Yakuza 2

[Gooch]

My copy shipped today. Hopefully the loading times on 2 are better than 1 because that's mainly what turned me away from getting farther into the game.

[Grave]

Finish the first. The second is a direct sequel, isn't it? A whole lot happens.

[AaronChance]

Finish the first. The second is a direct sequel, isn't it? A whole lot happens.

Nah, the ending of the first was terrible. He's better off not seeing it.

[StriderKyo]

You don't need to play the first game. This one opens with an optional - and fairly comprehensive - reminiscence of everything that happened in the first game.

The load times are much, much better. They exist, but you're not really aware of them, not to the degree you were in the first game.

Targeting is also a billion times improved. The lock on locks 100%, but you really don't need it, at least not in the beginning; you won't have any trouble getting your blows to land where you want them to.

Nah, the ending of the first was terrible. He's better off not seeing it.

How was it terrible?

[AaronChance]

How was it terrible?

Three ways:
1. Villain out of nowhere who has completely ruined the lives of everyone I care about, but I'm in no way going to check if he's actually dead. That would be cheating.
2. So this was all a misunderstanding my old friend... but I'll kill you anyway. Unlike, you know... the actual villain.
3. I know the best way of getting rid of this dirty money! A huge fucking bomb! Wouldn't want to set off the fire alarms, and I'm sure the landlords will have no problem with the huge chunks of masonry that will fall from the sky.
4. Wasn't this supposed to be about the goddamn yakuza? I mean, it's in the title and all.

If I could erase it from my memory, I could.

[NeoZeedeater]

Strider, how much did Yakuza 2 cost you? Everywhere I look has the game for $40 which is bullshit considering pricing stuff the same as the US is pretty standard now. Wal-Mart's the only place I can see with a $30 CDN price tag but the one I looked at doesn't have the game in yet.

[Andrew]

I went to *shudder* Gamestop at lunch today and picked it up for $29.99.

[Brisco Bold]

I stopped by the EB near my place. Wasn't there.

[StriderKyo]

Three ways:
1. Villain out of nowhere who has completely ruined the lives of everyone I care about, but I'm in no way going to check if he's actually dead. That would be cheating.
2. So this was all a misunderstanding my old friend... but I'll kill you anyway. Unlike, you know... the actual villain.
3. I know the best way of getting rid of this dirty money! A huge fucking bomb! Wouldn't want to set off the fire alarms, and I'm sure the landlords will have no problem with the huge chunks of masonry that will fall from the sky.
4. Wasn't this supposed to be about the goddamn yakuza? I mean, it's in the title and all.

If I could erase it from my memory, I could.

1. Well, I guess.
2. Nishiki attacked Kazuma because he wanted to be oyabun, but Fuma willed the title to Kiryu. Becoming oyabun had been Nishiki's motivation from the opening scene, nothing out of character there. He knew Jingu was trying to manipulate him, and used him in turn to get what he wanted.
3. Nishiki was just being a dick.
4. Yakuza and politics are very tightly linked in Japan; most candidates rely on Yakuza money to fund their campaigns somewhere along the line, and the only reason they can exist in every neighbourhood in the country is because they have ties to domestic intelligence. It's no stretch to involve the government (they know crime's going to happen anyway, better the Yakuza than the Triads). Thematically they brought that element in to build up the notion of the honourable Yakuza by introducing something more sinister and without integrity as a foil.

Strider, how much did Yakuza 2 cost you? Everywhere I look has the game for $40 which is bullshit considering pricing stuff the same as the US is pretty standard now. Wal-Mart's the only place I can see with a $30 CDN price tag but the one I looked at doesn't have the game in yet.

I paid $29.99, but it wasn't at a chain store.

[AaronChance]

2. Nishiki attacked Kazuma because he wanted to be oyabun, but Fuma willed the title to Kiryu. Becoming oyabun had been Nishiki's motivation from the opening scene, nothing out of character there. He knew Jingu was trying to manipulate him, and used him in turn to get what he wanted.
3. Nishiki was just being a dick.
4. Yakuza and politics are very tightly linked in Japan; most candidates rely on Yakuza money to fund their campaigns somewhere along the line, and the only reason they can exist in every neighbourhood in the country is because they have ties to domestic intelligence. It's no stretch to involve the government (they know crime's going to happen anyway, better the Yakuza than the Triads). Thematically they brought that element in to build up the notion of the honourable Yakuza by introducing something more sinister and without integrity as a foil.

2. The main character still had no motivation to kill him and let the real villain live. It's contrived entirely for plot purposes and doesn't suit the motivations of the characters at all.
3. No, it was the woman who planted the bomb in her own place.
4. That's not what I mean. I mean there's barely any reference to the Yakuza in the game at all after the surprise villain shows up. The story has almost nothing to do with them from that point on. I would have been much happier if the story remained near to what it had been from the first third of the game, before jumping the shark by rescuing puppies and young lovers.