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

A graphically pedestrian Japanese roleplaying recreation is probably not what many Xbox Sequence X house owners have been hoping for as their premier next-generation-exclusive launch title, however right here we’re with Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Whereas it won’t be a lot of a technical exercise for Microsoft’s strongest console, it’s a revolution for the sequence and, by a long way, essentially the most substantial console unique within the Sequence X and S launch lineup.

That is the eighth mainline Yakuza recreation, with Sega presumably ditching the sequence numbering in an try to realize a wider viewers. (It’s nonetheless referred to as Ryu ga Gotoku 7 in Japan, “Like a Dragon” being a direct translation of the Yakuza sequence’s Japanese identify.) This recreation is a canonical sequel, with occasional recurring characters and references that followers will recognize, however I wouldn’t fear about taking part in the earlier seven in case you don’t have the time.

That’s as a result of Like a Dragon has an all-new forged, a distinct setting, and a radically altered gameplay type to its predecessors. 2018’s glorious Yakuza 6 served as a farewell to authentic protagonist Kazuma Kiryu, one of the crucial iconoclastic characters ever to grace a online game, and as promised, Like a Dragon replaces him with a brand new lead.

The place Kiryu was stoic and brooding, Ichiban Kasuga is wild and extroverted. He’ll carry out pranks, inform dad jokes, and barge into conditions with the subtlety of a pet. However each males share a historical past of tragedy and sacrifice and are certain by a robust sense of integrity. I discovered Kasuga to be a vastly likable predominant character in my time with the sport, and in some methods, he seems like a greater match for Yakuza’s oddball mixture of goofball humor and sincerity.

A lot of the supporting forged is much less agreeable however no much less entertaining. Like a Dragon spins a typical Yakuza story of wrongful imprisonment and betrayal, with Kasuga discovering himself homeless in Yokohama after spending 18 years behind bars to take the hit for a colleague. Issues have modified within the yakuza world since he was away, and he’s pressured to ally with numerous characters from Yokohama’s underbelly in an try to not solely survive, however change into a “hero.”

That final goal is as a result of Kasuga seems to be an enormous RPG nerd, regularly referencing Dragon Quest as an inspiration. That’s a theme carried over to the core motion of Like a Dragon itself, which strikes from real-time brawler fight to turn-based JRPG-style battles the place you choose instructions from a menu.

This isn’t as enormous a change as you may suppose. The Yakuza video games have all the time primarily been JRPGs with a extra hands-on strategy to fight, and there isn’t a lot structurally completely different about Like a Dragon. You’re nonetheless exploring a reasonably small however densely detailed space, transferring from quest to cutscene to quest at your leisure. The truth is, the largest change is that Like a Dragon’s tackle Yokohama is way larger than earlier sequence places, so that you’re spending much more time on foot. That offers you all of the extra alternative to get distracted by an arcade and step in for a couple of rounds of Virtua Fighter 2 or OutRun.

The precise fight system isn’t notably deep, although you can say the identical for many different Yakuza video games. The shift to turn-based motion does allow some actually outlandish strikes, particularly if you begin experimenting with the sport’s job system. Kasuga’s homeless drifter buddy Nanba, for instance, begins out with the ability to assault enemies with pigeons by throwing seeds at them. However now that I’ve given him a job as a musician, he has a devastating assault involving “bodily releasing” a CD in his opponents’ course.

However there isn’t a lot gained when it comes to tactical scope. Whereas your characters all transfer across the battlefield robotically, positioning solely actually comes into play if you attempt to assault a far-off enemy and one other one will get in the best way first. Characters usually get themselves caught behind surroundings, which may be irritating if you wish to goal a particular opponent however don’t have any apparent manner to take action. You should use environmental assaults once they’re in vary — attacking enemies with a bicycle is a time-honored Yakuza custom — however it’s not as simple to take action as previously.

I don’t actually have an inherent choice for real-time or turn-based fight, and Like a Dragon switching to the latter doesn’t change the sport up an excessive amount of in the long run. I wouldn’t name it a transparent enchancment, however it’s not a regression both. General, I recognize the try to supply a extra novel spin on the traditional Yakuza expertise.

It’s truthful to say that Like a Dragon just isn’t a technical showcase. It got here out on the PS4 in Japan nearly a 12 months in the past, and it’s solely now making its option to the West. Which means even in case you’re taking part in it on the Sequence X in the present day, it’s firmly rooted within the prior technology — much more so than cross-gen video games like Murderer’s Creed Valhalla or Watch Canine: Legion which can be additionally out there at launch. (That’s not unusual for the sequence: Yakuza 0 was a Japan-only PS3 recreation earlier than a PS4 model discovered success within the West almost two years later.) The Yakuza sequence nonetheless has nice facial animation and performing performances, the in-engine cutscenes are well-directed, and the cities are rendered in often-impressive element. However this isn’t the place to return for next-generation graphical expertise.

Like a Dragon does, nonetheless, profit significantly from its standing as an Xbox Play Wherever title. I began taking part in it on my Xbox One X final week, put in it on my PC a couple of days later (TL;DR evaluation: it helps ultrawide resolutions and has a splash display saying “REAL YAKUZA USE A GAMEPAD”), and now it’s on the Sequence X that obtained delivered to me this morning.

The Sequence X model has the choice for a 4K / 30fps mode, however by default, it runs at 1440p / 60fps, which I feel is the best choice. Whereas it seems to be primarily similar to what I used to be taking part in on the One X, it runs twice as clean, which is a welcome improve. The sport additionally has numerous interstitial loading screens on the One X, which the Sequence X speeds as much as the purpose the place they’re insignificant.

Like a Dragon won’t be what you’d anticipate from a next-generation launch title, however then the Xbox Sequence X isn’t all the time what you’d anticipate from a next-generation console. Whereas the {hardware} energy isn’t doubtful, at this level, it serves extra as a efficiency enhance than a paradigm shift. From that standpoint, Like a Dragon is a good recreation to have out there on day one. It’s a recent tackle the Yakuza sequence, it’ll preserve you occupied for a very long time, and it runs higher than ever earlier than.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is out in the present day on Xbox, Home windows, Steam, and PS4. A PS5 model will likely be out there on March 2nd, 2021.