Yakuza: Like a Dragon review: a new, next-gen start for the series

A graphically pedestrian Japanese role-playing game may not be what many Xbox Series X owners hoped for as an exclusive, next-gen first launch title, but here we are. Yakuza: like a dragon. While this may not be tech training for Microsoft’s most powerful console, it is a revolution for the series and, by far, the most substantial exclusive console in the launch lineup. of the X and S series.

This is the eighth main line Yakuza game, with Sega likely dropping series numbering in an attempt to gain a larger audience. (It’s still called Ryu ga Gotoku 7 in Japan, “Like a Dragon” being a direct translation of Yakuza Japanese name of the series.) This game is a canonical sequel, with occasional recurring characters and references that fans will enjoy, but I wouldn’t be afraid to play the previous seven if you don’t have the time.

It’s because Like a dragon has a whole new cast, a different setting and a drastically changed playstyle compared to its predecessors. 2018 is excellent Yakuza 6 served as a farewell to original protagonist Kazuma Kiryu, one of the most iconoclastic characters to ever grace a video game, and as promised, Like a dragon replace it with a new track.

Where Kiryu was stoic and brooding, Ichiban Kasuga is wild and outgoing. He’ll play pranks, tell dad jokes, and rush into situations with puppy subtlety. But the two share a story of tragedy and sacrifice and are linked by a strong sense of integrity. I found Kasuga to be an extremely likable main character during my time playing with the game, and in some ways he felt better suited to Yakuza’s weird mix of goofy humor and sincerity.

Much of the supporting cast is less enjoyable but no less entertaining. Like a dragon turns a typical Yakuza story of wrongful imprisonment and treason, Kasuga finding himself homeless in Yokohama after spending 18 years behind bars to take the blow for a colleague. Things have changed in the yakuza world since his absence, and he is forced to ally with various characters from Yokohama’s womb in an attempt to not only survive, but also become a “hero”.

The latter goal is for Kasuga to turn out to be a huge RPG nerd, frequently referencing Dragon quest like an inspiration. It is a theme carried over to the heart of the action of Like a dragon itself, which ranges from real-time brawler combat to JRPG-style turn-based battles where you select commands from a menu.

It’s not as big a change as you might think. the Yakuza games have always been essentially JRPGs with a more hands-on approach to combat, and there isn’t much of a structural difference about Like a dragon. You’re still exploring a fairly small but densely detailed area, going from quest to cutscene to quest at your leisure. In fact, the biggest change is that Like a dragonYokohama’s vision is much bigger than in previous series, so you spend a lot more time on foot. This gives you even more the opportunity to let yourself be distracted by an arcade and to intervene for a few sets of Virtua Fighter 2 or Exceed.

The current combat system isn’t particularly deep, although you can say the same for most of the others. Yakuza Games. The switch to turn-based action allows for some really extravagant moves, especially when you start experimenting with the game’s working system. Nanba, Kasuga’s homeless pal, for example, begins attacking enemies with it. pigeons by throwing seeds at them. But now that I’ve given him a job as a musician, he has a devastating attack of “physically pulling” a CD in the direction of his opponents.

But there isn’t much to be gained in terms of tactical reach. While your characters all move around the battlefield automatically, positioning only really comes into play when you try to attack a distant enemy and another sets out first. Characters often get stuck behind a set, which can be frustrating when you want to target a specific opponent but have no obvious way to do so. You can use environmental attacks when they’re in range – attacking enemies with a bicycle is an ancient Yakuza tradition – but it’s not as easy as it once was.

I don’t really have an inherent preference for real-time or turn-based combat, and Like a dragon switching to the latter doesn’t change the game too much at the end. I wouldn’t call it a big improvement, but it isn’t a regression either. Overall, I appreciate the attempt to provide a more original version of the classic Yakuza experience.

It’s fair to say that Like a dragon is not a technical showcase. It released on PS4 in Japan almost a year ago, and it’s only now making its way west. This means that even though you play it on the X series today, it’s firmly entrenched in the previous gen – even more so than cross-gen games like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla or Watch Dogs: Legion which are also available at launch. (This is not uncommon for the series: Yakuza 0 was a PS3 game reserved for Japan before a PS4 version hit the West nearly two years later.) Yakuza The series still has excellent facial animation and acting performances, the in-engine cutscenes are well directed, and the towns are rendered in often impressive detail. But this is not the place to come for next generation graphics technology.

Like a dragon However, it benefits greatly from its status as an Xbox Play Anywhere title. I started playing it on my Xbox One X last week, installed it on my PC a few days later (TL review; DR: it supports ultra-wide resolutions and has a splash screen saying “REAL YAKUZA USE A GAMEPAD”), and now it’s activated the X series that was delivered to me this morning.

The Series X version has the option for a 4K / 30fps mode, but by default it runs at 1440p / 60fps, which in my opinion is the best option. While it looks essentially the same as what I was playing on the One X, it runs twice as smoothly, which is a welcome upgrade. The game also has plenty of interstitial loading screens on the One X, which the X series speeds up to the point where they’re insignificant.

Like a dragon It might not be what you expect from a next-gen launch title, but the Xbox Series X isn’t always what you expect from a next-gen console. While there is no doubt about hardware power, at this point it is more about improving performance than changing the paradigm. From this point of view, Like a dragon is a great game available from day one. It is a new vision of Yakuza series, it will keep you busy for a long time, and it works better than ever.

Yakuza: like a dragon is available today on Xbox, Windows, Steam, and PS4. A PS5 version will be available on March 2, 2021.