035PrevieW
love of RPGs (“it’ll be a happy ending, just like in
Dragon Quest”, he muses in one scene) translates
directly into how he sees his own adventure.
Real life and fantasy blur frequently. As you
encounter enemies on the streets, their outfits will
even change to appear more menacing (one gang
suits up in Mad-Max-like spiky gear). Action in
Yakuza has always been exaggerated a little but
remained mostly grounded. Here, thanks to the
blurring of lines, party members can pull off some
truly ridiculous moves, for example summoning
flocks of pigeons to help out.
As well as the umbrella-wielding Namba we’ve
seen Saeko Mukouda, a high-ranking Isezaki Ijin
hostess, and ex-police detective Kouichi Adachi,
who lays down his own brand of justice with his
fists. Each has their own sets of moves, which can be
altered by taking on and levelling up new jobs. This
is a class-based system that riffs on the Final Fantasy
terminology by taking ‘jobs’ literally. Not only can
Ichiban change from his Hero default to the likes of
Bouncer, Dancer, or Host, the other party members
can swap theirs too. It’s a combat system you’re
really able to sink your teeth into. Summons even
make an appearance, Ichiban spending money to call
them up on his phone. Earlier characters from the
rest of the series will make appearances to aid him
in battle. But those party members aren’t
just there for the fights; they also play
important roles in the story.feeL the turn
If you’re worried that Yakuza will lose
something in going turn-based, don’t be.
The Live Command RPG Battle system isn’t
just tacked on, it’s a way to incorporate RPG
fights directly into the development studio’s
proprietary Dragon Engine. Characters still
run around in real-time, and the city is
moving and alive while you’re in combat.
If you’re close to objects like bicycles, you
can pick them up and crush them over an
enemy’s head, just like always. If you’re near
fast traffic, whacking an enemy into the
road will see them hit by a car.
Mostly the battle system just gives you space to
decide on the actions you’ll take in the fight while
the characters try to keep their distance. But if you
try to run past enemies to ones lurking at the back,
there’s a chance they’ll interrupt you by hitting you
as you pass. The sort of physics you’d expect in
previous Yakuza fights is present here. In short, it’s
mainly the way the inputs are decided and the types
of moves you have access to that are different. The
way the camera moves smoothly between characters
as they take their turns promises a fighting system
that won’t get in the way and will provide plenty of
goofy fun and brutal fights.
In fact, that combination of humour and action
is the one element of Yakuza: Like A Dragon that
seems the most in-step with what we’re used to.
In that respect, it’s just as you’d expect, with truly
emotional moments (Ichiban being betrayed by his
Yakuza family is heartbreaking) mixed in with laugh-
out-loud ones. A wealth of diversions is on offer: a
driving range; darts; pachinko; a minigame where you
have to stave off falling asleep in a cinema; and even
kart racing through the streets. New gameplay, new
characters, new story – but the old Yakuza we came
to love is most definitely still there.factrick
new hero ichiban kasuga
was originally revealed in
2017 as the face of Japan-
exclusive yakuza online.- freSh face
the dev released a turn-
based combat april Fools
video this year... except it
turned out to be no joke!- fooL harDY
Previous cast and gags will
return – ichiban has a run-in
with hiroshima’s ono michio
mascot from yakuza 6.- funnY guY
aboveichiban’s party members include a former doctor, a hostess, and an
ex-detective – all with unique skills (such as the ability to summon pigeons).
above Fights are now turn-based, but no less brutal and
over-the-top than before. Heat attacks are still plentiful.
aboveit wouldn’t be Yakuza without silly minigames. This time
we get full-on kart racing – power-ups and drifting included.
“PaRty membeRS
aRen’t JuSt theRe
FoR the FightS; they
alSo Play imPoRtant
RoleS in the StoRy.”