This game is... fine. However, it should be noted that I am not a Fist of the North Star fan and have very limited knowledge on the franchise so I won't be commenting much on its story or its faithfulness to the source material.
If you've played any Yakuza or Judgment game, you'll know what to expect from this one, it's the same song and dance and it's all very solid. Despite coming out after Yakuza 6 and Kiwami 2 which used the new Dragon Engine, Lost Paradise uses a modified version of Yakuza Kiwami engine which debuted in Yakuza 5. For some odd reason, the sprint button that Ishin introduced was removed but the combat is fun and smooth, feeling distinct from what came before but still very familiar. Instead of grabs and throws, there's a bigger emphasis on QTEs and heat actions to locate pressure points and blow enemies' brains out. It all feels very fluid both in one-to-one encounters and group fights.
Lost Paradise's biggest downfall, however, is in its pacing. Too many times are you sent off to do some meaningless busy work or partake in mandatory sidequests and this oftentimes results in absolutely nothing. Chapter 10 is a prime example of this.
Personally, I got the most enjoyment out of this game by using the Kiryu costume DLC since (from the perspective of a Yakuza fan) most of the game's novelty comes from hearing familiar voices come out of these characters.
Aside from that, it's your average Like a Dragon game and that makes it really good but without any attachment or familiarity with its source material and some distracting shortcomings, Lost Paradise unfortunately doesn't stick out much in my eyes and is my least favorite game in the franchise as a result. I can only truly recommend this game to someone who is a fan of Fist of the North Star, though being a Yakuza fan also helps. However, as someone who is only a Yakuza fan, this game didn't do all too much for me.
If you've played any Yakuza or Judgment game, you'll know what to expect from this one, it's the same song and dance and it's all very solid. Despite coming out after Yakuza 6 and Kiwami 2 which used the new Dragon Engine, Lost Paradise uses a modified version of Yakuza Kiwami engine which debuted in Yakuza 5. For some odd reason, the sprint button that Ishin introduced was removed but the combat is fun and smooth, feeling distinct from what came before but still very familiar. Instead of grabs and throws, there's a bigger emphasis on QTEs and heat actions to locate pressure points and blow enemies' brains out. It all feels very fluid both in one-to-one encounters and group fights.
Lost Paradise's biggest downfall, however, is in its pacing. Too many times are you sent off to do some meaningless busy work or partake in mandatory sidequests and this oftentimes results in absolutely nothing. Chapter 10 is a prime example of this.
Personally, I got the most enjoyment out of this game by using the Kiryu costume DLC since (from the perspective of a Yakuza fan) most of the game's novelty comes from hearing familiar voices come out of these characters.
Aside from that, it's your average Like a Dragon game and that makes it really good but without any attachment or familiarity with its source material and some distracting shortcomings, Lost Paradise unfortunately doesn't stick out much in my eyes and is my least favorite game in the franchise as a result. I can only truly recommend this game to someone who is a fan of Fist of the North Star, though being a Yakuza fan also helps. However, as someone who is only a Yakuza fan, this game didn't do all too much for me.