This ending is bad and disappointing (spoiler)

[Aimkaper]

I am extremely disappointed after 7 we are told that Kiryu will let Ichiban take over but clearly in this game Kiryu is more present than Ichiban as proof it is even him who faces the final boss and Amon... The whole game gives us tease the end of the dragon so that in the end he survives his cancer (clearly impossible given how advanced it is) while on the ichiban side his love with saeko does not progress and he ends up with eiji at the police... but why? ichi is supposed to be the main character and he ends up like an old NPC that we have nothing to do with... 7 had a crazy story about the father-son bond and this game barely manages to make the beginning of a mother-son relationship while this is the basis of the scenario, all this to highlight kiryu and the 7 games + spin off where he is the hero... really

I hope that in the 9th he dies or that he lets Ichiban be the real hero Game

[Hotless]

my theory also was that Kiryu dies at the end and Ichiban becomes the new "Kiryu" but if what you say it true then the developers do not want for that to happen so yeah, i expected this to be the last game we see Kiryu in but it seems that we will see him again in the next game and in the next and in the next, etc.

[dog_force21]

So no progress with Saeko and Ichi? There goes any will I had to finish this game might sideline it till the next LaD releases.

[Aimkaper]

Originally posted by Hotless:

my theory also was that Kiryu dies at the end and Ichiban becomes the new "Kiryu" but if what you say it true then the developers do not want for that to happen so yeah, i expected this to be the last game we see Kiryu in but it seems that we will see him again in the next game and in the next and in the next, etc.

yes he dont die and he kill last boss... why kiryu finish the last boss when you know on LaD (yakuza 7) kiryu says to amon "yes ichiban now its the hero " i really hate this end of yakuza 8 they just want more kiryu for hype "fan"

[Oni-Lyrics]

Yeah no the ending is a bit smack in the face tbh. Ruins what is otherwise a perfect game. But that's sorta been the trend since 5.

[Farendan]

I've felt a little let down by the ending as well.

I feel like Ichiban's End with getting Eiji to the police is sort of in-character for Ichi. He IS trying to be a saint and saviour. He is trying to be a hero and as hero he wants Eiji to atone for his sins. Got no real issues on that side, except for being a bit lackluster maybe?

Kiryu's side however? That one was kind of ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥. You get this grand reminiscing-about-the-past mechanic and even finding closure just for him to go through with the treatment? It's great he got his name back but... this would've been better as tragic end for Kiryu. You don't even get a scene between Haruka and Kiryu despite it kind of being teased at a while. So even going through with the treatment just didn't feel worth it?

The game overall was amazing though. A shame that the ending just kind soured the overall taste. All that is left to hope is Kiryu at least getting to rest now. If they somehow pull him back in, after he clearly got so severely affected by his cancer treatment, I'll be kind of mad... haha.

[Bruno]

6 had a way better ending, thats how bad this game ending is

[Tawm]

Kiryu doesn't have to die, nor does he need a dramatic exit. They could just as easily just let him live off-screen in Okinawa with Haruka and bring him back occasionally for brief appearances when he's needed. The Yakuza 6 ending was absolutely terrible and unnecessary. Kiryu's side of Y8 was basically just damage control for an old mistake. The Daidoji Faction and Kiryu's fake death is the biggest blunder in the series by far.

That said, Kiryu has been received extremely well in this game and completely overshadowed Kasuga and the actual plot of the game itself. It's almost unthinkable that he gets shelved now.

[Aimkaper]

Originally posted by Tawm:

Kiryu doesn't have to die, nor does he need a dramatic exit. They could just as easily just let him live off-screen in Okinawa with Haruka and bring him back occasionally for brief appearances when he's needed. The Yakuza 6 ending was absolutely terrible and unnecessary. Kiryu's side of Y8 was basically just damage control for an old mistake. The Daidoji Faction and Kiryu's fake death is the biggest blunder in the series by far.

That said, Kiryu has been received extremely well in this game and completely overshadowed Kasuga and the actual plot of the game itself. It's almost unthinkable that he gets shelved now.

clearly yakuza 8 is a game about kiryu and not about ichiban who just becomes a secondary character

[Hellsteeth30]

Ichi/Kiryu got the wrong bosses, or at least the wrong writing.

"Oh cool I have a half-brother, well anyway we'll never mention it again.". Or meet again for that matter.

Mommy dearest got tossed aside as quick as you like too.

The theme is on point, nobody will change if you maintain the cycle of vengeance and punishment.

I think we have a nasty case of rewrititis.

As for Kiryu, that's one way to keep him in storage. He is starting to get on a bit though, going to be stretching the suspension of disbelief.

Anyone else who'd taken the amount of damage Kiryu has over the years would be crippled at best by their fifties. Not even factoring in the cancer.

[REDMVGE]

I don't think it was bad, but the game as a whole felt like filler content compared to 7. Which is fine, they can't all be bangers like 0 and 7, gotta have your 3 and 4's from time to time. I DO wonder however how it took them this long to make the game when they reused SO MUCH.

I do hope to see Yamai again, though. He was cool.

[Yílõng Má]

Originally posted by REDMVGE:

I don't think it was bad, but the game as a whole felt like filler content compared to 7. Which is fine, they can't all be bangers like 0 and 7, gotta have your 3 and 4's from time to time. I DO wonder however how it took them this long to make the game when they reused SO MUCH.

I do hope to see Yamai again, though. He was cool.

Dude this game is better than 7 in every way possible lol. Even the hype from playing turn based Kiryu alone is better than the whole 7. The hype is so crazy even before the release.

[็]

Ichiban's treatment of Eiji at the end of the game is way overblown by the fanbase. Ichiban isn't absolving Eiji of his crimes. He is pushing Eiji to take accountability for his actions by putting him in prison while protecting him from mob "justice", which I think is great. I have never agreed with the notion that just because somebody did terrible things means that it's okay to let people do terrible things back to them. Eiji undoubtedly did heinous things, but vigilante "justice" almost never goes well and is usually a thin masquerade for people with a distorted view of justice.

[BigTrackBalls]

Originally posted by ็:

Ichiban's treatment of Eiji at the end of the game is way overblown by the fanbase. Ichiban isn't absolving Eiji of his crimes. He is pushing Eiji to take accountability for his actions by putting him in prison while protecting him from mob "justice", which I think is great. I have never agreed with the notion that just because somebody did terrible things means that it's okay to let people do terrible things back to them. Eiji undoubtedly did heinous things, but vigilante "justice" almost never goes well and is usually a thin masquerade for people with a distorted view of justice.

Yeah, honestly I can understand some of the hate in the thread, but I didn't hate the ending. Having Ichi and Eiji make amends is, as said before, in line with his character. Whether it was one just yakuza at a time he was going to help every one of them. I think the theme of the game is forgiveness and atonement/ reconciliation with your past as a path to infinite wealth and in that spirit, the ending fits.

Kiryu may or may not be dead and that is a bit of a cop out. I also wish he didn't break his character so much in the last moments, but he's a sentimental old man now. Saeko and Ichi really could've used a better talk at the end. In the last game though, it was a will they won't too so hopefully it means the payoff will be all the better for it. All in all loved the game, would play again.

[Unusual pizza]

Originally posted by Hellsteeth30:

Ichi/Kiryu got the wrong bosses, or at least the wrong writing.

"Oh cool I have a half-brother, well anyway we'll never mention it again.". Or meet again for that matter.

Mommy dearest got tossed aside as quick as you like too.

The theme is on point, nobody will change if you maintain the cycle of vengeance and punishment.

I think we have a nasty case of rewrititis.

As for Kiryu, that's one way to keep him in storage. He is starting to get on a bit though, going to be stretching the suspension of disbelief.

Anyone else who'd taken the amount of damage Kiryu has over the years would be crippled at best by their fifties. Not even factoring in the cancer.

It was just a recalled to yakuza 0, majima and kiryu in 0 also get opposite boss. Majima fought the one who framed kiryu, and Kiryu fought the one who tried to harm Makoto

[a passerby]

I'm with you. The ending could've been so much better, especially because there was so much set up. Imagine Ichiban finding out that his mother is still alive and that he has a half-brother, but Kiryu is the one that gets to face off against his brother instead. Ebina even said it himself: 2 sons from the same father, but with polar opposite goals. And who did he share that with? Kiryu. How the ♥♥♥♥ the writers decided to roll with that is beyond me.

Just let Kiryu ride off into the sunset already.