Game Pass June '21 Yakuza Like a Dragon Review

Xbox Game Pass brought in some great games for June 2021. One of which is Yakuza: Like a Dragon. This makes the 8th installment in the series but is not part of the original story-line which follows Kazuma Kiryu. Instead, players take on the 'role' as new protagonist named Ichiban Kasuga. This will be the first Yakuza game released that players don't follow Kiryu as the main protagonist. Ichiban Kasuga is a literal 'bright eyed' youngster in the Arakawa family of the Tojo clan. Much like Kiryu, Kasuga was locked up for 18 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. He took the fall for an officer of the Arakawa family by the request of his Patriarch Masumi Arakawa. Kasuga gets out of jail only to find himself on the bad side of his once beloved Arakawa family. Both the world and the times are very different since going to prison and you must help him navigate this new environment. A Different Way to Play Yakuza Previous games had a real-time beat em up system where Like a Dragon uses a turn-based battle system. Some players who are not familiar with RPGs may first be put off by it, but you will soon find that it's not as simple as just selecting a move and attacking. Some attacks affect enemies differently and may require a sort of quick time event to maximize the attack. They also worked in a mechanic that requires you to press the attack button at the same time an attack connects, in order to deal critical damage. Sega improved on the traditional RPG turn-based battle system and added a spritz of OG Yakuza to it. In RPGs- typically you can only attack with the weapon you have equipped. In Like a Dragon, you can attack with the item you're standing next to. Since players are not static on the battlefield, you may find that cones, boxes or signs may be available to assault your opponents during your next turn. This dynamic is further enhanced by the fact that you will learn new moves as you level up. A Different Character Experience Kasuga is quite a bit different from Kiryu. They are both Yakuza, but that is about where the commonalities end. SEGA took a different direction in character personality and made Kasuga much more emotive than Kiryu. This adds for a lot of heartfelt dialogue and relatable interactions with other characters. Kasuga is the emotionally supportive type and they integrate this into gameplay through a new 'Bond' system. This system encourages players to experience dialogue with their party members in order to unlock new moves and improve experience gained from combat. So go build that bond with your bros! You never know how it might turn out. Weird Missions The Yakuza franchise has always done a good job in taking weird and possibly uncomfortable situations and making them entertaining. Like a Dragon has a wide array of some of the weirdest and most random missions you will ever play in a game. The colorful characters and scenarios will both make you laugh and cry. The script writing of the game is first class. The engaging dialogue between characters makes even the smallest missions seem like mini dramas. Many Many Minigames Oh the games we'll play in Like a Dragon Today! Just like it's predecessors, Like a Dragon has a wide range of mini games to keep you entertained. You'll play poker, pachinkaslots, maajong, mini carts, and many more. They even added a new 'can collector' mini game that you might find addicting. If you're not careful, you may find yourself spending dozens of hours in mini games alone.........like no seriously I've done it...... Rating I'm giving Yakuza Like a Dragon a 10/10. This was a breath of fresh air for the Yakuza franchise and is a testament that SEGA can still make great games. They pulled no punches in the creation of the game. The glitches were minimal or nonexistent, the graphics and animations were visually pleasing, the gameplay was fun and dynamic, and there are HOURS upon HOURS of gameplay packed into one package. It's been a long time since I've given any game a 10/10. When the game was first lauched, I figured it would be just another Yakuza game. I couldn't have been more wrong. If you have not already, make sure to go pick up this title as many places are having sales right now. If you are an Xbox Gamer, then download it on Gamepass.