summary
- The characters you know and love from the Yakuza Shows go back (far) in time, but show vets will find their footing quickly.
- Like a dragon: Goods! will be released on February 21, 2023 for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S
the yakuza series has never been one to sit still – players will explore the vibrant, violent ’80s Yakuza 0 to the neon colored present in Yakuza like a dragon. While the series has consistently evolved, the next (re)release is pending Ryo Ga Gotoku Studios, Like a dragon: Goods! (previously abbreviated to “was”)takes you – with a certain distance – back in time to Japan in the 1860s.
The Bakumatsu era couldn’t be more different than the flashy, modern Kamurocho (the primary setting for most yakuza/judgment titles) – but during a recent hands-on with the game, I found that with everything that’s different, there is a lot in it was which will look familiar to a yakuza vet. Here’s what was changes … and what not:
Is this…?
The swordsman Sakamoto Ryoma looks very familiar to him. I didn’t know the name (although apparently it was a real samurai), but the face is unmistakable. No, Kiryu, Majima, and other members of the Tojo clan didn’t get into a DeLorean to live out their samurai fantasies — it’s more of a “what…if?” situation, where familiar faces and personalities meet a cast from different eras of Japanese history are depicted.
This also means that everyone comes back to the table: if it tastes good Yakuza 0 by Yakuza like a dragon, you’ll often point to the screen and say, “Is that ___?” Even if the familiar face met an untimely end in a previous title – or you thought you were dead, it turns out you survived but then actually die in a dramatic and meaningful scene (that’s what happens in this universe!) – they can show up in Ishin under a new guise. Enjoy the deja vu!
Lights out
They take place in the mid 19th century as you would expect was‘s backdrop of Kyo (as present-day Kyoto was then known) has little to do with bustling, brightly lit Kamurocho yakuza Series. Despite very different architecture and technology, was Players will find that Kyo is similar in size and, more importantly, just as densely packed with interactive locations as the more well-known yakuza locations. was is an open world that replaces karaoke bars, hostess clubs and beef bowl joints with blacksmiths, fish markets and udon stands. Despite the changed set-up, many of the interactions are similar to games in contemporary Japan as Ryoma develops a relationship with various vendors and bartenders. There is even a (easy anachronistic) Don Quixote for your shopping pleasure!
Act first, develop strategies later
If turn-based RPG Yakuza: Like a dragon is the latest (or only!) RGG title you’ve experienced, you know that was Plays much more like the action-packed Yakuza games and recent Judgment titles. Even, was presents the biggest departure we’ve seen from the action-brawler; There’s a significantly greater emphasis on weapons, particularly swords – complete with crafting and upgrade elements – and a starring role for firearms. While yakuza games typically refer to weapons as having limited uses, in was With every provocation, you immediately draw your katana and revolver.
During my practical time, I’ve drawn to Ryoma’s Wild Dancer style, swinging a sword in wide, one-handed arcs and interrupting slashing combos with a revolver shot to good effect. Brawler fans won’t miss out, as Ryoma can pocket and sheath his equipped weapons for a classic unarmed brawl. But why should you?
The swinging (18)60s
One of the hallmarks of the Yakuza franchise is how frequently it shifts from intense drama to moments of the absurd; this probably shouldn’t work, but any fan will tell you that it absolutely works. So it’s a relief to see that was keeps things weird, with Bakumatsu-era mini-games and in-depth side stories (the series; term for side quests) including chicken races, cannons, highly contagious dance madness, and all manner of gambling and gaming. While karaoke might not have existed in the 1860s, make no mistake – there absolutely is a singing mini-game starring voice actor Takaya Kuroda belting out period-specific tunes that go with images of Ryoma violently ripping daikon radishes out of the garden. you have to be there
And indeed, you won’t have to wait much longer can to be there. Like a kite: that’s what they were! will be released on February 21, 2023 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S.
Table of Contents
