[ZaidH]

@DoctorEldritch Oh right Nancy! You know what would be cool? Ichiban running into that travelling Zoo guy again in Hawaii 😁 Maybe the Zoo dude can give him a tiger or something. They already have tiger assets from some of the Yakuza games 😅

Rockstar games again ahead of the curve with the harming part in Bully 😂 Btw, I've completed LAD: Gaiden, and man it was a great experience. It has some bloat in the middle, but the opening and ending are among the best in the Yakuza series. Can't wait for you to play it so we can discuss it.

[DoctorEldritch]

@ZaidH I think Majima got tigers covered. What Ichiban needs is a pet koi, but Nancy is the next best thing, being an aquatic beast too. Though seeing as how Ichiban hangs out with Dave the Diver these days, maybe Dave can catch him a koi 😉

I probably need to put it higher on my list. I am finishing the first Last of Us now, and I also have Nier: Automata to go through. Without spoilers, but in your experience, do I need to play any Judgment games before LAD: Gaiden?

[ZaidH]

@DoctorEldritch Great shout on the Dave the Diver collab! Did not even make that Koi connection 😯 I wouldn't mind an aquarium minigame in future LAD games 😄

Oooh are you playing The Last of Us for the first time? That game is something special man. Nier Automata as well!

I haven't played any of the Judgement games, so I'm really not qualified to answer your question 🥲

[DoctorEldritch]

@ZaidH I am hoping they will play with the concept on their side. Dave the Diver hosted Ichiban in that collab, and usually, games do that to each other, host and are hosted in return. Dead Cells is a good example. But Dave the Diver and LaD are very...different leagues, I'd say. Stil, LaD is known for interesting cameos, like that cooking show host, not to mention Ono Michio. Them putting Dave in (especially in Hawaii) is not out of the question, and it'd be fun.

I finished TLoU, now I am going through The Last of Us: Left Behind, where Ellie is alone. I liked the game very much, really well done. Had to wait for a long time before it finally got to PC, too...

Ah. I am not sure how strongly they are connected, but it could be interesting. I think Judgement has Ono Michio quest, maybe more references to the main series, too...

[ZaidH]

@DoctorEldritch I haven't played Dave the Diver, so I’m not sure what kind of hijinks or gimmicks Dave could bring to Yakuza, but yeah, it would be a great collab. The Yakuza games have clearly paid homage to Dragon Quest since Ichiban’s personality is inspired by it, so here’s hoping they’re open to something like this in future games.

Oooh nice!! It’s a shame the MP component isn’t supported anymore (I think?) because it was honestly so fun and unique. By the way, what was your experience with the part where Joel is in the hotel basement and has to start the generator? I’ve played countless horror games but that part had me openly sweating and internally screaming 😆

[DoctorEldritch]

@ZaidH I can vouch for DtD, it is a very nice little game. I was playing it when it came out and liked it, but then they started releasing all those DLCs and collabs, and I put it on hold to return to it after everything gets released. But it is very good, and has a bit of Yakuza vibe to it, too. I think they could work well as a colab together, if Yakuza developers allow for it.

Oh well, for games like this, it is rare for MP to be up for too long, but at least it got to PC, I am happy enough with just that. f you're looking for a zombie-esque MP, there is Dead Island 2 given out for free on EGS right now (because, once again, The Great Old Ones listen 😉). It may not be as deep and serious as TLoU, but you can grab it for free if you like.

I am not sure what it is about hotels that makes them scary in situations like this. My scariest experience in a game as a child was Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines quest in a haunted hotel. It is not as scary now, but back then it was. As for TLoU hotel, I got a jumpscare when a runner (I think) attacked me while I was turning on the generator because I made sure there weren't any around beforehand. But the whole thing smelled fishy, so I set up traps on entry points beforehand, and when they started to run out, it was not as scary anymore 😅

[ZaidH]

@DoctorEldritch Yeah, I’m even more excited to play DtD after seeing the Yakuza DLC trailer you shared in the other thread. It’s available on PS Plus, but my sub ends on the 27th, so rushing through the game now probably isn’t the best idea. HowLongToBeat says the main story takes around 25 hours to beat 💀

It’s a shame Naughty Dog had to shut down the TLOU multiplayer game. I’m usually not a fan of GaaS, but I genuinely had high hopes after playing the multiplayer mode in TLOU. And yes, I’m building a shrine for the old ones as we speak!!! Nabbed DI2 the moment it dropped for free on EGS 😁

But the whole thing smelled fishy, so I set up traps on entry points beforehand, and when they started to run out, it was not as scary anymore 😅

Oh god I wish I played with this mindset. Till that point, I played TLOU more like an adventure game and boy I was shooketh during that whole encounter. You're also on point about hotels being creepy as hell. While technically not a hotel (more of a motel + apartments), Silent Hill 2 has this section with pitch black darkness, with the only illumination coming from your torch. Pure nightmare fuel.

So, are you jumping into TLOU 2 next?

[ZaidH]

@DoctorEldritch With all our Yakuza and DtD conversations, it feels fitting that an article just came out where the director of DtD talks about his love for the Yakuza series 😂

https://automaton-media.com/en/news/...e-like-yakuza/

The other guy in the article, Stellar Blade’s director, also brings up the idea of a Yakuza game set in Korea, which I had suggested some time back. His response word to word matches with what you said in our conversation before 😮

Although Shift Up releases like Stellar Blade and Goddess of Victory: NIKKE may not suggest it, Kim says that he’s always wanted to create something like Like a Dragon. However, he doesn’t feel confident in how such themes would translate to a Seoul-based setting. “In Kamurocho, it just fits. That uniqueness is what makes Yakuza irreplaceable. Every time a new game comes out, I look forward to what kind of ‘adult story’ it will tell.”

[DoctorEldritch]

@ZaidH DtD is planning that big Jungle DLC later this year, so waiting for that would probably be a good bet, this is what I am doing. And yeah, I can see references to Yakuza vibe there, as well as to the Japanese culture in general. For example, the "weaponsmith" in DtD looks like this:

And there are plenty of nods like that. Like how the sushi chef you work with is reminiscent of Simon from the iconic Durarara:

And I'd say, even if smaller wacky games like DyD can do things like that, some Korean developer could make a game with a Korean vibe. Personally, I'd say it's best to use the resources available to you. Japan has yakuza, mascots, anime tropes and all other elements that make up that unique vibe of theirs that Yakuza games tap into. Korea may not have something quite like that, but they are world-famous now for K-pop and K-dramas, so a series set in the dark underbelly of the pop culture there with rivalry, backstabbing, corporate idol ownership, draconian contracts and all that jazz could be interesting.

Symbolically speaking, hotels are a place where you stay on the way somewhere; they have always been an eerie place in human consciousness, and in fiction. Many plot points often happen in inns, not to mention Continental from John Wick, The Raven Hotel from Altered Carbon or White Lotus resorts from the series of the same name, hotels often have a role in narrative. So it would make sense for them to be scary on occasion.

As for TLoU2, that is the plan, though I will probably play Nier: Automata first, as TLoU2 is still getting some patches, even though it is out.

[ZaidH]

Yeah, waiting seems to be the best route here as usual 😄 It would really suck to reach the end of the game, only to have someone like this hilarious Duff guy introduced later on. Also, I wasn’t expecting to see Durarara mentioned in this community at all 😂

It’s surprising that no one has made a game with the kind of scenario you described. That said, I’m hopeful after seeing how quickly Chinese and Korean developers are entering the AA and AAA gaming space. It’s probably just a matter of time before they get tired of fantasy and sci-fi settings and move toward something more grounded.

Great observation about hotels. I’d throw airports in with them for that weird out-of-place feeling, but yeah, airports don’t offer the same level of isolation.

Nice! Do share your experience of the game. It’s one hell of a ride 😁 I wish your headset issue had been sorted out already, cuz Nier has some absolutely godly music.