My yakuza games platinum journey.

In 2008, I picked up my first copy of the original Yakuza for my PS2 at my local Blockbuster. I was really only there to buy Resident Evil 4 (the love of my life), but the store had clearance offers because the branch was shutting down.

PS2 games were on a buy one, get one free deal for £6, and by pure chance I ended up picking Yakuza. Little did I know it would turn out to be the beginning of my next favourite game franchise.

Fast forward to today, and I've finally completed my Yakuza platinum collection. Well... not entirely, as it's quite evident that some of the more recent games are missing. But I reckon this is a good place to stop. I just can't bring myself to play the newer releases anymore. Call it franchise fatigue. But I digress.

It's been a journey full of unforgettable stories, incredible characters, hilarious substories, countless hours of mahjong (which, surprisingly, is actually a lot of fun once you learn it), and more completion lists than I'd care to admit.

Not every moment was enjoyable, though. There were plenty of tedious grinds, frustrating minigames, and times when I genuinely questioned why I was doing this to myself.

If I had to rank the worst offenders, my top three would definitely be:

3. The car chase in Yakuza Kiwami. Honestly, it's not even that bad compared to the next two. I'm only putting it here because I couldn't think of anything else... and "top three" sounds cooler than "top two."

2. Pool in Yakuza 3 Remastered. This one made me suicidal. I remember bouncing on my chair, screeching curses and resentment like a possessed chimp, all directed towards our friendly and definitely-not-smug buddy, Seiji mother-beeping Nakazato. That bastard made me cry out of pure agony.

Good times.

1. Puyo Puyo in Judgment. This one didn't frustrate me quite as much, but it definitely made me question my life choices. If you visit pretty much any Puyo Puyo guide on YouTube, you'll probably find my comment there—whinging and moaning, basically.

This single challenge took me roughly 83 additional hours to complete, spread over the course of about seven years.

That's enough ranting.

The funny thing about these pain-in-the-arse challenges is that they made every platinum feel earned. Seeing the full collection together makes all those hours feel completely worth it.

Well... not really, but please allow me to cope.

It's kind of bittersweet admitting that this is the end of my completion journey with RGG games. What started as a random purchase at Blockbuster turned into years of memories and one of the most satisfying gaming accomplishments I've ever achieved.

Thanks, RGG Studio, for creating a series I'll never forget.

TL;DR: Got tired. Ended the hunt prematurely.