Yakuza: Like a Dragon Reviews
Yakuza: Like a Dragon largely succeeds at moving the series forward in a bold new direction. Kasuga and his band of unlikely heroes are incredibly interesting and make it so easy to care about their crazy antics. The new main locale is massive and plays host to so many compelling things to do. Getting wrapped up in everything Like a Dragon has to offer is worth it and you’ll easily pour 30+ hours into its captivating tale. The turn-based battle system works in parts, but its annoying character placement issues and faulty summons system keep it from being a total victory. Like a Dragon is still worth hopping into if you’re looking for an amazing parody of RPG tropes, however. It’s a Yakuza sequel that signals a bright future ahead for the beloved franchise.
Yakuza: Like A Dragon is a great entry to the series that dares to reinvent itself and make itself very welcoming for those who are still on the fence on the Yakuza series as a whole. The JRPG mechanics are solid, the side content is plentiful, silly, and full of life, the characters are deep, and the story is full of mystery, intrigue, and drama which all make up an incredibly enjoyable ride with all the unique sauce that Yakuza is known for and is definitely something worth checking out for fans of the old Yakuza and new ones who want to get into the series.
As a fan of the Yakuza series, I had a good time with Like a Dragon but it could definitely use a lot of fine-tuning if there's ever another RPG-style sequel. Overall, I'm happy that it exists but I was hoping its combat would have been much better executed.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon marks a new beginning for the series, taking risks with new ideas and a shift to JRPG mechanics. Kasuga Ichiban's adventure combines craziness and realism, though not always seamlessly. It's a promising start that acknowledges the need for future refinement.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Ichiban himself is an interesting character and his friends are such a crazy bunch too. We definitely recommend playing this episode. For us, the game exceeded all expectations we had. It's just a shame that Kiryu didn't have more space, but hopefully we'll see him in the next episode.
Review in Czech | Read full review
Whether you’re a Yakuza veteran or a newcomer to the series, there is a lot to love with Like A Dragon. It takes the series in a fresh new direction, tells an engaging story packed with quirky characters and has a fun and brave combat system. The overall presentation of the game is top notch, taking place in a vibrant and busy representation of Japan with a really solid English dub. The game does have some late game flaws that are certainly noticeable but if you’re wanting a new Yakuza game to check out, I whole heartedly recommend checking out Like A Dragon.
Ichiban’s journey is an epic tale of loyalty, love and honour, and this is likely to be an experience you’ll remember for years to come. Like a Dragon is an absolute must-play.
While it noticeably stumbles in various spots, Like a Dragon is an obvious experiment that’s as close to a slam dunk as it was ever probably going to get. I hope we see more of this, and that the Yakuza team continues exploring this setting beyond the mafia drama.
While minor storytelling and other issues persist, I had a great time playing Yakuza: Like a Dragon. It’s a story of friendship, family, and betrayal with constant twists and turns, set in an intriguing world. It’s all set in a city with tons to do, so it never gets old – or if it does, then you can just hop on a go-kart or go to the arcade for a while.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon is in the running for 2020's Game of the Year, blending some amazing mechanics, compelling storytelling, and flawless gameplay. Even if you're new to the series, this is a must-buy if you own any of the video game consoles that it will be released on later this month.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon takes big risks and becomes a slightly flawed but highly enjoyable RPG that takes the over-the-top nature of the Yakuza series and turns it up a notch.
Yakuza Like a Dragon is another great addition to the Yakuza series. Trading real-time combat for turn-based combat is the change-up the series needed, making the once-great series, amazing.
Yakuza Like A Dragon isn't a sequel so to speak, it serves as a revival for the entire franchise, this entry miraculously changed the essence of the gameplay while retaining the ambiance and originality of the franchise, it is a good move to attract new fans at the same time keeping the original fans satisfied.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Yakuza Like a Dragon is a must-play for fans of the first hour. Side missions complement the main story in a major way thanks to the utter insanity of some of the stories. You'll need to have some patience though for some of the other mechanics in the game, which is disappointing.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Yakuza: Like a Dragon is an ode to the RPG’s of yesterday, while also moving the series in a bold and exciting new direction.
This story of not just Ichiban, but also his allies both former and new, is a tour de force that sucks players in completely. It’s a roller-coaster taking players through the full gamut of emotions and an easy, if slightly caveated, recommendation even to newcomers.
The decision to reinstate the entire combat system was not a bad choice. It's still questionable whether if the title can withhold the genre of a true RPG - due to its simplicity and lack of dynamic strategy in comparison to those existing ones - loyal fans of Yakuza series will still be able to accept this change without much denial. The best thing about this title is the fullness of both the main and sub storylines with plenty of drama and surprises to entertain the gamers. This was actually a boost in value in comparison to the previous series. Yakuza: Like a Dragon can be a game which can be proudly suggested to your friends and those who never played any of its predecessors.
Review in Korean | Read full review
The good news is that Yakuza: Like a Dragon is the same incredible game on PS5, as well as an excellent RPG. This particular release amounts to a light coat of polish that makes some subtle improvements but nothing truly revolutionary as we’ve seen with some other PS5 upgrades. This may largely be owing to the fact that the original release already looked excellent, but it still would have been nice to see the PS5 release support a full 4K60. Also unfortunate is the lack of using much of the DualSense controller’s features, but again, this is the sort of addition that’s hard to shoehorn in after the fact. While the PC is still the best place to play Yakuza: Like a Dragon, the PlayStation 5 can keep pace well enough and it’s a solid way to experience Ichiban’s incredible, can’t-miss story.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a beautiful subversion of Japanese RPGs. Despite being located in an environment quite distant from the traditional to the style, all its characteristic elements are present and have been implemented in a very competent manner. Unlike certain IPs that, aiming at Western success, try to adapt to our market, the Yakuza series has a very unique identity due to the fact that it is not ashamed to present itself as a product from the East. This is now being put to the test more than ever.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
In conclusion if you are a fan of the Yakuza series (as I am) this game is for you although it would also be a great introduction for anyone new to the IP. As is standard for the series, the game does not hold your hand and some parts have a steep learning curve but that is all part of the challenge in a Yakuza game. The major design changes to the gameplay have not spoilt the experience and many hours can be happily spent running around Yokohama.