Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a role-playing game developed and published by Sega. Released in 2020, it is the eighth main entry in the Yakuza series. The game introduces a new protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga, and departs from the traditional action combat system, instead featuring turn-based combat with a party of characters. Set in the fictional city of Yokohama, the game follows Kasuga's quest for revenge and his journey through Japan's criminal underworld.
About the story
Ichiban Kasuga, a low-ranking grunt of a low-ranking yakuza family in Tokyo, faces an 18-year prison sentence after taking the fall for a crime he didn't commit. Never losing faith, he loyally serves his time and returns to society to discover that no one is waiting for him on the outside, and his clan has been destroyed by the man he respects most. Ichiban sets out to discover the truth behind his family's betrayal and take his life back, drawing a ragtag group of society’s outcasts to his side: Adachi, a rogue cop, Nanba, a homeless ex-nurse, and Saeko, a hostess on a mission. Together, they are drawn into a conflict brewing beneath the surface in Yokohama and must rise to become the heroes they never expected to be.
Platforms
PC PS4 PS5 XONE Series X|SGenres
Adventure Role-playing (RPG) Turn-based strategy (TBS)Themes
Action Open worldLanguages: Spanish (Spain) and 12 more
| Interface | Audio | Subtitles | |
|---|---|---|---|
| German | |||
| Spanish (Spain) | |||
| Korean | |||
| Portuguese (Brazil) | |||
| Russian | |||
| Chinese (Simplified) | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | |||
| Japanese | |||
| English | |||
| French | |||
| Italian | |||
| English (UK) | |||
| Spanish (Mexico) |
Critic Reviews
By Greg Wheeler
Ichiban’s journey is an epic tale of loyalty, love and honour, and this is likely to be an experience you’ll remember for years to come. Like a Dragon is an absolute must-play.
- 12 Dec, 2022
By Thomas Knight
While minor storytelling and other issues persist, I had a great time playing Yakuza: Like a Dragon. It’s a story of friendship, family, and betrayal with constant twists and turns, set in an intriguing world. It’s all set in a city with tons to do, so it never gets old – or if it does, then you can just hop on a go-kart or go to the arcade for a while.
- 15 Jun, 2022
By Alex Moretti
Someone once said that Shenmue crawled so that Yakuza could run. If that’s true, then Like A Dragon is the Usain Bolt of the series. There is so much to love and discover in the game’s 50 to 70-hour main story. Top this off with a new game plus mode, and you have an RPG that I can easily see being played for hundreds of hours.
- 18 Dec, 2021
By Charlie Norris
Yakuza Like a Dragon is another great addition to the Yakuza series. Trading real-time combat for turn-based combat is the change-up the series needed, making the once-great series, amazing.
- 16 Nov, 2021
By Andreas Salmen
Yakuza: Like a Dragon is an important entry for a series that's trying to redefine itself without losing what makes it Yakuza. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, even though its pacing was inconsistent. A lot of the enjoyment is due to the new protagonist Ichiban, his memorable companions, and their relationships, which are engaging to explore. Most of the adventure is set in the Yokohama region, which is a joy to interact with, and so are its shops and engaging side stories. While the introduction of RPG mechanics was a daring move, it ultimately paid off, and I prefer the full-on RPG approach over the old brawler gameplay. Most of its RPG systems are simplistic to the point of almost being repetitive, but it lays a solid and fun foundation upon which future titles can build.
- 21 Sep, 2021
