It’s time for a brand new adventure! While Yakuza 6: The Song of Life completely wrapped up the story of the Dragon of Dojima properly, Yakuza: Like a Dragon brings around an all-new cast and an all new genre for the series. But can the new saga stack up to the old one?
You play as Ichiban Kasuga, an enthusiastic and incredibly loyal member of the yakuza. When asked to step up and take the fall for a crime he didn’t commit, he does so without question. Now, 18 years later, he’s released from prison to a world he’s not familiar with at all. Searching for his patriarch, he discovers that the clan he was a part of has been dissolved, and that the patriarch he idolized is now working for their known enemy, the Omi Alliance. Even worse, when he confronts his former patriarch, Ichiban is shot in the chest and left for dead in Yokohama, miles from home. Now with no purpose or family to speak of, Ichiban has to start his way from the bottom and work his way back, learning the mystery of what happened while was away in the process.
One of Ichiban’s main passions is JRPGs, specifically Dragon Quest. If you give him the opportunity, he will talk about Dragon Quest, to an obsessive degree. This is the first time I’ve seen a video game character be a fan of another video game series, and it’s quite refreshing and interesting to see. Because of his obsession, he sees fights that he has to take part in as random encounters, explaining the genre shift.
Yes, the long running Yakuza series has changed from an action brawler to a JRPG. And it does so with style and grace. Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio wears its love for the genre on its sleeve, seeing as how a lot of the new mechanics introduced in Like a Dragon are from a lot of other great RPG titles. It has the job system of Dragon Quest, the item synthesis of Final Fantasy, the crazy enemies of the Mother series, the enemy compendium of Pokemon, the personality stats growth of Persona, even the quick 1 button battle menu system of Super Mario RPG (no, it wasn’t just Persona 5 that did that)! And they all fit together perfectly like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.
Thanks to the game being a JRPG, it won’t just be Ichiban on his adventure. He has a total of 6 other party members to aid in battle. From Nanba the homeless pigeon wizard (no really), to an eager ninja office worker named Eri, each character comes packed with personality, and their own story. It can also be easily said that a legacy character like Kiryu gives the next protagonist a lot to live up to, but thanks to Ichiban’s friends, he’s not alone; and each role that every party member offers can help Ichiban rise to the top. While Kiryu Kazuma’s saga was more about upholding the old world values of Yakuza and being a noble man, Ichiban Kasuga’s saga starts off with a heavy emphasis on friendship.
While Yakuza Like a Dragon has flipped the series on its head in more than one way, the incredibly immersive and incredibly addictive side activities remain. With Vocational Schooling that helps Ichiban gain personality stats and certificates, to an entire story arc about Ichiban learning the fun of go-kart racing with rocket launchers in Dragon Kart, it’s incredibly simple to find all sorts of things to do that can easily stack up your playtime. You can even collect popular Sega songs. I found myself spending hours at the batting cages just so I could listen to Nights into Dreams, or Phantasy Star Online 2 music.
.
While on the topic of music, I felt that the compositions stood out more in this game then they usually do. Battle themes usually come and go, but that could more be because I’m too focused on not getting punched. Turning the combat to turn based had me thinking more, and appreciating the music around me. I won’t spoil which, but a certain theme that plays during a boss fight really caught my attention. I also won’t deny that having some of the more popular songs from Yakuza 0 really helped as well.
I should also say that for the first time since the original Yakuza on PS2, Yakuza: Like a Dragon has a dub cast! And the way this game handled the dub and the way the original handled the dub are like night and day. It’s an excellently directed cast, every voice actor sounding like they were made for their role. I will definitely include Darryl Kulo in that, reprising his role as Kiryu Kazuma from the original PS2 game. He felt awkward and out of place in that game, but thanks to the direction, I can now only hear the Dragon of Dojima with a deep, bass-y voice. For the parts that he’s in, he does an excellent job. If you’re worried about Majima losing his chaotic energy and defining cackle, lemme put those fears to rest. Unfortunately, Sega was not able to secure Mark Hamill to reprise Goro Majima for whatever reason, but Matt Mercer does an excellent job in his stead.
And a big first for the series is English lip sync. It must have been quite the undertaking to do, to remodel every mocap model to move their lips in English, but I can say that it was absolutely worth the effort. Matching the lip sync and dub track really pulls you in and dips you on the dance floor, not letting go of you for a second. Between the writing, the acting, and the lip sync, everyone here felt like a real person and pulled me into their story, even the absurd ones.
While I don’t have too many negatives, there’s definitely things to be improved on for Yakuza 8. I know I’m in the minority that enjoys the dungeon segments, wandering around in an underground tunnel ready to jump 5 punks or garbage people just minding their own business, but it could be tightened up. Maybe some secrets that aren’t just “go down the corner that’s a dead end”? In dungeon dialogue would be nice as well. When traveling above ground or eating, the party has plenty to say to one another, but things go quiet underground. It would be nice to see more of that banter in the future. There’s also a difficulty spike near the end of the game, so I would advise to grind a bit in these dungeons.
I also think that at certain times that Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio relied too much on fan service to help Yakuza Like a Dragon. Not only does Nugget from Yakuza 0 return (in a way), but there’s also Gondawara from Yakuza Kiwami 2 returns, if anything because he was in the most popular substory in Yakuza Kiwami 2. Personally, the more wild characters that are introduced in Like a Dragon substories are more entertaining than the ones that are brought back. They’re minor gripes, but I think that Like a Dragon stands up on its own merits and doesn’t need a crutch like that to be popular.
Overall, if you’re a fan of the JRPG genre, the Yakuza series, or compelling, well acted narratives in general, Yakuza Like a Dragon is absolutely right for you. Being the first in a new saga gives it the luxury of being a great jumping on point for the Yakuza series, so it doesn’t need to be necessary to play the previous 7 games. It helps,but it’s not necessary. Regardless, this has my full recommendation, being my Game of the Year for 2020. It pulled me into a warm bear hug and refused to let go, even weeks after finishing the main story.
You play as Ichiban Kasuga, an enthusiastic and incredibly loyal member of the yakuza. When asked to step up and take the fall for a crime he didn’t commit, he does so without question. Now, 18 years later, he’s released from prison to a world he’s not familiar with at all. Searching for his patriarch, he discovers that the clan he was a part of has been dissolved, and that the patriarch he idolized is now working for their known enemy, the Omi Alliance. Even worse, when he confronts his former patriarch, Ichiban is shot in the chest and left for dead in Yokohama, miles from home. Now with no purpose or family to speak of, Ichiban has to start his way from the bottom and work his way back, learning the mystery of what happened while was away in the process.
One of Ichiban’s main passions is JRPGs, specifically Dragon Quest. If you give him the opportunity, he will talk about Dragon Quest, to an obsessive degree. This is the first time I’ve seen a video game character be a fan of another video game series, and it’s quite refreshing and interesting to see. Because of his obsession, he sees fights that he has to take part in as random encounters, explaining the genre shift.
Yes, the long running Yakuza series has changed from an action brawler to a JRPG. And it does so with style and grace. Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio wears its love for the genre on its sleeve, seeing as how a lot of the new mechanics introduced in Like a Dragon are from a lot of other great RPG titles. It has the job system of Dragon Quest, the item synthesis of Final Fantasy, the crazy enemies of the Mother series, the enemy compendium of Pokemon, the personality stats growth of Persona, even the quick 1 button battle menu system of Super Mario RPG (no, it wasn’t just Persona 5 that did that)! And they all fit together perfectly like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.
Thanks to the game being a JRPG, it won’t just be Ichiban on his adventure. He has a total of 6 other party members to aid in battle. From Nanba the homeless pigeon wizard (no really), to an eager ninja office worker named Eri, each character comes packed with personality, and their own story. It can also be easily said that a legacy character like Kiryu gives the next protagonist a lot to live up to, but thanks to Ichiban’s friends, he’s not alone; and each role that every party member offers can help Ichiban rise to the top. While Kiryu Kazuma’s saga was more about upholding the old world values of Yakuza and being a noble man, Ichiban Kasuga’s saga starts off with a heavy emphasis on friendship.
While Yakuza Like a Dragon has flipped the series on its head in more than one way, the incredibly immersive and incredibly addictive side activities remain. With Vocational Schooling that helps Ichiban gain personality stats and certificates, to an entire story arc about Ichiban learning the fun of go-kart racing with rocket launchers in Dragon Kart, it’s incredibly simple to find all sorts of things to do that can easily stack up your playtime. You can even collect popular Sega songs. I found myself spending hours at the batting cages just so I could listen to Nights into Dreams, or Phantasy Star Online 2 music.
.
While on the topic of music, I felt that the compositions stood out more in this game then they usually do. Battle themes usually come and go, but that could more be because I’m too focused on not getting punched. Turning the combat to turn based had me thinking more, and appreciating the music around me. I won’t spoil which, but a certain theme that plays during a boss fight really caught my attention. I also won’t deny that having some of the more popular songs from Yakuza 0 really helped as well.
I should also say that for the first time since the original Yakuza on PS2, Yakuza: Like a Dragon has a dub cast! And the way this game handled the dub and the way the original handled the dub are like night and day. It’s an excellently directed cast, every voice actor sounding like they were made for their role. I will definitely include Darryl Kulo in that, reprising his role as Kiryu Kazuma from the original PS2 game. He felt awkward and out of place in that game, but thanks to the direction, I can now only hear the Dragon of Dojima with a deep, bass-y voice. For the parts that he’s in, he does an excellent job. If you’re worried about Majima losing his chaotic energy and defining cackle, lemme put those fears to rest. Unfortunately, Sega was not able to secure Mark Hamill to reprise Goro Majima for whatever reason, but Matt Mercer does an excellent job in his stead.
And a big first for the series is English lip sync. It must have been quite the undertaking to do, to remodel every mocap model to move their lips in English, but I can say that it was absolutely worth the effort. Matching the lip sync and dub track really pulls you in and dips you on the dance floor, not letting go of you for a second. Between the writing, the acting, and the lip sync, everyone here felt like a real person and pulled me into their story, even the absurd ones.
While I don’t have too many negatives, there’s definitely things to be improved on for Yakuza 8. I know I’m in the minority that enjoys the dungeon segments, wandering around in an underground tunnel ready to jump 5 punks or garbage people just minding their own business, but it could be tightened up. Maybe some secrets that aren’t just “go down the corner that’s a dead end”? In dungeon dialogue would be nice as well. When traveling above ground or eating, the party has plenty to say to one another, but things go quiet underground. It would be nice to see more of that banter in the future. There’s also a difficulty spike near the end of the game, so I would advise to grind a bit in these dungeons.
I also think that at certain times that Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio relied too much on fan service to help Yakuza Like a Dragon. Not only does Nugget from Yakuza 0 return (in a way), but there’s also Gondawara from Yakuza Kiwami 2 returns, if anything because he was in the most popular substory in Yakuza Kiwami 2. Personally, the more wild characters that are introduced in Like a Dragon substories are more entertaining than the ones that are brought back. They’re minor gripes, but I think that Like a Dragon stands up on its own merits and doesn’t need a crutch like that to be popular.
Overall, if you’re a fan of the JRPG genre, the Yakuza series, or compelling, well acted narratives in general, Yakuza Like a Dragon is absolutely right for you. Being the first in a new saga gives it the luxury of being a great jumping on point for the Yakuza series, so it doesn’t need to be necessary to play the previous 7 games. It helps,but it’s not necessary. Regardless, this has my full recommendation, being my Game of the Year for 2020. It pulled me into a warm bear hug and refused to let go, even weeks after finishing the main story.
Deepest_roots
1 year ago