“I know that type,” says the Chicken Race receptionist. “A real gambler. A stallion in a track. A rooster in a henhouse.”
Of course, he was referring to me: like dragons: they are The player character is Ryoma Sakamoto. In order to find out who really murdered his father, Ryoma travels to the Japanese capital, capital, to search for any clues he can in a world full of political intrigue and social unrest at the cusp of a new age. But all of them are fixed. As it turns out, Beijing has a pretty good chicken racing scene. That’s why I’m really here.
As soon as I walked into the coop, I bonded with him—the chicken man sitting cross-legged in the reception area. The clerk smelled faintly of feathers and chicken shit. With a warm smile, he offered to teach me how to race chicken. I think we had a spark.
“First things first,” he explained, “know your bird.” You see, in the old art of chicken racing, all birds were graded—although “popularity” and “rank” “Gives you a good overall feel for the chick, but those attributes don’t tell the whole story. You also need to consider distance and conditions. Once you notice how it affects the results, you can see trends in the ratings.
But obviously, you also need to know how the chicken thinks. Some birds’ abilities change dramatically depending on their mood that day. Maybe they were wobbly and itchy, maybe they didn’t like the way the comb was put that day. you will never know. But before you send your chicken to a game, you need to understand its mood. “The fastest mare can turn into a snail if it’s in bad shape,” says my new best friend, the Chicken Race receptionist. “Every lame duck has its day.”
I think my case was well presented. I’ve checked out the birds and placed my bets. Instead of picking a favourite—something seemed off with her today, she was a little out of sorts—instead, I bet a fairly large amount on my second favourite. Let’s see if my new buddies teach me well.
The action is about to begin. “All the birds are in place,” we’re told. This is long distance open. Talon is ready. “It’s going to be a close one!” exclaimed the narrator, “A close match!” My chicken of choice, “That Frying Smell”—a pretty little gray bird—strutted out confidently, but soon Overtaken by a favorite hunky young upstart named “Apollo”. Suddenly, a nameless schmuck named “The Feed Demon” got and was ahead of schedule. Oh no, I thought, this shouldn’t be happening at all.
I’m telling you, I’ve never been more elated than when I saw “That Smell of Frying” take back the lead from “Feed the Devil” and “Apollo.” On the final straight I bet all my money on this chicken – it had enough money for Mon to buy a very nice sword, no less – and managed to catch up to this chicken and finish at A barrage of claws and a cute wag come out on top. My excitement drew a large crowd. The PR and gaming press huddled around the screen, all calling out good/bad puns on all kinds of poultry.
I’m rich, and I have enough money to buy a new sword–essential to avenging my dear, dead father–and enough money to drink a glass of sake for a frustrated loser on the track. After all, I want to make sure these guys are left alone. Would they spend their money on “Feed Demon”, “Poultry Offering”, “Fowl Temper”, “Featherstorm”, “Flustercluck”, “Thigh Will Be Done”, “King of Wings”, “Tenderfoot”, “Tosan Pride ’, or “Colonel,” we’re all here for the same reason; to have some fun and indulge in some masculine relationships.
The next day, after a moderate amount of time around the track, our favorite receptionist looked downcast. Earlier I had accused him of hiding something from me – when we walked in the door he wasn’t as effusive as usual. It turned out that he spent all his money today. All of that, in his wallet every last Monday. “I was so close to realizing my dream,” he admits, “I could almost afford a night in a brothel.”
The next day, I went back to the track. Of course I know, I can’t live without it. The receptionist’s expression was as sad as before, but this time it was different. He’s been on a winning streak — and a hellish one at that. He’s not far from making his dream come true, you can see the desire and longing in his eyes…he just needs to work harder or do nothing. But, apparently, he always screwed up at this point; the last bet was always where he lost. So the choice is on me – he can trust me now. He knew I had a gift for gutsy instincts.
“‘Wondercrest’ or ‘Tosan Pride’?” With the weight of the world on my shoulders, who should I choose? “Tosan Pride” – the chicken that has ruined my own dreams so many times at this point – or “Wondercrest”, a chicken I’ve barely heard of? I used my brain and chose the former. It felt like the game was trying to tell me that “Tosan Pride” was the better choice after all. It was also in good condition that day. Our men are gone, and I wait. etc. until he comes back. “I… I won!” he exclaimed. In real life, my heart skipped a beat.
He thanked me by sending me a broken compass, and calling me his benefactor. The little friendship watch starts to tick, full. I made a friend, a friend for life. In this chicken coop of smoky, sweaty, drunken gamblers, the seeds of friendship are sown and fertilized with chicken manure.
That’s the joy of Yakuza; even in the midst of serious, somber storylines, life’s true beauty shines through. Small moments like these — glimpses of unpretentious friendships in Gamblers’ Paradise — are the bread and butter of the Yakuza. Whether set in a bustling ’80s urban area or an 1860s small town, there’s something special about the way the series conveys the complexity and nuance of adults who just want a little fun from the oppressive surroundings that surround them.
I can’t wait to play the full Yakuza: Yishin and see this beautiful, unlikely friendship blossom.
Like a Dragon: Ishin will release on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows PC on February 21, 2023.
