Yakuza 6 marked the end of protagonist Kazuma Kiryu’s journey, leaving a single question: “What now?” For years, players had explored Japan with Kiryu, tying themselves to both the character and the template in which his games lived. Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio could have just dropped a makeover in Kamurocho and called it a day, but it didn’t happen that way. In Yakuza: Like a Dragon, the studio raised their eyebrows by scrapping traditional arcade brawler combat and replacing it with turn-based RPG-inspired battles. And while the action has a new face, he is accompanied by a rotating troop of like-minded heroes throughout his adventure in Yokohama. It’s a fulcrum that could have ended in disaster. Fortunately, Like a Dragon’s daring gamble pays off and results in one of the best entries to date.
Ichiban Kasuga had some large slippers to fill. Kiryu’s stoicism and determination, of course, matched the criminal underworld he circled, but his charm and willingness to help people with their problems won over the audience. Kasuga is not a kiryu, and that’s what it’s all about. This new hero is impulsive, hot-headed, and a little bit silly. At the beginning of his adventure, Kasuga shares his enthusiasm for the Dragon Quest series with a subordinate. He sees himself as a hero, even if his abilities do not initially match his aspirations. Kasuga’s helpfulness is directed against him, leading to his being overturned for murder (and sentenced to 18 years in prison).
We don’t know much about Kasuga at first, which is one of the most refreshing things Like a Dragon has to offer. Without the weight of half a dozen games and the associated stories on his shoulders, Kasuga is a blank slate for this new Yokohama adventure. Kasuga certainly has goals and motivations – figuring out why his father figure in the Tojo clan cheated on him is the boss among them – but the fact that he’s such a small figure in this world creates an intoxicating sense of freedom. This new hero hasn’t built relationships in this new town, so the first few hours are filled with simple things like looking for a job. What could be a boring slog cleverly leans on the RPG systems that underpin the entire experience.
Like a Dragon isn’t just a superficial take on role-playing games. It contains a satisfactory depth, including the various quests that characters can take on. You start out as a bat-wielding hero, but you can also switch to various other roles, e.g. B. as a cook, musician or breakdancer. Each role is given new skills as they level up, like the cook using a flambé technique with an effect or the musician playing a melody that heals the party. The jobs and general attacks are pretty silly which is fair for the brand. Switching these jobs is easy, but it requires a quick stop at the employment agency – a nice reminder that, silly as it may be, it is grounded in your own sense of reality.
Turn-based combat put me off a little at first, but I quickly adjusted to it. Returning players will notice some familiar animations, including some actions to swing bicycles when characters come across these props on the field. Well-timed keystrokes deal extra damage or mitigate enemy attacks, which has helped me stay busy during battles. While Kasuga settles in town, other characters join the action. That allows for much more depth and specialization. I enjoyed when a few bruises softened my goals while the others focused on weakening enemies or healing them if necessary. I especially loved the poundmates, who are essentially like a dragon version of incantations. These are extremely stupid and often a reward for studying the myriad of sub-stories. I’m not going to spoil too much, but I will say that one of the less bizarre options is when a group of low level yakuza thugs is attacked by lobsters. When you’re at a reasonable level, random battles resolve just as quickly as in previous games, but larger boss encounters have strategic elements that reward planning and patience.
There’s a major criminal conspiracy going on here – it’s a yakuza game, after all – but it doesn’t feel as unnecessarily complicated as some of the intrigues in the other entries. Keeping an eye on the important people is not quite as overwhelming, most likely because Kasuga is not familiar with many things. I also loved how the story is gradually coming to light. Kasuga and his friends learn a lot about Yokohama’s criminal underworld by doing various jobs across the city. At the same time he learns about the city and its people with us, which is a refreshing approach.
It wouldn’t be a yakuza game without a plethora of side activities, and Like a Dragon delivers here too. If you’re not having fun with the current task or want to take a break from the story, there are several tedious side activities or activities available to help you take your time. Yokohama is home to several great distractions, including a Mario Kart-style Dragon Karting series with racing rivals, powerups, and tiered tournaments. I spent a lot of my time in the oddly engaging management simulation where you hire people to run various businesses to grow profits and then win investors in boardroom battles. It’s similar in spirit to cabaret management or baseball simming in previous entries, and it’s fun to make lots of cash on upgrades and supplies.
Like a Dragon is a departure from the previous games, but I found these changes revitalizing. As much as I enjoyed the yakuza formula, it was definitely a formula. As if a dragon had enough familiar elements to make it feel like a game of yakuza in the heart. Meanwhile, I fully appreciated how much new identity this entry created. We hope this is the first step in another great journey for the series.
