Yakuza 7 (PS4 2020)

[martinist]

54 minutes ago, RedShell said:

When does that show up then? Is it linked to a sub story or the main story? I’ve not unlocked it yet, anyway. 

Business management unlocks as part of the main story. You cant miss it.

Also I'd suggest changing ichibans job to demolitionist at lest for a level or two as there is a character skill that you acquire that let's you break down walls in the open world. There is a dungeon a little later where I didn't have this skill and it gated me from some optional paths in there. You wont lose the skill after you acquire it if you change jobs again.

[Julius]

Yeah, if I'm remembering right, haven't they taken collision and hit box detection up to a pretty absurd degree? I know it's turn-based in battles now, but still, imagine that has to be pretty taxing on the hardware even in those battles and elsewhere, like in the mini games.

Also I saw an animation of bread being eaten and holy cow, that's a solid animation and some good physics work. Someone taking a vest off on TLOU2 earlier this year, and their rope physics, and now this? Been a great year to see some strides in the animations and physics being used, I love it! 

Spoiler

 

 

Edited November 13, 2020 by Julius

[Happenstance]

21 minutes ago, RedShell said:

There’s definitely more going on with this game, yeah. What are you playing on, base PS4?

I remember Yakuza 6 and Kiwami 2 didn’t run particularly well on there either, and this is the same engine being pushed even harder.

Yeah base PS4. I guess I’m just noticing it more than I did with 6 or Kiwami 2.

[RedShell]

1 hour ago, martinist said:

Business management unlocks as part of the main story. You cant miss it.

Also I'd suggest changing ichibans job to demolitionist at lest for a level or two as there is a character skill that you acquire that let's you break down walls in the open world. There is a dungeon a little later where I didn't have this skill and it gated me from some optional paths in there. You wont lose the skill after you acquire it if you change jobs again.

Cool. And thanks for the tip.  

1 hour ago, Julius said:

Yeah, if I'm remembering right, haven't they taken collision and hit box detection up to a pretty absurd degree? I know it's turn-based in battles now, but still, imagine that has to be pretty taxing on the hardware even in those battles and elsewhere, like in the mini games.

Definitely yeah, the way characters react to objects and the environment is really good actually. The fact it not only looks cool but is also part of the strategy during battle is great as well. There can be the odd wonky moment (to be expected with all the physics and characters involved) but for the most part it’s incredibly solid.

1 hour ago, Julius said:

Also I saw an animation of bread being eaten and holy cow, that's a solid animation and some good physics work.

Hahaha! I was impressed by that too. Next gen bread!!  

1 hour ago, Happenstance said:

Yeah base PS4. I guess I’m just noticing it more than I did with 6 or Kiwami 2.

I see. Hopefully it won’t detract from the overall experience too much. 

[Hero-of-Time]

UK sales data...

Quote

Yakuza: Like A Dragon makes No.20, with 65% of unit sales coming on PS4 and 35% on 'Xbox'.

Still baffles me that Sega sold out with this game and held back the PS5 version.  Fools could have easily captilised with a PS5 version being there at launch.

[Happenstance]

I’ve only been playing the game in short bursts so I’m not too far in, only just taken back control so I could save in chapter 2. Not a massive fan of the new combat so far, I’d much rather just have direct control but I guess it’s something I’ll have to live with. 
 

Spoiler

I half expected to see Kiryu in the background somewhere during the prison scenes

 

[Julius]

4 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

UK sales data...

Still baffles me that Sega sold out with this game and held back the PS5 version.  Fools could have easily captilised with a PS5 version being there at launch.

Yeah, definitely agree there.

Seems especially tone deaf considering PlayStation is where the series started and has come into its own in the last few years, but I guess it's a business first and foremost, and money (unfortunately) talks. 

Can't wait to check it out when the PS5 upgrade is available, personally it gives me plenty of time to get through 5 and 6 first (and then maybe Judgment too) so I don't mind too much  it's a difficult one to judge I think, because if they were aiming for next gen launch and I were them, purely from a business sense, I think I'd do the same.

There's very little in the way of new games released on the Xbox Series X | S so far, giving the game more of an opportunity to take centre stage, and I feel like it would have been drowned out by Demon's Souls, Miles Morales, and even Astro's Playroom, had the PS5 version been made available this week. Then again, Yakuza, despite its surge in popularity in recent years, is still kind of a niche series, and I unfortunately don't see many swarming to play what is mainly a turn-based JRPG at the start of a new gen, either. 

It's just a weird one either way for me, I think being ready for launch and the delayed upgrade are both pretty viable options for them  then again, like you said, there'd undoubtedly be a spike here as everyone's after new games at the start of a new gen, and they've done a spectacular job of basically doing everything but selling this game as a JRPG; the trailers certainly look much more like your standard Yakuza affair. 

Either way, glad those who have the game are enjoying it! Now to just hope that a PS4 physical version without the steelbook gets released... 

[S.C.G]

7 minutes ago, Julius said:

Now to just wait several months until the PS4 physical version without the steelbook gets released... 

Fixed, the standard edition of the game, without the steelbook is coming, it always does, it's always months later than the initial release, and when it happens, I'll buy the game.

And then look at it on the PS4 tower, next to the other games in the series, and wonder why I haven't gotten around to playing further than a few hours into Yakuza Zero.

[Hero-of-Time]

2 minutes ago, S.C.G said:

And then look at it on the PS4 tower, next to the other games in the series, and wonder why I haven't gotten around to playing further than a few hours into Yakuza Zero.

 

[Happenstance]

1 minute ago, Hero-of-Time said:

 

He won’t know what that’s from yet!

[S.C.G]

Just now, Happenstance said:

He won’t know what that’s from yet!

True, but I get the sentiment behind it.

"Play the damn games now, give the Yakuza series the respect that it surely deserves... you heathen!"

Or something to that effect.

I could set myself a challenge, to get through the entire series, up to Yakuza 6, before Yakuza 7 gets that standard physical version release.

[Happenstance]

Just now, S.C.G said:

I could set myself a challenge, to get through the entire series, up to Yakuza 6, before Yakuza 7 gets that standard physical version release.

Sounds like a worthwhile challenge to me!

[Hero-of-Time]

5 minutes ago, S.C.G said:

I could set myself a challenge, to get through the entire series, up to Yakuza 6, before Yakuza 7 gets that standard physical version release.

[Ashley]

23 hours ago, S.C.G said:

True, but I get the sentiment behind it.

"Play the damn games now, give the Yakuza series the respect that it surely deserves... you heathen!"

Or something to that effect.

I could set myself a challenge, to get through the entire series, up to Yakuza 6, before Yakuza 7 gets that standard physical version release.

 

23 hours ago, Hero-of-Time said:

Is that you suggesting you've done this since S.C.G posted that challenge?

[RedShell]

A few clips: 

Sega should totally make that can collecting one into a competitive online multiplayer game, would be absolutely amazing!  

[martinist]

Reached number 1 in the company rankings last night.

Spoiler

I now have an ubsurd source of income and a deadly space laser to smite all my enimies from orbit. As well as max friendship with Eri.

I now have more money than I know what to do with besides upgrade the forge and sticking the rest in the bank.

Edited November 18, 2020 by martinist

[RedShell]

Fantastic vid that’s well worth a watch:  

Highly recommend checking out that channel too, interesting vids on there.

Anyway, that has made me admire Toshihiro Nagoshi even more.  Definitely one of the best in the business, and (for me at least) perhaps second only to Miyamoto actually.

[Hero-of-Time]

Any spoilers in that video, @RedShell?

[Happenstance]

Got this installed on my PS5 now so I’m looking forward to trying it out and seeing if there’s a noticeable difference from the base PS4 version which as I said, was a bit choppy.

[RedShell]

1 hour ago, Hero-of-Time said:

Any spoilers in that video, @RedShell?

There’s footage from all of the games playing in the background throughout, including a pretty major cutscene from Yakuza 6 at one point, but to be honest I wasn’t really paying much attention to the actual video as I was focusing on the subtitles.

Can’t remember if Nagoshi mentions anything which could be considered a spoiler, don’t think so though. It’s basically just about the history and development process.

[Julius]

Not exactly Yakuza 7 related (sorry!), but seems relevant enough to include it here than make a dedicated thread: 15th Anniversary Stream for the series on December 8th at 20:00 JST (11:00 GMT). 

Quote

["Ryu ga Gotoku" 15th Anniversary Special Program Delivery Decided] A live broadcast program commemorating the 15th anniversary of "Ryu ga Gotoku" will be delivered from 20:00 on December 8th (Tuesday)! We will welcome Takaya Kuroda and Kazuhiro Nakaya as guests, look back on the history of 15 years, and announce future developments!

Exciting stuff! Wonder what they'll end up announcing: Yakuza 3 - 6 ports for PC? A Judgment sequel? And the time seems right for a Yakuza 8 announcement, right? Or maybe it'll something completely unexpected? 

Roll on the 8th! 

Edited November 20, 2020 by Julius

[martinist]

8:00pm on the 8th of December? If they don't announce Yakuza 8 then they missed a huge oppertunity.

[RedShell]

Nothing can prepare a longtime Yakuza fan for the unbelievable awesomeness that is chapter 12 in this game!  

Seriously... that was AMAZING!!  

I was worried that I might have been getting slightly too levelled up, but the showdown in that chapter has very clearly confirmed that was not the case.

Man, I don’t want this game to end.

[RedShell]

Yakuza games often have intensely violent/gross scenes in them, but damn... I was not prepared for the one that kicked off chapter 13!

Spoiler

which involved an eyeball getting popped in! 

You can see it coming, but I was totally expecting the actual moment to happen off-screen... nope  as graphic as can be!   

It left me like Rod and Todd Flanders after watching Itchy & Scratchy!

[RedShell]

Been on the final chapter for a while now (at the point of no return) but I can’t bring myself to finish the game! 

Have done all the substories, fully completed the business management mode, Dragon Kart, reached maximum bond with the entire party ect... so will have no choice but to initiate the final story event soon.

That said, there is still a lot of stuff left to do, but it’s getting unbelievably grindy now. For example, upgrading Ichiban’s exclusive weapon. Have done countless upgrades already and every time it requires even more rare items and money. The current upgrade I’m on requires 12 million yen! And I’m pretty sure it’s still not even the final one!   

Also, some of the late game fights are just ludicrously drawn-out. @Hero-of-Time, you were complaining about some of the fights in previous Yakuza games being annoying, due to enemies blocking all the time, right? (I remember some of them having about 10 different health bars too. ) Well get ready for the turn-based equivalent of all that when you play this!

I do get why they did it for certain boss battles, as it would be weird if you could just breeze past them due to being over levelled or having the very best gear, but yeah, it can make some fights last such a ridiculously long time. 
Obviously not done the final boss yet, but based on what I’ve seen so far I’m expecting it to be a very time consuming fight indeed.

Anyway, I shall report back once the credits have rolled for some final thoughts. But even as things stand, this is easily game of the year for me. Have absolutely loved it!

 

Edited November 24, 2020 by RedShell