- Publisher: Sega
- Release Date: Nov 10, 2020
- Also On: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
- Unscored
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Nov 4, 2020A fun, charming, and occasionally brilliant Yakuza game, let down by an overabundance of repetitive turn-based battles.
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Nov 10, 2020From a studio that's never really ventured into the genre of traditional JRPGs, Yakuza: Like a Dragon is an impressive inaugural effort. It's not perfect by any means, as the turn-based combat still has some growing pains in its current iteration. Coupled with repetitive dungeon design and an unfair endgame grinding requirement, these downsides cast an unfortunate sting on an otherwise very solid JRPG.
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Nov 4, 2020There is a decent game lurking beneath Yakuza: Like A Dragon. Its experimental, numerous half-baked ideas in the shift to a turn-based RPG drag it down from being an excellent experience, but the core ideas are solid enough on paper that they could be amazing if given a future chance. After all, this is the first time the Ryu ga Gotoku Studio development team has embarked on this wild idea to transform this long-running series into something it has never been before. I do disagree that this title can serve as a newcomer’s first foray into the Yakuza series. Yakuza: Like A Dragon is not outstanding, but its vision of what an RPG would look like set in today’s world is fascinating. I played the entire game with Japanese audio and I must say, Ichiban’s voice performance in the finale of his game is phenomenal.
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Nov 4, 2020Yakuza: Like a Dragon takes some bold steps in a new direction for the series but neglects to maintain its balance.
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Dec 9, 2020Despite those missteps, though, I still absolutely loved my time with Like a Dragon. Ichiban was just too charming, Isezaki Ijincho too interesting and its story too irresistible (in its own pulpy way), proving once again that the strength of Yakuza’s heart can easily overcome any of its gameplay shortcomings. Every time I got mad at its RPG failings, I couldn’t stay mad, because every time I got frustrated at the grind Ichiban would do something beautiful, or I’d fight a man holding a giant smoked turkey leg.
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Nov 6, 2020Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has set Yakuza on a grand new course, and Like A Dragon’s RPG switch up is sure to delight long term fans, while remaining a perfect entry point for newcomers. If it slipped under your radar, take this as me pushing Ichiban Kasuga into your room and suggesting you install he and his friends as house guests for a while. This really isn’t a game you should miss out on. [RPS Bestest Bests]
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Nov 4, 2020Yakuza Like a Dragon is an enjoyable new twist on the series, although it’s not hard to imagine that many long-time fans of the series will be put off by its slow pace. In a day and age where video game companies rarely take risks, Like a Dragon is a refreshing change of pace for a series that risked starting to feel stale. [Review in Progress]
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 148 out of 190
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Mixed: 13 out of 190
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Negative: 29 out of 190
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Nov 12, 2020
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Nov 12, 2020The worst gameplay i've ever seen. Although it has a good story but I don't really like the gameplay. I prefer the old gameplay than this gameplay
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Dec 24, 2020