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Yakuza like a dragon battle5/3/2023 ![]() The cast of Yakuza: Like a Dragon is overall strong and fun to watch. The ending left me in tears, but I was also very satisfied and excited to see where the series will go with this new protagonist and gameplay style. But the pieces do eventually come together, and by the second half of the game, the stakes are high and highly personal. In true RPG fashion, things start out slow, and it’s difficult at first to see how Ichiban’s floundering about in Ijincho relates to the mystery of his patriarch’s betrayal. Ichiban wakes up in a most unexpected place - Yokohama’s Ijincho district - and promptly starts making waves with the local gangs as he tries to piece together what’s going on. The opening chapters of the game are a whirlwind of exposition, as we get introduced to Ichiban’s not-so-successful life as a yakuza, follow him through his stint in prison, and reel with surprise and confusion when Ichiban finally catches up to his patriarch, only for Arakawa to shoot him. Adding to that shell shock is the news that the Omi Alliance, longstanding rivals of the Tojo Clan, has finally taken over Kamurocho and that Ichiban’s old patriarch and father figure, Masumi Arakawa, helped them do it. It’s 2019, and the Tojo Clan has fallen, a fact that’s hard for series newcomer Ichiban Kasuga to accept after spending 18 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Yakuza: Like a Dragon is the series’ first step in a new story arc and a new gameplay direction, and it is simply a fantastic experience, especially for fans of classic JRPGs. Turn-based combat, a job system, party members, crafting and equipping gear - the whole shebang. Previous games in the main series have toyed with RPG-lite mechanics, but developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio decided that their latest entry, which features a brand new protagonist and city to explore, would go RPG full tilt. Spawning eight main entries and just as many spinoffs, with a couple remakes for good measure, the series has become known for its gripping crime drama stories, zany side content, and beat-em-up combat. The Yakuza series may not always come to mind first when you think about long-running, storied RPG franchises, but it has been around for quite some time.
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