I finally finished my unhinged marathon of the entire Yakuza franchise that started when Infinite Wealth launched. At the time I’d played all the games up to that point but never really went for 100%, but that game’s platinum was so easy and the nostalgia bait in the second half of the game both made me want to replay all the games and go through spinoffs that I hadn’t played yet.

Right after IW I went back through the mainline starting from 0 (followed by the Kiwami remakes rather than the originals, but we’ll get there). Burnt out on 5 which I’d argue is the actual most tedious plat in the series, but got back to it a few months later, then breezed through the rest just in time for Pirates (which was certainly a game of all time…).

With the mainline out of the way, I replayed Judgment and LJ, finally played through Kaito Files for the first time, and then started working through spinoffs. I also got through the original PS2 games twice each - once in English emulated just to experience them, then again on the Japanese HD port on the PS3 for the trophy list. I still have nightmares of the 20 Home Run thing for Y1. Dead Souls was actually fun, Kurohyou 1 and 2 were fantastic games but incredibly grindy (and buggy) for 100%. Ishin’s plat wasn’t actually nearly as bad as people say. Through in Fist of the North Star Lost Paradise for good measure. Finally, got through Kenzan for the first time and its completion list with the help of way too many translation guides.

So, all that being said, at the time I was satisfied with achievement lists for games that had them, and completion lists for those that didn’t, but a handful of games don’t actually require full completion lists for plat (off the top of my head I think 3, 4, Dead Souls, 6, 7, Gaiden, IW, and Pirates). So I said fuck it, run it back and wrap them up.

About a year and a half later, I could say I’d just about 100%'d the entire franchise. I think the only thing I didn’t do was the Haruka’s Trust bullshit in games that didn’t require it.

I will add right now that I’m NOT currently planning on playing Kiwami 3 due to the Kagawa situation and just how the franchise is being handled in general. I’m happy calling this my stopping point if they don’t recast him.