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Playing all Yakuza/Like a Dragon games in 2024 (2/12)

Yakuza Kiwami
One of the most talked about points on the internet about Yakuza is which game to play first, many people recommend starting with Yakuza 0, many people recommend playing it in release order, but everyone agrees that 3 is the worst (I'll find out soon)
What I am clear about is that, after finishing Yakuza 0, this game feels practically the same, but a little worse. It's a good game, and it's mostly yakuza 0 with a different story, but it does some things worse and feels a little bit old.
And I think that is its biggest "mistake", being a game that looks and feels like the previous game, but having the soul of a game from almost two decades ago. So I tried playing the original Yakuza, and to be honest, I feel like it was a game ahead of its time, it looks great, and feels like a game that would feel great in 2005, Yakuza Kiwami looks and feels great for a 2016 game but its soul is still in 2005, so I think that the release date of this Yakuza Kiwami will be 2011.
The story is simpler, while still being entertaining, and having met some of the characters in the prequel, it makes you much more curious to discover what follows, however, it is told in a more clumsy way, and honestly it's a lot less immersive for me.
I'm not completely sure, but I feel that they did not have the intention of continuing the story after Yakuza 1, after meeting some characters, and hearing a lot about some characters like Shintaro Kazama, I feel that they have little time in the story, and they die too soon, the story wants to close completely before the game is over and in the end there is a feeling that you played a prequel to play this game, and the prequel is the real story while this is a DLC (A very long and good DLC, but still a DLC). I feel like it has some moments that feel too cheesy, like Kazama and Shimano's death scene, which is something you can see coming, and it gives you that feeling of watching an old action movie.
But beyond those things that are not close to ruining the story, it still feels entertaining, just a little less intelligent when it comes to telling it, this game does many things very well:
Although I have complained about how the story is told, I think that the main antagonist's character story is well told, you can understand him and understand his motives.
The gameplay is still as good as the previous one, and now we have a new combat style that is unlocked in a curious and much more entertaining way than spending all your money on skill points.
The city is still the same city that trapped me in the first game.
I feel like it sounds like a negative review, but on the contrary, it is a very good game, but Yakuza 0 is a masterpiece that is difficult to beat, and I understand it, they tried to be faithful to the first game and that's fine.
And returning to the first question, I think it is better to start with Yakuza 0, this will still be a good game, but it may not get you into the saga like 0, and understanding that it is a remake, you can have a clearer idea of ​​what you can get from the new games (I hope).
80/100
Yakuza 0 Review: https://steamcommunity.com/id/apxxiv/recommended/638970?snr=1_5_9__402