A Shinsengumi captain denies the allegations of being from Choshu (and therefore a spy)
And one more captain with a less memorable face is down. (Turns out he was a spy)
11.03.2026 01:36
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A Shinsengumi captain denies the allegations of being from Choshu (and therefore a spy)
And one more captain with a less memorable face is down. (Turns out he was a spy)
Kogoro tells Ryoma that they're really on the same side
Akiyama's casting as Kogoro, who is kind of on Ryoma's side, is just about perfect.
I also enjoyed the scene where Saejima tells Ryoma to be more subtle about letting people go.
Shimano showing up as a throwaway villain
It's fun that they have such a wealth of character models to bring in for minor villains.
#VAIshin
Haruka cleans Ryoma's ears, a little too aggressively
The slice of life scenes with Haruka are pretty cute.
#VAIshin
Tanis body, with another Shinsengumi about to meet the same fate standing in the back
And suddenly 2 of the Shinsengumi are down, to set up how much of a bad asset Okada/Nishiki is. I guess the less high profile character models won't last long.
Han Joon-gi as the Shinsengumi inspector Yamazaki
Oh hey its one of those two Korean guys. Back to playing a villain this time.
#VAIshin
Platinum screenshot for Crow Country shows the playthrough results screen with an S+ rank. Trophy name is simply 'Platinum'
March 2026 plats thread
1 - (#254) Crow Country
As a fan of old school survival horror, this was excellent. I had a few nitpicks about controls, and it is quite short, but it delivers on story and atmosphere.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Black Panther Couriers, who control the city's courier business, face off with Ryoma
I got a bit distracted by playing Crow Country, but I did get introduced to what appears to be a classic four kings style side story chain.
#VAIshin
Date/Nakaoka Shintaro introduces himself to Ryoma
I feel like this guys story doesn't quite add up, but it's Date so I don't really believe he could be a villain
Yae, aka Miss Tatsu, in a fancy blue and gold haori
This game brings back some surprising side characters. Here's Miss Tatsu from 0.
A man explains that the cat in front of him provides blessings in exchange for offerings
Most important task is now collecting cats and dogs for Haruka's house.
#VAIshin
Haruka introduces herself to Ryoma
So happy to see (Yakuza 5 model?) Haruka.
Less happy to see a farming minigame but maybe it won't be too boring.
The Shinsengumi captains in a meeting
The Shinsengumi is a real who's who of Yakuza villains and side characters.
We've got Yakuza 0, 2, 3, 5 and 7 at least. Zhao from 7 might be the most confusing addition imo.
#VAIshin
I think the key elements are resource management (not getting too many supplies, but also not a game where you hide from everything), and enemies/mechanics which create a genuine fear of losing/dying.
Hijikata/Mine's introduction
And heres Hijikata. As an Avowed Yakuza 3 hater, I don't understand why Mine seems so popular with the RGG studio.
Saejima/Shinpachi looking ready to fight
Okita/Majima wandering in and complaining about the Shinsengumi becoming a "little children's club"
Finally, it's time to meet the Shinsengumi. Here's Shinpachi (Saejima) and Okita (Majima)
Ryoma, wearing only a fundoshi, chasing the man who stole his clothes
Pulled myself away from chicken racing and back to sidequests. Which in this instance was running around naked after Ryoma has his clothes stolen.
#VAIshin
I love how many futurists believed that flying cars would somehow solve more problems than they would cause
Poker machines celebrate wins but stay silent on losses. A new project aims to break that trance by adding a losing sound – and is pushing for parliamentary reform.
#auspol #GamblingReform #Pokies #PublicHealth #Addiction
This was very well directed, particularly the dance sequences, and learning some of the history was interesting. But overall, I didn't connect to the characters or their stories, and found it a very slow watch.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Movie poster for The Testament of Ann Lee shows a kaleidoscope image with Ann Lee in the centre, surrounded by her followers
Heading out to see The Testament of Ann Lee (in 35mm)
Ryoma joins another 'ee ja nai ka' dance
I do like the continuation of the 'ee ja nai ka' storyline, exploring people treating it as a meaningless trend, and a legitimate protest movement
A chicken race, where the chicken I was betting on is coming fourth.
Not much of an update today because of this evil chicken race minigame. I wish it was Yakuza 5 chicken racing, instead of just horse-betting.
#VAIshin
An imagined 1860s Don Quijote store sign
Ok I don't think there was a Don Quijote store in Kyoto in this era. The contract they have with the RGG studio must be very good.
An old inaccurate map with various countries highlighted, including Japan in the centre
The can you find Britain on this very inaccurate old map sidequest.
Australia doesn't even exist on it. Or maybe it's part of the Antarctica blob.
Kiryu points out the mochi stealing culprit with a big Objection pose
All sidequests today since Chapter 3 opened up a ton.
This logic puzzle/find the culprit mission was fun. Although I feel like the answer is only certain if you assume the culprits must be lying.
#VAIshin
Ryoma prepares to slice incoming cannonballs in a minigame which is effectively a batting cage
Was not expecting one of the trainers to be a "batting cage" with cannonballs.
Ryoma calling out his sworn brother for sacrificing his ideals and working with the Tosa elders
Ok chapter 2 was a big step up in terms of side content and kicking off a compelling story.
We have the mirror images of Ryoma planning to infiltrate the Shinsengumi and his sworn brother getting in with the higher classes in Tosa. Still a weird casting choice though.
#VAIshin
Poster for Biao Ren shows a collage of faces against a sandstorm
Watched Blades of the Guardians (Biao Ren). A pretty standard story that doesn't bear too much thought, propped up by cool visuals and some good fights. Would have appreciated if it was a bit more down to earth and slowed down to make all the fights more interesting.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Natsume Soseki (name slightly changed) decides to die as he can't write any good stories.
Kiryu/Ryoma chop wood.
More early sidestories - telling Natsume Soseki that "Cats are funny" and chopping 500 wood, which is one of the most boring side activities ever.