I have just discovered these games.  I bought Yakuza 3 last week, not knowing what to expect.  I was in for a surprise.  I immediatly fell in love with it.  I could not stop playing.  I went back and bought the fourth one.  Since then, I even managed to find the first and second one for the PS2. My collection is now complete and I only paid 60$ for all the games.

Yakuza 3 is the best game I have played in a long time.  The story  and characters are better than most of the movies or books I have read.  It makes you feel like you really are in Japan.  I cared so much for the characters that I actually chocked up on a few scenes.  And as weird as it may seem, the voice acting, in japanese, is one of the main reason I enjoyed this game as much.  Their is so much to do that I actually finished the main story in 25 hours with a 10% total completion of the things I could do.

Yakuza 1 froze on me (it seems to be a known issue) so I went for the second one.  Again, even if it's a PS2 game, amazing.  I have so much gaming to do in this serie.  That's awesome.  And now, Yakuza Dead Souls is coming.  YES!

I expected this to be another of Marco's threads. Yakuza WOW!!! PS3 great!!!

But I agree. The Yakuza series is so fun and funny and very human. Bring on Dead Souls! I just wish Saejima was one of the playable characters.

You mean, you weren't listening to me and badgenome through countless years, raving about how this game is great awesome amazing brilliant great and everyone who doesn't have it is an asshole?

hmm

I wasn't listening...  And I agree with you. 

Do you, by any chance, know if the freezing issue (chapter 7, just when I am about to leave the funeral ground) is random?  I have replayed the escape sequence two times and each time, when I am about to face the big bald Yakuza (forgot his name), the game freezes on his name.  I bought the game used, so maybe the disc is not in the best shape in the world.

Thanks!

The third one was the one I didn't find as awesome, might because I played the third one USA version.

its probably a scratched DVD, i've not had a problem with mine..... except a hilarious glitch when you play dice, i could control my character while playing dice which let me move around, so i went outside while mid game and haruka disappeared =[

Ok!  Thanks.  I'll buy it new on ebay.  I found one yesterday.