Yakuza series

[brat-sampson]

That said, I just got to Osaka Castle in Kiwami 2, and what the fuck?

yuuup, a series highlight, for me.

[Mister Six]

I'm choosing to believe that

Spoiler alert

it's not really happening, it's just that Kiryu is tripping balls because he's lost so much blood after being stabbed. Yeah, some NPC did mention seeing the castle split open earlier in the game, but that's because someone had spiked his drink, and it was describing his trip that put the idea in Kiryu's subconscious.

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[letsgobrian]

I'm choosing to believe that

Spoiler alert

it's not really happening, it's just that Kiryu is tripping balls because he's lost so much blood after being stabbed. Yeah, some NPC did mention seeing the castle split open earlier in the game, but that's because someone had spiked his drink, and it was describing his trip that put the idea in Kiryu's subconscious.

[close]

Given the events of

Spoiler alert

Yakuza 6, Osaka Castle splitting apart is totally plausible within the world of the Yakuza games.

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[Pink Gregory]

I'm choosing to believe that

Spoiler alert

it's not really happening, it's just that Kiryu is tripping balls because he's lost so much blood after being stabbed. Yeah, some NPC did mention seeing the castle split open earlier in the game, but that's because someone had spiked his drink, and it was describing his trip that put the idea in Kiryu's subconscious.

[close]

Did feel a bit cheated that you

Spoiler alert

don't get to fight Sengoku himself, you've just fought your way through a medieval castle and there's this guy at the top who's character is 'has loads of money', just imagine what kind of mad shit he might have pulled out of his pocket.  Obvs. important moment for Ryuji Goda, but still

[close]

[Pink Gregory]

I'm at the point in 0 where Kiryu is about to leave for Sotenbori

Should I grind the Real Estate now, or do I get a chance to come back and finish?  I've done Leisure King and Electronics King so far

[Pink Gregory]

Ha, wasn't expecting to run into

Spoiler alert

Shinji

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That's nice.

[Mister Six]

I'm at the point in 0 where Kiryu is about to leave for Sotenbori

Should I grind the Real Estate now, or do I get a chance to come back and finish?  I've done Leisure King and Electronics King so far

Well... (spoilering for anyone who hasn't played the game this far)

Spoiler alert

You're only out of Kamurocho for chapter 13, then back again for chapter 14, but since there are only 17 chapters and the story really heats up at this point, you might want to do the grinding now.

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When Kiryu is in Sotenbori, he has some flavour text and small cut scenes at various notable locations like The Grand and the weapons shop, but he doesn't have any substories to do so don't worry about missing anything.

At the very end of the game, before the final push, you can change between Kiryu and Majima at will and take them to either city to mop stuff up for completion, but by that point there's not much game left. You also get a New Game+ mode after completing the game.

But if you're like me and want to just get everything (or at least everything you're interested in) done the first time around without interrupting the story or not having time to play around with your new abilities, then this is the time to get 'em done.

[Pink Gregory]

Thanks, same for Majima around this same time then?

I need to make some serious cheddar to catch Kiryu's styles up, a single upgrade on anything is a hundred million yen though, so I'll just have to grind it out a bit.

[Mister Six]

Thanks, same for Majima around this same time then?

Yeah, I was going to put that, but I didn't want to unnecessarily spoil anything. Actually, I think Majima doesn't get flavour text in Kamurocho's big locations the way Kiryu does in Sotenbori, but I might be wrong there as I was cracking on with the story and didn't want to waste time experimenting too much.

I need to make some serious cheddar to catch Kiryu's styles up, a single upgrade on anything is a hundred million yen though, so I'll just have to grind it out a bit.

Once you've expanded you portfolio and upgraded your businesses (Miracle Johnson comes in handy here), you'll be raking in the money like crazy. It's a bit of a grind, but I just cracked open a book while the business timers filled up, then collected/reinvested the cash, read a bit more, collected/reinvested etc.

Actually the quickest way for Majima to grind money is to hunt the Mr Shakedowns using zap guns. If you don't know what I'm talking about, let me know and I'll explain.

BTW, Kiryu and Majima can both buy gold statues of themselves for ridiculous amounts of money. You don't get CP or a trophy or anything though, just a little cutscene. So don't waste your cash unless you have nothing else to buy at all (or savescum to see the cutscenes and get your money back).

[Pink Gregory]

It's already getting there, just taking the profits, running over to Pink Street, buying a new business, and by the time I get back the money's ready!

Lovely bit of business

[Mister Six]

It's already getting there, just taking the profits, running over to Pink Street, buying a new business, and by the time I get back the money's ready!

Lovely bit of business

I'd say it's worth buying the investment speed-up boosts at the temple, BTW.

EDIT: Also, I didn't bother unlocking the higher tiers of Kiryu or Majima's legendary battle styles (which I think they get at the end of the business and cabaret subplots, respectively) and was still so overpowered that I waltzed through the finale of the game on normal.

[Pink Gregory]

I'd say it's worth buying the investment speed-up boosts at the temple, BTW.

Just this minute got them all!

I do sort of get to the point at which these games dominate my life so I do like to one and done them

[Mister Six]

Same here. Just do the side missions until I feel like I've had my money's worth and then gun for the big finale, that's my style. Don't understand completionists, especially when you have to learn shogo and mahjong to pull it off...

[DavidJatt]

I posted about it on the last page! Been playing it all week, love it.  (the first one, Judgment)

Definitely going to pick this up. I love the yakuza games, the dialogue is genuinely lol worthy at times. It's great.

[Mister Six]

I've reached the "fuck it, time to finish" point with Kiwami 2 now. Finished Clan Creator and Cabaret, sacked off the bouncer missions because I can't be arsed grinding my way past the Amons (the Matrix-looking assassin pricks) in the last three rounds. Got bored trying to amuse Haruka, so I'll mop up the final available substories and push on to the ending.

(I did love the final Cabaret Substory with the gift for Yuki, though. Of you've played Yakuza 0 you can see the ending coming, but it's still funny.)

[Pink Gregory]

I like hanging out with Haruka, though it seems a bit redundant at the end of the game when you've probably played all the minigames ans eaten at all the restaurants; Y3 in particular does it at a better time.

I find myself praising 3 a lot; it's by no means the best game or the best story

Spoiler alert

all that CIA arms dealers stuff feels too much like needless escalation outside of the usually tightly controlled Yakuza crime and intrigue plot beats

[close]

I feel like the plot beats all fall at the right time and there's actual downtime in the plot so that you don't feel rushed to go and do substories etc

Also you see a rare moment of vulnerable Kiryu when

Spoiler alert

Rikiya dies

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[Mister Six]

I like hanging out with Haruka, though it seems a bit redundant at the end of the game when you've probably played all the minigames ans eaten at all the restaurants

That's a big part of it. I'd already at least tried everything by the time she arrived and the plot was clearly rocketing into the final act, so the thought of putting everything on hold so I could grind away at golf or karaoke (the latter of which I'm always awful at) in order to get a fighting move that I absolutely do not need at this point holds no appeal at all. I'm just not one of those platinum completionist sorts.

[Pink Gregory]

It's not like you really get anything for it.  It'd be better if you got little scenes of Haruka and Kiryu hanging out, even if it was only in dialogue, instead of some fairly average recovery items when you've got pockets bursting with Staniman Sparks

[oggyraiding]

I hope we never see Kiryu again. I'm sick of him. He is not a deep character, he is just a really nice guy doing curb stomps to stop baddies. There is nothing more that can be squeezed from him that's actually interesting. 6 should have been the last we saw of him.

[Mister Six]

Words

Oi! Spoilers! Maybe edit your post? Although I agree (well, I love him as a character, but yeah).

It's not like you really get anything for it.  It'd be better if you got little scenes of Haruka and Kiryu hanging out, even if it was only in dialogue, instead of some fairly average recovery items when you've got pockets bursting with Staniman Sparks

If you get to the maximum level in Kiwami 2 you get Essence of Bowling, a heat action, although I'm currently tiger-dropping fools left and right and have such fantastic stats and gear that I can take a grenade to the face and come out with barely singed eyebrows, so it feels pointless.

As you say, they should have had the courage to let you take Haruka around earlier in the game, maybe before you go to meet the Omi lads, rather than rushing headlong into the plot. It would have been much more fun doing all this stuff while exploring the sexy new Dragon Engine-enhanced cities for the first time. They could have maybe left Sotenbori  for later in the story, I guess at the place it's at now, if they were worried about giving you Essence of Bowling too early on.

That chapter also has a really weird subplot where you meet a dude who wants to turn Haruka into a pop star, and you end up chasing around after a waitress with singing ambitions so you can palm her off on him instead. I guess they're setting stuff up for future games,  but coming at the point that it does, and wrapping up so fast, it feels very odd.

[Pink Gregory]

Been grinding the Cabaret Club so I can get at four down before I carry on with Majima's story; thought I was doing pretty well, taking on Club Mercury after stomping all over club Jupiter, got every partner except Komian (because I need a salmon and thus a better fishing rod), 4000+ fans and a shit hot team of hostesses -

lost the rival battle to by a paltry million yen, if that.

Damn it's a bit of a steep climb.

[Mister Six]

Finished Kiwami 2 - though I didn't bother chasing up the last few straggling substories (I think just the last couple of cabaret hostess missions). The plot was still a bit shonky, but held up better than Kiwami 1, and the ending was properly cinematic. Dragon Engine has really won me over. Just in time to go back to the worst possible graphics with Yakuza 3 Remastered. Well, eventually - going to give the series a bit of a rest for now.

[Pink Gregory]

Interested to know how you find 3.  It's undoubtably dated, and in terms of the combat 4 improves on it drastically, but story wise I really have a special place for it.

[Mister Six]

Been grinding the Cabaret Club so I can get at four down before I carry on with Majima's story; thought I was doing pretty well, taking on Club Mercury after stomping all over club Jupiter, got every partner except Komian (because I need a salmon and thus a better fishing rod), 4000+ fans and a shit hot team of hostesses -

lost the rival battle to by a paltry million yen, if that.

Damn it's a bit of a steep climb.

This is 0, yeah? Using Fever Time cancels out enemy attacks, so it's best to keep the gauge at at least one bar until the rival pulls their shit on you.

Also, in Kiwami 2, once someone has entered Fever Time, you can swap out the girl they're with without affecting their happy mood. I can't remember if that's the case with 0, but if so, that might help you win over other customers who are stuck with girls they don't like so much (assuming the Fever Time punter's girl is to their tastes).

Other than that, just keep juggling girls to favour wealthier punters (sorry Mr Poor, I'm taking away this platinum hostess because a millionaire just walked in) and always ask if someone wants an extension before they leave - there's no penalty to them saying no or having a shit time, and everything to gain.

[Pink Gregory]

So I got up to 10000 fans in Club Venus area and wiped the floor with them, don't know what was going on with Mercury that time.

I don't know quite why in 0 it doesn't feel the need to tell you  how much money you're making; once that bar's filled up by both you and the rival you just have to guess.

probably not that important though, my victory seems to come reliable because I'm not giving out gifts to patrons

[Mister Six]

Oh yeah, just don't bother doing that at all. All that gets you is more fans, but they come with time anyway. If someone goes home unhappy it doesn't negatively impact you.

The only gifts worth buying are for hostesses after a Fever Time session ends - like praising them, it replenishes some of their energy, but it also gives them more experience, helping them level up faster.

[Pink Gregory]

Yeah fortunately from the grinding I've levelled up enough that I don't have to worry too much about restoring health, the occasional praise at the beginning, but they hold up well.

How good is the purple haired old lady though?  She's so useful in 0 and K2, she feels like a cheat.

[Mister Six]

The obatarian? Yeah, she's great (although how old would she have been by K2?!). But the big surprise in Kiwami 2 for me was the Headmistress. She was my number one earner until I unlocked the diamond hostess, I think.

[Pink Gregory]

it's always the quiet women in cardigans that seem to do well

[Mister Six]

Hostess club punters clearly have all kinds of unresolved mother issues.

I was just thinking how K1 and K2 both end with Kiryu being kind of a dick. In K1, he

Spoiler alert

leaves the puppy to fend for itself on the mean streets of Kamurocho... admittedly at the request of Haruka, but FFS, why are you taking animal advice from a nine-year-old girl?

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And then at the end of K2 there's the exchange of...

Spoiler alert

"I guess we let Haruka down, huh?"
"Yes, but I think she'll come to understand."

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Understand what?

Spoiler alert

Why you walked out on raising her so you could risk your life for a Yakuza clan you left a year ago and so you could beat up a bloke who - aside from being a bit insulting - hasn't actually done anything to harm you personally?

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Oh well! Factoring in Majima Saga (which is weak, but a lovely coda for Yakuza 0) I reckon 0-K1-K2 make for a really nice little trilogy. Especially if you pretend the post-credits bit from K2

Spoiler alert

didn't happen and it ended on a total downer.

[close]

So it'll be interesting to see how things develop from here. Although I'm already bracing for the start of 3, when

Spoiler alert

Sayama leaves for some total bullshit reason, retroactively ruining the story in K2. I know they didn't really know what to do with her, but they could have come up with a half-decent reason she's leaving the series.

[close]

Oh well! I think I'll go back and finally complete Sleeping Dogs as a bit of a gaming sorbet. Although I'm already itching to carry on with the Yakuza series. Why are they so bloody compulsive?!