Truck_1_0_1_
I Don't Know, but I Have You!
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2018
- Location
- Barrie, Ontario, Canada
- Favourite title
- Shenmue II
- Currently playing
- Nothing
- PSN
- Truck_1_0_1_
- Steam
- Truck_1_0_1_
I used my main team of Ichiban, Adachi, Saeko and Eri. All were above level 93 (I think Ichiban was 97 or something, can't remember) and the jobs were maxed for all.
Glad you enjoyed it. The games have a few passing similarities, but they are NOT similar series, at all.
A few things:
- what you mention as good writing, is not good writing lol; it's good scenario/plot framing/storyboarding, which, while part of the writing process, is not necessarily, "writing;" what you are referring to, would be more the role of the director/producer, who was able to use the story beats cohesively and integrate them in a way that kept you hooked.
The actual writing is not that great (as you mentioned, like a soap opera), with a love interest and unnecessary dramatics, etc. The other games have a bit of unnecessary dramatics as well, but far less and not to do with a love theme (save for 2); basically, the other games in the series (outside of 2), play more like Kiryu's portion of the game and far less of Majima's.
- While correct in that all of the substories are not voiced, EVERYTHING is voiced (basically) in 6, so the series did venture into that territory, in that game. I feel that it made things a bit more immersive and enjoyable, but that's just me (they did go back to only voicing cutscenes and important story points, for Kiwami 2).
- This is strictly a matter of taste, as musically (and from a musical quality POV), 0's soundtrack is fantastic; all of Zenta's guitarwork is superb (Hyd Lunch and Sega's internal musicians as well), the music is well-composed and intricate (not repeating beats after 10 seconds that don't add to the situation) and there are a ton of catchy and memorable hooks in the music, which make for fantastic listening while driving, walking, working out, etc.; I've always contended that if the music is listenable/useful outside of the game, then it is quality music; 0 is no exception. As much as I think the game on the whole is overrated, the soundtrack is definitely one of the 3 best in the series, bar none and SUPER memorable. The karaoke music is well-done as well (as you noted), but if you're heavily-invested into the series like myself and a few others, it is beyond-silly and super-annoying, nowadays; fans have ruined it.
- The game isn't the full set of 7 (with 0, it's 8, btw
); it is a full set of *17* titles lol. There are a few spinoffs that don't take place in the same setting or timeline though (Hokuto ga Gotoku, Ishin! and Kenzan!) and Dead Souls is a 3rd person shooter, though it does wholly take place in Kamurocho. Otherwise:1. Judge Eyes has a different main character, but takes place wholly in Kamurocho, has the exact same setting and timeline and the same fight-style and minigames. This is definitely one of the better titles in the series. Has a sequel that will be released at the end of this year or early next year (we hope, anyways!)
2. Kurohyos (Black Panther) 1 and 2 have a different main character, but are virtually IDENTICAL to the main series, otherwise. Same setting, same timeline, same type of plot, same minigames, etc., etc. Fighting is from a different perspective and much-more varied, but it virtually the same as the main series as well. Only issue is that they were PSP-only and only released in Japan.
So outside of those 7 titles, there are 10 main-storyline games that are distinctly-different from each other. 1 and Kiwami are the same setting and plot (of course), but different engines, playstyles and different-enough from each other to not be considered a simple remaster, same with Kiwami 2. The remasters for 3-5 are just that, remasters, without anything significant to change the game around, outside of visuals.
If I can make a suggestion, I would say to play:
0, 1/Kiwami, 3, 5, 6 and 7. I'm tempted to put 4 in there, as it introduced 2 characters that are INCREDIBLY-IMPORTANT to the series' plot going forward, but it is a very weak game compared to the rest (well-liked, but has many issues). You won't miss anything if you skipped 2/Kiwami 2. Nothing. If this was back in 2010, it would be a must-play, as it improved A TON of what the issues were in 1, but with the other Dragon Engine games working well-enough and, "that big jump," that it made for the series after the first game no longer being THAT big (due to 6 and 7 being just as good), it is skippable for it's awful writing, dumb plot and arguably worse soundtrack... but it does have a main antagonist that is super-popular and beloved. 3 has a superb plot (that mirrored a similar situation that was going on in Japan at the time) and arguably the best antagonist in the series. The gripes for this game were that people didn't like the orphanage parts, but it doesn't make them bad from a quality standpoint (IMO, it is phenomenal). 5 is indeed the longest and biggest game, pre-7 (though it may be on par with 7, if I think about it), but it oozes quality out of every pore. If there is any failing, it is that Haruka's gameplay and the final fight weren't universally well-received, but they aren't bad from a quality or plot-perspective, so it's a matter of taste.
I would never tell someone to play all 17 games in the series, but if you're a die-hard like me (it is my 2nd-favourite videogame series EVER, after 'mue), it would be a super-enjoyable time playing all 17 games in the series and you would have a blast, especially with all the canonical connections, call-backs, homages, etc., etc., etc. That would take up a good 500 hours or so, minimum (or more!), a lot of brain power (these are HEAVY plots lol) and a bunch of hours outside of gameplay, to look into things, acquiring music/media that can be used every day, etc.
It, along with 'mue and Sonic (due to popularity and impact on the videogame world as a whole), are the three greatest things that Sega has ever created.
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