The Appeal of Yakuza As Told By My Non-Gamer Wife

Recently, I've been playing a ton of Yakuza: Like a Dragon. It's a phenomenal new management for the series that changes things up in major means while likewise providing a clear path for moving on from Kiryu'south story. Nevertheless, there is one major problem: it's literally violent my business firm apart. I'm playing information technology on PC, which means my married woman Amy tin can't sentinel me play it before she goes to bed every dark. It's something she'due south done for about every other game in the series. All the same, I didn't think this was a big deal until she let me know otherwise. It was then that I found my wife thinks she "knows Yakuza."

Now, this isn't meant to be a gate-keeping thing. Every bit you'll see beneath, she absolutely knows at least a fiddling about Yakuza. And to be honest, I really simply desire more people to dearest my favorite series. I'thou not about to belittle someone'due south noesis of the lore. However, I really wanted to see how much she does know. When you lot're only a mildly disinterested rider through a plot that spans ix video games total of hours and hours of content, how much tin y'all actually learn about this wonderful story? So, let's find out why Yakuza is such a great series from someone who has never played them for a second. If videos are more your thing, you can watch our full "interview" below.

The starting time thing that's articulate is that, regardless of how much time you've spent immersed in Yakuza, Kiryu is without question "a absurd dude." Equally my wife was quick to point out, he has fantabulous fashion sense. His tailored suits with "similar a triangle collar" are extremely memorable. And, while his primary skill might only be fighting, my married woman also made certain to note that he'due south a kind soul who values his friends. He fifty-fifty sort of adopted a niggling girl. If there'south a more loveable protagonist in gaming, I oasis't met them yet.

Nevertheless, what quickly became clear in talking with my married woman is that, outside of Kiryu, the things that stood out the virtually in Yakuza were the bonkers mini-games. From wondering if Donald Trump could be a partner in the business management game to her being sort of disgusted by the cabaret clubs, it was obvious that I spend way also much fourth dimension playing the side games. In fact, outside of a few scant details that nosotros'll get to shortly, I'm non sure if my married woman actually knows annihilation virtually what'southward actually happening in the mainline Yakuza games.

That's non too surprising if yous're a Yakuza fan. Sure, the sensational crime drama at the center of everything is gripping and meaningful. But really, nigh of what makes this series and so special are all the wacky hijinks happening on the periphery. The fact that my wife picked up all of this while drifting in-and-out of watching me play is a attestation to how good Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has gotten at crafting conceivable worlds. She may call Majima "the guy with the heart patch," but she knew the ins-and-outs of the UFO catcher machine.

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When information technology comes to actual plot details, it was soon proven that her recollection was few and far between. To my married woman, the games kind of run together. For instance, she knows there are multiple prison house outbreaks. In fact, she tin can give you some surprisingly detailed accounts of how Saejima escaped his sentence. Still, she couldn't tell you why he's in prison or why he's bothering to get out. Heck, I don't even think she knows who Saejima is outside of his impaired haircut.

Sticking with Saejima'due south exploits she knew that, in his first escape, he ended up on the beach in front end of Kiryu'due south house. But she thought Kiryu merely decided to buy a beach afterward leaving the Yakuza. It was a surprise to hear that he was actually running an orphanage. Sure, it's similar the biggest plot bespeak in Kiryu'due south story at the time. For her, all that'south important is that Saejima scared Haruka that once. And, as is tradition, she doesn't know Haruka's name. Truthfully, if you lot put a gun to my head and told her to name five Yakuza characters, I'd be dead. I have literally no dubiety almost it.

Her recollection of Saejima'southward escape in Yakuza 5 is a picayune more detailed. She remembers him swinging that big pipage to take out all the baddies. Which, to exist fair, is one of the great "holy crap" moments in Yakuza five. Though, it is a flake weird that she doesn't recall Kiryu literally becoming Neo from The Matrix and dodging rockets. She absolutely saw that scene, but I guess there's only room for then many hijinks in that brain of hers.

Part of her remembering Saejima's 2nd escape so well is that, for whatsoever reason, she is in love with Baba-chan. I don't retrieve it's a romantic thing. Though on that topic, she did say Kiryu in Yakuza 0 was "a hot dude." Instead, I think she just likes that she tin call him "Boba Fett" and badger me. Either style, she was absolutely devastated to acquire that her favorite Yakuza graphic symbol might be a bad guy. Though, she probably deserves that disappointment. I mean, who in their right mind thinks Shigeki Baba is the all-time Yakuza grapheme?

Yakuza Kiwami 2

While some of her Yakuza-related opinions were incredibly surprising, I have to say that it was completely expected when she started to wonder why the games get lewd at times. She was very concerned past a substory that involves a girl selling her panties to strangers. When I floated the idea that perhaps the girl was just down on her luck, she permit me know that the girl looked like she was 13. Which, to be fair, probably isn't okay.

She likewise wanted to make sure to mention the erotic videos y'all can spotter. Of course, when I told her the videos were real-life women and not "cartoons," she was less than happy. I tried to signal out that there'due south no bodily pornography in the Yakuza series. I don't think she believes me.

In spite of her balking at the more than risque side of Yakuza, it'south clear that my married woman still likes these games. In fact, as we talked nearly Judgment, she proved to essentially know the entire story. I was a bit surprised given how picayune she actually knew almost Kiryu's tale. Still, it seems the cop drama actually hooked her. She also thinks Hoshino looks like a piddling male child and wouldn't believe me when I told her he'south a grown adult lawyer. I think it's the backpack, but who knows? Either fashion, she pretty much ran downward Yagmi's story beat for beat. Information technology was awfully impressive.

At the end of our Yakuza discussion, I asked her if she had whatsoever concluding thoughts. Information technology was at that place that she reconfirmed that I made the correct choice in deciding who I'one thousand spending the remainder of my life with. She let me know that if we take kids, Yakuza is the offset game they'll play. I just need to "conscience the panty parts." And for anybody else who isn't married to her, the words she used to sum it up were pretty articulate: "If you're interested in racing, if you lot're interested in fighting, if you're interested in…entertaining men," this is the series for you lot.

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