Something about this feels off compared to the original Yakuza 1, anyone else agree?

[reggie.ps]

Kiwami 1 feels like such a cheap version of Yakuza 1 it hurts, there's some things I really like in this, like Kamurocho is practically the same (bar the Pocket Racer and the few extra arcade games) as it was in Yakuza 1 bar the fact that I've got full camera control both outside of fights and inside of fights.

But there's a feeling of soulless-ness I get from this game, I thought it was the OST, but I installed that classic music mod and it's still there for me. I don't know what it is, I didn't play this around release even though I bought it at release because /supportRGGstudios/ and dropped it and ended up playing Yakuza Kiwami 2 when that dropped and finished it, it's definitely missing some of the style for having a worse OST than the original Yakuza 2, an original OST and remake OST option would be very nice for both of these games but Kiwami 2 didn't feel this soulless at all

I can't figure it out why there's something bothering me about this one, since it's practically the same as Yakuza 0, a little part of me is thinking it's cause Kiryu is really slow at the start and I never remembered Kiryu being THAT slow at the start of the game.

Also, I don't hate Majima Everywhere; atleast it's fun to fight Majima each time to be honest.

But yeah; seriously; if you have the means to play the original 2 games, do, then play these, because as much as these are accessible, they're definitely missing a fair amount of the style and substance that the original 2 had.

But yeah, Kiwami 1 is definitely my pick for the weakest Yakuza game imo.

Anyone else getting feelings of this soulless-ness?

[Redblaze27]

Its because Yakuza Kiwami is basically a standalone DLC expansion to Yakuza 0, but doesn't really offer as much or really any truly unique activities not featured in Yakuza 0.

Its good, but it could've been so much more.

[reggie.ps]

Originally posted by Redblaze27:

Its because Yakuza Kiwami is basically a standalone DLC expansion to Yakuza 0, but doesn't really offer as much or really any truly unique activities not featured in Yakuza 0.

Its good, but it could've been so much more.

♥♥♥♥ you're right.

I had a big long post responding to you prior.
But you're completely right.
There's nothing really unique to Kiwami that I haven't played in 0 or 1; story or gameplay.
There's nothing fresh.

[Redblaze27]

I mean, it has Majima Anywhere & the extra Nishki cutscenes, but the side activities are either unchanged or remixed from 0.

I think just having a different UI would've helped greatly with feeling like a different game.

[reggie.ps]

Originally posted by Redblaze27:

I mean, it has Majima Anywhere & the extra Nishki cutscenes, but the side activities are either unchanged or remixed from 0.

I think just having a different UI would've helped greatly with feeling like a different game.

I don't think so whatsoever; I think there's something really, really lifeless about it that a different UI couldn't fix about it. Majima Everywhere and extra Nishiki stuff isn't worth skipping a classic in favor of this version though even though I do like the additions they make to the game.

[medion_no]

You are biased by nostalgia. Yeah Yakuza 1 was more sober and novel for his time but thats past gone now. Yakuza Kiwami is superior in almost any way, for the love of god is a 1:1 remake even in cinematics (the exact same shots, you can compare both of them in youtube) only with the extra stuff in. Its the same but with better graphics and about the music is all about taste but we are not in 2005 anymore...

[reggie.ps]

Originally posted by medion_no:

You are biased by nostalgia. Yeah Yakuza 1 was more sober and novel for his time but thats past gone now. Yakuza Kiwami is superior in almost any way, for the love of god is a 1:1 remake even in cinematics (the exact same shots, you can compare both of them in youtube) only with the extra stuff in. Its the same but with better graphics and about the music is all about taste but we are not in 2005 anymore...

HAHAHAHAH dear god no; novelty and nostalgia ain't a factor, I played Yakuza 1 in 2017 when I was starting to play the games, L2 mashing was the only negative thing but everything else in Yakuza 1 is either on par with Kiwami, or better; you can't just try dispel my criticism with "nostalgia goggles" lmao.

I know the cinematics are 1:1 remade; it's not me being a pissy "muh they changed it"
This is me, playing a game, noticing it's considerably worse than the, flawed, but amazing original and sick of seeing this terrible, terrible cheap remake put higher than the original; there's no additional content making this game fresher; Pocket Circuit was in 0; the bug game was in 0; and we get a watered down version of Yakuza 1 with awful music; but hey; they added some characterisation to Nishiki that was much needed to explain his motive, but that doesn't mean that this game is not the cheapest asset flip, in a series all about asset flipping.

[Hardtarget01]

FEEL THE HEAT is only thing that sucks otherwise the game is perfect.

[lPaladinl]

OP just sounds like rose-tinted glasses honestly. Your complaint is that the game feels soul-less, yet you present no argument as to how it is soul-less, while also not providing any example of how the original wasn't just as soul-less as you perceive this remake to be.

You made more comparisons to Yakuza 0, which is a much newer game than the game Kiwami 1 is a remake of. You then compare it to Kiwami 2, which again, is made after a newer game, but is also on a newer engine and is a larger game.

In short, OP convinces me that you just don't like Yakuza 1 as much as you think you do, and are trying to misplace blame on the Kiwami remake instead of the original content. Kiwami wipes away the nostalgia factor that makes the game stand out to you, which means you wouldn't enjoy the original as much if it weren't for that nostalgia.

Doesn't matter if you only played Yakuza 1 in 2017, you can still be nostalgic for it regardless. There's no set required time in order for nostalgia to set in.

Either that or you're just bored because you already played the game before while the other games are still new to you. Either way your OP is a rant without much direction or of any real point to make.

Just my two cents anyways.

[reggie.ps]

Originally posted by lPaladinl:

OP just sounds like rose-tinted glasses honestly. Your complaint is that the game feels soul-less, yet you present no argument as to how it is soul-less, while also not providing any example of how the original wasn't just as soul-less as you perceive this remake to be.

You made more comparisons to Yakuza 0, which is a much newer game than the game Kiwami 1 is a remake of. You then compare it to Kiwami 2, which again, is made after a newer game, but is also on a newer engine and is a larger game.

In short, OP convinces me that you just don't like Yakuza 1 as much as you think you do, and are trying to misplace blame on the Kiwami remake instead of the original content. Kiwami wipes away the nostalgia factor that makes the game stand out to you, which means you wouldn't enjoy the original as much if it weren't for that nostalgia.

Doesn't matter if you only played Yakuza 1 in 2017, you can still be nostalgic for it regardless. There's no set required time in order for nostalgia to set in.

Either that or you're just bored because you already played the game before while the other games are still new to you. Either way your OP is a rant without much direction or of any real point to make.

Just my two cents anyways.

Disagree completely or else Kiwami 2 would have given me the feeling of blandness aswell since I played Yakuza 2 way before Kiwami 2.

The original music is just worse, again another subjective thing, the PS2 cutscenes redone in HD looks worse due to the facial animations haven't changed so you've got this jarring mix of ancient animations and new visuals, but this is once again; subjective; you could think that the cutscenes look ay okay cause they've got a fresh lick of paint over them.

And subjectively, 0's combat is super boring; and carrying it over to Kiwami kills me, but I understand it being like that due to the fact that we no longer play as multiple characters like in 4/5, it's not like Kiryu's DoD combat that's been present earlier in the games couldn't have been the sole style like the original (I don't know how it progresses; I'm struggling to put more hours into Kiwami due to it lacking the style and substance; but I'm playing it at the moment due to the fact that I haven't played this one; so I may aswell)

I also liked the atmosphere (another subjective thing) where I could see Kiryu running about in the city from the static camera, and he'd in be in a crowd of faceless people, with a lot of crowd chatter, and then the jarring English of "you stupid old ♥♥♥♥!" coming for me, there's a lot of style and substance that is missing from a now very, very empty Kamurocho (because it's a PS3 game; ported to PS4; now to PC; so we get the limitations of a PS3 game). It really gave me the feeling of being one man, in Japan, trying to go figure out the master-plan, save the Tojo Clan. (and other plot points but I couldn't rhyme it)

I understand that most of that was done due to limitations end up giving it a lot of personality, but the only thing that's aged and dated about Yakuza 1 if you play it today is the English dub and the lack of a Camera Control.

Whereas this feels like a cheap bootleg imitation that got all the talking points right; but miss a lot of the style that made the original special to me.

I haven't played Yakuza 1 since I played it ages ago; but I've replayed Yakuza 2 right before Kiwami 2 came out so I could compare them freshly and it's not like this is nostalgia whatsoever; this is a genuine belief that Yakuza 1 is better than Kiwami.

I wouldn't go see Gus Van Sant's Psycho over Hitchcock's original; even though it's shot-for-shot and now boasting colour, got the same editing, music, and all the same story beats, but it misses a lot of the style that the original had and once again; a whole thing about subjectivity; but I doubt anyone who's never watched the original Psycho would notice what they're missing while watching the Remake.

Also; no Yakuza game feels truly fresh; if you play release order you can literally see all the times they reuse assets; like when they made you redo the Long Battle at the Tamashiro Office but backwards at the start of Kiryu's part of Yakuza 4; but Kiwami feels so mind bogglingly cheap it hurts.

But the only thing I like is the fact it's the original VAs rather than the English Dub but hey; the English dub had "you stupid old ♥♥♥♥".

So yeah; this whole rant comes from a place of subjectivity; but isn't that where all reviews and thoughtpieces come from? A subjective response to a piece of work/art/media or whatever; and my thought is that it gives me the same feeling I get watching playing Metal Gear Solid The Twin Snakes; which on paper should sound like it's 10/10 due to the fact it's just MGS1, in MGS2's engine! But it misses a lot of the style that the original had; due to the limitations and even now; I would never play The Twin Snakes over MGS1 during my series replays over the years, but I have played it and I didn't completely hate it whatsoever; nor do I completely hate Kiwami; but it definitely gives me the same feeling as TTS for being a remake that misses the little touches of what made the experience special.

[Late Game Wonder]

Originally posted by medion_no:

You are biased by nostalgia. Yeah Yakuza 1 was more sober and novel for his time but thats past gone now. Yakuza Kiwami is superior in almost any way, for the love of god is a 1:1 remake even in cinematics (the exact same shots, you can compare both of them in youtube) only with the extra stuff in. Its the same but with better graphics and about the music is all about taste but we are not in 2005 anymore...

This here.
Nostalgia is a dangerous thing

[reggie.ps]

Originally posted by Late Game Wonder:

Originally posted by medion_no:

You are biased by nostalgia. Yeah Yakuza 1 was more sober and novel for his time but thats past gone now. Yakuza Kiwami is superior in almost any way, for the love of god is a 1:1 remake even in cinematics (the exact same shots, you can compare both of them in youtube) only with the extra stuff in. Its the same but with better graphics and about the music is all about taste but we are not in 2005 anymore...

This here.
Nostalgia is a dangerous thing

Yakuza on PC was a mistake

we should have never let the series come on here without starting release order

because thinking Yakuza 1 >>>> Kiwami is not nostalgia; I've never seen such a pro-Kiwami 1 sentiment anywhere lmao

do we PC gamers have ♥♥♥♥ taste? (rhetorical; based on this thread; yes; very much so; we shouldn't be trusted with games unless it's flavour of the month ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥)

[medion_no]

Originally posted by ☮ reggie.ps:

Originally posted by Late Game Wonder:

This here.
Nostalgia is a dangerous thing

Yakuza on PC was a mistake

we should have never let the series come on here without starting release order

because thinking Yakuza 1 >>>> Kiwami is not nostalgia; I've never seen such a pro-Kiwami 1 sentiment anywhere lmao

do we PC gamers have ♥♥♥♥ taste? (rhetorical; based on this thread; yes; very much so; we shouldn't be trusted with games unless it's flavour of the month ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥)

Yakuza 1 was a great game, it can be emulated in hd is that what you want. Comparing this to Metal Gear Twin Snakes is utter nonsense the problem with that was over the top anime-style cinematics (back flips and riding missiles), action scenes of the original game cut or toned down (like the rappel sequence or the final chase) and graphics not really on par to MGS2 (is a custom engine by Crystal Dynamics). This...is just the same with remixed music, Yakuza 0 graphic engine and added (mostly optional) gameplay. You are pretty crazy man or just trolling now.

[reggie.ps]

Originally posted by medion_no:

Originally posted by ☮ reggie.ps:

Yakuza on PC was a mistake

we should have never let the series come on here without starting release order

because thinking Yakuza 1 >>>> Kiwami is not nostalgia; I've never seen such a pro-Kiwami 1 sentiment anywhere lmao

do we PC gamers have ♥♥♥♥ taste? (rhetorical; based on this thread; yes; very much so; we shouldn't be trusted with games unless it's flavour of the month ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥)

Yakuza 1 was a great game, it can be emulated in hd is that what you want. Comparing this to Metal Gear Twin Snakes is utter nonsense the problem with that was over the top anime-style cinematics, action scenes of the original game cut or toned down and graphics not really on par to MGS2 (is a custom engine by Crystal Dynamics). This...is just the same with remixed music and added (mostly optional) gameplay. You are pretty crazy man.

TT has the same plot, mostly the same cutscenes with a few additional flips; remixed music.

Kiwami has the same plot, same cutscenes, ♥♥♥♥♥♥ music, reused combat that's so painfully bland; DoD should have been the sole style; and it should have had a different upgrading system compared to the one from 0; but hey asset flips.
That ontop of ♥♥♥♥ it retakes from 0 to pad out content.

My comparison between MGSTT isn't too important to me, I see playing Kiwami to be closer to seeing Gus Van Sant's remake of Psycho rather than playing MGS TT; the only reason I brought it up is because of the fact if you said "I played MGS TT over MGS1" you'd be seen as a bumbling moron; if you say "I watched the remakes; then continued on the series"; you'd be seen as a bumbling moron; the attitudes we have as gamers towards remakes is disgusting; any other form of media; we'd see it as it is; a cheap cashgrab for the sake of nostalgia; I gave Kiwami a try cause hey I'm familiar with the series and it's so obviously cheap and bland it hurts; every single time I hear someone say "It's better than the original" or "I played Kiwami 1, 2, then went to 3" it makes me wonder; why is this so acceptable only with games media; it's not like most of us are actually this ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ stupid; I'm not saying that it's impossible to enjoy Kiwami; I'm saying that Kiwami is definitely a butchered work compared to the original; and a lot of it is in that BIG BIG post that relates to subjective markers for me; but all forms of media is rated on levels of subjectivity, nothing is objectively ♥♥♥♥ (except people who started with Yakuza 0's opinions); and I can see how this is missing a lot of the personality and atmosphere that the first one seemed to ooze out of itself.

[Late Game Wonder]

Originally posted by ☮ reggie.ps:

I've never seen such a pro-Kiwami 1 sentiment anywhere lmao

Yeah sure you have not.
That is why Yakuza kiwami has higher average rating than og yakuza right?
Troll better

[reggie.ps]

Originally posted by Late Game Wonder:

Originally posted by ☮ reggie.ps:

I've never seen such a pro-Kiwami 1 sentiment anywhere lmao

Yeah sure you have not.
That is why Yakuza kiwami has higher average rating than og yakuza right?
Troll better

sorry, I meant to say "I've never seen anyone who's played both prefer Yakuza Kiwami"