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Sega’s Yakuza franchise is the spiritual successor to two of the publisher’s beloved series: Shenmue and Streets of Rage. Like Shenmue, Yakuza lets you explore and live in virtual Japan where you can eat authentic Japanese food, play classic arcade games, and help your fellow citizens. Like Streets of Rage, Yakuza sees you clinging to roving gangs of street thugs. Traditionally, the Yakuza series has successfully married both game design philosophies, but with the series having six main entries, many people wondered how the franchise would evolve. Enter Yakuza: like a dragon. The upcoming PC game takes the basic Yakuza beat ’em up formula and gives the Japanese RPG (JRPG) a welcome shake-up.
The dragon reborn
You didn’t misread the last sentence. Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a turn-based JRPG. You still fight random gangsters and thugs, only this time, you don’t directly control your party. Although you can play as multiple characters in previous series entries, this will be your first time controlling a team of four characters. Make no mistake, Like a Dragon is still a Yakuza game, packed with side quests, entertaining diversions, and deep characterization. More importantly, the turn-based battles are equally frantic and wild.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon features a hero: Kasuga Ichiban. Like the series’ longtime protagonist Kazuma Kiryu, Kasuga is a former Yakuza member who spent decades in jail for a crime he did not commit. He is also denied the chance for a new life when the Yakuza world lures him back into the fold. Unlike Kiryu, Kyosuke is not a silent, stoic hero. He is brash and abrasive, and often gets into trouble due to his outbursts. This makes him a more dynamic character who will do or say things you don’t expect.
Kasuga is an avid gamer. Occasionally he breaks the fourth wall when he claims (correctly) that meals provide a boost and that fighting bad guys raises his levels. And one of his favorite games of all time is Dragon Quest. That’s why he sees real-world battles as JRPG encounters. Making Kasuga a hardcore JRPG gamer is a great in-game reason why this Yakuza game lacks the traditional beat ’em up battles.
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Turn-based action
Unlike many JRPGs, Like a Dragon’s turn-based battles do not take place on a separate battle screen. They occur directly where you meet enemies. This includes streets, sidewalks, roofs, and even sewers. Time effectively stops when it’s one of your characters’ turn to make a move, and enemies can’t attack while you’re selecting actions. Available actions include basic attacks, abilities, and items. On the contrary, you cannot do anything when it is the enemy’s turn. While this is a standard fee for a JRPG, this is a Yakuza game, which means that the turn-based battles are series-specific.
Your party members and enemies do not remain static on the screen; the characters always move around the environment. This adds strategy to the JRPG combat. For example, it is best to wait for enemies to group when using an area of effect attack to hit as many as possible. If an enemy is near parked bikes, traffic cones, or garbage cans, your character uses those objects (or anything else in the environment) against him. However, the reverse is also true; You will be hit in the face with a moped if you are near one when an enemy attacks.
Fit for combat
At a certain point, you can change the work of your characters. If you’ve played Final Fantasy III or Bravely Default, you know what to expect. Jobs come with their own unique attacks and abilities. For example, giving Saeko Mukoda the job of hostess allows her to attack with letters, ashtrays, and sparkling wine. Jobs level up regardless of a character’s base level. The higher the work level, the stronger your attacks will be. As the game progresses, you will gain access to a wide range of jobs. This allows you to customize the party to suit your play style.
Outside of the standard attacks and abilities, you can perform group-based attacks and call in “Poundmates” to help you. Both are highly cinematic affairs that deal a lot of damage to enemies. Poundmates are this game’s version of role-playing summons. You’ll get Poundmates by completing side stories and progressing through the main narrative. However, you cannot spam Poundmates. After summoning one, you will have to wait a specified time before it becomes available again. Poundmates also cost money to summon, which means you’ll have to shell out some of your hard-earned yen.
Bad guys range from street thugs to yakuza enforcers. You’ll even have to fight chefs, drunks, and mentally ill runaways. As with most JRPGs, some enemies have immunity to specific attacks, while others can inflict status issues. For example, baddies wielding a knife inflict bleeding damage, causing party members to gradually lose health over time. Some can poison or blind, while others prevent you from using your own abilities. As a result, it is advisable to have a good supply of healing elements (in the form of food and drink) on hand. Likewise, members of your party can inflict status problems on enemies.
Virtual japan
Yakuza: Like a Dragon takes place in the fictional city of Isezaki Ijincho. Like Kamurocho’s configuration features in previous series installments, Isezaki Ijincho features a mix of classic and modern Japanese architecture. What Isezaki Ijincho lacks in size (compared to proper open world games) it makes up for in density.
Tall skyscrapers cast long shadows over thatched houses and businesses. Game rooms, cafes, bars, hostess clubs, and shogi lounges abound, giving you a variety of activities outside of the main mission. The game map displays shops and side quests, making it easy to find and achieve objectives. Overall, Isezaki Ijincho is a fully developed city that feels great to explore and live. It’s the closest thing to visiting Japan outside of going there.
With the appropriate Dragon Engine, Yakuza: Like a Dragon boasts the best graphics in the franchise. Although they are not photorealistic, the characters and environments contain incredible detail. This is especially true in the city, which has many shops. The only downside are some clunky animations, holdovers from previous games. This is exacerbated by the exceptional motion capture seen during cut-scenes, which is in contrast to older animations. This is not a deal breaker, but it is something you will notice. Stiff animations aside, Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a magnificent game.
Can your PC run Yakuza: Like a Dragon?
To play Yakuza: Like a dragon on PC, your gaming desktop or laptop needs at least an Intel Core i3-3740 CPU, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 GPU (2GB), 8GB of RAM, 40GB of storage space and the system. The game ran flawlessly on my computer, a system with an Intel Core i7-4790 CPU and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 GPU. Unfortunately, the tested preview build was incompatible with frame rate measurement tools.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon supports keyboard and mouse inputs, as well as game controllers. The game uses the notorious Denuvo anti-piracy software. It is compatible with Steam Achievements and Steam Cloud.
Fight for justice
Yakuza: Like a Dragon is shaping up to be another stellar entry in the revered series. Veterans will enjoy a new combat system that preserves the hectic classic Yakuza they have come to know and love. Newcomers will dive into a great starting point that sums up what makes Yakuza so cool. Stay tuned for our full review when the game hits PC (as well as PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S / X) on November 10, 2020. The PlayStation 5 is scheduled to launch on March 2, 2021.
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Yakuza: Like a Dragon (for PC) Specifications
| Theme | Games for PC |
| Product price type | Street |
| Product gaming platform | personal computer |
| Genre of product sets | Role playing game |
| Product Sets ESRB Rating | Mature |
| product category | Games |
| Audience | Gaming |
