The end of Kamurochō as we know it
Throughout its four episodes and one (soon to become two) spin-offs, the Ryu ga Gotoku series has characterized itself by the genuine sense of drama in spite of the sporadic humor relief. The team lead by Toshiro Nagoshi has presented nothing but the results of arduous research work causing the series to become known not only as a role model for narrative-driven games, but as one of the finest examples of a drama series in any field of creation - paired by Japanese critics together with their best literature, manga, television series and full-length motion pictures. Indeed it becomes difficult to understand how a team of videogame designers has managed to extend a series in so many episodes - all of which related to one another directly - without losing the essence of the characters they created, the universe in which they inhabited, as well as the shrewd renewal of the plot - as was the cornerstone of the last episode already scheduled for a Western release next year..
Most devoted players of this series will no doubt agree that the Yakuza games have become a part of their lives: their depth as RPG adventures under the guise of an action street brawler drove the players across a number of intense experiences lived on a daily basis, with friendly faces and places inside the virtual city; or the ambiguous sorts that defied Kazuma’s ability to trust the people around him; even the obvious foes whose evil doing compelled our character to step up and perform heroic deeds. From the creator’s perspective, the last few years of their lives were almost entirely invested in these projects. To them, the Ryu ga Gotoku games have an entirely different meaning, one which is born from hard every day work, the long frustrating hours in the office, or the pressure of creating a best selling hit. And because they have been exceptionally earnest and competent in the act of creating this series, they are - by definition - allowed to move on to a project where they may set the final tone of the series as one of the most intelligent and self-referenced parodies that the world of games has ever seen.
One can imagine how amusing this project has been to the developers who now are apparently free to use all the high quality assets from the series, force-feeding B-Movie elements into the story and crowding the streets with disposable zombies in a satirical exercise towards modern gaming trends. If any doubts existed regarding the studio’s capability of making a solid piece of invective comedy, this trailer helps alleviating them all: even a forklift, it seems, can now be driven in the streets of Kamurocho. And, given its fast-paced action tone of mind-numbing zombie slaying and weapons pageant, we might yet be in the presence of the first obligatory Western release of all in this otherwise respectable and upright series.
My apologies for posting a GameTrailers video here; I hoped the GT Exclusive label might provide a plausible justification.
1 year ago