[quote name='Gabers']This is gonna be good. I imported the first game and tried to let people realize that Ryu ga Gotoku/Yakuza is not like GTA and is not like Shenmue, yet the big sites kept reaching for comparisons. So when people did get the game, it seemed to get bashed for not being like those games. That and the voice acting/translation which I could overlook after hearing what the game really sounded like.[/QUOTE]
Yes, at first when hearing about it, I also thought that it was going to be like Shenmue. However, after actually playing the first game, I realized that the two games have very little in common. They are both adventure games with beat-em-up and mini-game elements, but Yakuza was far more entrenched in the brawler and RPG building elements, which were more along the lines of diversions in Shenmue. After thinking about it, the best game to compare to Yakuza is River City Ransom. Both are primarily beat-em-ups with RPG elements, some elements of randomness, they both have town areas with residents who just walk through the streets without interaction towards the player, along with RPG-style shops with restorative food/items and/or weapons, and finally, they both have various gangs/factions that the player fights against.
[quote name='Gabers']I really hope with the lower price point, more people will give this series another chance.[/quote]
Apparently even in Japan, the original game barely sold any units at its original price point. When Sega lowered the price, and publicized the price drop, the game became a huge hit, selling more than enough to warrant the sequels that came after it. Sadly, Sega of America did not learn from this and released it as a full price $50 PS2 game, a move that may have turned newcomers off from purchasing it. It was an especially poor pricing decision when you consider that the original game was released in the US when the next-gen was getting into full swing, and new top-quality PS2 games were starting to release for $40.