Just wanted to give a quick shout-out to the music of the Yakuza (Ryu ga Gotoku) series. I've been listening to it on and off for quite a while, but its just recently that I really sat down and listened to it properly (I was reminded by gamemp3's release of the third game's soundtrack). Its quite awesome music, very hard-edged rock, jazz, and techno, with an appropriate bad-ass "gangsta" vibe running throughout.

I haven't heard much mention about it in the VGM community. Anyone else a fan? Haven't heard 3 yet, but the first two soundtracks are great and come highly recommended (I'm even considering buying the original CD, despite the quite outrageous price, don't ask me why).

I loved the first game for it's blend of beating the hell out of people and complete reliance on cussing in place of ordinary talking (kind of like my actual life, sans the former). I remember the music being very appropriate.

I still have to go through Yakuza 2 (it's sitting on my shelf, swearing at me), and I wanna get a PS3 so that I can get that sidestory set in Feudal Japan (Kenzan!, I think it was called). Yakuza 3 is also interesting.

I'm a fan and I own the Ryu ga Gotoku 1 & 2 OST set, but I have it more for the nostalgia than anything else. I absolutely adore the series, which is odd because I've never actually played any of them. I did, however, watch my fiance play through all of Yakuza 2, and I thought it was the most amazing story and cast of characters I had ever seen in a video game. I'm dying to see 3 get a US release, so I hope Sega doesn't screw us.

Sounds like praise to me! More incentive to finish the game.

Heard it was a lot like Shenmue... actually what Shenmue wanted to be more like. Heard it has lots more gangster-style violence instead of the martial arts and ever inquisitive Ryo and the quirks of the Shenmue series.