Recent reviews by Wild Potato Industries

NOTICE: As you might have noticed, but time in this game seems low, but total time in this game actually clocks in at about 50 hours (so far).

So, here's some of my background with this series. I'm not unfamiliar with franchise, I first played Kiwami in 2017 but dropped for some reason (maybe due to loss of interest). I wouldn't come back to the series until about mid-2019 when I straight up devoured Yakuza 0. After beating it, I was basically hooked on the series. So, from May of this year to now, I've been binge-playing through all of the mainline games from Kiwami through Yakuza 6, I am also currently making my way through Judgement, though I will admit it hasn't gripped like the Yakuza games have (I think that may be due to the lack of a particularly interesting main cast). Basically, the Yakuza games became my new favorite series, and I was lucky to get a copy of Yakuza Like a Dragon (or just Yakuza 7) from a pal at launch (thanks Nick).

So, I'm just gonna cut to the chase and say it now: Yakuza Like a Dragon is my new favorite Yakuza game, and is tied with the original Resident Evil 2 as like, my favorite game(s) to have ever come out. Previously, that went to 5, but this about the same size as Yakuza 5, with a massive mountain of content (some stuff I haven't even touched yet), and isn't weighed down by sequel baggage or a massive, confusing mess of a story line (I still love 5 though).

The shift to a turned based RPG works really well, and I say this as someone who usually doesn't care much for turned based RPGs in general (I did love me some Panzer Dragoon Saga though). I will say it certainly made the game feel a lot harder though, surprisingly. I think I died more in this game than I did to any of the other games in the series combined (the again, I rarely ever died in those games, I think the max was like 3 times in Yakuza 4 or 5). I also think most of those deaths can be attributed to the Ishioda fights (the ones with Nanba and Mirror Face) and the Majima and Saejima boss battles . My advice is to complete the management game as soon as you get it and to do the Sotenbori Battle Arena at least once when it's given to you. Also, be at level 60 by Chapter 14. Trust me, it'll help a lot in Chapter 9, Chapter 12 and Chapter 14. But yeah, the combat is good and the summons and heat moves are ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ amazing.

But what I think makes this game stand tall among it's already massive peers is it's characters, and that's saying something, considering the most recognizable thing about Yakuza is it's characters. Ichiban Kasuga has overtaken my boy Akiyama as my favorite character this franchise has made, and is basically my new favorite protag, like, ever. But his cast of friends are also fantastic. Adachi, Nanba and Saeko are all super amazing and make the game that much stronger. They are also weaved into the narrative really well, and feel natural. You know why these folks are with Ichiban, and how their friendship grows as they all overcome the same challenges together. This isn't me dissing on how Yakuza 4 and Yakuza 5 brought in it's admittedly great cast, but I won't lie and say that it was perfect. In Yakuza Like a Dragon, they just nailed the characters and their relationship with one another.

While I may have beaten the main game, there's still a lot more content in this game that I haven't touched yet. It's pretty massive overall, and I'm gonna be playing this game for a long time!

Overall, Yakuza Like a Dragon is fantastic. It's not only my favorite game of 2020, it is the best game that I have played in nearly decade, if not more. If you haven't played a Yakuza game before, it's pretty safe to start from here. Aside from a few characters and and callbacks, it's largely it's own story, and one which you really owe it to yourself to play.

I'm looking forward to this arc in the Yakuza series, and what lies in wait of our brand new hero, Ichiban Kasuga!

*Note: I played this game on my Xbox One a fair bit, so excuse the low playtime as of right now.

While Halo 3 is still my favorite in the series, Halo 3: ODST is a very close second. It isn't groundbreaking, and it's rather short but it's atmosphere and vibe just carry the experience. Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori's score for this game is honestly otherworldly. It's a strange fusion of jazz and ambiance that the series never delved into before (which was the point). It kind of gives me the same vibe as Resident Evil: Code Veronica's save room track does. There's just something about wandering through the abandoned streets of New Mombasa after the chaos that ensued in Halo 2 that feels... both melancholy and relaxing. It's a lonely experience, but one that's not really unwelcome. It's just amazing!

For all of y'all playing Halo 3: ODST for the first time, I hope you fall in love with this game as much as I did!

Oh, don't mind me! I'm just prepping for WWIII before I get drafted... Now if you'll excuse me, there's a pillow I need to be crying into.

It's Halo... what more would you want?

Honestly, this is the best Quake game since the original. It's really that good. All's this game needs is a soundtrack done by Trent Reznor. If I can put "The Downward Spiral" into Quake, I can hopefully put it into this too...

Aside from some control issues and a general lack of information on what to do exactly, System Shock holds up really well for as both a shooter and as a horror game! I'll say it's a grower, not really a shower, but if you're patient a good time is to be had here!

Just play the damn thing, boy-oh.

The most "2004" game of all time.

Possibly my favorite game since 2015, and one of the best indie games out there!

Owned this on the Xbox One and bought this for the Mod-support and soundtrack, gonna play it more when the second DLC comes out.

It's pretty good!