5/5 ★ – Lord_Hazenberg's review of Yakuza: Like a Dragon.

I had high expectations going in, but I had no idea each & every one would be exceeded. Not only is this one of the finest games in the Yakuza series, this is one of the best games I’ve played in years. A wonderful sign that the future of this series is still in good hands. The story takes place 3 years after Yakuza 6, and sees newcomer Ichiban Kasuga as the protagonist. A low level grunt in the Tojo Clan whose entire way of life is ripped away & he must claw his way back from rock bottom in a new city. Being a big fan of Dragon Quest games, Ichiban sees his new life through the lens of a hero in his own fantasy world. Over the course of the game your party & friendships will grow, enemies will be made, & revelations will shed light over the story’s mysteries. For the first time in the series combat is no longer a brawler, but rather a turn based rpg system featuring your choice of 4 party members. Each member can level up in multiple jobs aka classes which act as twists on classic rpg tropes. A pop star idol is the quintessential white mage healer, a swat enforcer is a shielded tank, & a breakdancer is a high speed attacker. Many different status effects & elemental weapons can be inflicted upon foes as well. Also being a classic JRPG, there are a multitude of stats for the main character to upgrade in. Dialogue choices are reserved for sub stories, and can affect his 6 main personality traits. Each one can buff his combat abilities, make him resistant to debuffs, help in recruiting better employees for his real estate firm, & flirt with the 6 romance options. Yokohama is the new open world city, and it is absolutely marvelous. So many unique districts and activities to do. New mini games introduced are a pac man style can collecting one, a button masher trying not to fall asleep at a movie theater, & a kart racer that can even be played against people online. Real estate also sees a return as a major minigame with a few tweaks. Kamurocho & Sotenbori also return near the end of the game but are nowhere near as fleshed out as Yokohama. Now for some miscellaneous praises. The dragon engine is once again phenomenal. Graphics & especially sound design are in top form. The soundtrack is also one of the most well rounded in the entire series. The voice acting is arguably the greatest of the franchise with the ending sequence being one of the most raw & sobering experiences I’ve seen in a game. The treatment of the classic characters was handled very well too. I’m so sick of seeing characters I’ve grown attached treated like utter garbage or turned into completely different people just to service a lazy plot & prop up a new cast of characters that can’t stand up on their own. Like a Dragon treats these individuals like the legends they are and it’s so damn refreshing. Also for the first time since the original Yakuza, the game can be played in English although I still chose Japanese. And unlike Ghost of Tsushima, all of the animations & lip syncing were done for both languages so it’s almost two entirely different experiences. In conclusion, this is a masterclass of gaming and a love letter to classic JRPGs. I’ve racked up almost 90 hours in my first playthrough and have done everything in the game besides the level 99 DLC dungeon. In a year where RPGS were nothing but disappointments with FF7 part 1 turning into a glorified hack n slash & the overhyped Cyberpunk becoming the laughingstock of the gaming industry, Yakuza Like a Dragon comes out as the undisputed best game of 2020. Nothing else I’ve played or seen from last year has even come close. Buy this game.