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

Platform - Xbox Series X Length - ~60 hours I wasn't really aware of the Yakuza series until Yakuza 0 came out and was a pretty big hit. I've been curious since then but never actually played one. Until now! Like A Dragon seemed like a great starting point: New protagonist, a new storyline, and a completely different combat mechanic (JRPG). There would never be a better time to hop into this series, and I sure am glad I did. Yakuza LaD stars Ichiban Kasuga, one of the most sincere and wholesome protagonists from any game ever. Kasuga sees the best in everyone to a fault, and its really fucking charming. The supporting cast is also pretty fantastic - Nanba the homeless former Nurse, Adachi the former cop, and Saeko the hostess. There are some additional characters that can join your party, but I won't spoil them here, and generally they're not as key to the story as the others. The story of LaD has its ups and downs. The social commentary means well, but sometimes just doesn't hit the mark. It didn't bother me too much, and I'm sure there are cultural differences at play, but there were definitely times where I was shaking my head at the morals that the game seemed to say were "correct". As with many JRPGs (and with the Yakuza series in general I'm told), the game take a long time to really get going and open up. I struggle with these kinds of games and often bounce off of them during the on ramp, but Yakuza managed to keep me interested from the beginning. The primary propelling force for me was just how well written Ichiban is. From the beginning he's a loveable goofball who you can't help but root for, and seeing how his story concluded kept me going even through the worst segments. Of which there are several. Toward the back third of the game, grinding becomes essential. The combat is fun enough, though, so I through on a podcast and play passively to get where I needed to be. For me, this is HUGE. I normally can't stand this kind of roadblock, but I felt so compelled to see it through that I did it with few complaints. The combat of the game is generally pretty good, and visually absurd in a way that I really loved. The summons in particular really are buckwild to see. The only problem I have is that positioning is very important but you have no control over where your characters move. It makes it hard to plan out your moves ahead sometimes, but most encounters didn't end up being a problem. There are a number of minigames to take part in, and while fine, most of them weren't super engaging. The management sim was pretty fun, though! Despite its ups and downs in the story, slow start, and sometimes questionable morals, I genuinely loved Yakuza Like A Dragon. I really can't overstate how great of a character Ichiban is - He is already one of my all time favorites, and I can't wait to see where his story goes next.