Playing Yakuza 5 Part 5: Dream Cast
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- Опубліковано 27 чер 2024
- Today we’re finishing Yakuza 5! Everyone has made it to Kamurocho and the game has to figure out how to deal with that, it will not be simple. So let's see off the monster!
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#Yakuza #Yakuza5 #Playing
PART 5: FINALE
1. Roll Call! 00:00
2. Tojo in Terror 2012 03:36
3. The Florist’s Last Outing 08:34
4. Akiyama’s Tag Team Trip 14:20
5. Tower Battle 2012: Legend Difficulty 18:48
6. Tower Rattled 2012: Antithetical Antagonist 26:42
7. Crossroads: The Good Bits 34:49
7b. Crossroads: Everything Else 38:59
8. Finale Activities in Cold Kamurocho 45:38
9. The Victory Road & The Colosseum 51:09
10. Finale: The Battle of Kamurocho 55:24
11. Finale: Stirring up Tsubasa 59:16
12. Finale: Bedtime for Baba 01:02:05
13. Finale: Akiyama’s Ending I guess 01:08:00
14. Finale: Dreams Denied 01:12:22
15. Haruka’s Whims 01:25:26
16. Conclusion 01:30:54
And here it is, the character list
1. Daigo
2. Madarame
3. Aoyama
4. Yahata
5. Morinaga
6. Aizawa
7. Kiryu
8. Haruka
9. Nakajima
10. Mayumi
11. Sosuke
12. Wada
13. Muramatsu
14. Hirakawa
15. Furumichi
16. Kiyokawa
17. Onisaka
18. Serizawa
19. Watase
20. Saejima
21. Majima
22. Date
23. Himura
24. Oshima
25. Baba
26. Kugihara
27. Kosaka
28. Okudera
29. Nishina
30. Yama-Oroshi
31. Narumi
32. Kimiyo
33. Sakurai
34. Tatsuya
35. Tendo
36. Kitakata
37. Mirei Park
38. Ogita
39. Horie
40. Akari
41. Uda
42. Yoko
43. Manda
44. Mai
45. Azusa
46. Nakai
47. Dolce Kamiya
48. Yamaura
49. Christina
50. Yui
51. Shun Akiyama
52. Hana
53. Saigo
54. Katsuya
55. Kanai
56. Shinada
57. Sakai
58. Fujita
59. Sawada
60. Uno
61. Takasugi
62. Kubota
63. Milky
64. Ushijima
65. Shirakawa
66. Kurosaki
67. Coach Igarashi
68. Leo Ayanokoji
69. Manabe
70. The Florist - Ігри
Kiryu & Haruka's Ending: A sad & unfortunate reunion
Saejima's Ending: A badass & heart-racing reunion
Shinada's Ending: A hopeful & heartwarming reunion
Akiyama's Ending: Homeless man goes "Oppa Homeless Style" and everyone clapped
1:26:08. "The last observation on dreams in Yakuza 5 is, *you may* truly reach it."
You sly devil dont think I didn't see what you did there!
Wha-
Wha-
Wha-
Wha-
Wha-
@@elPominator "korega, requiem da."
When it comes to Akiyama, while I do agree that he deserves a better kind of ending, I feel like it's right considering how he sees himself. As the Lifeline of Kamurocho, Akiyama never truly fits his own definition of a hero, he is a helper at best, waiting for people at rock bottom to give them the means to rise up on their feet, bringing out the best they can be even through more hardships. A "hero" or rather, a "legend", is someone like Kiryu, who he both idolizes and respects deeply for saving him, and saving Kamurocho. Akiyama buying time for Kiryu, and protecting the dream of both Park and more importantly Haruka, is a way for him to repay his debt toward both Kiryu and the city, but only in his own way, knowing perfectly Kanai is not the biggest threat, but one that must be dealt with nonetheless. His remark on becoming a legend himself is simply just him realizing that, even after being considered by everyone as a legend, he himself accepts his importance within Kamurocho, without getting too cocky about it. I don't know, it felt right, despite the conditions, when even the freaking future Omi boss bows to him in pure awe and respect.
I can see that, I still think it feels a little bit out of nowhere given all that's going on but it is a nice way to look at it
@Mishina Eikichi It's an interesting way to look at it, I especially like the role-reversal aspect of your argument. He is indeed being tested, litteraly by the city, for the city, which is a nice touch on theming. With that said, I still think Akiyama has a hard time seeing himself as a legend, especially considering his actions in Y6, hence why he is the one to deal with technically the least important final boss (who is still rather dangerous).
@Mishina Eikichi I feel like Akiyama would fit so well in the Judgement series. Since he's not a part of the Yakuza, he could be used in a variety of different situations, like an NPC witness, a pretty hard boss battle, or even a fight partner in some situations. I mean, the guy went from supporting a yakuza to supporting an idol, sooo...
Haruka takes no prisoners at the end.
In Yakuza 7 Dyna Chair isn't there, so i can only assume her stunt doomed both T-Set and her company.
Though let's be honest here, after what happens in 5, Katsuya's involvement with the yakuza would've probably been revealed so they'd be screwed either way.
They just reused the Kiwami 2 map with minimal alteration because Sotenbori was only added for one major setpiece.
I wouldnt read too deep into it.
Dyna Chair was fucked once Park died, T-Set belongs to a different company
"Any of you ever taken the fall for a botched job by _literally_ eating shit?" is unironically my favorite line in the whole game, and its for a very simple reason. It's the only moment Kurosawa is showing his true motivations and explains what this was all for, making him my favorite main villain in the series, save maybe Ryuji and 7's villain. It's my favorite line because *it's a genuine question.*
When Kiryu was 17, Shintaro Kazama forbade him from joining the Kazama Family because he took a long look at Kiryu and knew he was not cut out to be a Yakuza. Almost 30 years later, Kiryu has done nothing but prove him right. Memes aside, Kazuma Kiryu is a _terrible_ Yakuza. Yet somehow, he is a legend. He, along with Saejima, Majima, and the rest of the Chucklefuck Crew are considered the pinnacle of Yakuza, but they are all shit at it.
I loved what you said about Kurosawa being the antithesis of not only the games' themes, but the series as a whole. He hates the clichés and grandstanding. He hates the shirtless skyscraper brawls, he hates *them and everything they stand for,* and it's all because of who they are. Kurosawa is the model Yakuza. He did everything right. By the book. Backstabbed and clawed his way from a nobody family to the top by being the baddest of the bad _like you are supposed to._
And what did he find at the top? Nothing. He's alone and hollow, with no one to care for and nobody to care about him. Only fear, callousness, and cancer awaited him. He fought so hard to get to the top, and now he can't even enjoy it. He looks over at the Chucklefuck Crew and sees their status and goes "Why do you deserve the power and fame, when you didn't do anything a Yakuza should? Why should you deserve to be lauded as the model Yakuza when you did nothing to earn it? Any of you have to kill your brothers and boss to get here? *Any of you have to **_literally_** eat shit?* *No?* *_THEN WHY DO YOU GET TO BE HERE!?_*
And so as his last act, he indulges in their rules, hating it all the while. He concocts this grand scheme to hand full control of the Japanese underworld to the one connection he has, his son. To both spare him the struggle of what he went through, but almost to spite the Chucklefuck Crew too. "If you guys get to wax poetically on rooftops and be regarded as the best of the best, fine. I will give that to my son as well. I hope you choke on your dreams."
And the biggest tragedy of all is that he is making this big play for Aizawa. The man who hates that Daigo got where he is because of nepotism, but disregards his own, and wants to earn his way through might. Everything Kurosawa is doing for Aizawa is entirely lost on his son.
I agree mostly with your take here but in terms of what a Yakuza should be: It's down to perspective and personal belief. I don't think there's a right and wrong way to be a Yakuza. It's just down to how you think you should act with the responsibility and power given by being one. It's just Kiryu and Kurosawa have radically different views of what one should be. They believe in different things I guess.
I was asking about the point of Kurosawa in the comments as it confounded me for years.
Snakerer made an attempt to explain it to me which is appreciated but it felt lacking.
This however makes every detail crystal clear after it had eluded me for so long, so I thank thee.🙏
@@vanilla3464 I can understand that, but I also feel there is some out of game context that helps a lot here too. One of the most consistent "criticisms" is that Kiryu and co. are terrible Yakuza for a series revolving around Yakuza. Kurosawa I feel like was made as almost a callout to those people. Kurosawa is what most real life people imagine the Yakuza to be like. Certainly a lot more realistic than Kiryu's portrayal. He is calling out their unrealistic behavior both in game and in the metatextual sense of "what gangster acts like this? You shouldn't be legends you should be idiots."
It also circles back to my favorite line again. It's a genuine question. One filled with Bitterness and a hint of Jealousy. "Did any of you have to do what I did, really? Why was it (In his eyes) so easy to get to the top for you when my climb was filled with shit a blood?" It's the game director essentially posing the question to it's audience "Why *are* these crappy gangsters so respected by legitimate gangsters?" Funny thing is, Y5 pulls a Jeopardy and gives us the answer before the question is even asked.
When Saejima and Majima fight, they are thrilled to get a chance to go all out at each other, and it pisses him off to no end. He can't see that it's their principles and, yes, their dreams that make them unequivocally themselves no matter the stakes. A teenage girl's life is in the balance, and these chucklefucks are just enjoying the chance to beat the shit out of each other. Why are they *enjoying it so much!?* He just can't comprehend it.
@@kalzone2723 Anytime! I really do think, for how many (valid) complaints there are about Y5's complexity and plot, Kurosawa is still in my top 3 main Yakuza villains, Behind Ryuji and 7's Villain. He specifically is made to target that argument that Kiryu and Co are the worst criminals, and to tackle that issue head on.
Well said in getting down to Kurosawa's core as a character. He is a really good villain and one that doesn't get enough credit as fans are drawn to the "Charismatic" antagonists like Ryuji, Mine, Kuze, Arai, Shimano, Nishitani, Someya, ect.. but being such an anti thesis to all of that is what makes him a well crafted character as even after his defeat, Kurosawa in the end technically won as in Y6, the Tojo, age of the Yakuza and organised crime in general had installed the next generation of more modern pragmatic people that disregard the old school traditions and dirty their hands through schemes behind the scenes to earn profit.
I remember when I got to the last part of this game, I yelled out loud to my self, "Oh right, Kiryu's in this game".
100 hours will do that to ya lol
I love how insane the final chapter of this game is,
akaima solos an entire crime family for literally hours.
Reminder he is just a moneylender who learned a bit from a... who the hell even was Arai?
@@chainsawplayin Arai was a cop that was a fake Yakuza
@@submergedbird8244 and he was more Yakuza than Kiryu ever was
Funny how that works
That was a pretty long dream.
It's about to get longer.
Not with my sleep schedule
"If I'm the wall you need to scale, I'll take you on. You may find it so high, you'll never want to try again... But I'll give you a taste" Kiryu and his way with words man, I hope I get to use that on somebody someday lmao
One more thing I wanted to note.... During the final fight with Aizawa: When he slams Kiryu into the floor and opens his wound, personally as the game designer I would have implemented a health bar drain. I mean let's be real, Kiryu is literally dying as he fights this man and I personally would have liked to have seen that portrayed in gameplay.
@@vanilla3464 That would have been a cool contrast to Aizawa's regen (fucking hell he's a tank)
I think the shot of them standing off to the side is funny because it plays with expectations from 4. You expect the 4 leads dressed in suits, center screen and ready to rumble
Instead there standing off to the side of the shot in plain clothes like a group of friends trying to figure out where to have lunch
And then there are 4 goons in suits busting in with guns
"The Flourist's Last Outing" is basically begging to be jinxed by Yakuza 8.
Time traveler. What does the future hold for the channel?
@@nancyabsalon9436 A 7-hour full version of Playing Yakuza 5.
@@Redblaze27 nice.
I though the Geomujil filled his role
@@alexahegao842 They do in Ijincho, and there's a good chance They could work him in via an unorthodox manner, given its probable Ichiban would probably do his own thing.
"I'll have to introduce you to my boyfriend" literally the plot of the next game (6, not 0).
My favorite bit of dialogue/banter is in the sewers (that you sped through : P) when Shinada asks Saejima something to the effect of, "this is all a bit excessive to go through for your brother, isn't it?" To which Saejima having clearly heard him responds with, "HUH?! You say somethin'?" and then continues to kick the shit out of the Omi goons. Pure gold.
On the topic of Akiyama, I don't think the whole "Become the legend of this town" was meant to be taken seriously, it was more of Aki joking around since, well, it's very in character for him. Him chasing Kanai down could be just a want to finally wrap this all up, get one of the big bads beaten up, and hopefully put behind the bars or whatever.
Now in regards to Aizawa (And why he might be my favourite villain of the entire franchise so far): While he is still very on board on the main theme of Dreams, chasing one himself, he's still a personal anti-thesis villain to Kiryu, because he's fighting for his own, selfish dream. Kiryu on the other hand seemingly always fights for someone else's dream instead. Yakuza 0, he's there for Kazama; Yakuza 1, first Kazama, then Haruka; Yakuza 2, the Tojo clan as a whole; Yakuza 3, his kids and Daigo; Yakuza 4, Saejima, Hamazaki, Lily, and tojo clan (again); and Yakuza 5 it's Haruka again. In a way, his dream is to see other's dreams being fulfilled. Even at the beginning of Yakuza 1, we see him wondering if he really is a good fit to lead his own family because he doesn't have the ambition to be elevated himself. In 0 (Or still 1?) it's also revealed both he and Nishiki joined the Yakuza because of Kazama, not to chase a position of power of theirs own. He keeps getting dragged into these drama stories since 3 to help others despite how it interferes with his own dream of living in peace and taking care of the kids at the orphanage, always ready and willing to protect others.
Aizawa meanwhile was supposed to climb on the piles of crushed dreams. Everyone Kurosawa sacrificed to get to the top himself. Everyone he used to prepare the throne for his son. And he was going to destroy even more of them if it wasn't for the Chucklefuck gang. Aizawa didn't protect anyone else's dream. In the end, he doesn't even carry his own father's dream either. He's rejecting it just to fulfil his own dream on his own terms. So that final fight is just a brawl of ideals. A selfish fight for your own dream vs. A selfless defence of someone else's dream. There could also be a not-so-subtle message of just fighting for the sake of your friends/family versus chasing your own dragon, but that's already present with Kurosawa as well.
I really did not like how Aizawa was an "out of nowhere" villain at first, but with time, it clicked with how well-thought-out he was. (Or at least I'd like to believe this was not accidental and I am not making it all up.)
I just hope his appearance in Purgatory was better explained than just "Oh I'm looking for a guy I killed myself" which is... just strange. The whole scene in Purgatory could be cut out and nothing would be lost. Just have Kurosawa mention to Saejima that they found Morinaga or something, I don't know. Also sorry for my poor writing in this comment, my brain is fuzzy.
Mostly headcanon here, but he didn't ever answer Kiryu's question of if he killed Morinaga so I like to believe that he didn't but that he blames himself for it. Like, his dad found out that Morinaga tried to get Aizawa to leave and had him killed so Aizawa feels he had a hand in his death. And then his view on oaths and stuff like that gets soured since the only oaths he swore, one to get into the Tojo and one with Morinaga, were either leading to something he personally hated (nepotism) or ended in someone he cared about dying. Again, pretty much just headcanon but it's nice to think. Also sorry if that wasn't written the best lol.
33:15 how Daigo relives Shinada's home run everytime he gets shot had me dieing
I really really dig the whole "Villain is the antithesis to the main characters/theme", its not particularly new anymore but I always appreciate it, it goes a decent way in making what would normally be a blandly smug and vile human who wants power and etc like in 4.
As always your videos give me a lot to chew on. good job there Snake!
Ps. I keep forgetting to fucking properly finish my thoughts in these comments, Imy english skills drop harder than when Taiga drops fucking thugs.
SERIZAWA IS MORE INTERESTING/COMPLEX THAN 4'S LAUGHABLE SMUG PRICK MAIN VILLAIN
I actually think its a good alternative to the rival idea that a lot of series lean on, where instead of a personal relationship built up over time it's instead a thematic understanding built as we learn about the antagonist
This video (and the one
s preceding it) was an absolute joy to watch. Yakuza 5 really is such a special game, and despite its ups and downs, it’s scope is just an incredibly charming part of it. Really glad to have discovered these videos loved all of your analysis, looking forward to more!
Didn't expect to see the Undertale OST guy here lol
"I'll tell you after I kick your ass." -Shinada
Could be the tagline for the whole series, honestly.
I find it very interesting, the little detail that Masato Aizawa has a koi tattoo on his back. Both being a reference to the myth of a koi defeating and then becoming a dragon, but also to Nishikiyama. It's a small detail that just exists rather than is focussed on but I like it. It feels like it shows that both characters saw themselves as doing the same thing. They both wanted to claw their way to the top and overcome an impossible obstacle to ascend. Which in turn ties into the discussion around dreams. Almost like the game is saying those dreams need to be pursued the right way or perhaps even building on the idea that friends need to help carry our dreams, they can't be achieved without that support.
Funny thing that, when I saw the black Koi during Saejima's encounter with Aizawa, I realised "okay there's definitely more to this guy"
It made the reveal that he was the principal villain more satisfying.
The Yakuza series use of back tats is incredible, really provides a lot of meaning to the characters.
Interesting thoughts on the Florist. I always thought that in Y6, he chose to leave town because: Technology advancement would render his surveillance obsolete, the events of Y6 became too much for him to handle or he chose to be there as a grandaddy to Takashi and Kyoka's newborn child since Takashi does figure it out in Y4.
Wouldn't it make sense as to why Florist wouldn't know who Serizawa is because Florist mainly keeps tabs on things in Kamurocho than other locations as the Florist probably wouldn't know any cops from Osaka nor be completely familiar with the current chairman of the Omi Alliance?
I like that read. Though when it comes to the Omi stuff, while I think the Florist would be more knowledgeable about the Tojo because of his location, I think it stands to reason he'd be keyed in on the Omi as well, at least for his own benefit. There's not much point knowing everything about the Tojo if you don't have a grasp on their competitors and he is basically their biggest one with a bullet. Not to mention if Daigo had big deals going on with the guy, he should at the least be on the Florist's radar, but now even I think I'm overthinking this.
While I love this game to death, it’s pretty obvious RGG used it as a guinea pig to test out several concepts and mechanics that they would later refine over the years in future installments. As a result, this is by far the most experimental game in the series and has a really unique vibe that I really do enjoy, but I can definitely see how it’s shortcomings can rub others the wrong way.
At the very least, we can take solace in the fact that Y5 laid the groundwork for the series to involve in new and exciting ways and I will always appreciate that
Also, am I the only one who was hoping Dream Line would play throughout the whole final boss fight? I mean don’t get me wrong, I love Battle for the Dream as a final boss theme but still lol
The worst part is that Dream seems to only exist in those cut off chunks we hear, I've not been able to find a full version of the song and have no idea if one exists.
I also agree that 5 feels like a game that throws everything at the wall, and it's more good than bad individually, but sometimes (for me) as a whole it can feel very strained. It was a positive though, it got everything it needed to out of the series system so following games could focus in a little
@@Tehsnakerer yeah I tried in vain to find the full song anywhere I could, but to no avail…
It was really apparent, especially after Y3 and Y4 struggled to fit in their own shoes for different reasons. Y5 was seeing what sticks after throwing everything at the wall. And while its pretty great for the most part, its best success was setting the stage for Yakuza 0. That game couldnt have happened if not for this one
The perfect Yakuza game for me would be the pacing of 2, Dragon Engine, Kiryu with 4 styles, blood/gore system from 3, storytelling of LAD, difficulty of Kiwami 1, mechanics and scale of 5, and side content of LAD.
Why would it play during the final boss instead of shinadas fight
I feel like by the end of the game even Baba got tired of being a boss.
I feel sorry for anyone who started the Yakuza series at 5. That'd be like starting Metal Gear at MGS4. Not in the narrative sense, as Yakuza is more self-contained, but in the sense of content. The sheer amount and variety of stuff is overwhelming even when you've played through the whole series before it. I can't even imagine how a first-timer would feel.
I started both Yakuza and Metal Gear Solid on the fourth installment.
@@DrunkenCoward1 Yakuza 4 eases you in with Akiyama's fresh perspective.
@@Redblaze27 Absolutely. I just thought it was funny I started both of those series that are nigh indescifrable if not started on game 1, on game 4.
I entered mgs at 4 since I saw it in the bargain bin for 5 bucks, I laughed at the funny monke but didn't understand the story. I then played rising, then 3 and now 5.
I started with Mgs 4, played until the end of chapter 2, loved it and bought the legacy collection and played through 2 and 3, watched a video on mgs 1 since I couldn't download it in my region, then I finished 4, then I bought a ps4 and played GZ and TPP, then played rising on my ps3 and finally I made a USA psn account and redeemed my code to play mgs 1
I will always find it so impressive that you can make 5 1hr+ videos on the same game and it is constantly interesting and digestible. Props to u snake
Holy shit, what a journey. You, sir, deserve a break from Yakuza after this monster of a game. Well, 0 is up next, looking forward to your thoughts on it when the time comes.
So we finally got through the absolute monster that is Yakuza 5
Good lord
We are finally free
This was a wonderful series my man, loved seeing every part pop out each month and you did a great job covering this game in a immaculate detail. Cannot wait till you cover remaining Yakuza games (and Judgment series, Lost Judgment in particular seems extremely content packed).
Wonderful speech about dreams at the end there.
My only issue with Aizawa was that after 40 hours of mostly just going through the story I forgot who he was which made his reveal fall flat. You made me see it a little more in a different light since I know more about his character now through your videos than I ever really did playing Yakuza 5. Its size is the game's greatest strength and greatest flaw.
To me I'm one of the rarer sorts that say Yakuza 6 is their favorite, and it's pretty much entirely that it pivots hard back to theme of (grand)parenthood. I feel that 2-5 were always missing more or less of something with Haruka because of that, even if 5 attempts to refocus on her and her crime dad. Also I feel it finally nails an aspect of Kiryu's long and arduous retirement process that was lacking in the prior two attempts: Kiryu's (sort of) the last man standing of a bygone time now. Everyone he knew from his day is either dead or in jail, and he's just a legend for the new generation of organized crime. And they do so well in milking that whenever Korean Vergil or anyone else steps up to action crime (grand)dad they do so with the impression "oh there's no way Kiryu's as tough as they say I can beat him" which soon turns into "oh god oh fuck the Dragon of Dojima is even tougher than they say."
Also something about Dragon Engine combat just clicks with me that makes it feel more fluid and powerful. And Onomichi is absolutely charming, and it's a shame the licensed main theme song didn't make it to international release, since Sobo is just perfectly on point with Yakuza's wavelength.
You make a good point about How Kiryu is the only one left of his time. I think that's a big part of why Rikiya's Death hit Kiryu so hard. We have never seen Kiryu as emotional as when Rikiya died, and still haven't. By this point Kashiwagi, the last person who knew Kiryu before he went to jail, was dead. To the world at large, he might as well have been born that night in '95. He can't really mourn him at the moment as bigger things needed attention. When Rikiya bites it, however, the flood gates open. He couldn't hold it back anymore. Everyone he has ever cared about has died, and even when he runs out of people, *the world just keeps finding more* .
It wasn't just Rikiya, it was Rikiya, Kashiwagi, Kazama, Yumi, and Nishiki all at once.
It took me a second game to understand the dragon engine and I improved on the yakuza formula so I naturally got better at it
I will say, however, that the conspiracy in 6 actually felt proper massive and truly game changing as compared to other Yakuza Conspiracies.
I really disliked 6 when I first played it but replaying it made me love it so much more. After so many games with the same characters and storylines 6 just felt so fresh and cathartic.
It's not my favorite, but it's a game I'm ready to defend any time of the day partially for the reasons you stated
1:12:47 He's the guy who's almost never wore a shirt since 1988, I'm sure he's doing fine
After last chapter I totally forgot there was a plot with that Daigo bodyguard and Majima's "death". That's how you make a great one-shot protagonist
Can't believe the dream is finally over. Incredible analysis of this goliath though I can't imagine how long it took to piece together. Can't wait for where your dreams take the channel in the future.
Taking turns having boss fights on top of Kamurocho Hills is maybe top 5 best moments in the series
It's definately top 5 defining moments for what this series' characters are like
If someone hadn't played through all the games that were out at the time, the ending with Haruka and Kiryu might've fallen short and been overly cheesy. (even by Yakuza standards.)
But the fact you've played through them all, gotten to under the connection Kiryu and Haruka have thought out the entire series, even when its not very clearly shown, that's what makes it such a heart stab. Finally, the main duo from the very first game is back, and its a dream come true.
(Couldn't resist, sorry.)
This was a pretty great finale to this beast of an adventure. I can't say Yakuza 5 is my favorite in the series; I love the combat and the themes of the game (YUME) but the length and the way the story is handled definitely takes it's toll since it's such a long game in the series. I always need time to stew over a Yakuza plot - After I played Yakuza 1, I didn't understand what Nishiki was all about until I had some time to really understand. When I first finished Yakuza 4 the plot absolutely befuddled me, but overtime I eventually learned to just enjoy the badass moments for what they are and love the new characters.
With Yakuza 5, I really appreciated Kiryu's and Shinada's stories after I stepped away for a bit. But Aizawa is always a tough sell for me. It's fine if they want to make him be the twist, I just hate the way he's handled before hand. Specifically in the finale, since he meets up with Saejima and seemingly wants to find Morinaga and is upset at his death? But then he sorta tells Kiryu that he killed Morinaga, or at least had something to do with it? So why put on the show for the Florist and Saejima anyways?
With Yakuza 5, I feel like either they wanted to change some writing decisions before the finale or they went into it being like "let's write in some twists that are dumb." The final battle is completely held up by the song for me, personally, since I don't care about Aizawa at all (though, I do like his pre-final battle speech and hypocrisy). But the post-credits scene always gets me. It's definitely a mixed bag for me.
Another great video! Can't wait to hear your thoughts on Yakuza 6.
Also, RIP Shinada, maybe we'll see you in Yakuza 8. Please, RGG Studio. I wanna see him react to the way Ichiban treats baseball bats!
Before we talk about 6. We got 0 and maybe Kiwami
@@redline841 Oh yeah... I totally forgot about my favorite game in the series. Whoops!
@@highinquisitordarkblaw4868 I imagine he will cover Kiwami. Probably not at length because it is just a remake. But most likely going over the differences, improvements, and whether they helped or hindered the story. Kiwami 2 will probably be a bit bigger, since it has the Majima saga.
Minor correction: Jin Goda was the 5th Omi Chairman and Kurosawa was the 7th.
Whoops, well, the increments were right at least
@@Tehsnakerer The real question is who was their sixth?
This was a great series. Yakuza is my favorite franchise and your videos on the games have made me replay them again and reexperience what i love about them. Your videos really help me put into words what I feel about these games and even gave me new perspectives to think about and bounce off from.
While 5 isn't my favorite game, I think it is one of the better ones and I can see how someone could love it. It seems to me that RGG was really trying to give it their all with this game and while they weren't always successful, I can't help but admire and respect how much passion they put into this and all of their games.
If nothing else, I think 5 was a good game for RGG to try to learn the limits of this series. I think the games after wouldn't be quite the same without it.
Whether your looking at Yakuza or a different game, I'm looking forward to your next video.
I remember in yakuza 3 stairs had their own instakill heat move. Granted you could only do that in like 2 areas but it was still awesome. I may be wrong but i don't think yakuza 4 or 5 had any stair heat moves so I got a chuckle when it was an actual battle mechanic in 1 mission in yakuza 5 😀
One of the only times you can do that is in the final fight of Yakuza 3. I remember in 4 I kept trying to do the stair heat action in one fight and got really confused when the icon never popped up lol.
Im so glad I was able to discover your channel quite a bit before you started uploading your 5 vids, every piece of content you have made for yakuza is great and I can’t wait to see your coverage of the rest of the series
Great series, sometimes my eyes start to glaze over while going through all the twist and turns these games throws at you so its nice to have someone just summarize it for you.
Also the world needs more Shinada.
This is an absolute goliath of a review and gave me a new perspective on Yakuza 5. Can't wait for your 0 Retrospective.
Hey man. I really appreciate that you changed my opinion of this game from hating it to loving it. I hate it because the word dream have been beaten to my head many times and the fact that Haruka just retired like that piss me off but thanks for your interpretation of the meaning of dream for each character, I can understand why she does that. Everyone is not perfect and the dream that we have are different from other people
This was an amazing series dude. Thanks for making it!
this entire coverage of 5 is insane, ty
hot damn, I've been waiting for this day for a long time! Thank you for this. This series has been one of the few things I genuinely look forward to in the short term.
It has been an absolute joy watching this saga unfold, it really makes me want to go back & give Yakuza 5, I actually wasn't that keen on it the first time round, but I was also playing it on PS3 back then, now I have the PC version, should be more pleasant, at least in terms of frame rate & load times.
I first discovered your channel a while ago now, you hadn't started your Yakuza coverage at the time & I can't remember if it was your 'Hunt Down the Freeman' or 'EDF 4.1' video that youtube recommended to me first. After those I ended up watching everything else you'd done at the time over the course of a couple of weeks.
As someone who became a fan of the Yakuza series after playing Zero on PS4 back in 2017, when I saw you start your Yakuza series I was giddy with anticipation & I have not been disappointed, I think each series of videos has been better than the last!
You keep on doing your thing, I'll be here watching each new video you put out, Yakuza or otherwise ^_^
I feel like Akiyama is secretly really into Park
Congrats on finishing this! Looking forward to your next project.
Brilliant recap of one of my favourite games. Thank you very much for making this.
This was an absolute delight to see through to the finish, to say this was a massive undertaking would be an understatement so thank you for doing these videos!
Not watching this series for fear of spoilers but coming here to drop a view, like, and comment. Will watch all of them through once I play through the games.
Please keep on doing this, it’s an absolute joy to see these videos appear on my feed!
I absolutely love this series it really made me think about the games in more detail then I thought I would
Brilliant review that final cutscene always gets me emotional thank for putting so much effort in reviewing this monster of a game and covering all it's aspects from it's story to side content thank you.
Thanks for all the hard work man, this has gotta be my favorite video series i've ever seen on youtube
I literally cannot thank you enough for these videos, on the entire series
Amazing project. I watched every part and I loved every single one. Your commentary on the yakuza games is so fun to listen to. Looking forward to your next one!
Hey Snake! Thanks for making content and the Yakuza series videos its been a pleasure to watch your videos, channel and you grow.
real good video series has really been one of the highlights of my day days when you released a new part. has given me loads of new perspectives on one of my favorite games.
You are absolutely amazing, and this whole review in itself is a masterpiece of absurdist art
Highlight of my day to see this vid in my feed. Thanks for doing this series, it allows me to reexperience these games but under someone else's perspective
He’ll yeah, thanks for dropping these vids, have gone through the series since playing 0 two years ago, and got through 3-6 the past few months so have loved watching these vids after having played the games. 5 gotta be one of my favs tbh, cheers!!
So happy I found your channel through Yakuza
I really enjoy your viewpoints, analysis, and dry humor throughout your videos
This is easily one of the best review series I've ever seen. Massive props.
Wow. I must say, thank you so much for making these yakuza reviews. Nothing is better than seeing your videos pop up on my feed and knowing that I can watch your take on this amazing series again.
Good God, I swear it feels like I've waited years for this, get the popcorn and crack the drinks (and maybe some faces) because this is gonna be awesome!
Thanks for all your amazing content on this fantastic series.
Yakuza 5..The Behemoth which could'nt hold its own weight. But even a sighting of a large and rare beast is still something to behold.
Which serves as a metaphor for this overflowing video series and the game itself.
My opinion on the game may still stand still but you've made me reflect on the river of dreams I hold.
I feel like in COVID times this game could mean a lot more to bringing resolve and understanding what you may dream about and whether you need to go about achieving it. After all, there are infinite possibilities you can go about and feel about it even when the world is bringing you down if you keep your fire burning.
And I thank you for opening up my mind more about this game even my love of it is still middling.
As always, thank you for all these wonderful videos that you have posted. I found you through the Dead Rising 4 review and I’ve been binge watching through all your reviews. You really deserve more subscriber honestly!
You're the only analysis youtuber I follow religiously, the hour never feels long as you're able to find so much good meaning (especially the final battle's layout change). Thanks for this and I'll be happy to follow your next videos !
Dude this is was such an amazing series. What a stunner man. Yakuza 5 deserved this length and my god thank you for it. And also I never get bored of your vids no matter how long they get. Your thoughts and jokes are just too damn interesting
After having played through 5 in record time after seeing the first video, I REALLY felt that whole thing about some characters being blurry memories at best when they later come up. But it's nice to rely on Tehsnakerer to tie it all together in one, for the game, compact bundle.
I swear, every time I think about your videos, you upload within a few days afterward. Crazy!
Anyway, can’t wait to watch this. Keep up the good work, my dude!
This is one epic series indeed. Thank you for going through the entire thing - it sure makes me feel like wanting to check the series out - hell, I even got most of the Yakuza Kiwami games as part of the various bundles I got - but it's almost daunting to see how much of it there is!
I started catching up on your series right as the Shinada section came out. It was a fun trip down memory lane, especially since I just finished Yakuza 7 a month or so ago. What a fantastic series, and I absolutely cannot wait for Yakuza 0. Great job, man! Yakuza is a series where it's fun to dip back in, especially since I don't really have the time to go back and replay specific entries from beginning to end. These videos are great for that!
Life changing series of videos on this life changing series. I have felt so lost and scared last month for personal reasons, but things like this series of videos helped ground and inspire me. Have a great day you awesome human being! :D
This was an awesome analysis. Thank you.
I've only got interested in Yakuza series thanks to your reviews, and I cannot wait for the new one.
I can’t say how much I appreciate your work and channel I hope you cover the rest of the games in the series 🤟🏻🔥
Sad to see this dream end, but I'm glad to see you review this large game.
First time I saw you talk about a game I actually played before the fact, or in this case alongside you as I finished Yakuza 5 in between this series of videos starting and ending.
Can't wait to see what you got in store for Yakuza 0, the one that really competes hard for the title of my favorite with 7.
Great videos; I discoverded so much side content that I did not know about on my playthrough. Kamuro underground mall, Haruka and Kiryus holiday accross Japan and the substories in Kamurocho especially as I played the final part in one sitting and never touched it because I was too excited to play the 6th entry.
Thanks
Thanks for this series, I really enjoyed it. I personally felt that there was a bit of anger from the antagonist, feeling that his dreams are stolen as he can't go on his own terms. It's great to see some other points of view.
I always took it as more a hatred of the Chucklefuck Crew because they were shit yakuza, yet regarded as legends. He did everything right, as a real yakuza should, and found himself at the top alone and caring for no one, and then he would die. Why do you get to Wax Philosophical about dreams and be treated as big damn heroes, while I do what a Yakuza should and be the baddest bitch around and claw my way to the top by any means necessary, only to have cancer as my reward?
As someone who got into this series thanks to your reviews, this is an excellent wrap up to everything man, wouldn't expect anything else, great review.
I gotta say Yakuza 5 is one of the few games where i like almost every aspect of it, especially the music which is in my opinion the best in the series. And even though there's some rough edges in certain parts (Saejima/Akiyama/Aizawa) it really succeeds at being emotional and getting you invested.
So yeah, thanks for your dedication to these games, see ya back in the 80's next~
I was literally rewatching the first 4 parts of the Yakuza 5 series just now only to see the final part out!
As someone who only very recently got into the series it's been fun watching this series, and I know I already said this but I wanna reiterate, this series has been my favorite series on the channel, to the point I've found myself watching it from the start all over again.
The Memento Morinaga got me too damn good. You're doing god's work. As soon as played all of the games till 7, thanks to the remaster, I found out about your review series and got insanely hooked. Can't wait for the next instalment!
I only recently played through Yakuza 5, watching this analysis alongside my playthrough. Near the end of my playtime, I had lots of hurdles thrown at me. Funnily enough... it's helping me think of my own dreams. Thank you, for helping me overcome some very, very difficult times in my life. This game, along with your analysis of it, mean the world to me.
What a wild journey. After this, the games become alot more focused on the story. Hearing you drive out meaningful commentary and analysis from the cluster of ideas in yakuza 5 makes me really excited for your analysis on the stronger themes of the later games
Also, hearing you talking about kiryu and daigos relationship, really makes me excited for the letter
throughout most of this game all this talk of dreams and all the themes flew right over my head. i was just having fun watching some cool guys beating up a bunch of other guys. thats why i love this series, because when i play these games im not thinking about this sort of thing at all, and then when your video comes out i get to see how much is actually present in the story.
hopefully as time goes on ill stop being so dense about media but for now your videos are an amazing supplement for the games.
5 was such a melting pot of ideas, so many minigames and sprawling story's led to the most unique game in the franchise. Personally I love this game to death it's my second favorite in the franchise (only behind like a dragon.) Your essays on this game have been an absolute treat, each and every minute of these remains fiercely engaging. Keep up the great work!
I finally finished the video. I might not have finished the game for I have my own dream to chase at the moment but thank you very much for the great upload. Finishing with a Baka Mitai instrumental was a nice touch.
I finished the game today finally. It was a great game however as you said by the end of it I had a hard time remembering who anyone was and I even forgot what the story was.
Might I also say that the Amon fight in this game was just horrible. I ended up getting the war talisman to end up combatting his Dragon Spirit. The ultimate battles were pretty easy though.
Thank you for the series, Snakerer, I had a blast watching those videos. And as I've expected, you definitely helped me get a better perspective of the ending and be much more open to the ideas of it. While I still feel a little bit betrayed by Haruka's final decision, much like Dyna Chair and T-set would be, at least I can appreciate her decision for what it is.
Otherwise, I am really excited about Eurojunk coming back, there is no other content creator on this platform who would make such an interesting and fun showcase of those train-wreck games!
Oh man, what a ride. Such a great series. Cannot wait for 0
You're worried about 6 years of construction. They've been trying to build a rail system where I live since 2008 and it won't be finished til 2033.
i remember playing through the last chapter of yakuza 5 until 4 am, i was real hazy at the end but i think it was worth it
oh HELL yes. this series has been incredible man, thank you for making these. also i respect you taking the opportunity to title it that, very well done
Ha, Dream Cast wasn't mine I'm afraid, Hotcyder (who did the thumbnails) suggested this one
@@Tehsnakererin that case, bless you hotcyder. finally finished this one btw, super good! take a load off man, cant wait for the y0 one!! 👍❤
Love these vids man
After playing through Yakuza 0 last year, I binged through the entire series this summer and these videos were always something to look forward to after I completed each game. 5 is personally my favorite in the series due to the sheer amount of content it has, warts and all. It's the only game that I ever went out of my way to beat Amon in, despite the tedium to get there. Thank you for all the work you do to analyze these games, I can't wait for how you look at 0 and the rest of the series.
That was a great series of videos! Crazy to think all together it's almost 8 hours but that's yakuza 5 for you
Can't wait to see how 6 goes
Believe what you want, but I have literally just finished the finale's first chapter 8 hours ago. And you uploaded this 7 hours ago. This is absolutely rad, can't wait to see the full story of 5 in one video.