That's Yakuza 7 / Like A Dragon completed.
I quite liked the narrative, and it's got some of the best cutscene work from RGG that I've seen, but there were some sections of gameplay that dragged a little for me.
I hear Infinite Wealth is better in those sections, but I'm playing release order so I'll be going back to the beat 'em ups for a bit before tackling that juggernaut.
That fight with Tendo feels like it took a year.
I fucking *squealed* when Kiryu showed up.
I like the transition in Like a Dragon to turn based more than I thought I would, but one thing lost as a result is those epic story battles where you fight like 50 dudes all at once.
An enemy in Like A Dragon just dragged his toenail across a chalkboard on the ground to deal some kind of status effect and I didn't even see what it did because I flinched so hard from the thought of it. 🫨
I'm playing Yakuza: Like A Dragon lately so I've been hearing the battle theme a lot these days.
I had no idea the track was titled "Yokohama Crackhouse" but it seems fitting for all of the oddball Sujimon on the streets of Ijincho.
I like the heavy synths they use for the battle system in this game. It's modern, but also reminiscent of the square waves that Ichiban probably remembers from playing Dragon Quest.
I hit the fake Ono Michio gang with the orbital laser.
Nobody fucks with my charming hassaku face.
I absolutely love when a character leaves the party and then come back stronger than before.
Double points of there's a scene where the party says, "Of course you can come back, we're friends!"
🥹
High school girl: "I'm too nervous to tell my senpai I love him!"
Ichiban: "Interesting. Want some kimchi?"
Kashiwagi is alive!?!?
They haven't name dropped him yet but I'd recognize that face anywhere!
Bill