10 Video Game Openings That Pissed Everyone Off

9. Never-Ending Cutscenes - Yakuza: Like A Dragon

Yakuza Like A Dragon
Sega

Yakuza: Like a Dragon provides a great jumping on point for new players as it totally turns the series on its head.

Not only does the game kick off the franchises’ new genre direction of JRPG over a more beat-em-up style but it also introduces a new protagonist to replace the legendary Kazuma Kiryu. Unsurprisingly, that amount of change already put concern into the minds of Yakuza fans.

Still, some managed to complain about these changes as well as the similarities as Like a Dragon’s plot kicks off with protagonist Ichiban Kasuga taking the fall for a crime and being imprisoned; a story trope that had been used many times already in the series.

With diehard fans firmly pissed off for multiple reasons, Yakuza also managed to cause new players to wonder what they had signed up for over its first two chapters. It takes a stonking three hours of cutscenes to get to chapter 3 where players are given full control of the game. Until then, it’s a lot of exposition that is occasionally interrupted for linear wandering and fairly straightforward battles.

Thankfully, those three hours are worth it in the end as Yakuza: Like a Dragon manages to craft a mechanically and narratively compelling tale that just so happens to have a long winded opening.

Contributor

Coming from a content creation background that now spans over two decades, Psy cut her teeth on personal video production and community radio. Originally joining the team as a writer and presenter, she added video editing duties to her responsibilities over time and became the longest-standing editor of the irreverent gaming show Tues Your Own Adventure. Psy has worked on many previews and reviews, long-form editorials (either her own, or supporting as an editor), as a frequent quizmaster and more. Praised for the two-pronged attack of her hard work ethic and light-hearted editing style, Psy is otherwise known as a font of retro video game knowledge which has caused her to rack up many quiz wins. Outside of WhatCulture, Psy runs First Aid Spray Podcast - a long-running channel that focuses on Resident Evil in all of it's forms. You can follow her on BlueSky at http://psywhite.bsky.social and Instagram at http://instagram.com/therealpsywhite