Recent reviews by Lone Observer

The game has a lot of overbearing hurdles to go through as a beginner, from the production taxes that quickly drain your entire budget to the lack of use for a population at the start. I've been playing for weeks now and there is still almost nothing to do.

It's also very railroaded. I tried expanding to get more citizens and see more houses in my kingdom, but that quickly drained all my food and there was nothing I could use citizens for anyway, since the game won't allow you to build more farms or lumber mills or fisheries or anything. It's just doing what the tutorial tells you for days on end, otherwise you will bring yourself to financial ruin and be forced to just demolish everything regardless and sell all the scant materials you make to get the pennies the game gives you, just to buy food you are not allowed to produce

Waste of time

Very fun beat em up, and a spin off of the japanese series Kunio-kun, somehow. Wonderful soundtrack and lots of funny moments. You can get through the game pretty quick though, it's not long at all. I didn't try co-op yet but it seems like it would be fun

Pretty fun, gets pretty hectic

As bad as Kiwami 1, with a recycled engine from 6 and a lot of cut corners. It had a lot to live up to since 2 was one of the best installments in the series, and it sure doesn't. It's not as bad on altering the plot, but still sins on that regard. Also very grindy to inflate playtime. I could barely finish it in disgust.

I would beg no one to play this instead of the original, but Sega won't release Yakuza 1 & 2 HD Remake on the west, so eat ♥♥♥♥

A bastardised version of the original, with a lot of crap crammed in to please the new audience. Alters the pacing, mechanics and story to dumbed down versions and emphasises on grinding to inflate playtime. Too much focus on Majima ruins his character and shows a clear misguided understanding of him. I hate it deeply.

The one good point were a few scenes about Nishiki and his motivation. That was alright I guess. Music is mostly good too, nice remixes.

I would beg anyone to not play this, but Sega won't release Yakuza 1 & 2 HD Remake on the west, so get ♥♥♥♥♥♥

As a closing chapter for the Yakuza series, it is surprisingly self contained. There aren't needless cameos nor many sideplots. It feels very personal and focused on Kiryu, and the game is a lot smaller than other installments for that. I enjoy it greatly since I have been following the story closely for a long time, but it not might appeal to people who don't care about that and just want the usual volume of side content.

One of my favourite games of the franchise, Yakuza 0 is remarkable in several ways.

As a prequel, it develops a lot of backstory that, while implied in the series, is still very pleasant to witness.

It used the Kenzan/Ishin fighting style switch mechanic on the main series for the first time, which proved to be very exciting and an interesting way to build up the iconic main style of the series.

The time period it is set in, the japanese bubble economy, is not very commonly explored in videogames, and it's a marvelous thing to see.

I do resent it going a bit too wacky, and feel it has contributed to warping a lot of the perception of people who entered the franchise now. It has led to the Yakuza series entirely losing its identity to some sort of brand flanderisation. But that's more on the fanbase than on the game and I doubt anyone but me cares by now.

Regardless, Yakuza 0 is fantastic and a must play. You can start the series from here too if you like, wonderful experience for anyone interested.

Puzzle game classic, improved

Puzzle game classic

One of the first games I ever played. It's not very good, with three different mechanics for gameplay that all feel very clunky. But it is very charming in a janky mysterious way