a lot of regards. But man sometimes I think it can be too big for it's own good. I appreciate what the Yakuza team was able to achieve. By no means would I call Yakuza 5 bad. It's great, but man. I think some stuff could of been down scaled . Like, did we really need 5 cities? Did we really need so many protagonists to follow? Honestly, the villain was pretty forgettable. Maybe that was sort of the point when he said he didn't care and was just given the dream, but idk. He could of been a stronger villain if you ask me. I can appreciate the theme about dreams and how to deal with them a lot. But look at it like this. It's a fruit basket full of great things. But also some of the fruit in the basket isn't created equal. I know Yakuza 6 gets flack for downscaling side content and the like, but I honestly appreciate it more tbh as a whole. I'm not saying side content efforts went to waste, just that Yakuza 5's aspects aren't equal if that makes sense.
Also, I really enjoyed the video nonetheless. I just figured to add my two cents. I still love Yakuza 5 so much. It's just not the strongest I feel in storytelling.
I 100% absolutely agree with you. I really like the final boss in 5, but there wasn't enough of them in the story to make the game's twist as strong as it could have been. I really like the main villain of the story, but the motivations weren't really satisfying enough to convince me. I love a lot of the crime drama stuff, but SO MUCH of it just absolutely drops the ball. This is also the game with some of the most repetitive dialogue in the series I've played so far. Like, more than usual for Yakuza, and more than the usual for video games needing to keep players aware of plot elements when they go do side stuff for a long time. I wanted to try to- for lack of a better word- grasp through all that clutter what the heart of the game was about; the theme about dreams is the narrative's strongest quality, and I think it's worth playing for that!
After beating 5 today, I wholeheartedly agree with you. It was a good game but honestly it was bit too ambitious for its own good. It had a lot of content that’s exactly what burned me out of 5 and why it is my 2nd least favorite in the series. I feel like if this was just kiryu and Haruka game I feel a lot better about it because when I recall my playtime through 5 I was mostly engrossed in kiryu and Harukas sections and had most enjoyment playing as them. Akiyama, Saejima and Shinada are cool characters but let’s be honest they werent really needed to be playable in this game
I am so glad you made this video, especially because every time I look up this game online, everyone loves to trash on this game for some of the messier aspects of this story. While I agree it's ambition can sometimes be a detriment to itself, something I always adore about Yakuza 5 is just how much of its content is filled with so much sincerity and heart. There is a purity to its ambitious nature that I just haven't felt in Yakuza games since. Not to mention that when the story works, it works better than most of best emotional moments in other games for me. Yakuza 0 is a phenomenal game, but it is the result of years of experience, it's a refined product and as such it's also a lot less risky. Is it messy? sure. Is the final boss fight thrown in at random? Absolutely. Is it all worth it? Yes because Shinada is best boiii. I have seen people love games with greater flaws than Yakuza 5, just because it may not be perfect in every aspect of its execution doesn't mean that it's emotional core should be ignored and I think you captured the essence of Yakuza 5 perfectly while also acknowledging its flaws.
Thank you for the kind words! I pretty much agree with you wholeheartedly. There's a lot of joy to be found in Yakuza 5 despite it's awkward moments and nonsense. More good than bad to be sure!
I really love how they prioritize the Japanese audience. By doing so, there's no sacrificing aspects for the sake of compromise, making the game much more authentic.
In regards to keeping an authentic representation of the geographic locations and colloquialisms, I'm all for it! When it comes to reinforcing elements of current Japanese society that Japanese people are fighting against all the time, I'm not for it. I think, as outsiders, we tend to see a lot of what's there as unequivocal and accepted facts about Japan and Japanese culture. But just like in the West, the people who makes games can more or less skew their depictions and representations of their respective cultures one way or another, and as the player we should be mindful of that. What we see is never going to be 100% authentic, because authenticity really does depend on the person giving us said information.
No problem! If you subscribe and have the bell icon toggled it should automatically show up in your subscription feed or notifications when they come out! I know that's a canned response for this sort of stuff, but it does work! Most of the time! Kind of! When UA-cam feels like it!
I know this is massively late and I know it’s been three months but for some reason UA-cam didn’t even show me you uploaded Yakuza 5. I don’t know if you remember but I found your channel around the dead souls review and liked how you were a dragon quest and Yakuza fan and subbed. First dragon quest being IX. Fun fact is I went back and beat it recently. Feels damn good. Anyways it was nice to watch this video and I have to catch up. Def hope UA-cam doesn’t screw up notifications next time.
(Long and Late comment incoming): I'm not sure if this is going to get noticed, but I want to thank you so much, GC. I originally watched your channel when your Valkyria Chronicles video came out, and it's what inspired me to buy it. Unfortunately, I completely forgot to subscribe, and I forgot the name of your channel when UA-cam stopped recommending me your videos. Cut to a few years later, when I'm getting ready to start my second semester of college, during the pandemic no less, and I rediscover your channel with a video telling me to play Yakuza Dead Souls. I had taken a break from Yakuza 4, but seeing your video and rediscovering your channel and being reminded of why I loved it in the first place made me want to play and finish the rest of the series. I then soon saw your video on Latine and Hispanic representation in games, and as someone of Puerto Rican descent, it hit me even harder than I was expecting, and I felt even more of a connection with you in this weird para-social thing that happens with fans of Content Creators, so, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. (I accidentally published this too early, that's what the edit is.) Anyway, you've helped me look at my favorite series of games so far in a new light, and have helped me appreciate what each game stands for, as well as shining a light on their flaws. I just came off the heels of beating 5 about an hour ago, and I'm going to jump into 6 soon so I can finish off the Dragon's story. I'm excited to see where it goes, and with all the information that these videos have provided, it's going to be interesting to discover. Also, I hope you make a video on 0, because it seems like that's what's coming up next in terms of release chronology. I still think it has the tightest character and plot writing in the series based on the games I've played so far, but that could be nostalgia talking as it was my introduction to the series. I look forward to your take on it if it ever comes. If not, then on to the Song of Life! I'll be sure to comment on those videos with more specific thoughts, as I'll definitely have a lot to say.
It's nice to see you back! Sorry about that UA-cam algorithm stuff making it so difficult. ^_^ I'm really glad I was able to resonate with you not just on games but about the shared aspects of our respective cultures too. The Yakuza 0 video is planned! I'm putting out a few editorials in-between that and the 5 video, but I'm playing through 0 now. I REALLY LIKE IT.
This comment is a month too old but I thank you for giving me a new perspective. I loved Yakuza 5 but I love it even more now, thanks to your deeper analysis on the overall theme of 5. I'm trying to analyze pieces of fiction that I love in order to achieve an understanding on why I love them so much, the problem is that it's still pretty hard for me to get a lot of the stuff in stories, especially the overall themes of the story. I'm gonna get better at this, but there's always a scary feeling that I've reached my peak and there's no way I'm getting smarter about this stuff. Anyway, great video, looking forward to a new analysis, yada yada yada.
I think the best thing to keep in mind with doing that is understanding there is no ceiling, and really all it takes is practice doing it. A lot of what I use to talk about games in videos was learned in high school and college literary theory classes. Don't worry too much about being right, but do use what's in those stories to form those ideas!
hey so remember when you uploaded the Yakuza 0 video and I commented "Ive had the video on yakuza 5 you did open on a tab for months waiting to play it before watching it cuz spoilers but thankfully I already played 0 so I can watch this one omg 🙏"? no? because it was over 2 years ago? well, I just wanted you to know that during all this time, I still had this video open on a separate tab of my computer, patiently waiting, always stuck on 1:51; when those 3 piano keys play and kiryu says "hito chigai da" short after, making me hear that almost every time I opened the browser. And now, finally, after a long and arduous wait, I beat Yakuza 5 Remastered on PC and was able to watch your video. And I gotta say, the wait was worth it fr, great video. This is the end of an era for me but don't worry, who knows how long it'll take me to beat 6 now knowing my history.
I played Yakuza 3,4 and 5 from fhe remastered collection, 6 the song of Life and Like a Dragon since March 2020 at the start of the pandemic. It was my form of escape
Nice! They're definitely perfect to escape into for exactly that reason. I'm excited to get to Like A Dragon at some point! Saving it for when I need to make a video.
You know if you're that interested in crime drama but wanna get a taste of those good ol shenanigans on the side I recommend a look at Minder a British Comedy/Crime drama starring a hard boiled charasmatic ex boxer with a heart of gold who works shifts as well a minder partnered with an old, classy and delicate cigar smoking business man/car dealer(con artist) , where you follow their exploits and personal journeys with characters they strongly relate with as they get themselves into scheme after scheme set up by shady ne'er do dwellers I already finished season 2!
"I'm asking for the daughter of the dragon of dojima to elbow drop some dudes" lol, totally felt the same way playing through 5. Haruka's segments are what keeps it from being in my top 3 favorites in the series.
@@GCVazquez can’t wait! You helped spark a love for this series and I’ve been able to play every single one (released here) except for dead souls which I loved your video on too I just can’t get a copy for a reasonable price haha
Dead Souls was the rock-bottom of the franchise, but problems were visible in 3 and 4...with 5, Sega finally pull the breaks, and gave Nagoshi and his team the time they needed. Yakuza 5 was the first step in putting the franchise back on track, wich ended with 7 been the "reboot" it desperately needed.
I have watched this video many times now. Truly great work, man. Can you also list the soundtrack as well, if you dont mind. Your commentary vibes well with the soundtrack and works well with the game dialogue in between.
@@GCVazquez lol, thanx for the pointer though. You are doing great work man, keep it up. Your content is underrated, hope it gets the attention it deserves.
The part of the game where you had to choose who you wanted to use… I just picked whatever character was furthest away from level 25, whether I liked their style or not lol
Yakuza 5 is quite possibly my favorite video game of all time, so thank you for making an equal amount as good video for it. Also, if I may ask, where do those gameplay clips that are in between the chapters of the video originate from? Love ya and thanks again 🙏
Glad you enjoyed it! The gameplay clips are actually just out-of-context moments from when I was playing the game for my video! I tend to play them in a discord call with friends, and they watch me play once in a while.
@@GCVazquez that would be awesome. Regardless, I’m really looking forward to your videos on 6, 0, Kiwami and Kiwami 2! You have a very insightful mind.
Fantastic video man. I don't always agree with your videos, especially the ones about the yakuza series, but how you talked about the treatment of women in this game specifically was really well done. I feel like 5 tries to demonise sexist behaviour in the way other games in the series don't.
I got burnt out of playing this game because of the sheer abundance of side content. And I'm someone who's compelled to complete _all_ of that type of content. I love Haruka like a daughter, but if anyone taught me to subdue my urge, it's her. ...Though that might be a good thing in some cases.
"Even if your wings catch fire, the sight of you reaching out, ever higher, will dare others to try...."
I teared up. This is exactly why I enjoy this channel, and your work GC. Don't ever stop. You inspire me, and I'm sure many others as well.
Hahaha FUN FACT: I didn't know I had written a poem until I went to proofread the script two days later! No one's going to believe me, but it was flat out a total coincidence.
@@GCVazquez a poet who didn't know it. *heh*
Yakuza 5 might be the most content filled, longest Single Player game ive ever played. How they made this in 2 years is dark magic
Someone needs to give the entire studio an extended vacation
The Japanese always crunching their asses off, that is no surprise.
Plus a lot of things are reused so it cut some development time off. Not to mention very little mocap sequences and voice acting as well. Like nearly all of the side and substories are not voice acted in anyway, and they reused the same animations everytime.
But yes this is probably the biggest one of the whole series yet. I'm not trying to undermine that.
@@linhza501 ah actually there's a few parts in Saijima's side of there story, when you start doing the Hunting subquest. the first couple parts there's no voice acting, but as you get deeper into it, you start learning about the guys past and there's voice acting in it. Haruka's other than the main plots on the schedule board, most of the other stuff don't have voice acting. Akiyama I feel like probably got the most shafted as far as stuff to do, but he does get a few things here and there, but it's alot less compared to what Akiyama got in Yakuza 4. the taxi driver substory for Kiryu has a little bit of voice acting towards the end of it, when you start racing the big names.
I finished it yesterday and that shit was fun but draining... Trying to get through the game I got very stressed out when I realised I was about to spend a bunch of hours on a mountain before getting on with it.. Or finishing Haruka part only to realise there was ANOTHER character to play as.. And then the final mission became this never ending thing of bosses.. I was exhausted by this game.. But I think I'm gonna really enjoy the new game plus down the line
One detail I really appreciated in this game that I think is worth mentioning:
As you point out, and is pretty much impossible to miss with how much Yakuza 5 beats you over the head with it, is that the game is about dreams. Every single character has something they're striving towards in relation to dreams. Saejima dreams to be with people he trusts, whether that's in prison or in the yakuza. Haruka dreams to be an idol and bring joy to as many people as she can. Akiyama dreams of helping others turn their lives around, to ensure that the dreams of others don't die even when they're at their lowest, or even gone entirely. Shinada has lost his dream of being a baseball pro, and now simply dreams of being loved, wanted, and to belong somewhere. Every single character has their thoughts and feelings on dreams and what they dream of explored in depth.
Except for Kiryu.
Kiryu is the starting character, and his own story has little or no mention of that theme of dreams whatsoever. He's in a new city, he's all alone, he's absolutely miserable and really doesn't make much attempt to hide that... Kiryu really is at one of the lowest points of his life, having given up his life at the orphanage to give Haruka and the kids a shot at achieving their own dreams, without him there to hold them back. Kiryu is trying to keep his head down and be nothing more than a humble taxi driver, actively fighting against the plot's attempts to drag him back into another Tojo conflict. And through all of that, we get no real insight into what it is that Kiryu WANTS. We never get to see what his dream is. For most of the game, Kiryu has no real dream that he's fighting for. He's fighting, as usual, because he HAS to, not because he WANTS to. And it ends with him bleeding out in the snow, at the edge of death, with no regard for his own well being, trying desperately to make it back to his friends.
Kiryu's first, and only mention of dreams, is when he sees Haruka cradling him in her arms. The moment Kiryu sees her there, he immediately assumes that it can't be real. That it has to be a dream.
All around every character fighting for their own ideals behind dreams, taking down a yakuza conspiracy, fighting off an army on the streets of Kamurocho... Kiryu's dream, in typical Kiryu fashion, was the simplest of everyone: to be with his daughter again, even for one brief moment. Once he has that, despite the exhaustion and agony, Kiryu smiles for the first time in Yakuza 5. His dream has come true, and nothing else matters.
I disagree, but I think you actually hit the nail on the head about Kiryu in regards to the theme of dreams without realizing it. We don't know what his dreams are because HE doesn't know what his dreams are. He's conflicted in what he wants to do, because he can't really do one or the other without disturbing someone else's dreams. He doesn't know what to feel or how to go about getting back on track. This is the discussion the game wants to have with us. Dreaming brings with it all sorts of challenges, but not having one or being lost in the pursuit of one is one of the greatest challenges of all.
Kiryu's dream is the same as Saejima's by the end of the game more specifically with haruka and the kids
So, this is definitely a bit of headcanon, but I think the games support it - Note that during the four-way faceoff, Kiryu says 'Nobody's been waiting longer for this fight than me'. On some level, he recognizes his own power, and relishes it. I think Yakuza 0 shows this, as well. He does dream of the yakuza life, even still, but now it's something of a child's dream. He understands the real yakuza aren't what he wanted to be as a child, and besides, he discovered a new path and a new dream when he learned his power could be used for Haruka's protection.
As she gets older, the yakuza fail him (repeatedly), and he says to hell with it, I'll go back to where I was happy, at the orphanage. Except now, he's not using his power at all. The dragon is hibernating, and atrophying, and Kiryu is starting to experience some cognitive dissonance at this. Now his dreams of being the best and protecting Haruka are at odds instead of in sync, but he makes the adult choice to look after his kids and let the past be the past. Then the damn tojo come knocking AGAIN, so he goes and does his thing. It's a bit rote, but he's doing things absolutely on his own terms. He shows very little deference to anybody, and directly tells people what he thinks they should be doing. He gets stabbed for his trouble.
For the first time, his core dreams are really threatened. He nearly dies, and Haruka is visibly traumatized. He was not the strongest, and he did not protect her. This is unprecedented failure for Kiryu. Even Yumi and Nishiki weren't this bad. So it's understandable that he's gunshy in Yakuza 4, showing up only when Haruka, specifically, is the one to tell him to go. He does his bit and gets back home quickly to be with his family, though it's notable that his ideals of brotherhood get some exercise and he makes some lifelong friends.
By the time 5 rolls around, he's come to put Haruka firmly ahead of his dreams of being the best hero-yakuza. In fact, he's buried that dream. Now everything is for her, and that causes her to loom large in her absence. He's unable to engage with anyone or anything on a deep level - Even fighting. Kiryu actively avoids fighting multiple times in Chapter 1 of Yakuza 5. That's pretty unprecedented for our favorite punchman. Kiryu's part in the tale of dreams in Yakuza 5 is, at first, the most relatable one - The person who's old, and tired, and has responsibilities that preclude dreaming. Directly, in Yakuza 5's characteristic bluntness: If he does Yakuza things, people will connect him to Haruka, and end her dreams. Until the yakuza things happen to Haruka independently of him, and can only be sorted out by what he has to offer.
For me, the entire finale of Yakuza 5 is basically Kiryu Part 2, because now he's back in sync. Being the strongest and protecting Haruka are the same thing again. He even has friends that he trusts implicitly, to the point of trusting Shinada (to protect Haruka!) simply because he recognizes Akiyama is a terrific judge of character. So when he gets to the four-way faceoff, ALL his dreams are coming true around him. His opponents are noble, strong, and determined. The man at his side is the strongest he's ever known, AND they get to fight, too! And above all, it's all for Haruka. When he says 'Nobody's been waiting longer for this fight than me', it's because it's THE fight, the one he's been dreaming of his whole life, the first time he's firing on all cylinders, friends, family, and fists.
Thank you for coming to my TED talk
@@Trygon That was actually an amazing explanation on the themes surrounding Kiryu, it really helped put words into a lot of feelings I had on the game. Thank you for your TED talk xD
Wow, what a great analysis!
Funny how Yakuza 5 first came out during an Earthquake and was used as a form of escapism from a major disaster and the remastered collection came so close to a global pandemic and was also used widely as a form of escapism
I think video games in general have helped a lot of people through many a disaster over the course of the last few decades, and that's amazing.
Well, the PC ports of 3-5 remastered and 6 came out during the global pandemic so......yeah
I laughed out loud at "Akiyama gets *nothing*".
I'd happily take nothing for 100 billion yen.
Akiyama deserves more than just being a pretty face ;_;
@@GCVazquez Money and a pretty face. Credit where credit is due tho, he makes doing nothing seem lit💯
When you already have everything, you can’t really get anything else... Save for a dance battle.
It's not much, but he does get to self-actualize in a BIG way. The substory where the dude that fired him comes for a loan is Akiyama at his most Akiyama, being better than anyone expects is possible (because you don't need to worry about being fucked over with a pocketbook that fat)
"Akiyama gets nothing" my man didn't even get his own side story :(
My guy has the whole plot on his back, and doesn't even get a chance to unwind. v_v
“Why can’t she just do one Judo throw???”
That’s why I was so happy she did end up doing something like that in the RGG Online trailer.
A friend of mine showed me that and I'm definitely going to try to make a video on it now.
I'm so grateful I got into the Yakuza series. These games have some amazing life lessons to share with you underneath all of their badassery and wackiness
I honestly wasn't expecting the series to go in the direction it did when I started playing through all of them. I'm very glad it did!
Am i the only one at they end of every yakuza game shouting like hell for the protagonist(s) to not turn their back on the beaten antagonist(s) only for them to get back up with a gun in their hand.
At this point I have a bingo card.
Now I've played most of the yakuza games and while I understood the plot mostly and only a few speckles of what the games main telling was about, I never truly understood what the games were truly about. After binging all of your videos on the yakuza games, I now have a new sense of understanding of what Ryu Ga Gotuko Studios wanted to show the players and I now want to replay them again. I'm glad to have stumbled upon your channel and I can't wait to see what's in store for your later videos. Thank you and keep up the good work!
Thank you so much! I hope your next playthroughs reveal more interests!
I wish that we can play as Haruka again sometime, her dancing games were so much fun. And the music was pretty good too.
I wouldn't mind this either! I'd like to see her fight as well, but if they kept her dancing stuff in that'd also be cool!
@@GCVazquez But she literally punches people through the power of dance! She is LITERALLY throwing haymakers in her specials! And I fucking love it.
no matter how many times i watch it the ending to yakuza 5 always makes me cry
I think it's the first ending to make me cry; there's a lot of emotional payoff in it.
I loved the conclusions to Akiyama, Kiryu, and Haruka's arcs, but Shinada's scene at @44:36 was the scene of the finally that actually made me cry.
I just love every scene with Takasugi and Shinada and the way their relationship progresses throughout the game is both funny and heartwarming.
I genuinely think Shibata's relationship with Takasugi is some of the best writing in the series.
I didn't really like shinada and I really don't like his gameplay style but still I cried at that scene
I'm kinda surprised at how you didn't really touch on Baba's story. He made me cry repeatedly.
I was super debating including it because Baba is used so poorly in the larger scope of the story, and also because his arc features a lot of discussion about suicide, and I didn't want to affect anyone by showing it! He was a compelling character when the crime drama stuff didn't need him to be a super big component in the mystery; there's so much emotional takeaway from him that gets undermined by making [spoiler spoiler]. I'm talking about the end of Saejima's section if you remember that last set of cutscenes.
5 is my favorite Yakuza game. Shinada being my favorite of the 4 brawlers. The game just did so much for each character and made it feel way more cohesive than 4. Haruka feels like an actual person and not just a McGuffin. I’m sad he didn’t touch on Majima’s story in this game but I can understand why. Great video and he kept it mostly story detail spoiler free. Which I think is huge.
Also complete the Saejima hunting story if you play it. Just do it. It’s so much fun and makes Saejima a damn sight better over his iteration in 4.
I prefer 5 over 0. I like the singular fightint style over multiple fighting stances.
And the side content is vast especially the taxi driver and idol gameplay.
I'm really glad Haruka was a character with some amount of agency in this game, and that she was used to have a broader discussion about certain issues. 5 might not be my favorite, but it's UP THERE. Definitely one of the more memorable ones. I don't think I'll ever get the side story content I did out of my head!
@@Banzaiiii2223456 What about story wise? I personally still prefer 0.
The "watashi wa koko ni iru yo" gets me every single damn time, fuck!
Also if the developers seem dismissive of Westerners, it's likely out of lack of plans at the time to bring it to the West. Dead Souls pretty much put the kibosh on localizing the series for a bit, and only after a fan outpouring on Twitter did it finally make its way to a digital download only release, and let the series hold on just long enough to really blow up.
Yeah pretty much! I totally forgot to mention how poor Dead Souls' sales were in this one >_< Although, I guess I was more focused on explaining what Yakuza means to its Japanese audience, and why there's so much more emphasis on the experience being designed around them.
Dead Souls seemed very much like a game that the team *believed* westerners would like without a leg to stand on. Makes it ironic that the main appeal to us is that it’s a Japan simulator! (With some artistic liberties.)
"Magic, bubble gum, and dreams."
🤣
Hisoka: "Ah yes. Bungie gum possesses the properties of both rubber, gum, and dreams."
25:10 See, I love Haruka's section precisely BECAUSE she doesn't do the same thing every single character you've played over 5 1/2 games does. It's different and the dance battles are well designed and you just want to help her succeed. It was also nice, for once, to run around the city without serious guys in suits and every punk in Osaka wanting to throw down every 10 feet (there are WAY too many of those in 5, IMO)
I *loved* Haruka's section. It's a good breather from how heavy the combat in 5 is certainly! I do wish I had some fights though. I just wanna see the little girl we've watched grow up beat up some dudes who go too far.
@@GCVazquez I stood up and fist pumped the air when Haruka threw that fire extinguisher at Kanai. Both times.
Just finished this game last week and started 6. Honestly 5 is tied with 0 for my favourite Yakuza game right now. The amount of content in this game is impressive and I never got bored playing it. Ended up finishing the game with over 90 hours of playtime yet only 45% completion. It really feels like this is the game all the previous games were leading up to. Shinada's part has definitely my favourite story in this series so far
I'm surprised so many people don't like Shinada's section as much as I did! I think it's really good up until they have to try and make it fit into the greater narrative as a whole. I think Yakuza 5 might have benefitted from just being small stories about different people that weren't necessarily connected, but they're also stuck with being a crime drama as well, so the balance there is really difficult.
Heat Action: Essence of Algorithm Boost!
Great Video, I love watching these as I'm laying down for bed!
Glad you like them! And thank you for the support! ^_^ It's nice knowing I can make people cozy.
I absolutely loved playing as Haruka. I haven't gotten to play any rhythm games in years, this scratched that itch like no other.
With a compeling story theme like this, i don't seem to understand why this beautiful series is sooooooooooo underrated.
It's largely due to localization choices, poor advertising (the games were marketed as GTA clones/competitors outside of Japan), and poor sales.
With a story as beautiful as this, I don't seem to understand why people try and poke holes in the plot so often when there aren't even any to find lmao
YOO JUST FOUND YOU LAST WEEK JUST FINISHED THE PAST YAKUZA RETROSPECTIVES A FEW DAYS AGO AND A WHOLE NEW ONE COMES OUT WHEN IVE BEEN WANTING MORE!! Epic!! Thanks for the quality content you’ve made me want to replay yakuza all over again.
Bruh fuckin same. Literally caught up yesterday
Hahaha thanks for watching all of them, and hope you both enjoyed this new one! I straight up can't get enough of this series; every time I finish a Yakuza game, I feel burnout for ONE day and immediately just wanna pick up the next one!
Honey wake up, GC Positive posted a new yakuza video
*bangs on pots and pans* TELL YOUR FRIENDS, TELL YOUR PARTNERS, TELL THE WORLD I'M HERE TO STAAAAAAYYYYY
@@GCVazquez LMAOOO. Can’t wait to see future yakuza videos from you, also might hit up dragon quest since I’m playing like a dragon atm.
What is probably my favorite game ever, I've been intensely excited for this review ever since I saw your Yakuza 1 review, thank you for this series
Glad you enjoy it! I really enjoyed Yakuza 5 despite some of its shortcomings. Even though it has its flaws, it's so evident how much stronger the dialogue and flow of the game in general is in it compared to previous games. Truly a step up in scope and goals.
Best review/analysis of Yakuza 5 that I've seen, thank You so much for making these videos, idk why You aren't more popular but damn, Your content is top notch! The best of the best!
Keep up the good work!
Thank you! I'll keep making these for as long as they make me happy!
Even with the newer games, Yakuza 5 is still the biggest inspiration in the series
Update: I have the Yakuza Collection, 0, Kiwami 1, Kiwami 2, 6, and Like A Dragon. I finished 0, Kiwami 1, Kiwami 2, the HD remaster of 3, and am currently on 4.
Just finished Yakuza 5 remastered and your videos are the first thing I watch after completing each game. Thanks for making it :D
Glad you like them!
These videos just reaffirm how connected the Yakuza games are to Persona (5 specifically) in terms of their themes.
And it's just... it's a heavy feeling because I'm also hearing these interpretations of the Yakuza plots with some great Lo-Fi music in the background. I very much enjoy these videos.
I like that you remade the Bakamitai cutscene at the end.
Thank you! ^_^ I wanted something a little more lowkey this time.
43:47
Damn, your final takeaway about embracing the need of feeling part of something greater yourself and ultimately what matters is not whether or not you achieve your dreams but having people who care about you and support you hit so much... Ultimately, having good people, great friends around you is what's the most valuable thing you can have in life. That's what I thought and think too.
This is an amazing retrospective for an amazing series. Thank you for your dedication. You've beautifully summed up what I love about Yakuza. I'm eager to hear your analyses on the rest of the games, especially Yakuza 0. Keep up the good work 👍🏻
Just wanna say, really like your thumbnail redesigns for your Yakuza videos.
Glad you like them! I had a big brain moment and finally found a thumbnail template I really enjoy :)
Man, seeing everybody's dreams is really something. Makes me excited to play this soon.
Enjoy it! Just keep in mind what I said in the video: it's REALLY ambitious, and sometimes bites way more than it can chew.
For me, this was one of the most irregular Yakuza games I've played. It's so long ang the structure makes it so hard to pick up that I dropped the game multiple times, but as I was fighting for the protagonist's beliefs, as the song "Dream" started to sound as everything was ending, while I was screaming at the TV in excitement at every twist and every big moment of the finale, as tears dropped and my heart melted seeing these characters I've grown to love so much closing the story, I could only think about how much I love the Yakuza series. As always, great analysis!
Listening to this while I go for the platinum in Yakuza: Like A Dragon
NICE
Honestly, I am glad I ran into these videos, I know these games aren't perfect, but this series was introduced to me at a time where I really needed them, and I didn't even know it. To this day, I still think back on the series, and even got the original PS2 games to play. The stories of these games were ones I really loved and enjoyed, in fact, these videos served to me as a reminder of what these games stood for. Can't wait for Yakuza 0, 6, and Like a Dragon!
Welcome aboard! The video on 0 should be my next upload, so keep an eye out!
Watched all your yakuza retrospectives over the past couple days and found a whole new appreciation for this amazing series, can't wait for the next one
Thank you so much! The next one's out right now!
I was really mid on 4 and 5's stories when I played them last year, but your videos really helped me appreciate their meaning, especially without being so convoluted
The craziest thing is that, after all the cards are on the table, even 4 and 5 actually don't have any plotholes or inconsistencies. It might feel like it sometimes, but that just means that you might've missed something usually. It's honestly kinda amazing that they managed to keep the stories together and grounded like this, what with all that's going on lol
10K! So happy for you. Delighted more people are finding your videos. You are one of the best.
Thank you! ^_^ I'll continue being one of the best.
don't be a fool: watch the closing credits
love this channel, recommending it to friends
Thank you so much! ^o^ Enjoy your stay!
Posting to boost the algorithm. Really loved your Farm-Life and Hades videos GC!
Thank you so much! ^_^ I'm proofreading a couple of scripts similar to those that I wrote while working on this video that I wanna finalize soon!
When I was a kid, and this is absolutely true, my dad once gave me advice about having dreams. I wasn't even in my 20's yet, but it had a pretty big impact on me that I'm still struggling with and only recently, in my mid 30's have barely started to work through. He told me 'Fuck your dreams, they'll only ruin your life'. No joke. Even if it wasn't verbatim, that was pretty much what he told me. I'd like to think that it was his way of trying to shield me, his visually impaired failure of a son, from being too hurt from not being able to do as much as you'd like or that your dreams might not ever come true no matter what you do so it might even be better to not even try in the first place but... being told your whole life that that you can't do something, that you're different, or that you can only be a burden to someone because of your issues has a way of making things... very hard for you mentally. It's like being given a box of crayons and being told to color in the blank sheet of white paper that is your life with the colors you think you have. Let me tell you, you don't automatically pick bright or vibrant colors and struggle to even imagine they exist in the first place even when they are literally being handed to you by someone who is telling you that it's okay to use a baby blue here or a yellow there. All you can see are everything but those colors even though you know they're there. You just don't think they're the colors that best fit you because you've spent your whole life being told you only have those other colors.
Yeah, Yakuza 5 resonated with me and I was... well, I loved the game. Honestly, if they had ended the series there, I would've been fine with that.
Then again, hearing this talk of dreams in the analysis is... well, got my gears spinning and thinking about my own past and how, even now, I'm struggling to make some dreams come true now that I get that it's fine to have them.
Meh. Who said games don't teach you shit?
Ive been waiting for someone to talk about the best yakuza game
B)
Thank you just thank you these games didn’t get enough love
AAAA I have to hurry and finish 5 to watch this. Its a horrible feeling especially since I find out what I miss after seeing your videos.
Awww no worries it'll be here when you're ready to watch it!
@@GCVazquez thank you! I look forward to it. I'm taking a more completions route this time around and finished all of Kiryu's side stories and challenges, now I'm playing as Saejima and finished all the hunting/village side stories, just made it into the city. So far the game has been really good. But man do I want to see your latest video haha
I sang at the end… this review made me happy.
I am so glad about this video series! feels great to see somebody having this passion for these games and yeah these vids motivated me a lot to try out the ones I haven't tried!!!
Glad you like them! Both the games and the video series hahaha!
There's something so genuine and earnest about the story in this game that really makes me love it. I know popular sentiment is that Y5 has one of the weaker plots (and I definitely have my complaints with some aspects, like how Park was handled, whatever the hell was going on with Majima, and Saejima Prison Segment 2.0) but there are so many beats that really nail it (Kiryu's fight at the end of his section and the following "I'm not an angel" convo plus his Depression Arc and "Why does this happen whenever I get involved?" in the early finale, the Side Stories (I'm a sucker for rhythm games so I adored Haruka's part but found the other side stories to be pretty fun too), a Daigo plan actually kind of succeeding for once, a final fight that came out of nowhere but was still incredibly fun and visceral to play, and p much all of Shinada's stuff) that are straight-up some of THE Yakuza moments of all time to me.
Plus every character gets a key scene with a fire extinguisher, somehow. Every single time it came up again I cackled and added a tally to my mental list. Each time I saw a fire extinguisher in 6 onward I stopped to take a picture of Yakuza 5's Best Character.
Just a shame that Haruka wasn't allowed to fight in this one because she's simply too powerful. Kiryu only taught her one technique and that technique was the tiger drop. Let her loose on Sotenbori's citizens and there's no telling what havoc she'd wreak.
This video reminds me that I have to continue my Yakuza 0 playthrough. I don't know why but I take long breaks in my two Yakuza playthroughs I did until now, even though I have a great time playing them.
Some games you just do that with!
How far?
God damn it. I was about to say "Your ability to scrub through moments in the game for extremely related and reinforcing footage is gettin' insane (up through 2:40)" and then you hit me with the whisper in my ear.
Fuckin' talented asshat lol.
3:56 - and they fuckin' succeeded.
Big fan of this look inside, I'll hold my tongue since I type too much, but this entry hit home hard for me and has, for the time, become my favorite Yakuza- so hearing dev side tales is extremely appreciated.
How laser focused 5 was on a core theme of dreams stood out like crazy, and it built a nice cohesion between their different stories that I didn't feel 4 landed on with its cast. There's more to it than just "Everyone's story touches on dreams" there's plenty going on that makes 5 work where I felt 4 didn't, but that was an extremely noticable one throughout my playthrough for certain.
The engine is mighty impressive, enough so where (and grain of salt because remaster collection) I couldn't tell this ran on a PS3. 3 and 4, oh yeah, I could tell. But the most 5 had going that felt of that era is INSANE culling on NPCs, like they vanish at a sneeze, but that's not like a bad sign of the era, that's one of the signs of the era that meant they got the engine to run properly and use resources well, it literally only stands out when you begin to think of it as a next gen title and then see a crowd vanish and go "Oh wait, no, no, this was last last gen, and that's the only remnant lol".
9:50~ - This scriptin' kills it, the line on decisions/consequences is killer shit.
10:50 - The fear and glee of a person who found a fight they didn't expect in Yakuza lol
13:00 - I went OFF talking about Saejima through my playthrough like 6 damn times. I won't here, but holy hell and a half they did him right here. His view on strength going from a passable and simplistic one to a view that strength is will- the will to carry on and so much more- they really took a simple character motivator and expanded it to the moon by giving him some more mentor traits and allowing him to explain his views on what strength is (as well as challenging that with how he views his bro throughout the game).
Sick damn game.
13:30 - 5 is huge, no one disputing that, but I was surprised how huge by the end because it felt so right throughout. I didn't go all completionist or nothing but it still took 160~ hours to beat and I was shocked to see that because it didn't feel anywhere near there. But then you get thinking... you note the cities, the entire days spent hunting or driving a cab- HOLY SHIT THERE WAS A WHOLE RACING CAB GAME I DID FOR A DAY-
Like there's so MUCH it might as well be 5 games, but all 5 are so good (subjective shit) that it felt like a brisk walk.
14:30 - This is the kind of perspective I adore gettin' from these retrospectives. Because at no point would I have known this without sitting down to really research for myself- so I am thankful people such as you take the time to share that information :)
18:00 - AKIYAMA GETS NOTHING.
The side stories were such a huge improvement on the formula, and I adored finishing all of them and seeing so much more of these characters whether that time was used to better express those characters or to offer a path of growth for them.
And Akiyama getting nothing is pretty fuckin' apt when the game gives every other character incredible growth or expression or hopeful ends- and he just kinda, goes for the ride because his personality would encourage him to go along for the ride.
I mean, not to belittle his whole deal in 5, but he's the least important character and there's a BASEBALL PLAYER involved- like how did Akiyama manage that?
I love Akiyama! And I get a smile out of his little ending! But man, the game didn't quite squeeze enough in to give him a side story or meaningful path beyond being 'involved'. And that's 'fine', I just love the character and wanted to see him explode as much as, well, literally everyone else did this time around lol.
20:40 - I'm not gonna cry about Saejima and the beautiful way his motivations are explained and evolve yet again and you can't force me with this pitch perfect thread on the theme.
21:50 - I'm gonna cackle seeing all these reactions, too real, too damn real lol
23:50 - I love how everyone's reaction to this scene is "GET IT, HARUKA, GET IT!" lol
Hey, on the bright side, she gets a heat move during Akiyama's first fight with Kanai lol, you gotta squint your eyes to give it to her, but she got a hit in there by throwing the extinguisher lol
24:36 - Oh Park, I dread that my first reaction to you was so upset at how you convinced Kiryu to give up Haruka, you did good through this in my opinion, you did good.
25:30 - I spent so much time in 5 as Haruka doing dance stuff, my lord. Love to see it. Now that + tiger dropping would make 5 the best game ever made.
27:30 - Amen to this read on Haruka's struggles. It's part of why the absolute best and most uplifting moments in her segment are the moments she's making genuine friends and getting to go out and eat with them. There few and far between, but those stand out as the most happy moments in her whole tale and it becomes pretty clear why when you look closer and realize every other segment is playing a role- but when she's with her new school friends? That's when she gets to just be and that's nice :)
30:00 - HELL YEAH THAT COUNTS. And also I love the read on Akiyama, "funder of dreams", it's how I saw him through all of 4 and it's what he can offer here in 5, at least.
31:17 - :( :( :( :(
34:38 - Seriously, you can feel free to take a grain of salt on me but hear me out.
I used to be big on writing and I still do my fair share, and the way you frame your arguments or explain themes especially in this particular piece on Y5, it's got some fuckin' honed talent goin' there.
So whether you owe it to raw practice, or whatever literature catches your fancy and inspired or influenced you, or just a mix of life experiences causing you to think in these terms- know it's workin' and it's fucking killer stuff.
I mean this read on Shinada hits, is all I'm sayin', but I just gotta say it loud because I don't swing by and catch a vid to yell about all that often lol.
You're a good writer, your efforts have been paying off with fantastic quality. And that coupled with your growing editing prowess and the drive you've used to make all this over the years- you're fuckin' killin' it, man. I hope you're having fun with it :)
34:50 - lol, I'm glad as fuck that YOU caught on to how hot you were cookin' lol. Let it be known I rambled prior to hearin' that.
40:47 - Maybe the hardest decision in the game lol.
42:00 - Subjective shit, but it really did work more often than not- but damn if that one quote didn't clear up a fuckload of wondering. If the initial plan was to make it just Kiryu and the writing diverted THIS MUCH all while trying to tackle a core theme? Yeah I can see why there are a couple moments of "Eh... alright, dreams I guess". I'm one to give credit for the successes and mitigate the impact of the losses.
45:00 - I gotta point out: In this televised broadcast Akiyama kicks TOTAL ass, punches a guy out, kicks a guy out, throws a guy to the ground, and does a fucking roundhouse.
Meanwhile Kiryu punches a single guy before stancing up.
The wildly different amounts of effort between the two tickles the hell outta me.
45:47 - God that's a good line and a good read. Phenomenal work, GC.
46:00 - Oh how embarrassing, GC left his webcam on during an everyday occurence in his den. Also sick pipes :D
Oh, and this is an off shoot fuckin' deal but I'm commenting your way so I might as well.
Fuckin' whenever the hell I read that blitzball piece you wrote up since I spotted it on twitter the 2 hours a year I use twitter- a good read, great work there as well :P I would have said as much in a comment relavent to the piece, but I didn't, and I'm here, so there's that lol.
Great stuff, GC, have a good one :)
Oh dear. This is a mess and a half and I even began this comment thinking "I'll just watch and say Great job if I enjoy".
I blame yakuza? Or just my specific brand of unnecessary excitement? Ah well. Doesn't help that there is no such thing as formatting on a comment so it destroyed what I typed. Whatever, what's done is done, thank ya for creatin' and sharin' your take on Y5 :) Have a good one (again).
Thank you for giving the video a look Red! And for reading the article! And for the compliments to my writing on this one especially; I REALLY went back and reworked a lot of how the scripts get made to give it a more thought provoking tone. Hopefully I can keep this going for Zero- but what I wrote for Yakuza 5 was a huge lightning bolt to the head when I sat down to do it. Thank you again!
I have finally come back to watch this, after the long-ass journey of 100%ing Yakuza 5. This and TehSnakerer will be my listening material as I earn those last few trophies. So glad to come back to it, I love this series of vids dude. Now I just need to try and beat you to Yakuza 6 xD
Hope you enjoy it!
I didn't think I'd like Shinada but his story and ending hit me the hardest. I'm playing Like a Dragon now, and I hope he makes a cameo.
I can't WAIT to get to LAD.
I'm sorry to say that, no. Shinada isn't in LaD. Nor is Akiyama. Here's hoping that they both appear in game 8. :/
Going to start yakuza 5 this week, can’t wait to watch the vid after! Thank you for great content!
Hope you enjoy it! It's one of the better ones in my opinion
@@GCVazquez as long as you sing the intro I’ll enjoy it! Lmao
You don't know how much I wanted Haruka to tiger drop someone
ONE TIGER DROP. JUST ONE.
My god, your videos are getting better and better, true this wasn't a full length movie but hey its still great
Believe me, the runtime I had on this thing when I was done with the rough cut? It almost WAS another full-length movie! Hahaha, thank you for the kind words. Hopefully I keep getting better!
@@GCVazquez ngl after watching this video I went back and rewatched your yakuza 4 video.
In terms of villains, this game could've been much better. Some of them i feel like we're misused? That's at least how i feel about Kurosawa. ( Great video, you definitely deserve more views for this. You earned a sub )
Absolutely! Misused I feel is the perfect word to describe it in this case. Thank you very much!
Ayyy GC is back!!!!
It's good to be here, and even better to have been putting out stuff pretty consistently for a few months!
@@GCVazquez it's all good bro. I'd rather wait for good content than really bad content being put out every few days
while not my favorite in the series, 5 is honestly up there for me. I absolutely loved it, it was the one i've dumped the most time in and the game I still have been going back to to do little side things, or just go hunting as Saejima or do a concert as Haruka, among other things. As much as the game goes above and beyond to remind you of it's themes, I enjoyed every second of it. but most importantly 5 gave me my boy Shinada, and I will forever love it for that, his baseball minigame, and the fact that he's one of the few characters that's actually good with weapons and makes them worth it, which was a nice change of pace compared to different combos of punching kicking, and smashing everything into oblivion and occasional snowmen in Saejima's case. I do wish Akiyama could have gotten his own chapter and side story though. While he and Haruka make a great duo, I feel like it was a mix of they felt like neither could carry an entire part/chapter on their own, when I think they very well could have. What I would have loved to see is perhaps a proto version of the real estate stuff from 0, but not quite the same idea or gameplay. Just Akiyama trying to build up Sky Finance in Osaka, it's rep, the office, finding clients, employees, etc. If 5 ever gets Kiwami'd like 50 years from now, I hope they give our favorite slacker something.
Definitely one of the Best Games in the Series after Yakuza 0 all things considered, and the one I sank almost as many hours into (perhaps more tbh). It even manages to outdo that game a little in the breadth of content it has to provide its players with!
After I finished with Yakuza 6 (and as a result all the mainline games up until that point), I ended up going back to this Game not long after to finish off all the Substories, Side Stories, and anything else I might have missed out on and felt like doing (and ofc Fighting Amon lol).
There's a lot to do in this Game and is pretty much fun as hell throughout (even if the Random Encounters on the streets got more annoying this time round), and along with both 0 & the Kiwami 1 Remake almost represents the series peaking in what it could do with the series Brawler Style Gameplay. Providing the Best of said Gameplay that Yakuza has to offer its players.
And as someone who would love to visit Japan someday myself, it was great to see all these Recreations of existing Japanese Cities and to walk around in them as the Characters.
Great Video on Yakuza 5 there man, and I loved the poignant point made about the Game's central themes as well! The Game's story itself may fall apart in quite a few places, but it still manages to be an exhilarating & emotional roller coaster throughout...
Thank you! :D
This is a really interesting look at the game. Yakuza 5 is a game I do love in a lot of regards. But man sometimes I think it can be too big for it's own good.
I appreciate what the Yakuza team was able to achieve. By no means would I call Yakuza 5 bad. It's great, but man. I think some stuff could of been down scaled
. Like, did we really need 5 cities? Did we really need so many protagonists to follow? Honestly, the villain was pretty forgettable. Maybe that was sort of the point when he said he didn't care and was just given the dream, but idk. He could of been a stronger villain if you ask me.
I can appreciate the theme about dreams and how to deal with them a lot. But look at it like this. It's a fruit basket full of great things. But also some of the fruit in the basket isn't created equal.
I know Yakuza 6 gets flack for downscaling side content and the like, but I honestly appreciate it more tbh as a whole. I'm not saying side content efforts went to waste, just that Yakuza 5's aspects aren't equal if that makes sense.
Also, I really enjoyed the video nonetheless. I just figured to add my two cents. I still love Yakuza 5 so much. It's just not the strongest I feel in storytelling.
I 100% absolutely agree with you. I really like the final boss in 5, but there wasn't enough of them in the story to make the game's twist as strong as it could have been. I really like the main villain of the story, but the motivations weren't really satisfying enough to convince me. I love a lot of the crime drama stuff, but SO MUCH of it just absolutely drops the ball. This is also the game with some of the most repetitive dialogue in the series I've played so far. Like, more than usual for Yakuza, and more than the usual for video games needing to keep players aware of plot elements when they go do side stuff for a long time. I wanted to try to- for lack of a better word- grasp through all that clutter what the heart of the game was about; the theme about dreams is the narrative's strongest quality, and I think it's worth playing for that!
After beating 5 today, I wholeheartedly agree with you. It was a good game but honestly it was bit too ambitious for its own good. It had a lot of content that’s exactly what burned me out of 5 and why it is my 2nd least favorite in the series. I feel like if this was just kiryu and Haruka game I feel a lot better about it because when I recall my playtime through 5 I was mostly engrossed in kiryu and Harukas sections and had most enjoyment playing as them. Akiyama, Saejima and Shinada are cool characters but let’s be honest they werent really needed to be playable in this game
"I think some stuff could of been down scaled"
They would do exactly that later. The result? *Yakuza 0.*
Just liking and commenting for the algorithm. I haven't finished playing 5 yet but will watch this as soon as I do!
Thank you for the support! Hope you enjoy the video once you get around to it ^_^
I am so glad you made this video, especially because every time I look up this game online, everyone loves to trash on this game for some of the messier aspects of this story. While I agree it's ambition can sometimes be a detriment to itself, something I always adore about Yakuza 5 is just how much of its content is filled with so much sincerity and heart. There is a purity to its ambitious nature that I just haven't felt in Yakuza games since. Not to mention that when the story works, it works better than most of best emotional moments in other games for me. Yakuza 0 is a phenomenal game, but it is the result of years of experience, it's a refined product and as such it's also a lot less risky.
Is it messy? sure. Is the final boss fight thrown in at random? Absolutely. Is it all worth it? Yes because Shinada is best boiii.
I have seen people love games with greater flaws than Yakuza 5, just because it may not be perfect in every aspect of its execution doesn't mean that it's emotional core should be ignored and I think you captured the essence of Yakuza 5 perfectly while also acknowledging its flaws.
Thank you for the kind words! I pretty much agree with you wholeheartedly. There's a lot of joy to be found in Yakuza 5 despite it's awkward moments and nonsense. More good than bad to be sure!
these videos are honestly amazing, can’t wait for the yakuza 6 questrospective my man
I really love how they prioritize the Japanese audience. By doing so, there's no sacrificing aspects for the sake of compromise, making the game much more authentic.
In regards to keeping an authentic representation of the geographic locations and colloquialisms, I'm all for it! When it comes to reinforcing elements of current Japanese society that Japanese people are fighting against all the time, I'm not for it. I think, as outsiders, we tend to see a lot of what's there as unequivocal and accepted facts about Japan and Japanese culture. But just like in the West, the people who makes games can more or less skew their depictions and representations of their respective cultures one way or another, and as the player we should be mindful of that. What we see is never going to be 100% authentic, because authenticity really does depend on the person giving us said information.
DAAAAAAAMNN, baby got back!...
The game I mean! Th-the game- the game looks really great...
Didn’t even see this come out. Thanks!
No problem! If you subscribe and have the bell icon toggled it should automatically show up in your subscription feed or notifications when they come out! I know that's a canned response for this sort of stuff, but it does work! Most of the time! Kind of! When UA-cam feels like it!
21:45 is a reflection of all people that have Yakuza 5 as one of their favorite games
42:28 this is an epic scene out of context
I know this is massively late and I know it’s been three months but for some reason UA-cam didn’t even show me you uploaded Yakuza 5. I don’t know if you remember but I found your channel around the dead souls review and liked how you were a dragon quest and Yakuza fan and subbed. First dragon quest being IX. Fun fact is I went back and beat it recently. Feels damn good.
Anyways it was nice to watch this video and I have to catch up. Def hope UA-cam doesn’t screw up notifications next time.
Ayo another video. Thanks GC, love the work.
Appreciate it!
(Long and Late comment incoming):
I'm not sure if this is going to get noticed, but I want to thank you so much, GC. I originally watched your channel when your Valkyria Chronicles video came out, and it's what inspired me to buy it. Unfortunately, I completely forgot to subscribe, and I forgot the name of your channel when UA-cam stopped recommending me your videos. Cut to a few years later, when I'm getting ready to start my second semester of college, during the pandemic no less, and I rediscover your channel with a video telling me to play Yakuza Dead Souls. I had taken a break from Yakuza 4, but seeing your video and rediscovering your channel and being reminded of why I loved it in the first place made me want to play and finish the rest of the series. I then soon saw your video on Latine and Hispanic representation in games, and as someone of Puerto Rican descent, it hit me even harder than I was expecting, and I felt even more of a connection with you in this weird para-social thing that happens with fans of Content Creators, so, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
(I accidentally published this too early, that's what the edit is.)
Anyway, you've helped me look at my favorite series of games so far in a new light, and have helped me appreciate what each game stands for, as well as shining a light on their flaws. I just came off the heels of beating 5 about an hour ago, and I'm going to jump into 6 soon so I can finish off the Dragon's story. I'm excited to see where it goes, and with all the information that these videos have provided, it's going to be interesting to discover.
Also, I hope you make a video on 0, because it seems like that's what's coming up next in terms of release chronology. I still think it has the tightest character and plot writing in the series based on the games I've played so far, but that could be nostalgia talking as it was my introduction to the series. I look forward to your take on it if it ever comes. If not, then on to the Song of Life! I'll be sure to comment on those videos with more specific thoughts, as I'll definitely have a lot to say.
It's nice to see you back! Sorry about that UA-cam algorithm stuff making it so difficult. ^_^ I'm really glad I was able to resonate with you not just on games but about the shared aspects of our respective cultures too. The Yakuza 0 video is planned! I'm putting out a few editorials in-between that and the 5 video, but I'm playing through 0 now. I REALLY LIKE IT.
This comment is a month too old but I thank you for giving me a new perspective. I loved Yakuza 5 but I love it even more now, thanks to your deeper analysis on the overall theme of 5. I'm trying to analyze pieces of fiction that I love in order to achieve an understanding on why I love them so much, the problem is that it's still pretty hard for me to get a lot of the stuff in stories, especially the overall themes of the story. I'm gonna get better at this, but there's always a scary feeling that I've reached my peak and there's no way I'm getting smarter about this stuff. Anyway, great video, looking forward to a new analysis, yada yada yada.
I think the best thing to keep in mind with doing that is understanding there is no ceiling, and really all it takes is practice doing it. A lot of what I use to talk about games in videos was learned in high school and college literary theory classes. Don't worry too much about being right, but do use what's in those stories to form those ideas!
5 was definitely the first game that Kiryu looked like a human being. They finally let him take a poop as well since his walk was more natural
m'boy shakes his hips when he walks now instead of holding in his 11am lunch
hey so remember when you uploaded the Yakuza 0 video and I commented "Ive had the video on yakuza 5 you did open on a tab for months waiting to play it before watching it cuz spoilers but thankfully I already played 0 so I can watch this one omg 🙏"? no? because it was over 2 years ago? well, I just wanted you to know that during all this time, I still had this video open on a separate tab of my computer, patiently waiting, always stuck on 1:51; when those 3 piano keys play and kiryu says "hito chigai da" short after, making me hear that almost every time I opened the browser. And now, finally, after a long and arduous wait, I beat Yakuza 5 Remastered on PC and was able to watch your video. And I gotta say, the wait was worth it fr, great video.
This is the end of an era for me but don't worry, who knows how long it'll take me to beat 6 now knowing my history.
pd: saludos desde uruguay 🫡
Hey man, thanks for making my day, I love your videos
My pleasure! Thanks for watching them!
I played Yakuza 3,4 and 5 from fhe remastered collection, 6 the song of Life and Like a Dragon since March 2020 at the start of the pandemic. It was my form of escape
Nice! They're definitely perfect to escape into for exactly that reason. I'm excited to get to Like A Dragon at some point! Saving it for when I need to make a video.
You know if you're that interested in crime drama but wanna get a taste of those good ol shenanigans on the side I recommend a look at Minder a British Comedy/Crime drama starring a hard boiled charasmatic ex boxer with a heart of gold who works shifts as well a minder partnered with an old, classy and delicate cigar smoking business man/car dealer(con artist) , where you follow their exploits and personal journeys with characters they strongly relate with as they get themselves into scheme after scheme set up by shady ne'er do dwellers I already finished season 2!
I'm a total sucker for crime dramas! I'll keep this in mind!
I think the ending of Yakuza 5 is perfect in all but one way, Baba-chan never got to swear his oath to Saejima
I like to think that drink they share inside the abandoned bar was that moment they did
Another great video as always.
Glad you enjoyed it!
"I'm asking for the daughter of the dragon of dojima to elbow drop some dudes" lol, totally felt the same way playing through 5. Haruka's segments are what keeps it from being in my top 3 favorites in the series.
The encounter with T-Set at the Sotenbori river made this ring in my head even more.
I JUST WANT ONE HEAT MOVE
@@GCVazquez I would've settled for a simple suplex lol. Hell even a kick to the nuts would've sufficed lol.
harukas VA knocked it out of the park (double pun intended) during that speech
She's incredible!
I’m sure these are a lot of hard work but please do 6 and like a dragon! I love your commentary on the series so much.
Good timing! Just finished the yakuza 0 script! Gotta do a proofread and this should be out by the end of the month!
@@GCVazquez can’t wait! You helped spark a love for this series and I’ve been able to play every single one (released here) except for dead souls which I loved your video on too I just can’t get a copy for a reasonable price haha
What good timing for me, I just watched all the other ones Wednesday
Haha, well here ya go! Brand new video!
Dead Souls was the rock-bottom of the franchise, but problems were visible in 3 and 4...with 5, Sega finally pull the breaks, and gave Nagoshi and his team the time they needed.
Yakuza 5 was the first step in putting the franchise back on track, wich ended with 7 been the "reboot" it desperately needed.
Yakuza 5 has everything I love, hate, and adore about Yakuza
Yoooo excited to see this!
Thank you! :D
Cool! I might get yakuza 1, your vids might make me want to get into the series, have a good day.
You should! I love the original Yakuza 1 very much, and the original Yakuza 2 is incredible! Have a good day as well!
I have watched this video many times now. Truly great work, man. Can you also list the soundtrack as well, if you dont mind. Your commentary vibes well with the soundtrack and works well with the game dialogue in between.
A lot of the tracks can be found on the youtube audio library database in creator studio! I just looked for lo-fi tracks lol
@@GCVazquez lol, thanx for the pointer though. You are doing great work man, keep it up. Your content is underrated, hope it gets the attention it deserves.
The part of the game where you had to choose who you wanted to use… I just picked whatever character was furthest away from level 25, whether I liked their style or not lol
Thank you.
No: thank you!
Yakuza 5 is quite possibly my favorite video game of all time, so thank you for making an equal amount as good video for it. Also, if I may ask, where do those gameplay clips that are in between the chapters of the video originate from? Love ya and thanks again 🙏
Glad you enjoyed it! The gameplay clips are actually just out-of-context moments from when I was playing the game for my video! I tend to play them in a discord call with friends, and they watch me play once in a while.
God these yakuza games are fucking masterpieces
They are truly exceptional!
Holy shit I'm not the only one that wants to see Haruka kick some ass. I'm hoping she meets up with Ichiban someday.
LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I WANNA SEE THE DRAGON OF SAWAMURA KICK SOME ASS!!!!
I think you should do a part 2 to this video talking about the story near the end
I think once I'm done with covering the whole series I might do an extended discussion video about all of them! Something to really wrap it all up.
@@GCVazquez that would be awesome. Regardless, I’m really looking forward to your videos on 6, 0, Kiwami and Kiwami 2! You have a very insightful mind.
This video Is really good
Thank you very much! ^o^
Fantastic video man. I don't always agree with your videos, especially the ones about the yakuza series, but how you talked about the treatment of women in this game specifically was really well done. I feel like 5 tries to demonise sexist behaviour in the way other games in the series don't.
Kiryu looks so cool with his taxi driver coat haha
I got burnt out of playing this game because of the sheer abundance of side content. And I'm someone who's compelled to complete _all_ of that type of content.
I love Haruka like a daughter, but if anyone taught me to subdue my urge, it's her.
...Though that might be a good thing in some cases.