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Our next podcast recording (12.3.23) - 560: Yakuza 5 (Patreon)

Published:
2023-03-05 22:56:50
Edited:
2023-03-05 22:57:15
Imported:
2023-03

Content

Here's where you can contribute your thoughts and opinions for Yakuza 5 for potential inclusion in the forthcoming podcast.A friendly reminder that where the feedback for the podcast is concerned, we love it - but keeping it brief is appreciated. We do want to include a breadth of opinions where appropriate, but no-one wants a discussion podcast that’s mostly reading out essays. Better to save yourself time and cut to the chase if you can.

Comments

CiaranDC

With every new iteration, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio seem to increase the breadth and depth of each Yakuza game. Yakuza 5 was no different; not only were there 5 playable characters with distinct play styles, but the side stories grew into entire games in their own right. There was always something compelling to do; don’t like playing baseball, why not race a taxi? Fed up of hunting bears? Go and dance your way to the top of the pop charts! The tone of the game seemed to mature slightly, with Shinada initially talking like someone from “Carry On Massage Parlour”, but who actually had a fairly nuanced opinion of sex work and its place in society. They didn’t quite stick the landing, but it was nice to see them try. After the bitter saejima-inspired aftertaste of the previous game, Yakuza 5 was a refreshing smorgasbord of fun, and I fell back in love with the series.

Wonggifs

Maybe my favourite in the series, even if it's really rough around the edges. It feels like 5 different weird Japanese PS2 games glued together: bear hunting, taxi driving, dancing, baseball etc. None of them are great in their own right, but as a collection, combined with all of the warmth and humour the series is known for, they make for a great whole. Enjoyed all of the stories and characters, and enjoyed seeing Sapporo, my home for the last 13 years, represented. Definitely a step up from Yakuza 4, probably the most forgettable game in the series. I have a hard time remembering much of the moment to moment gameplay or story in these games, but this one, perhaps due to the variety, is very memorable.

Veronica Jane

Every ranking of Yakuza games I see online puts Yakuza 5 in first place for the exact reason it's my least favourite entry in the series: it's the biggest one. The most characters! The most cities! The most minigames! I found it all completely exhausting. Yes, there's five characters but the wonky pacing means that by the time I get to the end of one character's story I can't remember anything that happened to the previous characters (This got so bad that when I got to the final fight I had to look up a fan wiki just to be reminded who this was and why Kiryu was mad at him). Yes, it has the most cities but apart from Kamurocho they all feel under baked (Heck, Saejima spends so much time in prison I felt like I only got to spend ten minutes in his actual city). There's also the fact that the little of the plot I can remember was complete nonsense even by Yakuza standards. Oh, what that, Haruka wants to be a pop star because she's a teen girl with no actual interests or depth besides "is a girl"? Time for Kiryu to abandon his surrogate family (who's looking after those orphans anyway? The beach yakuza from Yakuza 3?) and become a cab driver so your daughter can go unsupervised into the vicious and exploitative entertainment industry with nonone to look after her. Oh, what's that? Haruka fulfilled her dream of being a pop star and now she doesn't want it and just wants to go back to the orphanage? Sorry, Kiryu, looks like you just wasted several months of your life on nothing. I still enjoyed this game because, at its core, it still has the same Yakuza heart but this one was just too big and unfocused for me to love. Or maybe my dislike is because this was the 7th Yakuza game I'd played in a single year and the series was staring to wear thin. Who can say.

NyxFontana

This is the first Yakuza game where I felt a genuine desire to take my time with it and really explore the different locations and the side stories within them. Maybe i'm biased since Yakuza 4 left me feeling colder than i expected but everything just felt like an upgrade. More cinematic cutscenes and voice acting, sleeker UI, combat is tougher but feels more fluid, I think a lot of elements were looked at to make Yakuza 5 feel more welcoming and engaging for the player. Also this may be subjective but Yakuza 5 definitely felt like the most 'SEGA' game out of the series so far due to its presentation, vibe, and eclectic gameplay styles. I think this is why i got hit with little pangs of nostalgia throughout my time with it.