The Yakuza Games

[EternalGamer]

Ok, so I just finished Shenmue 2 and I'm insterested in playing this series but don't know where to start. Looks like I can pick up the first game for around $10 and the second one for $20. But then there is the 3 & 4(?) games up in limbo as to whether or not they are comming out. Should I start from the beginning, skip it and go straight to 2, or just wait for one of the next gen titles?

I haven't really been paying attention to the series until now, but I think it's time to correct that problem.


As a side note, when looked up the 3rd game on Wikipedia and read the plotline, I was immensely disappointed that a game with such a cool narrative concept wasn't coming out in the U.S. Apparenlty you play as a guy that moved to a small Japanese island and run an orphanage and get caught up in the mafia issues.

[kidkimura]

The 1rst game is really fun but it's not necessary as the second game provides very thorough recap of the first game.

[Xerxes]

That's bullshit. I still have hope for Yakuza 3 thought, it did take them 2 years to bring Yakuza 2 to the states. I wonder about Sega. I blame there marketing of the game. It's a obscure little title. Pump up the press if you want people to know what your game is about.

Hell, I bought the Japanese version of Kenzan!, the samurai based side game. This thread needs more Spigot though.

He did a Turning the Spigot on both games here.

[Tayaya]

You can start with Yakuza 2 if you want to. At the beginning you have the option of "reminiscing about the past." If you choose that, the game plays through a 30-45 minute movie (you can exit out of it or take breaks if needed) that recaps the events that took place in the first game. It's pretty thorough, and is voiced in Japanese as opposed to the not-so-good voice acting of Yakuza 1.

Those that want to go straight to Yakuza 3, and currently understand Japanese, Yakuza 3 contains digest movies of both Yakuza 1 and 2.

The movie alone was enough for me to understand why certain things were happening in Yakuza 2, but going back and playing Yakuza 1 (which I did after 2) does flesh out the finer details a little better. The whole reason I went to Yakuza 1, though, was because when I was done playing Yakuza 2 I was so thoroughly satisfied with the game I had played that I needed more of it. It truly is a really great PS2 adventure game, and carries the torch that Shenmue left behind.

I have Yakuza 3 and while I have only played the first 3 chapters so far, I have to say it's more of the same, with a couple of really nice improvements to the minigames and combat. Oh, and the visuals of course!

[MalReynolds]

i never did try either as i was unlucky to not have PS2 last gen

[Spigot]

I'm still holding out hopes that Yakuza 3 will surface over here. I'd be perfectly content if they skipped redubbing it and just put subtitles. In fact, I'd probably prefer it, though the dub for Yakuza 1 is pretty decent.

Speaking of which, I need to get a move on and actually finish the first Yakuza. By the time I get these games put to bed, maybe we'll actually have Yakuza 3 on our shores.

[Purple Santa]

I bought both on Spigot's talk about them. I've heard about Yakuza in the past when it came out which had a nice buzz on it. Just never got around to buying it then. I'd say it's worth picking up both, since you liked Shenmue...I think it's an easy like with Yakuza from what I know about Yakuza.