The Yakuza Remastered Collection Review: A Welcome Return

BACKGROUND
Hello, Patient Gamers. Recently, I was watching YouTubers like PushingUpRoses discussing old adventure games and it reminded me of this classic genre. For those of you too young to appreciate the golden age of adventure games, I’m not referring to Action Adventure games like The Last of Us or platformers like Donkey Kong Country Returns, or FPS puzzle games like Portal or the Witness (I bring these up as they are often listed as “adventure” games on sites like MetaCritic or AdventureGamers). No, I am referring to “graphic adventure games,” a concept developed as early as 1980 wherein you control a character who solves puzzles (usually inventory- and dialogue-based) and explores areas to advance a story. They come in many flavors, like weird interactive movies and FMV games, but typically the best known are the point-and-click adventures of the 80’s and 90’s.
Why should anyone like adventure games? Well, excuse me for waxing nostalgic, but back in the day, most games did not have much of a story. A game like Super Mario or Zelda would focus on action and maybe some pretense of a framing device would exist in the manual. For most games, the story was an afterthought and the “ending,” if there was one, often lacked reward or impact (eg, “CONGRATULATIONS! YOU WON!”). Perhaps in the late 80’s you’d have a Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest or Phantasy Star that could give you the steady narrative you’re after, if you’re lucky, but for really feeling like part of that universe, you’d have to play an adventure game.
I started my love of adventure games with my love of Star Wars and video games. This naturally led me, in 1997, to the LucasArts catalog, which (shockingly enough) also had a large collection of non-Star Wars games that seemed promising. I was particularly interested in the catalog’s description of Curse of Monkey Island as being “hilarious.” Most games for consoles back rarely showed humor! Obviously, I was late to the party--adventure games lost their way around 1999/2000-- but the large back catalog that existed in the late 90's ended up being a bonus, especially since the older games were, by then, available in inexpensive anthology collections.
I immediately fell in love with the humor; LucasArts had great writers like Tim Schafer and Dave Grossman. I loved the art and animation; LucasArts took a lot of cues from Looney Tunes and Chuck Jones, especially on games like Day of the Tentacle and Sam & Max Hit the Road. I loved the emphasis on exploration and dialogue as opposed to repetitive action. I loved that there was no risk of death or getting stuck (very important during the frustrating days of Nintendo Hard and buggy game design). I loved that these games actually had interesting characters and satisfying endings.
The other big player in classic adventures was of course Sierra, famous for the “Quest” series of games (King’s Quest, Space Quest, Police Quest, et al) and Leisure Suit Larry, among others. If LucasArts was like Looney Tunes, Sierra was like Disney, with a focus less on characters, dialogue, and humor, and more on epic stories, sumptuous graphics, and fantastic environments. Quality of games depended heavily on who was writing them, with standouts like Jane Jensen, Christy Marx, and Lori Cole being among my favorites [edit]. Unlike LucasArts games, it was possible (and likely) to die or get stuck in Sierra games.
GAME HIERARCHY AND SELECTION
I’ve dug through every website, every review tracker, every source I could find to pick out my top choices for adventure games. It seemed to me to be unfair to put games like Secret of Monkey Island next to games like The Walking Dead as they don’t share the same production values, so I separated them into eras. Each era has games I consider to best represent that time period (my "A Tier") plus a few honorable mentions (my "B Tier"). It’s not an exhaustive list, and if you’re an adventure game fan you may wonder why I don’t include certain games. I’ll even skip entire series, especially if I don’t feel like they're appreciable by a modern gamer. If I miss a title that you legitimately think is a top tier contender, I’m sorry.
For this series, I’m skipping text-only adventure games (Zork 80 Days), visual novels (Steins;Gate, Fate/Stay Night), and any game that delves too far into action (eg, the Yakuza series). I wasn’t sure whether or not to include games like Phoenix Wright, Professor Layton, or the cult classic Snatcher, as they closely resemble visual novels instead of graphic adventures. On to the list!
PART ONE: 1989-1990. EGA Graphics in 16 Colors.
I was never into games earlier than this era. LucasArts developed the SCUMM engine in 1987 with Maniac Mansion and Sierra came out with its “Sierra Creative Interpreter” in 1988 with King’s Quest 4. Both engines would be used for almost all of their respective games throughout the 80’s and 90’s, albeit constantly updated, until around 1997/98 when both companies switched to 3D graphics engines. For this reason, the engines are representative of an era of gaming, and each update came with a distinct, if small, evolution in the adventure game genre. When these design engines died, so did the creation of new adventure games.
Anyway, at their introduction, these engines could display graphics at a whopping 320 by 200 pixels (compared to the previous 160x200) in EGA graphics and 16 colors, but not sound cards. By the end of their lifespan, the engines could handle sound cards with fully-voiced sound, 800x600 SVGA graphics in 16-bit colors, and even some pre-rendered 3D. I imagine by then the code was held together with masking tape and shoestrings.
Most of these games were later released in 256 colors for VGA graphics cards with full MIDI sound. I will also list where you can legitimately obtain each game.

• 4 : Conquests of Camelot (Sierra, 1989)-- this game doesn’t have nearly the reputation or sales figures of its contemporaries like Leisure Suit Larry 3 or King’s Quest IV or V, but it’s a dark horse of Sierra games. I attribute its quality to the writing of Christy Marx of “Jem and the Holograms” fame. The story and gameplay are far more linear than the meandering of King’s Quest, and the dialogue and graphics are markedly improved. The puzzles are not nearly as complex, and you’re far less reliant on a guide than in previous Sierra titles. By the time I played this game it was already 15+ years old but enjoyed it. I love the locations you visit and the aforementioned dialogue. The action sequences are clunky but I can forgive them, because how can you have a game about knights without swords? Plus you can turn down the difficulty in the settings. Can be purchased from GOG.
  
• 3 Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire (Sierra, 1990). Sequel to the much-beloved Quest for Glory, this game has a real Arabian Nights vibe going on. In any Quest for Glory game, you play the same hero and you’re traveling around an open world engaging in side quests and ultimately solving the main narrative. You get to pick a class (fighter, mage, or thief) and each has its own side missions. I have fond memories wandering around the city, gathering clues and speaking to an unusual cast of characters. The story is fun, reminds me of Aladdin which came out a year or two later. Interestingly, you can import a character from the previous game along with their stats! I’ve played two versions of this and recommend the VGA version made by AGDI in 2008 for its anti-frustration features and improved interface. Better graphics, better combat, less getting lost. The original version is available on GOG.
  
• 2 Quest for Glory: So You Want to Be a Hero (Sierra, 1989). If I had one I had to have the other! Like its sequel, you play a hero engaging in side quests and combat before tackling the main narrative. Unlike its sequel, this game takes place in a Grimm’s fairy tale, and has an atmosphere reminiscent of the Black Forest. There’s less dialogue than the sequel, but it’s a lot more densely packed and easier to navigate. Most gamers swear by the EGA version for nostalgia sake, but I recommend the more approachable VGA version from 1992. All Quest for Glory games are purchasable on GOG.
  
• 1 The Secret of Monkey Island (LucasArts, 1990). The grandaddy of OG adventure games. Sure, there were plenty before, better-selling ones to boot, but this game’s legacy outpaces other titles. So many gamers and game designers have pointed to this game as inspiration for them. Atmosphere is great, and the music by Michael Land is memorable, but the key point here is the humor. No, it’s not the first “funny” video game, but it’s the first to earn legit laughs from me. Simple controls, a pretty tight narrative, and (usually) fun puzzles help out, but this game shines on characters and atmosphere. Easiest way to play this is probably the Special Edition released in 2009. It’s available on Steam, and if you don’t like the improved graphics or voice acting, you can switch back to the 256 color version with the touch of a button. Strongly recommended.
  

Honorable mentions:

• The Colonel’s Bequest (Sierra, 1989. “Killer” atmosphere but I personally find the design frustrating. Lacks focus, but a lot of people adore this game despite one-dimensional characters)
• Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (LucasArts, 1989, fun moments but lacks polish. Love going into that Nazi castle, also the Grail temple, also punching Hitler)
• Loom (LucasArts, 1990), I prefer the FM-TOWNS version. Some people hate how slow and dreamlike this game is, but that’s what appeals to me about it. Very simple interface based on... music! Hope you like Tchaikovsky)

PART TWO: 1991-1993. VGA Graphics in 256 Colors
Computer tech advanced rapidly through the early 90's. During this period, 1.44 MB floppy disks were replaced with 650 MB CD-ROMs, allowing for much larger games (though, due to lack of disk space and graphic hardware, this was mostly limited to adding voices and sound effects to games). Game design principles stayed mostly the same but became more polished. This is arguably a high water mark for the era of graphic adventures.

• 6 King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow (Sierra, 1992). Inarguably the best King's Quest title based on fan feedback. You don't need to play any others to figure this one out. You play as Prince Alexander looking for the love of his life (who he met once, for ten seconds) in a faraway mysterious land. You explore fantastic locales, from a beachy Arabian island to an Alice-in-Wonderland-esque land to a mysterious forest and a towering city on a cliff reminiscent of Greek mythology, and there are rumors of even more lands hidden in the mists... The writing is by Jane Jensen, a big step up from Roberta Williams' earlier efforts. The story is far more focused than it was in King's Quest V, and the characters are more believable. I even like the music. It's not terribly linear so you'll meander a bit and for that reason, it may feel unfocused but you'll eventually get to the ending (though you may die a few times along the way). Speaking of endings, there are two paths, a shorter one with a weaker ending and a longer one requiring additional, harder puzzles that leads to a better ending. Voice acting is hit-or-miss but fortunately mostly hit, especially Alexander and the narrator. One of my favorite Sierra titles, and it's available on GOG.
  
• 5 Sam & Max Hit the Road (LucasArts, 1993). Based on the irreverent, sardonic comic book series by longtime LucasArts collaborator Steve Purcell, in this game you play as... well, Sam & Max, two vigilante private investigators with questionable motives and a love of cheesy Americana and pop culture ephemera. As the title suggests, you're on a road trip across America visiting all the tourists traps along the way. No, wait! You're on the tail of a missing bigfoot, long frozen in a block of ice at a local carnival. I love the sarcastic humor in this game. There's so much about Sam & Max that's surreal and countercultural, like a 1970's underground comic, but it gets toned down a bit in this game (you know, for the kids). You still commit acts of gruesome violence of course. Everything is well-animated and hilarious. There's only one version of this game, and it's available on GOG.
  
• 4 Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis (LucasArts, 1992). Probably the best Indiana Jones game ever made (sorry, "Young Indiana Jones and the Instruments of Chaos" for Sega Genesis). In most Indiana Jones games, you play as Indy jumping, whipping, and firing his gun past a parade of Nazis and non-European stereotypes. But this is far closer to the movies-- there's dialogue and exploration, real adventure here, not mindless action. The prologue alone is classic Indy. The game is designed by Hal Barwood who did a lot of "okay" adventure movie writing in the 70's. But a decent writer for film makes for an excellent writer for games, because he knocks this one out. Your path is pretty linear, and the dialogue is pretty straight-forward compared to the funnier LucasArts games, but the puzzles and setpieces are phenomenal. As expected, you travel all over the globe looking for clues and (spoiler) you do eventually find Atlantis. What everyone remarks on in this game is the split path system: you can choose to play the second act of the game with your new team mate, or you can choose more challenging puzzles, or you can pick the path with the most fights (note the combat system is keypad based and nothing to write home about). Each path has similar locations but different order and circumstances. In the team path, you may use your partner to distract someone, whereas in the "fists" path, you're more likely to punch your way out. There are some locations you'll visit on two of the paths but not the third. There are also puzzles with multiple solutions, so there's plenty of replayability. There's only one version of this game, and it's available on GOG.
  
• 3 Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers (Sierra, 1993). High water mark for Sierra. Gone are the days of frustrating puzzles and poor writing! A deep, dark, atmospheric game with so much detail in the backgrounds. You play as the titular Gabriel Knight, a skeezy writer in New Orleans attempting to find out information on the mysterious Voodoo Murders that have been happening. Maybe along the way he can discover something about his family's past. All-star cast of voice actors here starring Tim Curry, Leah Remini, Mark Hamill, Michael Dorn, and plenty others you know from cartoons and movies. Far more gritty and "adult" than previous titles, but still enormously fun to play through. One or two puzzles may demand a walkthrough or guide. I do NOT recommend the 25th Anniversary edition. You're far better off buying this game on GOG in its original glory.
  
• 2 Day of the Tentacle (LucasArts, 1993). Famously absurd game. A real A-Team of talent: Tim Schafer is writing, Peter Chan is designing crazy characters and backgrounds, Peter McConnell and Michael Land and Clint Bajakian doing the music. And it's funny! Not sure what today's audiences think of 90's sarcastic humor, but it's so surreal and absurd that I find it timeless, just like classic cartoons. This game is a follow-up to Maniac Mansion (which, IMO, didn't age as well) but you don't need to know that game at all to appreciate this one. Your characters are nebbish dweeb Bernard, wistful lunatic Laverne, and scruffy roadie Hoagie as they attempt to stop the deranged Purple Tentacle from taking over the world. Insane animations on this one. I recommend buying the remaster from 2016, though I don't agree with all their artistic choices.
  
• 1 Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge (LucasArts, 1991). Holy moly, what a game. I hear this game and immediately think of the amazing backgrounds by Peter Chan, looking like something out of a Chuck Jones cartoon (see: the work of Maurice Noble). I then think of the music by Michael Land and Peter McConnell and Clint Bajakian, brought to life by the iMuse system (it changes subtly each area you're in!). A much darker game tonally than its predecessor, also a much more detailed one, with larger-than-life characters, complex puzzles, and of course, piratey mischief. As Guybrush Threepwood, you do all sorts of terrible things to people in this game and it's amazing. You're in search of a legendary treasure and there are several islands to visit, each with its own "feel," from the laid-back Booty Island to the anarchic Scabb Island. The ending is infamous and I won't discuss it here, but this is absolutely a must-visit game. I recommend the 2010 Special Edition of this game, it's got voice acting and a more navigable interface as well as sharper graphics.
  

Honorable mentions:

• Star Trek: Judgment Rites(Interplay, 1993). Finally, a non-LucasArts or Sierra game. I love Star Trek and this game is the closest I've come to the Star Trek "experience." Most Star Trek games have emphasis on ship combat or action, and while some of that is here as well, it's mostly dialogue and puzzle solving. It is, however, rather difficult, but not overly frustrating. You have several "missions" or "episodes" that you do, along with an overall plot, and typically there are several ways to "solve" a mission and still retain full points. Much improved, IMO, from the Star Trek: 25th Anniversary adventure game from 1991. May be too frustrating and inaccessible for non-Star Trek fans.
  
• Space Quest IV: Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers (Sierra, 1991). Probably one of the best Space Quest titles. The intro is extremely lush and there are some great setpieces here, but the puzzle design is frustrating with some odd mechanical issues. I recommend this for anyone who loves adventure games but don't make this your first one!
  
• Conquests of the Longbow (Sierra, 1991). I love this game, I love replaying it, but I can understand it's not for everyone. You kind of have to know exactly where you're going and how to play. With that in mind, it's a fun, epic story based on Robin Hood written by Christy Marx. There's also some funny background throwaway dialogue by Josh Mandel. Not as cohesive or detailed as King's Quest VI, but I do love the locations you visit and the story is wonderful. Depending on how well you do and how chivalrous you behave, the ending can change, which is a lot of fun. Totally surpassed my expectations.
  

CONTINUED IN PART TWO
Edit: References to certain persons being "among the earliest" of their demographic in their respective field have been stricken. It won't be mentioned again.
Edit 2: Added link.
Edit 3: More links
If you don't like adventure games, why did you click this post? Why abuse a genre just because you don't like it? Why comment at all?

A couple of years ago, I took a quick look at top review scores in the genre (RIP GameRankings). Perspectives from outside this subreddit are always important, so I took another look around, this time from a general user score perspective. I built lists from GameFAQs, IMDb, Grouvee, and Metacritic. This comes with the usual caveats on user ratings with regards to astroturfing, review bombing, fan brigading, etc.
A few notes here, first. The actual genre classification was the biggest sticking point. I cast a wide net, based on subreddit mood over the past few years. Generally speaking, if there has been any sort of substantial controversy here that a game should be included, I included it. NieR, Undertale, Yakuza, and some mobiles are among these, for example. Zelda, Metroidvanias, Monster Hunter, South Park, and Soulsborne games were not included.
Games with very few ratings compared to the larger pool were also omitted (there weren't many of these).
I included some duplicate ports/re-releases depending on how the site listed games. These are denoted with asterisks. In those cases, I pulled extras from further down the list (hence, the "25ish"). One exception here is the Kingdom Hearts series; I did not include every single re-release and remaster, as they would have unduly cluttered the IMDb and Grouvee lists.
If there are any obvious databases I missed with datasets of this size (or there are corrections in general), let me know and I'll edit them in. I already passed over Giant Bomb, MobyGames, and VGChartz due to small datasets.

GameFAQs

Starting in 1995 as a site for guides and other game information, GameFAQs added personal game collections and ratings several years ago. Overall, I would expect ratings from such a site to lean positively toward longer games such as RPGs versus other games, but I'm not sure what kind of bias would be within the genre. Scores are out of five stars.

Rank	Game	Score	Number of ratings
1	Persona 4 Golden	4.59	6845
2	Chrono Trigger (NDS)	4.58	5619
*	Chrono Trigger (SNES)	4.57	6968
3	Xenoblade Chronicles	4.55	4881
4	Final Fantasy VI (SNES)	4.54	6294
5	Persona 5	4.54	5706
*	Persona 4	4.54	6611
6	Suikoden II	4.53	2854
7	Mother 3	4.52	1807
*	Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition	4.49	474
8	Final Fantasy VII	4.49	13599
9	The World Ends With You	4.48	4770
10	Lunar: Eternal Blue	4.48	594
11	Tales of Symphonia	4.47	4691
12	Rune Factory 4	4.46	2397
13	Skies of Arcadia	4.46	748
14	Panzer Dragoon Saga	4.46	761
15	Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars	4.45	5136
16	Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition	4.45	640
17	Persona 3 FES	4.45	5540
18	Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door	4.45	4520
*	Final Fantasy VI Advance	4.43	2657
19	Tales of Vesperia (PS3)	4.43	712
*	Chrono Trigger (Final Fantasy Chronicles)	4.43	1125
20	Kingdom Hearts II	4.43	8789
21	Golden Sun: The Lost Age	4.42	2678
*	Tales of Vesperia (X360)	4.42	3858
22	Pokémon SoulSilver	4.41	6252
23	NieR: Automata	4.41	2378
*	Xenoblade Chronicles 3D	4.41	996
24	Pokémon X	4.41	15957
25	Fantasy Life	4.40	3165

IMDb

The well-known movie database has the second largest pool of ratings in this post. I don't know how long ratings have been around (or how far back video game pages go), but the database itself went to the web in 1993. Users are likely movie fans, which possibly gives Kingdom Hearts and Ni no Kuni a boost. Ratings are out of 10 stars.

Rank	Game	Score	Number of ratings
1	Persona 5 Royal	9.5	244
2	Chrono Trigger	9.5	2526
3	Final Fantasy VII	9.5	8676
4	Persona 4 Golden	9.4	652
5	Kingdom Hearts II	9.4	6518
6	Final Fantasy VII Remake	9.3	1541
*	Persona 5	9.3	1747
*	Persona 4	9.3	780
7	Suikoden II	9.3	342
8	Kingdom Hearts	9.2	6555
9	Xenoblade Chronicles	9.1	476
10	Persona 3 FES	9.1	449
11	Final Fantasy X	9.1	6424
12	Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force	9.0	82
13	NieR: Automata	9.0	1669
14	Yakuza 0	9.0	709
*	Fairy Fencer F	9.0	83
15	Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep	9.0	1345
*	Persona 3	9.0	650
16	Mother 3	9.0	308
17	Terranigma	9.0	170
18	Final Fantasy VI	9.0	2100
19	EarthBound	9.0	760
20	Yakuza Kiwami 2	8.9	252
21	Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age	8.9	286
22	Undertale	8.9	1876
23	Fire Emblem: Awakening	8.9	776
24	Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch	8.9	686
25	Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door	8.9	699

Grouvee

A video game collection tracking/backlogging site going back to 2011, Grouvee uses the Giant Bomb wiki API. If there is any overlap with the backlogging fiends over at /patientgamers, this might be a similarly older crowd. Grouvee does not see as much traffic as Backloggery, but Backloggery does not appear have a database for user ratings. Ratings are out of five stars. This list required a minimum of 100 ratings, as per the site's sorting.

Rank	Game	Score	Number of ratings
1	Persona 5 Royal	4.79	153
2	Mother 3	4.63	386
3	Chrono Trigger	4.60	2475
4	Persona 4 Golden	4.60	1118
*	Persona 5	4.56	1777
5	Final Fantasy VI	4.54	1840
6	Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix	4.54	401
7	Trails in the Sky SC	4.51	143
*	Persona 4	4.50	969
8	Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door	4.47	1243
9	Suikoden II	4.46	323
10	Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver	4.45	2325
11	Final Fantasy VII Remake	4.45	468
12	Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward	4.43	230
13	Persona 3 FES	4.42	917
14	Pokémon Gold/Silver	4.42	3991
*	Persona 3 Portable	4.42	623
15	Final Fantasy VII	4.42	3514
16	Final Fantasy IX	4.41	2122
17	Fire Emblem: Three Houses	4.41	629
18	Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix	4.40	243
19	NieR: Automata	4.39	1829
*	Pokémon Crystal	4.39	1551
20	EarthBound	4.38	1074
*	Persona 3	4.38	303
21	Skies of Arcadia	4.38	116
*	Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster	4.38	756
22	Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age	4.37	329
23	Yakuza 0	4.36	816
24	Rune Factory 4	4.34	196
25	Final Fantasy Tactics	4.31	945

Metacritic

Rounding out this list of lists is the smallest pool, Metacritic. This critics' review aggregator launched in 1999. Metacritic weights their review scores, but I do not suspect the site user ratings to be anything more than a straight average. Scores are out of 10.

Rank	Game	Score	Number of ratings
1	Crystar	9.6	1243
2	Z.H.P. Unlosing Ranger VS Darkdeath Evilman	9.6	283
3	Xenoblade Chronicles	9.2	1326
4	Pokémon SoulSilver	9.2	830
5	Xenogears	9.2	309
6	Final Fantasy VII	9.1	2083
7	Xenoblade Chronicles X	9.1	1715
*	Pokémon HeartGold	9.1	849
8	Chrono Trigger (NDS)	9.1	634
9	Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door	9.1	524
10	Paper Mario	9.1	411
11	Suikoden II	9.1	265
12	Tales of Symphonia	9.1	229
13	Vagrant Story	9.1	199
*	Final Fantasy Chronicles	9.1	183
14	Kingdom Hearts II	9.0	1260
15	Final Fantasy IX	9.0	1253
*	Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition	9.0	819
16	Pokémon Platinum	9.0	783
17	Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers	9.0	611
18	NieR: Automata - Become as Gods Edition	9.0	475
*	Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX	9.0	449
19	The Legend of Dragoon	9.0	326
20	Golden Sun	9.0	282
21	Golden Sun: The Lost Age	9.0	191
22	Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius	9.0	113
23	Final Fantasy Record Keeper	9.0	111
*	NieR: Automata	8.9	3676
24	Final Fantasy X	8.9	1645
25	Kingdom Hearts	8.9	1054