Yakuza 3 comes West, Right now!

To be quite honest, you don't play this game for the action.

You play the game because your role is a yakuza in a fully realized Japan (or portion of it anyways) and because of the story -- it's like a gangster drama (with complex relationships and motivations).

I lived in Japan for several months and this is the cheapest way for me to "go back and visit" so I'd easily pay full price and then some for this. It's fun for me to think "Oh yea, I remember that restaurant, drinking that soda from the vending machines, etc. etc."

Bottom Line: If you want the most realistic experience of what Japan is like (and don't mind some over-the-top humor), then give this game some serious consideration.
 
[quote name='TctclMvPhase']I actually thought the dub job in the first game was decent. There were a few poor performances that stuck out, but most of the main characters and Kazama in particular seemed to be well above average quality.[/QUOTE]

The dub of the first game better have been at least decent, since they spent a lot on it and used hollywood actors.

After playing the demo, it's very much like the other games. I think I"m going to have to take a pass on this game for now and just grab it sometime in the fall. Hope it sells well though.
 
[quote name='Ecofreak']Bottom Line: If you want the most realistic experience of what Japan is like (and don't mind some over-the-top humor), then give this game some serious consideration.[/QUOTE]

Definitely never going to Japan then... I don't want huge super fights of blue and red flaming yakuzas to bust out all around me.
 
Played the demo, thought it was a piece of shit.
Now I'm not going to judge a game that gets a lot of love by it's demo.
I'll give it another go and wait for some reviews, but FFXIII and GoWIII comes first.
I also don't see this game staying full price long at all.

@Saint Noir
That only happens in the city
 
[quote name='Saint Noir']Definitely never going to Japan then... I don't want huge super fights of blue and red flaming yakuzas to bust out all around me.[/QUOTE]

Lol!. You'll be fine as long as you use your cell phone to learn new moves. You'll be flaming blue and red in no time. Only in Japan. :cool:
 
I wasn't impressed by the demo. Glad to see I wasn't the only one. After hearing so much good stuff about this game the demo was just meh. I really didn't know how to work the fighting system and what really pissed me off was the noise that kept playing when each line of dialogue came up (outside of cut scenes of course)
I'm seriously debating canceling my order from GS. I get the feeling like this game won't stay full price for too long but that could just be me.
 
[quote name='Soujiro_Seta']I wasn't impressed by the demo. Glad to see I wasn't the only one. After hearing so much good stuff about this game the demo was just meh. I really didn't know how to work the fighting system and what really pissed me off was the noise that kept playing when each line of dialogue came up (outside of cut scenes of course)
I'm seriously debating canceling my order from GS. I get the feeling like this game won't stay full price for too long but that could just be me.[/QUOTE]

I can understand why people wouldn't like this game due to the mechanics of how the game works. I'm sure you guys aren't alone. The game does take a bit of getting used to, which I'm not sure the demo really handles very well.
 
[quote name='Vinny']I can understand why people wouldn't like this game due to the mechanics of how the game works. I'm sure you guys aren't alone. The game does take a bit of getting used to, which I'm not sure the demo really handles very well.[/QUOTE]

All the nega-impressions are totally justified, but they remind me a lot of the sentiments garnered by the Valkyria Chronicles demo -- many were hesitant but ended up being a pretty big hit among those who gave it a try.

Thus is the inherent danger of releasing a demo -- does it give a big enough taste to entice those on the fence or does it leave an unsatisfying taste that would push people away?
 
After playing the demo, I canceled my preorder. I think I am going to get this down the line but there are much better games coming out in the next few months. I'm sure there will be price drop on this come the summer.
 
[quote name='Ecofreak']All the nega-impressions are totally justified, but they remind me a lot of the sentiments garnered by the Valkyria Chronicles demo -- many were hesitant but ended up being a pretty big hit among those who gave it a try.

Thus is the inherent danger of releasing a demo -- does it give a big enough taste to entice those on the fence or does it leave an unsatisfying taste that would push people away?[/QUOTE]

I think you're right... because, going by the CAG responses, a lot of people are being turned off by the demo.:whistle2:(
 
yea i was excited for this game until i played the demo, if anything this will be a rental or a bargin bin pick up for me
 
I bet if Sega allowed you to go into the strip club in the demo, people would be buying the game near release. lol Anyway, I can understand the responses about the demo--it seems as it was just meant for those that played previous Yakuza games. Funny, how Yakuza 4 is releasing in Japan shortly after the Yakuza 3 US release, I would suspect a quick price-drop myself with all that is coming out in March.
 
[quote name='Vinny']I think you're right... because, going by the CAG responses, a lot of people are being turned off by the demo.:whistle2:([/QUOTE]
Huge shame!

Those that keep and play the full game will get a lot out of it.

Demo just can't show everything awesome about Yakuza, especially about how much you love the characters in the story.
Huge game and they try to take a tiny slice. Ah well, hope more people play it eventually.
 
[quote name='bobo2k4']After playing the demo, I canceled my preorder. I think I am going to get this down the line but there are much better games coming out in the next few months. I'm sure there will be price drop on this come the summer.[/QUOTE]

I liked the demo, but it just wasn't mindblowing. I'm doing the same as you, if this game came out last summer or a month ago I probably would've paid full price for it. But with everything coming out in the next month I will have to take Yakuza off the list of my must-buy games. Really wishing I didn't get WKC now so I could've gotten Yakuza instead. Oh well, I'll just get it when it drops in price.
 
Demo pissed me off. Cutting off right after that scene? fuck you Sega. Bunch of trolls. You could have at least let me reach that tower.
 
[quote name='Paco']Demo pissed me off. Cutting off right after that scene? fuck you Sega. Bunch of trolls. You could have at least let me reach that tower.[/QUOTE]

YOU'VE ALREADY BOUGHT IT.

Seriously.
 
[quote name='Vinny']I think you're right... because, going by the CAG responses, a lot of people are being turned off by the demo.:whistle2:([/QUOTE]

At least the Heavy Rain demo is getting people excited and pre-ordering the game despite high initial skepticism.

Too bad strong Heavy Rain sales won't help the chances for Yakuza 4 being released in the US. :cry:
 
[quote name='Ecofreak']To be quite honest, you don't play this game for the action.

You play the game because your role is a yakuza in a fully realized Japan (or portion of it anyways) and because of the story -- it's like a gangster drama (with complex relationships and motivations).

I lived in Japan for several months and this is the cheapest way for me to "go back and visit" so I'd easily pay full price and then some for this. It's fun for me to think "Oh yea, I remember that restaurant, drinking that soda from the vending machines, etc. etc."

Bottom Line: If you want the most realistic experience of what Japan is like (and don't mind some over-the-top humor), then give this game some serious consideration.[/QUOTE]
Uh, I play it for the action. And a great story.
 
[quote name='pete5883']Uh, I play it for the action. And a great story.[/QUOTE]

I'm not discounting the action, but it's not the game's primary draw (unlike say Bayonetta).
 
[quote name='Ecofreak']At least the Heavy Rain demo is getting people excited and pre-ordering the game despite high initial skepticism.

Too bad strong Heavy Rain sales won't help the chances for Yakuza 4 being released in the US. :cry:[/QUOTE]

Well, they brought over Yakuza 2 even though Yakuza sales weren't exactly good. And now they're bringing over Yakuza 3 even though Yakuza 2's sales were even worse than the first game's.

But timing is honestly the worst thing. I understand this game isn't exactly a cash cow but still, what would make Sega put this game up again Heavy Rain, God of War 3, and FFXIII? It's like Sega wants this game to fail so that they have an excuse to not bring over the 4th game... Would it have killed Sega to wait until the summer to release this?
 
[quote name='Vinny']Would it have killed Sega to wait until the summer to release this?[/QUOTE]

Unfortunately, it's a clear failure of Sega's leadership. Everyone loves releasing games in Q1 apparently. Gonna be long summer drought...
 
Haven't had a chance to try the demo yet. But I'm keeping in mind that I did not like the Killzone 2 demo either, but once I played the full game, I was hooked. The game, even in the videos, doesn't look fantastic; however, it does look unique and interesting. So, barring anything completely terrible about the demo, I still think I'm going to support it with a pre-order.
 
[quote name='pete5883']Uh, I play it for the action. And a great story.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I loved the first Yakuza game because of its action, story, and characters. Also, Kazuma is a fucking bad ass, and there isn't another game out there with a character quite like Kazuma.
 
[quote name='Ecofreak']Unfortunately, it's a clear failure of Sega's leadership. Everyone loves releasing games in Q1 apparently. Gonna be long summer drought...[/QUOTE]

From what I can remember Sega was actually reluctant at first to release Yakuza 3 for the west, in fear of having poor sales, but they're setting themselves up for it. Someone should've been fired from Sega a long time ago.
 
[quote name='Interstella 5555']From what I can remember Sega was actually reluctant at first to release Yakuza 3 for the west, in fear of having poor sales, but they're setting themselves up for it. Someone should've been fired from Sega a long time ago.[/QUOTE]

Yes, it was poor strategic move. However, my guess is that they have already invested a substantial amount doing the localization, and they pushed the release back as far as they could. Remember, many of the games that are coming out in Q1 were actually planned to release in 2009. My guess is they're hoping to recoup the investment, even if they don't even break even. It's really showing that they are willing to give their fans what they want.

That's my guess anyway. If you fire the only guys responsible for this, you may never get to see the 4th.
 
I'm seriously getting tired of people putting so much stock in demos on pre-release games. I know the point of demos is to get people talking, and give them a taste of a game; but it's an out-of-context, incomplete little slice. Can't judge a final product by the demo, and I wish people wouldn't write off a game solely based on it.

I am currently playing and loving Yakuza 1 -- 12+ hours in -- and can't wait to see what they do with more processor power (and hopefully a corrected camera and combat targeting). I got this baby pre-ordered, along with FF XIII, GOW3, and Heavy Rain.
 
I was both put off and impressed by the demo.

I'll be getting it. -Might- not pre-order though, depending on how much credit I have come next month
 
How much localization is really needed when they aren't changing any vocal parts? It can't cost that much to change the in-game text and retail packaging.

Honest question.
 
Can't wait for this game. Loved the first two. Though I will admit I kept losing the first fight because I tried to play it like it was Batman: AA. Which kept making me think how awesome that would be if it did have that freeflow combat system :drool:
 
I enjoyed the demo and thought it was excellently self-referencing in terms of "hey, you'll be able to do this or that when you buy the retail version!"

I wish they would add targeting to the fights though; they haven't improved on the fighting engine since the first title and thus it still has the same problems. Disappointing, but not going to deter me from wanting to see more of this franchise in the US.
 
[quote name='dmunkee']Can't wait for this game. Loved the first two. Though I will admit I kept losing the first fight because I tried to play it like it was Batman: AA. Which kept making me think how awesome that would be if it did have that freeflow combat system :drool:[/QUOTE]

Wow, that's an excellent idea! :drool:
 
Ok, played the demo... I thought it was OK. I couldn't beat the boss though. I had the difficulty at normal and managed to get him down to about 60% health, but he kicked my ass every time. I just hope that the real game allows you to upgrade or grind or something so you can take him out. Otherwise, I'll be stuck on the first frakking boss.

It would also be nice if they had some kind of lock-on ability or something. It was tough to have to babysit the camera.
 
[quote name='ViolentLee']can't wait to see what they do with more processor power (and hopefully a corrected camera and combat targeting[/QUOTE]

So you think this demo is from an earlier unfinished portion of the game? I hope so... It just doesn't seem as polished as even Bayonetta. I'm just kind of surprised that this game is such a huge game in Japan, and it feels so unpolished. Just the way the movement is, like, when you change directions, he just kind spins around like he has no weight. Well, anyway, I'm still getting the game. I think the story will be good and I like the whole Tokyo feel of it.
 
[quote name='Feeding the Abscess']How much localization is really needed when they aren't changing any vocal parts? It can't cost that much to change the in-game text and retail packaging.

Honest question.[/QUOTE]

I'm sure it's not much but there's still distribution, marketing (however little), and production costs. It's not entirely about not losing money, it's more about whether or not they'll turn a sizable profit from releasing this in the US. Basically, the profit has to be worth it for Sega (because making $1000 profit isn't really worth it, to a big company).

[quote name='jh6269']Ok, played the demo... I thought it was OK. I couldn't beat the boss though. I had the difficulty at normal and managed to get him down to about 60% health, but he kicked my ass every time. I just hope that the real game allows you to upgrade or grind or something so you can take him out. Otherwise, I'll be stuck on the first frakking boss.

It would also be nice if they had some kind of lock-on ability or something. It was tough to have to babysit the camera.[/QUOTE]

That was a pretty big problem there... in the first two games, the fights gradually became more difficult with the first battle being a tutorial.

But this game throws you into a fight with no explanation, outside of how show you the controls. You have to keep in mind that the odds are against you in the story related battles (as in any game) so it can end up feeling cheap if you don't know what you're doing.
 
I have been going crazy with downloading/playing demos since getting my PS3. Some have been good, others not so much, but this by far was the worst. My non-gaming husband was sitting over on the couch with his laptop making snarky comments the whole time I was playing it and I could not find a single reason to defend the game. I ended up turning it off without even finishing it. It really is too bad because it looked decent and I was hoping I would like it.
 
[quote name='Ecofreak']All the nega-impressions are totally justified, but they remind me a lot of the sentiments garnered by the Valkyria Chronicles demo -- many were hesitant but ended up being a pretty big hit among those who gave it a try.

Thus is the inherent danger of releasing a demo -- does it give a big enough taste to entice those on the fence or does it leave an unsatisfying taste that would push people away?[/QUOTE]

I loved the Valkyria Chronicles demo, and I love Valkyria Chronicles. I did not like this demo.
 
It's odd. I don't see how the boss fights were hard on Normal.

To me, they were -exceedingly- easy (and I have not played Yakuza 1 or Yakuza 2.)

You just need to learn when to Dodge with (X) and learn to use [L1] to Guard against attacks.

I'm really liking the fighting system and now intend to buy it.. The story I isn't what appeals to me, even how interesting it may be, it's the brutal fighting that I love.
 
[quote name='leeloo1977']I have been going crazy with downloading/playing demos since getting my PS3. Some have been good, others not so much, but this by far was the worst. My non-gaming husband was sitting over on the couch with his laptop making snarky comments the whole time I was playing it and I could not find a single reason to defend the game. I ended up turning it off without even finishing it. It really is too bad because it looked decent and I was hoping I would like it.[/QUOTE]

Says the person with the Star Ocean 3 avatar.
 
[quote name='Dead of Knight']Says the person with the Star Ocean 3 avatar.[/QUOTE]

Hey it's a cute avatar! It is also old, from way back before the game was even released, I didn't even remember where it was from, besides, Star Ocean 3 wasn't too terrible, I never finished it but I did enjoy what I did play of it.... of coarse I have no idea what Star Ocean 3 has to do with Yakuza 3 other than the fact they both have 3 in the title.
 
[quote name='RedGamer']It's odd. I don't see how the boss fights were hard on Normal.

To me, they were -exceedingly- easy (and I have not played Yakuza 1 or Yakuza 2.)

You just need to learn when to Dodge with (X) and learn to use [L1] to Guard against attacks.

I'm really liking the fighting system and now intend to buy it.. The story I isn't what appeals to me, even how interesting it may be, it's the brutal fighting that I love.[/QUOTE]

I was using L1 to guard, I wasn't using X though. Maybe that was my problem. I kept trying to use the right analog stick to roll away since I've been playing God of War 1 & 2. Also, L1 only blocks from the front. If you get hit from behind, you still get hurt, so you have to be facing your attacker. Also, if you miss the L1 before you get hit the 1st time, you can't recover from the attack enough to block subsequent attacks.
 
[quote name='leeloo1977']Hey it's a cute avatar! It is also old, from way back before the game was even released, I didn't even remember where it was from, besides, Star Ocean 3 wasn't too terrible, I never finished it but I did enjoy what I did play of it.... of coarse I have no idea what Star Ocean 3 has to do with Yakuza 3 other than the fact they both have 3 in the title.[/QUOTE]

He's questioning your taste in games...;)
 
[quote name='Vinny']He's questioning your taste in games...;)[/QUOTE]

She, sir.:lol:

Rumor on NeoGAF has it that Sega cut out a significant amount of content from the US release, including Mahjong, Shogi, and the Hostess minigames. The reasons given are:
1. Removed from the demo (which was otherwise identical to the Japanese demo).
2. Removed from the trophy listing.

Guess we'll just have to wait and see. If this turns out to be true, I'm not buying.
 
[quote name='Dead of Knight']She, sir.:lol:

Rumor on NeoGAF has it that Sega cut out a significant amount of content from the US release, including Mahjong, Shogi, and the Hostess minigames. The reasons given are:
1. Removed from the demo (which was otherwise identical to the Japanese demo).
2. Removed from the trophy listing.

Guess we'll just have to wait and see. If this turns out to be true, I'm not buying.[/QUOTE]
I'm with you on that. If the content is cut I'll wait for a used copy so as not to give Sega any money for it.
 
No Shogi? Good riddance. I remember a sidequest in Y2 that forced me to either win a game of Shogi, or pay an exorbitant amount of yen, with no attempt made to actually teach you how to play Shogi. So I think I just paid the money.

fuck them if they really removed the hostess. But I guess it makes sense that sacrifices had to be made to get this game released at all.
 
Cat fight!

I hope that's not true, as that is pretty weak of Sega to cut content from the U.S. release. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there a pre-order bonus that unlocks a bunch of minigames? I seriously hope Sega didn't cut content to use as a pre-order bonus.
 
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