Yakuza: Like A Dragon (PS5) Review

Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio

Publisher: Sega

Release Date: January 22, 2020

Platforms: PS4/PS5, Xbox One/Series X|S, PC

Overview: Departing from the mainstay story of Kazuma Kiryu, we follow a new series protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga, as he embarks on a quest to become a hero. As a newcomer to the series, I wasn't able to catch every nod and cameo from past Yakuza games. If you've played the past games and followed their narrative, then Like A Dragon will reward you with loads of nostalgia, background information on characters/organizations, and the general history of the Tojo clan. With Like A Dragon being my first foray into the Yakuza series, it took me a while to get used to how fluid conversations can move between being comedic and deadly serious. The humor in the game lands, and Kaiji Tang gives an amazing performance as Ichiban Kasuga. Our protagonist is prone to falling into the anime hardheaded trope, but it's his relentless tenacity and ability to befriend everybody that brings the best out of the character. Like A Dragon changes what a typical Yakuza game is, while still paying homage to what came before it.

Plot: Ichiban Kasuga is a part of the Arakawa family in the Tojo Clan after months of begging to join. In 2001, his boss asks that he take the blame for someone being murdered. Ichiban, owing his life to Arakawa, obliges and spends the next 18 years in prison. Upon being released, the world around him has changed drastically. The first thought on his mind is to reunite with his boss. Unfortunately, the Arakawa family isn't the same as it used to be. After being betrayed, Kasuga sets out on a quest to find out the truth and become the savior of Yokohama.

After being betrayed, Ichiban ends up being disposed of in Ijincho. A homeless former nurse living nearby saves him and Ichiban has to work his way back up by scavenging for food and pocket change. After a chance encounter at the homeless camp, Kasuga is able to start getting back on his feet. Ichiban will meet many different side characters that help him on his journey. Multiple party members, each carrying their motivations, will be added as the story continues. The plot is hard to predict, with multiple sides declaring checkmate, only to have the board flipped over. The overall story starts pretty small and slow, but it gradually becomes huge and ramps up the stakes as Kasuga becomes more involved with the Ijincho underworld.

After each chapter, new sub-stories become available to play through. The sub-stories are more often than not hilarious and entertaining. Some of these sub-stories offer wholly unique minigames the series is famous for. The sub-stories don't add much to the overall plot, but they do introduce many ways to enhance the game's experience. Some sub-stories unlock new shops to use, romance options, build up your social stats, or unlock new summons to use. The fetch quests are specifically reserved for Part-Time Hero jobs that reward money and items and don't require being extensively involved with an NPC. The main hub for our protagonists will be the Survive Bar, where characters can mingle, sing karaoke, and take a load off. At the bar, Kasuga will be able to interact with his party members and form bonds with them. The stronger the bond, the more jobs become available for them at Hello Work. The sub-story of these bonds will focus on a specific issue that a character is worrying about, and Kasuga will try to help them out if he can.

Throughout most of the game, it really does feel like you're being fed truths mixed with lies and red herrings. The twists and betrayals are cruel and at times gut-wrenching, literally. The main story was surprisingly emotional since all the sub-stories and enemy designs tend towards being comedic. Towards the end of the campaign is where the parallels between characters become obvious and put a spotlight on the relationship between nature vs nurture. This is where Kaji Tang's performance shines, being able to go from the bumbling idiot to emotionally devastated on a dime. Too often though, I often found myself struggling to remember what a minor character did early on when they're reintroduced with a bigger role. The whole time it felt like you're trying to put together a puzzle, and when that puzzle is complete you find out that it was just a piece of a larger puzzle.

Gameplay: I can best describe the combat in Like A Dragon as a parody of other turn-based RPG games. Not only is Kasuga slightly delusional during enemy encounters, but they managed to incorporate status effects humorously in a real-world setting. Kasuga is also able to use items in the environment in combat if he's attacking an enemy near something he can pick up. There are resistances and weaknesses to different weapon types and elemental attacks. Some members you'll be getting in your party are more suited for being a tank, being a healer, using magic, or as glass cannons. These characters can be further optimized by switching their job at Hello Work. Jobs are the Like A Dragon equivalent to classes. You can become a breakdancer that boops enemies with stylish dance moves, a host that throws out bitterly cold ice buckets, a chef that sprays black pepper in people's faces, and much more. The enemies in the game draw some inspiration from Pokemon, with them having evolutionary lines and a dedicated "Sujidex" to record their data. The Sujimon have hilarious designs that get progressively funnier as you encounter higher versions of them in their evolutionary line.

There are also summons in the game that you can call from Poundmates. The first summon is free, subsequent summons will cost a fee for their services. The summons are hilarious, zany, and badass all at the same time. If you complete a substory all the way through, that character might become available to summon from your phone. The effects range from dealing damage to all enemies to buffing the party with increased stats. While not necessary for every encounter, Poundmates can help you out in a wild spectacle if you're in a pinch.

Lastly, it wouldn't be a Yakuza game without minigames. Probably the biggest minigame is the managing of the Ichiban Holdings company. This business sim had me hooked and I spent a lot of time on it. If you progress far enough with the company, you will also gain a new party member. The business sim also has its own dedicated storyline separate from the main narrative. Then of course there's the usual golfing, batting cages, darts, and arcades. The SEGA arcades were particularly fun since you got to play some older Sega games. I brushed up on my Virtua Fighter 5 skills and cleared the arcade when I was looking for some trophies. Gambling at casinos playing blackjack, poker, and slots was also available. The 2nd biggest minigame is the one I also spent the 2nd most time on. DragonKart is the Yakuza version of Mario Kart, with orbital beams replacing blue shells and rocket launchers replacing orange shells. The mode was very competent and doesn't try to step outside of its limits. DragonKart also has its own dedicated story arc that's separate from the main storyline.

Final Verdict: 9/10

Yakuza: Like A Dragon was a turbulent ride through the ever-changing direction of the narrative's focal point. It kept you on your toes once it started to get going and the combat mechanics were equal parts fun and hilarious. The nostalgia factor will hit hard for returning Yakuza players with how returning characters are introduced. Ryo Ga Gotoku took a risk in turning Yakuza into a turn-based combat system, but that allowed them to emphasize the comedic undertones that have permeated throughout the series. The cutscene quality isn't always up to the same visual standard per shot and is a little jarring at times. The minigames are fun, fighting Sujimon is fun, completing substories is fun, and this game is just flat-out entertaining. I did hit one minor snag where I needed to grind some exp to complete a story mission, but it was smooth sailing from there. The game isn't too challenging if you take advantage of enemy weaknesses and form strong bonds with party members. I'm glad this was the Yakuza game I chose to pick up, and Ichiban Kasuga has become one of my favorite videogame protagonists.