Yakuza: Like a Dragon Reviews
Yakuza: Like a Dragon refreshes the action with a turn-based JRPG that retains its charming identity, but it falls into some pitfalls that are emblematic of the genre.
My 40 hours in Yakuza: Like a Dragon were a great experience regardless if I was playing on my original Xbox One or seamlessly transitioning my save onto the Xbox Series X for improved resolution, frame rate, and loading times. I loved its characters, humor, and willingness to balance complete absurdity with utter sincerity. And even though the battle system would occasionally trip over its own feet, I still adored watching my crew beat the hell out of some weirdos, grow a little bit closer, and celebrate their victory with karaoke back at the pub.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon is about the importance of friendship and striving to become a better person, which is a message we could all do with right now. It also happens to be a sensational new dawn for a series that's brave enough to shake up the formula and accomplished enough to pull it off with aplomb. To quote Ichi, “let's do some hero shit!”
Yakuza: Like a Dragon understands what players expect from the beloved franchise. There is an engaging story with a troubled, but the not irredeemable protagonist, that sucks players in. The gameplay is a bit on the hollow side, though far from the worst RPG around. At worst it's just an easy and repetitive turn-based game, but nothing too hard. Combine this with stunning graphics and impressive length and it's really hard to find many flaws with Yakuza: Like a Dragon.
Yakuza: Like A Dragon is a rousing success. The timing is excellent, too. It’s the dawn of a new console generation and it’s an exciting time for this storied franchise to turn a new page. As far as launch games go, this is one of the best, for several reasons. It offers some presentation ‘wows,’ but even more importantly it offers a deep, long, compelling story with memorable moments and characters, with strong gameplay and lots to do. It’s built off of the success of the previous fifteen years of Yakuza, but Like A Dragon blazes its own path, too — you need not have played any of the previous games to fully enjoy this one, yet I appreciate that this game honors the past while forging its own future. PS5 owners have something great to look forward to in March, but if you’re lucky enough to have the new Xbox, this is a great game that is also very well priced right now at just $50.
For those who have a PC, the Xbox version that you purchase digitally will give you access to the Windows 10 version of it as well. It also has the Play Anywhere feature meaning you can continue your progress whether you are playing on an Xbox console or PC. Sadly, I've experienced several crashes when playing on PC but it certainly looks the best on PC running at max settings on an RTX 3080.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon, in my humble opinion, is one of the best AAA RPG experiences of 2020, and I am shocked I just wrote that sentence.
If Yakuza is to truly grow, we need to be the one to call it in.
The latest entry in the over the top crime drama saga breaks new ground for new fans and series veterans.
Yakuza is reborn in this brilliant and compelling new addition to series canon that recontextualizes series tropes and mechanics for an entirely new genre, delivering one of the best outings the series has ever seen.
Yakuza Like a Dragon is both a fresh start and a shot in the arm that caters to series veterans and newcomers like. It bears all the hallmarks of a great Yakuza game, while making a damned good case for its revamped battle system. After Yakuza 6 topped the rest of the franchise with a matured and succinct focus it feels even more exciting to see the whole thing blown wide open again and have Ryu ga Gotoku just run wild. Kudos is deserved at Sega of America for their commitment to the game's localization as well, which is incredibly considered and comprehensive. I think I've found a new favourite Yakuza game.
After the culture shock of such a total change to the Yakuza recipe, I’m extremely glad the Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio team took such a big leap when Kiryu’s tale came to an end. Like A Dragon is a revitalised game full of fresh ideas and proves that the series won’t be re-treading the same ground with Ichiban in the driver’s seat. If this is the first step into the new age of Yakuza, I can’t wait to see how bonkers the next game will be.
If it's not the best game in the series, it's not too far behind, which is saying quite a bit for one that has spent the entire eighth generation improving itself.
With all the new changes to the standard Yakuza formula, has the latest installment still managed to capture the hearts of diehard fans? Like A Dragon is Ryu Ga Gotoku's most ambitious game yet, but how does it stack up with the rest of the series?
Taking even the most passing of glances at any of the pre-release trailers and seeing real-world jobs like chef or bouncer or pop idol or musician re-imagined as RPG character classes, or witnessing crustaceans swarming enemies in what looked like mage abilities (aka spells), you could very easily chalk it up to the Yakuza team indulging in their absurdist tendencies.
Yakuza Like a Dragon is the best we could hope for the franchise, after the end of Kazuma Kiryu's storyline. It's a full fledged RPG now, and this change works extremely well with many of the pre-existent mechanics of the franchise. Don't miss it.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Overall, I can confidently say Yakuza: Like A Dragon is an impressive new addition to the series with stunning visuals, interesting characters, and an incredibly engaging story. However, the newly introduced gameplay mechanics hold the game back with several balancing issues, and coupled with its vastly different elements, it might be a tough sell for longtime fans of the series.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon reminded me why I loved video games to begin with. I cannot think of a game this year that has gripped me this tightly and didn't let go. Here comes a game brimming with joy and excitement that is earnest with its drama and comedy. It's the sort of game you can gush about for hours, and I will long after this review is published. Anyone who loves RPGs, open world games, comedies, crime dramas, and games PERIOD should have a lot of fun with the newest Yakuza.
Yakuza: Like A Dragon isn't just a great Yakuza title - it's legitimately one of the best modern role-playing games there is.
Ultimately, despite all the changes that have been made, Yakuza: Like a Dragon feels very much like a Yakuza game. The combat may now be turn-based, and the scenery might be different, but this is still a game full of drama, thrilling battles, and a huge amount of side content, all smothered with an ample amount of humour. And I never thought I’d say this, but I didn’t miss Kazuma Kiryu one jot while playing it; Ichiban Kasuga is simply a more likeable fellow with more depth. So, if you like the Yakuza series, consider Yakuza: Like a Dragon a must-have.